Ezekiel 9:4-6- and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.
Ezekiel had been transported to the Temple in a vision. He had witnessed the glory of God once again…then heard him speak. God called 6 guards to him…one dressed in white linen and carrying a writing case. The other 5 were told to bring swords. The one in white was to go into the city and look for anyone that was weeping for the sins they had committed …anyone who showed grief and lament for the shape the city had gotten in. When he found someone he was to mark their forehead…a sign to the other 5 not to kill them.
Revelation 7:3 records a similar scene. The words of God recorded there are much the same … "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." John even goes on to give a specific number of the Israelites that will be sealed. 144,000 sounds like a small number of people considering the population of our world is pushing 7 billion.
We could get caught up in the debate over who will be sealed…or whether the 144,000 is a literal number for just the remnant of Jews….or if that is all of the 7 billion people that get sealed. I think my time would be better spent praying and studying to insure that God finds me faithful…and that I get to be one of the sealed….my odds aren’t too great if I think in just math terms. God knows in my heart that I hope I have passed this life before all this goes down…but just in case….I need to be ready to refuse the mark of the beast…and that will take an amount of strength I do not possess on my own.
As bad as the world seems now…it will get much worse. Some people will be tricked into taking the mark of the beast to preserve a bit more time on the Earth. I want to have enough faith and strength to say no…even if it means immediate death. I can hear Paul’s words of courage in Philippians 1:21….he said…. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” He saw the reward of heaven in his future…and focused on God’s face. He knew that death would join him to the one he served for eternity…and was ready to face the uncertainty of what death might bring in those moments of passing.
Father…thank you for reminding me that I need to be more faithful. Forgive me for mostly weeping tears of selfishness and pity. Help me to focus more on the hurts of others and the hurting world around me. Help me to build my faith and give me strength for the days ahead…whatever they may bring. Make me worthy to bear your seal. Amen.
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