Verse 2 also tells us that Christ as another Angel cries “with a loud voice to the four angels to whom authority was given to harm the earth and the sea.” He orders the angels who were going to damage the earth to wait until those of Israel are sealed.
In verse 3 Christ says, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the slaves of our God upon their foreheads.” According to Revelation 8, the first trumpet is to harm the earth and the trees (v. 7), the second trumpet is to harm the sea (vv. 8-9), the third trumpet is to harm the rivers (vv. 10-11), and the fourth trumpet is to harm the heavenly hosts (v. 12). Before the executing of the first four trumpets, God will seal His chosen Israelites to preserve them from the supernatural calamities which will be carried out by these trumpets. The first four trumpets will harm only the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the heavenly hosts. It is the fifth trumpet that will torment men directly. God’s sealing of His chosen Israelites is especially to preserve them from the torment of the fifth trumpet (9:4).
According to prophecy and their present situation, the children of Israel have returned to the land of their fathers in unbelief. They still cling to their old religion, and they do not believe in God according to His New Testament economy. They are actually in rebellion against Him. When the Lord Jesus came, God changed the dispensation from that of keeping the law to that of believing in the Lord Jesus. But the Jews would not accept this change, and they refused to turn from keeping the law to believing in the Lord Jesus. This was their rebellion, stubbornness, and disobedience. God has borne with them for centuries, and even while, according to His sovereignty, they have returned and been restored as a nation again, they are still in unbelief. They do not believe in the Lord Jesus. The prophecies regarding Israel indicate that they will remain in unbelief until the last day. God, however, is sovereign, and He will always take care of the nation of Israel, not for their sake but for His economy. He knows that among the unbelieving Jews there are some faithful ones, and before He will judge the earth with supernatural calamities, He will seal them.
Revelation 7:17 unveils that for our experience and enjoyment Christ is also our Shepherd.
Verse 17 says, “The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them.” In this verse the term them refers to all of God’s redeemed ones, including both those in the Old Testament age and the New Testament age. All the redeemed ones are considered God’s flock, of which Christ is the Shepherd.
In Revelation 7:17 we see that the Lamb will shepherd them and guide them to springs of waters of life. Shepherding includes feeding. Under the shepherding of Christ, we “will lack nothing” (Psa. 23:1). The believers throughout the generations have been under the shepherding of the Lord as the good Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25). As the Chief Shepherd (5:4) and the great Shepherd of God’s flock (Heb. 13:20), He will shepherd us for eternity as the Lamb of God and guide us to springs of waters of life so that we may have eternal satisfaction, without thirst or hunger (Rev. 7:16-17). By shepherding the flock of God, Christ accomplishes a great part of God’s organic salvation, His salvation in life (Rom. 5:10).
In His shepherding the flock of God, the main thing Christ does is to guide us to the many different springs of waters of life. In Revelation 7:17 springs of waters of life refers to the unique water of life in different aspects. In keeping with this, John 7:38 speaks of the many rivers of living water flowing out of a believer’s innermost being, whereas Revelation 22:1 speaks of the one river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem. This indicates that there will be the unique river of water of life that issues into many rivers for our enjoyment. The rivers of living water are the many flows of the different aspects of life (cf. Rom. 15:30; 1 Thes. 1:6; 2 Thes. 2:13; Gal. 5:22-23), originating from the one unique river of water of life (Rev. 22:1), which is God’s Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2). In eternity we will drink of many springs and enjoy many different waters. How good this is!
To the world and to the Jews Christ is the Ruler of the kings, but to a great multitude of redeemed saints mentioned in Revelation 7:9-17, the Lamb is the Shepherd. Verse 14, which says, “These are those who come out of the great tribulation,” refers to tribulations, sufferings, persecutions, and afflictions experienced by God’s redeemed people throughout the ages. They have in their hands palm branches, which signify the victory of the saints over tribulation, which they have undergone for the Lord’s sake (vv. 9-14; cf. John 12:13). Palm trees are also a sign of satisfaction gained through being watered (Exo. 15:27). When He shepherds and guides them to springs of waters of life, He brings them to God Himself. These dear ones, who love God and seek Christ at any cost, gain the supply of living water, which is God Himself. This living water sustains them and enables them to overcome every obstacle.
Many believers have been sustained by the Lord to overcome all obstacles and to come to the springs of the waters of life. They can testify that in their background in religion there was no living water to refresh them. In religion there is only dryness. Some of the believers who were brought up in Judaism surely can confirm that they found only a desert with no supply of living water in the Jewish religion.
We need to praise the Lord for bringing us to the church, where there is a fountain which is God Himself, the source of living water. This living water flows unceasingly so that it fills us to the point of overflowing. It is when we are full of this thirst-quenching water that we can easily overcome whatever comes across our path. By the living water out of this spring, we can overcome all things.
The Lamb, who today is in the heavens, is the One who is shepherding us. He exercises His rulership over the universe, the nations, and the Jews. Yet He also leads His seekers to God as the springs of waters of life. The following chorus from one of our hymns speaks of our enjoyment of the springs of waters of life:
Drinking at the Fountain that never runs dry,
Drinking at the Fountain of life am I;
Finding joy and pleasure
In abounding measure,
I am drinking at the Fountain of life.
Hymns, #322
In the church we find a never ending, sure supply. In this drink we find joy and pleasure in abounding measure. By His heavenly ministry, the Lamb has brought us to a wonderful fountain.