Revelation 7 is an intervening interlude during the opening of the seven seals in chapters 6 and 8. God grants John two visions of the people of God, the church on earth and the church in heaven, to bring comfort and hope for those in the midst of trial and tribulation and affirm His continuing work of bringing His sheep back into the fold.

Sermon Recap1. The Church on EarthIn our first vision, an angel of the Lord keeps the four winds from destroying the world so that all the servants of God may be sealed. Revelation 14:1 tells us that it is the name of God and the Lamb that is written on their foreheads. Seals are a mark of an authority’s power and presence over another as we know from baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Those who are sealed number 144,000, arranged as an Old Testament Israelite army ready for battle. It’s a symbolic picture of all God’s people, Jew and Gentile, standing before their God, awaiting the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ, to come lead them into the final battle. We are reminded that how things currently are is not how it will always be.

1. The Church in HeavenThe second vision reveals a people at rest, an innumerable multitude of every nation, tribe, and tongue, fulfilling the Abrahamic promise of Genesis 12 and 15. They’re clothed in white, purified by the blood of the Lamb, waving palm branches in celebration of their liberation from Satan, sin, and death by the sacrifice of Christ. Their new song is now echoed by the angels, the heavenly elders, and the four living creatures in a picture of perfected worship. The Lamb of God is now celebrated as the Great Shepherd of the sheep. Even now, as the idea of gathering as one church again seems so farfetched, this vision tells us that the amazing glory of worship is not in Grace Alameda gathering once again (though we can’t wait to do that again!) but when all of God’s people gather to worship for eternity. This gives us reason to persevere at this time.

Reflection & Discussion Questions1. Has it been a struggle for you to not physically gather for worship on Sundays? What’s been the hardest part of it all? What about Sunday service do you long for and miss the most? 2. What comes to mind when you think of seals? What do those seals usually represent? 3. How is it a comfort that God delays the final judgment to come while He seals all the servants of God? What does that say about who and how many God saves? 4. What is the tenor and tone of worship in the vision of the church in heaven? How should that inform our worship during this time? 5. How do these two vision of the church on earth and the church in heaven encourage you during this time of shelter in place? How can you encourage others who are struggling with our current context?