three biggest mysteries in the Bible God did not allow these creatures to enter Noah's Ark number one fish and sea creatures in Genesis 6:7 it is stated that when God revealed his plan to destroy the world with the flood he told Noah that he will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens for I am sorry that I have made them it is interesting to note that fish and other sea creatures were not included in this plan of Destruction there are some passages in the flood section of Genesis that can help clarify whether fish were affected by the flood or not in Genesis 6:1 17 it is mentioned for behold I will bring a flood of waters upon the Earth To Destroy All Flesh in which is the Breath of Life under Heaven everything that is on the Earth shall die specifically everything on the Earth would die the flood of water would drown them logically animals that live in the water would not be affected by more water also it is hard to see how fish could be described as having breath land animals and birds were selected to board the ark but fish and sea creatures were not Genesis 6: 19- 21 and of every living thing found on land you shall bring two of every kind into the ark to keep them alive with you they shall be male and female of fowls and birds according to their kind of animals according to their kind of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive also take with you every kind of food that is edible and you shall collect and store it and it shall be food for you and for them this would seem to indicate that sea creatures did not need the Ark in order to survive Genesis ch 7: 20-23 lists animals that died but sea life is not included Genesis 7: 20 through 23 in fact Waters became 15 cubits higher than the highest ground and the mountains were covered all living beings that moved on the earth perished birds and cattle domestic animals wild animals all things that swarm and crawl on the earth and all mankind everything on the dry land all in whose know nostrils was the breath and spirit of Life died God destroyed blotted out wiped away every living thing that was on the surface of the Earth man and animals and The Crawling things and the birds of the heavens were destroyed from the land only Noah and those who are with him in the ark remained alive in Genesis 8:1 it is mentioned that after the flood God remembered Noah and all the beasts and livestock that were with him in the ark however it is not clear why God did did not remember the fish and sea creatures these creatures were not destroyed like the other animals so it is unclear why they were not specifically mentioned the Hebrew worldview had an interesting way of categorizing animal life according to Genesis 1: 21 the fifth day of creation included the creation of fish and sea life as well as flying creatures and birds it says so God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves with which the waters swarm according to their kinds and every Winged Bird according to its kind and God saw that it was good land animals on the other hand were created on the sixth day as mentioned in Genesis 1:4 according to these verses the Jewish people divided animal life into three categories sea life flying animals and land animals however only flying animals and land animals were taken aboard the ark as the fish and other sea life were not at risk on under the water number two most of the unclean animals Noah took two of every kind of animal into the ark right not exactly the Bible States in Genesis 7: 2-3 of every clean animal you shall take with you seven pair the male and his female and of animals that are not clean to each the male and his female also of the birds of the air seven pair the male and the female to keep The Offspring alive on the surface of the Earth according to Genesis 6: 19 Noah was instructed to bring more clean animals than unclean on the ark however there is some ambiguity in the Hebrew phrase translated as seven pairs which literally means seven sevens it remains unclear whether Noah took seven specimens of each clean species three pairs and an extra or seven pairs nonetheless only the clean animals came in pairs in Leviticus 11 there is a distin made between clean and unclean animals but this law was given after the time of Noah despite this we know that Noah was aware of which animals were clean and unclean in Genesis 4:4 it is mentioned that sacrifices were made to God before the Mosaic law was given this suggests that God had communicated to man which animals were suitable for sacrifice and later for consumption however we are not told how exactly Noah knew the difference Leviticus 11 specifies which animals are clean and unclean here are a few examples clean animals are those that have a divided hoof and chew the cud like sheep goats deer and cattle clean Seafood must have both scales and fins such as Cod grouper and bluegill certain birds like doves chickens and Ducks are also considered clean interestingly some insects like Grasshoppers and locusts are also considered clean unclean animals include land animals that either do not chew the cud or do not have a split hoof such as pigs dogs cats horses donkeys and rats Seafood that lacks either fins or scales such as shellfish Lobster oysters and catfish is also considered unclean some birds such as owls Hawks and vultures are considered unclean as well as other animals such as reptiles and amphibians the New Testament teaches that we are no longer judged based on the foods we eat Colossians 2:1 16 however nutritionists have observed that the old testament's categorization of clean and unclean Foods actually provides a practical guideline for a healthy diet during a time before modern food safety practices consuming only clean animals would have helped people avoid many health issues God's distinction between clean and unclean animals was not only about diet but also to remind Israel of their set aart status to worship the one true God in the Book of Genesis chter 7 the reference to clean animals would have been understood by the original audience to mean that animals that God had designated as fit for consumption and sacrifice it would have made sense for Noah to include more clean animals than unclean ones on the ark as they were not only for preservation but also for future use After the flood Noah made a sacrifice as mentioned in Genesis 8:20 since he had taken seven or seven pairs of every clean animal on the ark there would have still been plenty of animals left to repopulate the Earth after the sacrifice Noah received a command to take seven pairs of clean animals where a pair represents a male and a female additionally he God performed a miracle by Leading the animals to orderly assemble and enter the Ark in pairs as stated in verse 9 number three Nephilim the true story of the Nephilim scripture indicates a portion of Satan's Fallen Angels failed to keep their proper domain by materializing and interacting with humans in ways Angels were never meant to do this interaction is depicted in Genesis 6: 1-4 in Genesis 6: 1-4 it says and it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the Earth and daughters were born unto them that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them wives of all which they chose and the Lord said my spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his days shall be 12 years there were giants in the earth in those days and also after that when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bear children to them the same became Mighty Men which were of old men of renown this refers to the unnatural progeny of the partnership between the sons of God and the daughters of men however there were individuals of distinctive size on the earth both Before and After the flood and also afterward those ones before the flood were notable because of the Diabolical element of their parentage they were the Mighty Men of old men of renown upon initial inspection there are no signs of angelic or demonic involvement however a passage in job provides further insight into God's omnipotence by detailing his control over creation where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth declare if thou Hast understanding who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened or who laid the Cornerstone thereof when the morning Stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for Joy job 38: 4-7 morning stars are often interpreted as angels it is known that God laid the foundation of the earth before mankind was created therefore the mention of sons of God in Genesis 6 is believed to refer to angels as well this implies that the sons of God in Genesis 6 are also Angels the Nephilim also known as the Fallen ones are mysterious figures mentioned in Genesis 6:4 as the Mighty Men Who were of old the men of renown however the text doesn't provide any explanation as to how the Nephilim came into existence it simply states that the Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterward when the sons of God came into the daughters of man and bore children to them but why are the nephila mentioned in Genesis 6 alongside the intermarriage of the sons of God and Daughters of men it is unclear how these Mighty Men of renown came about if they were not the outcome of intermarriage between Spirit beings and humans Jude likely understands Genesis 6: 1-4 to refer to the intermarriage between Spirit beings and humans Jude 6 speaks about angels who disobeyed and left their assigned position of authority according to the Bible this event happened when Angels left heaven to dwell on Earth as described in Genesis 6: 1-4 these arguments support the traditional view that the sons of God mated with human women and gave birth to the Nephilim though this may appear strange to modern ears the same could be said for the entire Bible truth is Stranger Than Fiction and The World God has created is far from what we commonly believe it is said that certain beings were overcome with desire upon seeing the daughters of men these beings known as sons of God or Angels proceeded to mate with these women resulting in offspring that were half Angelic and half human these Offspring were called Nephilim the Bible does not provide a a clear reason why the Angels engaged in this Behavior but it can be inferred that these sons of God were evil and twisted beings and as such their actions should not come as a surprise in terms of a specific motivation one Theory holds that these beings were attempting to pollute the human bloodline in order to prevent the Messiah from appearing God had promised that the Messiah would crush the head of the serpent Satan one day Genesis 3: 8-15 and they heard the sound of the Lord God Walking In The Garden in the cool afternoon Breeze of the day so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the presence of the Lord God Among the Trees of the garden but the Lord God Called to Adam and said to him where are you he said I heard the sound of you walking in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid myself God said who told you that you were naked have you eaten fruit from the Tree of which I commanded you not to eat and the man said the woman whom you gave to be with me she gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it then the Lord God said to the woman what is this that you have done and the woman said the serpent beguiled and deceived me and I ate from The Forbidden tree the Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this you are cursed more than all the cattle and more than any animal of the field on your belly you shall go and dust you shall eat all all the days of your life and I will put enmity open hostility between you and the woman and between your seed Offspring and her seed he shall fatally bruise your head and you shall only bruise his heel we can deduce why Satan sent his angels to inter Mar with human women directly or indirectly Satan attempted to pollute Mankind's genetic pool with satanic corruption planting something resembling a genetic pathogen in order to render humans unfit to Bear the seed of the woman the Messiah promised in Genesis 3:15 the Savior could not be born of a demon-possessed mother so if Satan could succeed in infecting the entire race the deliverer could not come and Satan came close to succeeding the people had become so polluted that God decided to relaunch with Noah and his sons and imprison the demons who had polluted it so they could never do it again God's reaction to this great wickedness my spirit shall not strive with Man Forever God did not intend for the human race to remain in this rebellious State indefinitely this means that our rejection of God has reached a point of no return God will not woo us indefinitely there will come a time when he says no more even more reason for us to declare that today rather than tomorrow is the day we will respond to Jesus we have no promise God will draw us some other way yet his days will be 120 years this is interesting as the flood also happened 120 years after this announcement this violation of God's prescribed boundaries so frustrated him that he immediately sent a flood to destroy the entire Earth and all traces of these Unholy unions the Nephilim were believed to be one of the main reasons for the great flood that occurred during Noah's time after the Nephilim were introduced the Lord saw how great the wickedness of man had become every thought and inclination of their heart was evil all the time the Lord was grieved by the actions of man and it pained his heart to see the way they were behaving in Genesis 6: 4-8 it says there were Nephilim men of stature notorious men on the earth in those days and also afterward when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men and they gave birth to their children these were the Mighty Men Who were of old men of renown great reputation Fame the Lord saw that the wickedness depravity of man was great on the earth and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually the Lord regretted that he had made mankind on the earth and he was deeply grieved in his heart so the Lord said I will destroy annihilate mankind whom I have created from the surface of the Earth not only man but the animals and The Crawling things in the birds of the air because it deeply Grieves me to see mankind sin and I regret that I have made them but Noah found favor and Grace in the eyes of the Lord in the story of Noah's Arc God was unhappy with the state of the world and decided to flood the entire Earth this resulted in the destruction of almost everything except Noah his family and the animals on the ark even the Nephilim were not spared according to Genesis 6:6 the Lord was sorry some translations use the word repent instead of sorry in Hebrew the word for feeling sorry or repentance is nachum which means to mourn deeply or sigh heavily to say that the Lord repented is God using human language to help us understand his heart the verse implies that human sin broke God's heart God is complete love he loves us and does not want anything to go wrong with us it breaks his heart when we sin and he is broken over our sins when we sin but why were men suddenly so violent was it because the Godly line mixed with the ungodly line or was it at least in part because Humanity had mixed with Spirit beings I would like to argue for the latter were there Nephilim After the flood it appears that the Fallen Angels committed their sin again after the flood however it is likely that it occurred to a much lesser extent Than Before the Flood the Israelites returned to Moses with the following information after scouting the land of Canaan numbers 13:33 says and there we saw the Giants the sons of anch which come of the Giants and we were in our own sight as Grasshoppers and so we were in their sight it's also possible that after the flood the demons mated with human females again resulting in more Nephilim it's even possible that some Nephilim characteristics were passed down through the lineage of one of Noah's daughters-in-law in any case the Israelites destroyed these Giants during their invasion of Canaan in the Old Testament giant is most commonly referred to by the word rafaam throughout the entirety of the old testament's narrative the raim serve as a fascinating and significant reoccurring Motif the days of lot Jesus compares the end times to the days of Noah in Luke 17: 26-30 it says just as it was in the days of Noah so also will it be in the days of the son of man people were eating drinking marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the Ark then the flood came and destroyed them all it was the same in the days of lot people were eating and drinking buying and selling planting and building but the day lot left Sodom fire and sulfur rain down from heaven and destroyed them all it will be just like this on the day the son of man is revealed there there is one final aspect of the last days that Jesus points to and it was present in the societies of both Noah and lot Jesus speaks about these activities Jesus mentions eight specific activities eating drinking marrying giving in marriage buying selling building and planting there is nothing intrinsically sinful about any of those activities so what was the problem the problem was they were so immersed in those activities they did not recognize the days in which they were living I would sum that problem up in one word materialism they were so immersed in the material they no longer had any understanding or alertness for the spiritual and the Eternal the final feature of the days of Noah and lot then was materialism how much materialism is there in the world today I would say Western Civilization is virtually inundated with it and it is by no means excluded from the Christ there are many professing Christians who are just as materialistic in their hearts as unbelievers maybe they are a little less demonstrative about it maybe it is not as apparent in their Lifestyles but they are absorbed with materialism Jesus warned us that if we are sucked into the pit of materialism we will not be ready when he comes we will be in the same category as the people of Noah in lot's days parallel account in Luke 17: 26 gives this wording just as it was in the days of Noah so also will it be in the days of the son of man to comprehend the days prior to Jesus's return therefore we need to find out what the days of Noah were like for an account of those days we will examine the Book of Genesis for the Essential Elements positive side warning for survival we have discussed the evil elements that were prevalent during the times of Noah and lot as we have seen various forms of evil were widespread however it it would be unfair to paint a complete picture of those times without also highlighting the positive side as there was a positive side to those times in two main respects there is good news about the days of Noah as Genesis 6:9 States these are the generations of Noah Noah was just a man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God among all those people there was one man who had an intimate and personal relationship with God God could speak to him and tell him how he viewed the situation and the Judgment he was going to bring for us as Believers Noah sets a pattern that we must follow Noah and his family were the only survivors of that tragedy it seems clear to me that only those who live like Noah and his family will survive today Hebrews chap 11 has just one verse about Noah by faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith Number Four The Wicked generation Jesus meets the imprisoned Souls of the delou this is what happened in the spiritual realm when Jesus died Jesus faced the great challenge of sacrificing his life for the sake of the entire world despite the overwhelming and terrible nature of this Mission he accepted it after hanging on the cross for 3 hours Jesus gave up his life however he was not helpless as he alone had the authority to end his life what happened in the spiritual realm after this event Peter provides us with the answer to this question Peter was one of the first two people whom Jesus called to follow him initially he was easily swayed like a reed blown by the wind however after Jesus left him he became as firm as a rock Peter was the first in every list of the 12 and he was The Unofficial spokesperson for the group do you know where his Spirit went what happened to him did he end up in heaven or in Hell there is some dispute regarding the whereabouts of Jesus or more specifically the location of his spirit for the three days between his death and Resurrection where Jesus was another passage is often mentioned in the discussion of where Jesus was for the 3 days between his death and resurrection that is 1 Peter chapter 3: 18- 21 these verses constitute one of the most puzzling and intriguing texts in the New Testament Jesus is the epitome of what it means to suffer for the sake of doing good to bring us to God and restore our broken and dead relationship with him he who is just endured suffering for all of us who are unjust the objective of all this was to bring us to God 1 Peter 3: 18-21 says for Christ also suffered for sins once for all time for the unjust so that he might bring us to God having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah during the construction of the Ark in which if that is eight persons were brought safely through the water corresponding to that baptism now saves you not the removal of dirt from the flesh but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ we read by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who formerly were disobedient Jesus preached to the spirits in prison with the help of the Holy Spirit it seems this was done after Jesus died but before he arose from the dead did Jesus actually preach to the spirits in Hades yes that's right Hades is considered to be the realm of the dead and Jesus reportedly went there to deliver his message it's quite fascinating to think about we read preach to the spirits in prison have you ever wondered who holds the highest level of authority and Power in this world the Bible provides a clear answer to this question regardless of your personal beliefs it states that even those who are buried deep beneath the Earth must acknowledge Jesus as their ultimate Lord the statement reminds us of the extraordinary power and authority the Jesus holds over everything in the universe while this concept may be humbling it also provides us with hope and comfort knowing that we have a kind and Powerful Lord who is in control of everything Philippians chap 2:10 says so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth we read of those under the Earth this text makes it very clear that Jesus was engaged in conversation with others and that he maintained his Consciousness During the period of time that passed between his death and his resurrection the others with whom he communicated were likewise fully cognizant and actively engaged in conversation with him immediately following his death he traveled to the realm of the dead and preached there on the very first Easter Sunday I can imagine Peter coming face to face with Jesus and asking Jesus where on earth have you been I can Envision this happening to which he said I have not actually been on Earth rather I have been in Hades which is the world of the Dead what on Earth or what is Hades have you been doing there and why have you been there Jesus tells Peter that he was preaching to those who were drowned in Noah's flood the spirit and the body are separated by death Jesus went through all three stages in a span of time that was less than a weak he became an embodied Spirit he died on the cross and commended his Spirit to God and ultimately his body was placed in the Tomb he continued to live in his Spirit form and carried out his mission of preaching on Easter Sunday morning his body and spirit were reunited and he remained fully conscious and able to communicate throughout all these stages the identity of the spirits here the spirits in prison are clearly identified those who were disobedient when were they disobedient who were these spirits of the wicked generation in the early chapters of Genesis specifically in Genesis 6: 1-5 the Bible paints a picture of the world before the flood the Earth was not a place of peace or kindness but one filled with sin violence and moral corruption imagine a world where people are consumed by their desires always seeking to do whatever they want regardless of the cost to others honesty integrity and kindness are not celebrated or even understood virtues instead deceit and manipulation rule the day everyone is out for themselves and the Very fabric of society is torn apart by selfishness and wickedness such an environment families are not sanctuaries of love and support but battlefields of Deceit and betrayal neighbors don't look out for each other they look to exploit one another governments are not institutions of justice but rather systems of Oppression upholding the rule of the powerful over the weak right from the start we see that Noah is going to be special as he is the only member of this genealogy whose name is explained his father lamech states that his son Noah will bring relief Noah sounds like the Hebrew word for rest or relief we learn quickly what Noah was to relieve them from in Genesis 6: 1-8 where we see the unfettered results of the Fall as unrighteousness increases throughout the world Genesis 6: 22 says so Noah did these things according to everything that God had commanded him so he did it is not known how many people were on Earth at the time of the flood according to the Bible therefore we can only make educated guesses about the pref flood population According to some individuals the human population was not very high in the past the Bible indicates that before the flood people were exceedingly immoral and aggressive it is plausible to consider that there were numerous Wars illnesses and other circumstances that could have limited the growth of the population who did Cain marry Cain knew his wife one of Adam's descendants and she was conceived and gave birth to an Enoch and Cain built a city and named it Enoch after the name of his son Genesis 4:1 17 perhaps no woman mentioned in scripture has caused more confusion among Christians in the garden of Eden Humanity began with two figures handcrafted by God Adam and Eve as the first humans Adam and Eve were the bearers of God's image pure and beautiful their existence was a testament to God's love and creativity from the union of these two came their offspring among their children two names Stand Out prominently Cain and Abel Adam made love to his wife Eve and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain Genesis 4:1 shortly after Abel his brother came into the world their stories of Love jealousy and tragedy would set an example for The Human Experience Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve the first man and woman created by God unfortunately Cain is best known for committing the first murder in the Bible as the narrative unfolds a question emerges from the Shadows after the infamous incidents where Cain in a fit of jealousy he is exiled to the Land of Nod the name nod means wandering in Hebrew the Land of Nod isn't described in detail but its name symbolizes Cain's fate as a Wanderer and an outcast there the Bible mentions Cain made love to his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch Genesis 4:17 the lingering question that has baffled many is who was his wife where did she come from when we read about the early chapters of Genesis we're introduced to Adam Eve Cain and Abel however after Cain's tragic Act of murder the scripture tells us he moved to the Land of Nod and had descendants this leads us to wonder from where did his wife come the Bible provides some hints that can help us unravel this mystery one thing we know for sure is that Adam and Eve had many children the Bible says after Seth was born Adam lived 800 years and had other Sons and Daughters Genesis 5:4 this verse implies that besides Cain Abel and Seth Adam and Eve had numerous other Offspring if that's the case then it's logical to assume that Cain married one of his sisters or a close relative but isn't marrying a relative wrong today marrying a close relative is frowned upon mainly because of the potential genetic complications however things were different in the early days of humanity Cain married his sister or other blood relative and Genesis 5:4 specifically states that Adam had Sons and Daughters married of close relatives was not forbidden then nor was it genetically risky it wasn't until much later in the Book of Leviticus that God set down laws prohibiting close interf family marriages it was when God gave the people of the law of Moses that he established laws forbidding a man from marrying his sister or niece none of you shall approach anyone who is near to Kin of him to uncover his nakedness I am the Lord Leviticus 18:6 at that time God forbade marriage between the following mother father sister brother half brother brother's wife Aunt Uncle stepmother granddaughter daughter-in-law and son-in-law before that time it was not forbidden Leviticus 18: 7 to 17 God forbade into marriage at the time of Moses to protect the the increasing chance of a deformed Offspring resulting from such a union in addition the future health of the nation Israel was ensured by this commandment furthermore the Commandment against this type of practice strengthened the structure of the family unit time not stated it is important to note that the Bible does not provide any information about when Cain killed Abel or the age at which this murder occurred the scripture merely states that it happened at the end of days it is not necessary to assume that Cain and Abel were young men or teenagers at the time if each of them were over 50 years old then there could have been a significant number of people living during that time this is supported by the fact that Adam and Eve had many more Sons and Daughters besides Cain and Abel Genesis 5: 3:4 when Adam had lived 130 years he became the father of a son in his own likeness according to His Image and named him Seth after he became the father of Seth Adam lived 800 years and had other Sons and Daughters the Bible states that Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born and he lived for another 800 years God had promised to greatly multiply Eve's conception Genesis 3:16 Amplified Bible to the woman he said I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth in pain you will give birth to Children yet your desire and longing will be for your husband and he will rule with authority over you and be responsible for you according to Jewish tradition Adam had 33 sons and 23 daughters this means that there were many people living at the time of Cain and Abel it has been estimated that approximately 32,000 people could have been alive when this tragic event took place long lifespans in addition Genesis 5 documents extensive lifespans of Adam's descendants if we assume that each couple gave birth to children for only half of their lifespan then the population at the time of Adam's death could have been quite large additionally the genealogy in Genesis 5 indicates that every descendant of Adam up to lamech had other sons and daughters with these facts in mind there would be no problem finding a wife for Cain prior to his banishment Cain could have had many women from whom to take a wife Christians who may have concerns with this answer should consider that according to the Bible Noah's grandchildren had no choice but to marry either their siblings or first cousins as there were no other people around at that time 1 Peter 3:20 Genesis 7:7 it is also worth noting that Abraham married his half sister Genesis 20: 2 and 12 Isaac on the other hand married Rebecca the daughter of his cousin bethu Genesis 24: 15 and 67 and Jacob who was Leah and Rachel's cousin married both of them therefore it is evident that the Bible did not prohibit the marriage of close relatives until the time of Moses Genesis 20:12 besides he actually is my half sister she is the daughter of my father terara but not of my mother and she became my wife while Moses's father amram married his father's sister his aunt joked Exodus 6:20 Exodus 6:20 amran married his father's sister joked and she gave birth to Aaron and Moses and amran lived 137 years based on the information provided in the Bible it's unclear who Cain married however we can make an educated guess that he most likely we one of his close relatives given the fact that Adam and Eve had many children it's most likely that Cain married one of his close relatives according to Genesis 4:14 Cain feared for his life after killing Abel which implies that there were already other descendants of Adam and Eve living in the world the fact that Adam and Eve had many other children before Cain took a wife is mentioned in Genesis 5:4 it is highly probable that there were not only children but also grandchildren of Adam and Eve living at the time of Abel's death pre-adamic Humanity there are some who suggest that Cain's wife belonged to a group of pre-adamic humans that existed prior to Adam and Eve however this hypothesis raises more questions than it answers the Bible makes it clear that Adam was the first man created and the idea that Cain could have married someone from this pre-existing race contradicts this Genesis 2:7 then the Lord God that is created the body of man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the Man became a living being an individual complete in body and spirit Genesis 2:8 to 19 now the Lord God said it is not good beneficial for the man to be alone I will make him a helper one who balances him a counterpart who is suitable and complimentary for him so the Lord God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them and whatever the man called the living creature that was its name furthermore his wife Eve was given her name because she was the mother of all living Genesis 3:20 Amplified Bible man named his wife Eve Lifespring lifegiver because she was the mother of all living these two facts rule out the idea of some pre-adamic race from which Cain chose a wife other children some Bible scholars propose that the existence of other humans outside of Cain and Abel can be explained by suggesting that Cain and Abel were not necessarily the first two sons of Adam and Eve they argue that other Sons and Daughters may have been born before Canan able and that the Bible is simply emphasizing these two however the Bible does not mention any other children of Adam and Eve before Cain and Abel it is possible that other children existed before Cain and Abel but such a claim lacks support in scripture and cannot be completely verified if all of humanity did descend from Adam and Eve and their first two sons were Cain and Abel then how do we explain the existence of Cain's wife what happened to the family of Cain and Cain knew his wife and he built a city the beginning of industry and urbanization can be seen here man centered from the start the city was named after his son's name not god- centered the fall of the human race continued and even increased the generations following Cain Genesis 4: 18-22 to Enoch was born irad and irad begot meu yel and meel begot meusel and methus begot lamech then lamech took for himself two wives the name of one was Ada and the name of the second was zela and adaah or jabal he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock his brother's name was Jubal he was the father of those who played the harp and flute and as for zela she also bore tubalcain an instructor of every Craftsman in bronze and iron and the sister of tubalcain was n it is possible that lamech means conqueror in Hebrew according to Cain's genealogy he was the sixth child of Adam lamech's arrogance is a contrast to the godliness of Enoch who was the sixth from Adam in Seth's line the names of his wives and daughter show the emphasis of his heart Ada means pleasure ornament or beauty Zilla means shade probably referring to a luxurious covering of hair his daughter's name was n which means loveliness lamech's culture was committed to physical and outward Beauty lame arrogant boast Genesis 4: 23- 24 Lix said to his wives Adar and Zilla listen to my voice you wives of lamech pay attention to my words for I have killed a man for wounding me and a boy for striking me if Cain is Avenged seven times then lamech 77 times lamech boasted about his murder of another and the way he believed he could promise more significant retribution than God demonstrates a gradual degeneration among humankind the human race experienced rapid deterioration which can be described as a de Evolution we read if Cain shall be Avenged Sevenfold then lamech 77-fold this is all a representation of a man centered perspective the city was Cain's City the focus of lamech was his beautiful wives and perceived strength but for all of lamech's boasting neither he nor his descendants are ever heard of again in the Bible he came to nothing sometimes curses may come from previous generations does this mean there is no hope does the human race continue like this no there is hope as we move on we discover that God has provided a remedy the most notable member of Cain's descendants is the boastful lch the 21 words of his speech constitute what is often considered an example of earliest poetry since the beginning of various aspects of civilization is highlighted in this section the exchange of blows perhaps denotes the start of war among humans interestingly with all the beginnings cited In this passage there is no origin of kingship this is of special interest since in the records from the ancient near East kingship is one of the most significant developments within civilization city building multiple wives and initiation of warfare are three elements most consistently associated with kings in ancient literature in Genesis 4 lamech is most closely associated with typical actions linked with kingship the text moves from unrepentant Cain to defiant lamech violence is glorified and The Mark of Cain no longer stands as a stigma of Exile but as a badge of honor that offers protection equal to invol vulnerability verses 17 to 24 list Cain's posterity and a series of Firsts the first city named Enoch the first case of polygamy the beginning of organized animal husbandry the beginning of the art of music and of metal crafts the first song concerning violence and bloodshed in the song lameck explains to his wives that he killed a young man in self-defense but that because it wasn't premeditated like Cain's murder of his brother lamech would be much more immune from reprisal by this speech of lamech recorded here and probably much talked of in those times he seems to have been a wicked man first observe how haughtily he talks to his wives as one that expected Mighty regard and observance hear my voice you wives of lamech second how Bloody and brutal was to all about him I have slain or I would slay a man in my wound and a young man in my hurt he owns himself a man of a fierce Spirit as the family of Cain perpetuated more Rebellion against God the line of Cain built the city of man this project reached a climax later with the building of the Tower of Babel both then and now men without God are driven towards building great Empires in defiance of God they typically consolidate power to establish a government that is empty of Christ's rule since Cain built his first city this has been the passion of the men who run from God consider also the further rebellion of lamech Cain's great great great grandson over a century after God's declaration against Cain lame continued to Mock and twist God's word how does this passage teach us to walk with God in faith and obedience life of the Vagabond The Wanderer and the stranger is cursed it is a life empty of long-term relationships accountability and an authentic Community it is very much the picture of life in the modern city as men build their cities and roam from Community to community they gradually give up on maintaining close relationships and accountability aha that constantly seeks to stray from relationships with God and with brothers and sisters is not one we should desire they become increasingly comfortable in their world of anonymity instead let us strive to have good relationships with our families and churches this is all we know about the family and posterity of cursed Cain until we find them all wiped out in the Universal flood Genesis 4: is 25- 26 Adam knew Eve as his wife again and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth for she said God has granted another child for me in place of Abel because Cain killed him to Seth also a son was born whom he named Enoch mortal ma mankind at that same time men began to call on the name of the Lord in worship through prayer praise and thanksgiving giving after this terrible story of disobedience in Cain's line the chapter ends with a light of Hope in contrast to Cain's line God selected a new family tree God gave Eve a son named Seth in place of Abel Seth Illustrated the same type of worship as his deceased brother Abel as people started to invoke the lord's name in connection with Seth prideful worship as practiced by Cain points to himself humble worship as practiced by Abel and Seth calls out to God Judah 11 woe to them for they have gone the defiant way of Cain and for profit they have run headlong into the error of balam and perished in the rebellion of mutinous Kora it's no surprise that when God needed an obedient servant hundreds of years later he chose Noah from SE death's line who are the 144,000 in Revelation are they already here could you and I be one of them the Book of Revelation is three references to a group of people numbering 144,000 Revelation 7:4 says and I heard how many were sealed 144,000 12,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel why are they sealed when are the 14 4,000 sealed they are sealed to be protected from future judgment The Book of Revelation first mentions a group of people after six seals have been opened causing misery and destruction to the Earth's inhabitants these six seals include representations of false prophets War famine and pestilence through four horses followed by a religious Inquisition that led to the deaths of faithful Christians in Heavenly signs in this teaching about the future Jesus described this time as one of Great Tribulation such has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be Matthew 24: 21-22 for at that time there will be a Great Tribulation pressure distress oppression such has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now nor ever will again and if those days of tribulation had not been cut short no human life would be be saved but for the sake of the elect God's chosen ones those days will be shortened the cealing of 144,000 people occurs after the tribulation and before God's punishment is Unleashed upon the Earth in the following chapter it is explained that four Angels who are ready to bring destruction are instructed not to harm the Earth until the specific group of people has been sealed Revelation 7: 1-3 after this I saw four Angels stationed at the Four Corners of the Earth holding back the Four Winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree then I saw another angel coming up from the rising of the sun holding the Seal of the Living God and with a loud voice he called out to the four angels to whom it was granted to have authority and power to harm the earth and the Sea saying do not harm the Earth nor the sea nor the trees until we seal Mark the bonder Servants of of our God on their foreheads we read Four Angels standing at the Four Corners of the Earth the phrase four corners of the earth is an ancient and sometimes modern equivalent to the idea of the Four Points of the compass the idea is that these angels affect the entire Earth one of the Angels sealed the people of God using a seal which was commonly used by Kings or Property Owners to prove ownership or authenticity in the New Testament the word sealed originates from a Greek word word that means to stamp with a private mark it means to keep something hidden or protect or conserve the sealed object the use of seals was common in official context for example a Roman Centurion would have affixed a seal to a document that was intended solely for the review of his Superior if the seal were broken the person who received the letter would know that the letter had been altered or read by someone other than the person who had originally sealed it we see the Seal of God in the Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation filled with mysterious visions and messages introduces us to the idea of God seal in a very special and meaningful way Revelation 1 tells us the Revelation from Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place he made it known by sending his Angel to his servant John who testifies to everything he saw that is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ this part of the Bible starts to explain the important messages that come later including the meaning of God seal the Seal of God serves as a distinguished mark it signifies that God is safeguarding certain individuals who are his authentic followers the seal is mentioned in the visions of Revelation particularly during the tumultuous and ominous events it's important to know that this seal is in a physical Mark it's more like a spiritual badge it's a way to show who is really connected to God and who is under his protection the idea of sealing in Revelation is rooted in an ancient practice but it is given a spiritual significance it goes beyond merely establishing Authority and authenticity it's about being recognized as belonging to God particularly during times of hardship and adversity this spiritual seal is a powerful representation of faith and divine protection in a chaotic and uncertain world as we look further into this topic we find that the Seal of God is really important shows that God promises to protect us and wants us to stay loyal to him it tells us that even when times are tough God has marked those who are his and he will keep them safe this concept of sealing is also seen in Ephesians 1: 13-14 where it is written in him you also when you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory here the seal is equated with the Holy Spirit given to Believers as a sign of their salvation and a promise of their Eternal inheritance we read do not harm the Earth the sea or the trees till we have sealed the Servants of our God on their foreheads these Servants of God will receive a protective seal on their forehead containing God's name in some manner revelation 14:1 it says then I looked and this is what I saw the lamb stood firmly established on Mount Z and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name inscribed on their foreheads signifying God's Own possession the servant of our God we are not told what exactly their service is but the 144,000 are sealed for a specific and unique purpose however the general idea of being sealed is not limited to them in account of the cealing of the Servants of God it is observed that the work was committed to two angels while some angels were tasked with restraining Satan and his agents another Angel was responsible for identifying and differentiating the Faithful Servants of God these servants were distinguished by the Seal of God on their foreheads a mark easily recognizable to God this seal set them apart ensuring their safety and protection during the most difficult difficult times the number of those sealed in Revelation 7: 4-8 it says and I heard how many were sealed 144,000 12,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel 12,000 were sealed from the tribe of Judah 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben 12,000 from the tribe of GAD 12,000 from the tribe of Asher 12,000 from the tribe of naftali 12,000 from the tribe of NASA 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000 from the tribe of Levi 12,000 from the tribe of issachar 12,000 from the tribe of zebulun 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph and 12,000 from The Tribe of Benjamin were sealed marked redeemed protected this is their General identification they are of all the tribes of the children of Israel ethnically they are Jewish and there are 14 4,000 of these chosen ones this text refers to a specific group of individuals known as the 144,000 these individuals are divided among the 12 tribes of Israel with 12,000 individuals from each tribe it's believed that only God knows their tribal ancestry interestingly the tribe of Dan is not included in this list of tribes some people speculate that this is because Dan is associated with the Antichrist based on references in Daniel 11:36 7 and Jeremiah 8:16 in Daniel 11:37 and he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women nor will he show regard for any other God for he will boast against them all this may or may not be the case but without doubt Dan was the tribe that introduced idolatry into the nation of Israel Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way a horned viper in the path that bites the horse's heels so that its Rider Falls backwards some people believe that the phrase refers to a group of Jews who were spared during the destruction of Jerusalem as an act of God's mercy others argue that this interpretation is outdated and that the phrase should be applied more broadly to refer to God's chosen people throughout the world but if the destruction was not yet over it is more appropriate to understand this as referring to the remaining people whom God had saved through Grace the passage gives a definite number for an indefinite group The Lord knows those who belong to him and he will protect them during times of dangerous Temptation though the community of God's followers may seem small when compared to the Wicked World it is not a group to be underestimated in fact it is a truly significant society that will continue to grow who are these 144,000 many different groups have claimed to be the 144 ,000 insight into the identity of the 144,000 from Revelation 7 and Revelation 14 can be gleaned from certain facts number one the group of people referred to as the children of Israel are descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob who was later renamed Israel they are also known as the Israelites Revelation 7:4 number two their tribal affiliation is specific Revelation 7 verses 4-8 number three During the period of God's Wrath they will be protected and triumphant and will meet Jesus at Mount Zion upon his return Revelation 14:1 Revelation 14:1 it says then I looked and this is what I saw the lamb stood firmly established on Mount Zion and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name inscribed on their foreheads signifying God's Own possession number four they are celibate in Revelation 14:4 it says these are the ones who have not been defiled by relations with women for they are celibate these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes these have been purchased and redeemed from among men of Israel as the first fruits Sanctified and set apart for special service for God and the lamb number five they are the beginning of a Greater Harvest number six they are marked by integrity and faithfulness Revelation 14:5 taken together it is difficult to argue that the 144,000 are symbolic of the church the act of sealing as described in Revelation signifies a Divine Mark of protection and ownership this sealing process symbolizes a spiritual preservation during times of tribulation each of the 12 tribes of Israel contributes 12,000 members signifying completeness in God's selection the number 144,000 is rich in symbolism in biblical numerology 12 often represents Divine Authority completeness perfect governance multiplying 12 tribes by 12,000 members from each tribe suggests a magnified completeness the cealing of the 144,000 is a sign of God's sovereignty and his ability to preserve his chosen ones in the midst of chaos and destruction this notion offers Comfort to Believers assuring them of God's protection in the importance of faithfulness contrast with the mark of the beast the Seal of God and the mark of the beast from The Book of Revelation show a big difference between good and evil and between God's power and the power of the world the Seal of God the Seal of god mentioned in Revelation 7: 2-3 represents Divine protection and ownership it's given to God's faithful followers marking them as his own in a spiritual sense unlike a physical mark it symbolizes a deep personal commitment to God in his teachings possessing the Seal of God indicates a spiritual safeguarding during times of trial and judgment it's a sign of being chosen by God reflecting a life lived in accordance with Divine principles the mark of the beast the mark of the beast talked about in Revelation 13: 16-17 is a sign that shows loyalty to the Beast a bad character against God it means turning away from God and choosing to follow the power of people in the world which is often not right or good the mark of the beast appears in Revelation the mark of the beast is referred to as the mark of the beast because it is brought into being by a man who is referred to as the Beast according to the Bible passages in Revelation 16:2 and chapter 19:20 the mark of the beast is a symbol that distinguishes those who worship the beast in Revelation 13: 16-17 it says also he compels all the small and the Great and the rich and the poor and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead signifying allegiance to the Beast and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark either the name of the Beast or the number of his name he causes all to receive a mark a Mark will be given to everyone under the government of the Beast and his associate this Mark is necessary to participate in the economy and those without it will not be able to buy or sell anything only those bearing a special number on a visible part of their body hand or forehead will be allowed to trade in the number will only be marked on those who engage in Imperial idolatry the number 666 is the coded name of the dictator we have already discussed its meaning the nature of apocalyptic writing until he arrives when his identity with this figure will be only too obvious all attempts to decode it are useless speculation one thing is clear he will fall short of perfection seven in every regard the word charagma in ancient Greek language refers to a mark but it is not commonly associated with people thus some interpret it as a symbolic Mark however the idea of physical Mark being required for buying or selling is not impossible and could be practical the technology to give people a Mark that enables them to buy and sell in the electronic economy is available there are many different ways it could happen and such programs are proposed and tested constantly a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads Satan is not a creative being all he can do is imitate God we are not surprised to find that this too is a satanic parody of something God will do it imitates God's Mark upon his people taking this Mark is like turning your back on God shows you're choosing to side with those against God it's not just a mark you can see on your body it really means you're living your life against what God want the Seal of God versus mark of the beast the Seal of God represents Divine Authority and protection while the mark of the beast signifies submission to worldly corrupt power the Seal of God is a spiritual Mark denoting faith and obedience to God whereas the mark of the beast is often interpreted as a physical or visible sign of compliance with evil forces the Seal of God signifies Eternal salvation in alignment with God's will while the mark represents temporal gain at the cost of spiritual condemnation the mark in Ezekiel in Ezekiel 9:4 a similar protective seal was given to the righteous before Jerusalem was judged in this chapter six executioners are seen coming from the north the direction from which the Babylonians were to come to destroy idolators those who opposed the idolatry were sealed by a mark on their foreheads so that they would not be slain in Ezekiel 9:4 it says the Lord said to him him go through the midst of the city throughout all of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of The Men Who sigh in distress and grieve over all the repulsive acts which are being committed in it what is the purpose of the Seal of God this is how you know you are chosen the revelation of Jesus Christ was given to John by God to show his servants what must soon take place this book is filled with mysteries about things to come what does it mean to have the seal of God on my forehead similar to how God shielded his own people in Goan from the plagues he would also be with them as the world faced his judgments Revelation 7 in the middle of John revealing what will happen at the End of the Age knowing what this means for these 144,000 people is critical but what does it mean for you has God put his seal on you we should learn what it means to be sealed by God so let's discover what it means what is the provision of the Seal of God there are three things the Seal of God provides you and we will identify them from this passage in Ephesians 1: 13-14 God's seal gives us inclusion as a believer in Christ you are considered to be a part of him this implies that everything that belongs to him also belongs to you for instance because of your connection with Christ this righteousness becomes your righteousness as well this is evident from the following Bible verse in 2 Corinthians 5: 20- 21 it says so we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making his appeal through us we as Christ's Representatives plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God he made Christ who knew no sin to judicially be sin on our behalf so that in him we would become the righteousness of God that is we would be made acceptable to him and placed in a right relationship with him by his gracious loving kindness you can also apply the same principle to his strength his grace his love his compassion his provision his power because you are included with Christ his ability Works in you and through you because of the holy spirit that lives inside you it's amazing how we can apply the same principle of inclusion to many aspects of Our Lives just like how we are included with Christ we can also apply the same principle to his strength his grace his love his compassion his provision and his power as Believers we have access to all of these incredible attributes of God through our Union with Christ and what's even more amazing is that this ability Works in us and through us because of the holy spirit that lives inside us God's seal gives us an identity because you are sealed your identity is found in Christ this means when God sees you he ident ifies you as one of his very own because you have been sealed it also means that Satan recognizes you as belonging to God as well as a believer in Christ your identity is found in him this means that when God looks at you he sees a person who has been sealed with the Holy Spirit this seal signifies that you belong to him and are one of his very own Satan also recognizes that you belong to God because of the seal this is why he con instantly tries to attack and deceive you to make you doubt your identity in Christ however you can be assured that you are sealed in secure in Christ and that nothing can separate you from God's love so continue to live in the truth of your identity in Christ and let his love and grace guide you in your daily life for a brief while I would want to direct your attention to the fact that Satan is the master copycat it is important to take note that God created a mark on the foreheads of the 44,000 people so distinguishing them as His very own Revelation 13: 15-17 describes what Satan does with the mark of the beast take note of what takes place he devises a method for securing or identifying those that belong to him by creating a seal what does the seal of God mean for living in the last days it identifies what you should be doing very similarly to the 144,000 in Revelation it is necessary for you to serve as his Witnesses the following is an explanation of what occurs after the 144,000 are sealed in Revelation 7 in Revelation 7: 9-14 it says after these things I looked and this is what I saw a vast multitude which no one could count gathered from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages of the earth standing Before the Throne and before the lamb Christ dressed in white robes with with palm branches in their hands and in a loud voice they cried out saying salvation Belongs To Our God who is Seated on the throne and to the lamb our Salvation is the trinities to give and to God the Trinity we owe our deliverance and all the Angels were standing around the throne and around the 24 elders and the four living creatures and they fell to their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying amen blessing and glory and majesty and wisdom and Thanksgiving and honor and power and might Belong To Our God forever and ever amen then one of the elders responded saying to me these who are dressed in the long white robes who are they and from where did they come I said to him my Lord you know the answer and he said to me these are the people who come out of the Great Tribulation persecution and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb because of his atoning sacrifice we have the songs of saints angels on this occasion the Saints praise God for saving a large remnant of Jews from infidelity and destruction the posture of these praising Saints they stood Before the Throne and before the lamb before the Creator and the mediator during religious worship we should consider ourselves to be in the special presence of God to approach God we must do so through Christ as he is the mediator between us and God without a mediator Sinners would not be able to approach the throne of of God their habit they were clothed with white robes and held Palms in their hands this represents their justification Holiness and victory as conquerors used to appear in their triumphs when Faithful Servants of God have fought the good fight of faith and finish their course they will make such a glorious appearance at last their employment they cried with a loud voice saying salvation to our God who sth upon the throne and to the lamb this may be interpreted either as a hosana expressing good wishes for the success of God and Christ's interest in the church and the world or as a Hallelujah praising God and the lamb for the great salvation they have provided both the father and the son are joined together in these praises the father devised the Salvation the son purchased it and those who enjoy it must and will bless the Lord in the lamb publicly and with appropriate fervor here is the song of the Angels we observe the attendants stand Before the Throne of God serving him and the Saints their posture is very humble and expressive of the utmost reverence they fell Before the Throne on their faces and worshiped God look at the most excellent of All Creatures who never sinned and are always before him not only covering their faces but falling down on their faces before the Lord therefore we as frail and insignificant creatures should approach god with humility and profound reverence we should fall down before God and display both a reverential spirit and humble behavior in all our addresses to God their praises they agreed with the Praises of the Saints and said their own Amen to them In Heaven There is a perfect harmony between angels and Saints furthermore they added blessing Glory wisdom Thanksgiving honor power and might to our god forever and ever amen they acknowledge the Glorious attribute Utes of God his wisdom his power and his might they acknowledge that God's Divine Perfections are worthy of Eternal blessings praises and glorification as they confirm their agreement with an amen as we observe what is being done in heaven we should begin to prepare ourselves for such work by tuning Our Hearts to it practicing it often and longing for the time when our praises and happiness will be perfected in that world why is the scene so important your ceiling or marking comes with a purpose which grows more urgent and necessary as we see the day approaching have you ever stopped to think about the purpose behind your ceiling or marking it's amazing how something as simple as a Mark or seal can hold so much meaning and significance you are marked you are sealed you have been sealed you are rightfully God's the hope of Heaven is yours in the light of the fact that you have been marked and enabled by the holy spirit of God I encourage you to make it possible for God to use you as his witness everywhere in the world it was the very last thing that Jesus shared with his followers before he ascended into heaven and it ought to be the most important thing for you and me to focus on until he returns in Acts 1:8 it says but you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses to tell people about me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to the ends of the Earth these passages show that the 144,000 will be people who survive the Great Tribulation they are not faithful Saints who have lived and died throughout the previous ages what is the spiritual state of the 144,000 the 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation are believed to be individuals who have been faithful to God they are referred to as the Servants of our God and are described as people who have kept themselves spiritually pure they are said to follow the lamb wherever he goes meaning they are dedicated to serving God the Book of Revelation describes those who remain faithful to God as individuals who keep the Commandments of God Revelation 12:17 Revelation 14:12 in the Final Chapter it is stated blessed are those who follow his Commandments for they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city through its Gates Revelation 22:14 our church members today included in the 144,000 many churches and groups have made claims that their members or a proportion of their members make up the 144,000 however we should not rely solely on human claims it is important to consider what the Bible says about when members of God's church are sealed in comparison to when the 144,000 will be sealed Church sealed with the Holy Spirit now members of the church are also sealed Paul described members in Ephesus in Ephesians 1:13 it says in him you also when you heard the word of Truth the good news of your salvation and as a result believed in him were stamped with the Seal of the promised Holy Spirit the one promised by Christ as owned and protected by God later he tells them and do not grieve the holy spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption Ephesians 4:30 writing to members at Corinth Paul spoke of Jesus Christ who also has sealed us and given us the spirit in our hearts as a guarantee in 2 Corinthians 1:22 it says who also sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge those who are Guided by the Holy Spirit are marked as genuine Christians children of God God and hirs to eternal life in Romans 8: 14-16 it says for all who are being led by the spirit of God these are Sons and Daughters of God for you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again but you have received a spirit of adoption as Sons and Daughters by which we cry out ABA father Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God this ceiling takes place at baptism when one re receives the Holy Spirit after repenting of their sins in Acts 19:6 it says and when Paul had laid hands upon them the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying an important distinction is that members of God's true church are sealed by him for eternal life when they receive and follow the guidance of the holy spirit is salvation limited to only the 144,000 it is important to note that salvation is not only limited to the descendants of the ancient nation of Israel but individuals from all Races and Nations can attain it however the people of Israel are still highly valued by God in addition to the 144,000 mentioned in the bible there will also be an innumerable multitude of righteous individuals who will stand before God in white robes Revelation 7:9 and: 13 in Revelation 3: 4-5 it says but you still have a few people in and Sardis who have not soiled their clothes that is contaminated their character and personal Integrity with sin and they will walk with me dressed in white because they are worthy righteous he who overcomes the world through believing that Jesus is the son of God will accordingly be dressed in white clothing and I will never blot out his name from The Book of Life and I will confess and openly acknowledge his name before my father and before his angels saying that he is one of mine this great multitude will consists of people from All Nations tribes peoples and languages standing before Christ the lamb a question is asked about their origin the answer is these are the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation and wash their robes making them white in the blood of the Lamb they will serve Before the Throne of God because of their response to God what will cause so many people to turn to God during the tribulation the Bible reveals that two representatives of God called the two witnesses will prophesy on God's behalf for 3 and 1/2 years Revelation 11:3 during all the turmoil and difficult circumstances that will accompany the tribulation the ministry of these Servants of God will bring about the addition of many sons and daughters to God's Eternal family these people will come from both the 144,000 and the innumerable multitude however after this the Bible talks about one of the worst judgments in the Bible the trumpets to watch the seven trumpets
