SEAL 7… (Revelation 7: 1-2, 6) “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets… Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts.”
Seal 7 simply announces the coming seven "Trumpet” judgments. The silence in Heaven for about half an hour, emphasizes the extreme significance of what is about to come. However, it is extremely important to understand that between the 6th and 7th Seal, an extraordinary transition takes place as described in Revelation chapter seven. This transition is explained in Romans chapter eleven. In this chapter, the apostle Paul says something absolutely extraordinary. Please read these verses carefully!
(verse 13-15) “I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful.”
(verse 17-26) “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree, some of the people of Israel, have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. Well, you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember, those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And then Israel will be saved.”
Revelation chapter seven declares that the “fullness of the Gentiles” has now come in. The great multitude of Gentiles who have died in Christ, have now found their rest in Heaven. This is not to say that there won't be any Gentile Christians still alive on the earth. These verses are meant to explain that at this point God will now focus his attention on Israel. God will seal, for their protection, 144,000 from the tribes of Israel who have now turned to their Savior, Christ Jesus. The 144,000 is not an actual head-count, the number is meant to signify a complete ingathering from the Hebrew people.
The consequences of the coming “Trumpet” judgments, will directly involve the nation of Israel.
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