The Hand of the Living God

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’ (Revelation 7:1-3).”

I had a dream last night about these verses and the ones that follow listing the 12 Tribes of Israel from which the 144,000 are taken. In the dream these verses were happening as I watched, and then I was in a church I had never been in before. A huge church with cathedral ceilings and lofts, and it was full of people. I stood up and told everyone that the 144,000 were in the process of being sealed and then the four angels who had been stopped from harming the earth, sea and trees would be allowed to continue their task and the time to be right with God was quickly coming to an end. Instead of people coming to the altar to repent, many walked out of the church, laughing at me. I awoke with praise on my lips and asking God to forgive me any sins I may have committed. But the dream continues to bother me, so I called my pastor Daddy to help me process it.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh,  and since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-21).”

Jesus Christ did all He could possibly do for us – He died for our sins and rose again, so we would also have everlasting life simply by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. He was the final sacrifice that atoned for all of mankind’s sins, no matter what they are. There is nothing we can do that Christ didn’t already atone for, but it is up to us to make that confession of faith that brings us out of darkness and into His everlasting light. Without that confession, we are putting ourselves in hell for all of eternity. No matter how much time is left until Christ’s return, none of us know if we will be here when it happens. Our lives have a time stamp and when it’s up, there is nothing we can do to stop it. I’m going to die, you’re going to die, everyone you know and love is going to die. That’s life. We can’t change the fact that we are going to die but we can ensure what happens when we do. We can accept Christ with full belief that He is exactly who He says He is and have the assurance that when we leave this earth, we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Or not. But the choice is ours.

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:26-31).”

Read Lamentations 1-5

©2018 Marie McGaha