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Revelation 7:3
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3 Saying, [lego] Hurt [adikeo] not [me] the earth, [ge] neither [mete] the sea, [thalassa] nor [mete] the trees, [dendron] till [achri] [hos] we have sealed [sphragizo] [sphragizo] the servants [doulos] of our [hemon] God [theos] in [epi] their [autos] foreheads. [metopon] KJV-Interlinear
3 saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." NASB
And the message of the fifth angel, to the first four, is that they should restrain and continue restraining the actions of judgment (hurt not), against the evils of the world.
This restraint was to last only until a certain group of people were sealed in their faith in Christ.
The ‘earth, sea, and the trees’ is an expression, or terms, indicating the entire world.
The sealing, is the action of the Holy Spirit, who ‘seals’ eternal life in those who believe in Christ, Eph. 1:13, 4:30.
For more of the role of the Holy Spirit in the spiritual life, see the special study in that library, online on the Bible Study web site, on the Holy Spirit.
Once the devastation of the world, from the judgments that are to be unleashed, begins, then evangelism will be difficult, and people who need it, will have a disadvantage in obtaining it.
But God is omniscient, knowing everything, and He possesses foreknowledge, knowing what exactly people will do in the future.
And knowing that there will be millions who will believe in Christ, if given the chance, during the extreme times of the Tribulation, then God (Jesus Christ), will give the order to hold off the judgments on the earth, until a specific group of people will in fact believe in Christ themselves.
Remember that when the Tribulation begins, all believers are gone from the earth due to the Rapture. All people left behind will be unbelievers.
Were it not for positive volition toward faith in Christ, the judgment of the world would begin immediately. However, Christ sees positive volition and millions of people who will believe. These people will hear the gospel from evangelists, who themselves will be Jews, directing their message of the gospel to their fellow Jews in Israel, and around the world.
Others around the world will also hear the gospel, but the Jewish people are in view here in these verses.
These evangelists will be unbelievers when the Rapture occurs. However, they will recognize it as the prophecy ending the dispensation of the Church Age, and the prophecy which will mark the beginning of the ‘last days’ prophecies.
Perhaps they will be familiar with Daniel, perhaps they will see the political, social, economic, and even military events unfolding around them. But from whatever source, they will come to the conclusion that their religion, Judaism, or whatever they happen to have been believing at the time, was not the right faith. They will believe in Christ.
And that is the moment that they will be sealed with eternal life, just as you were sealed with eternal life at the moment when you believed in Christ.
In their forehead, does not mean a sign placed ‘on’ their forehead. The forehead is often used as the symbol for ones life or soul. Anyone could have a mark placed on their skin, and it would mean nothing. But only believers can have a mark placed on their soul, which designates them as saved, as family of God, as the elected, as sealed.
And if you look in the mirror really close, and even wash your forehead first, will you see your mark?
No.
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