God's Sovereign Protection of the Saints

As we continued the Revelation sermon series, we looked at the first of three textual interludes in the book of Revelation, where the story line takes a break to provide information about the situation regarding the saints and the great conflict. In each of these breaks, there is a significant emphasis on God’s sovereign control, even over Satan and his demonic forces as they unleash suffering and persecution on God’s people. In the first half of Revelation 7, God commands His angels to seal His people before the coming destruction. Those who were sealed belong to the King of Kings and had His protection. The second half of Revelation 7 reveals God’s people after the time of suffering has come to an end. In these verses, we see a brief snapshot of eternal life where the saints of God will enjoy the protection, satisfaction and joy of the unending presence of God.