The Sealed Of God

O, to be among the fortunate few
Who are chosen to receive God's own seal!
Of those who're always in their Sunday pew,
They are spared His Wrath whose faith tests out real!
Just twelve-squared grand of six billion on earth---
What a pittance of men! Compared to those
Who rejected His grace, the gem of worth!
Yet such a joy to be numbered and chose!
Bring on His earthquakes, scorching sun, and hail,
The mark of the Beast, his beheading's threat;
My Jesus can count on me not to fail;
I'm glad to repay a part of my debt!

"After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea, 'Do not harm the land and the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.'" (Revelation 7:1-3)

In "Raptured Or Not", published 5/27/09, I introduced the Book of Revelation, a vision given by Jesus Christ to the apostle John. This apocaleptic vision relates events that will be occurring during the last 7 years on earth before the Second Coming of Jesus. The three great woes of the Wrath of God will be combined with the terrible persecution of Christians by the Antichrist and False Prophet into what is called the Great Tribulation. Though some interpret the Bible to include the Rapture, a "taking-up" of all true Christians prior to the Tribulation, thus sparing them from persecution, most theologians believe this is not true. I also believe that Christians will be required to go into the Tribulation.

The poem above describes a "seal" being placed on the foreheads of true believers, God's seal, which will protect them from harm from the natural disasters that God intends to release upon earth and its people during the Tribulation period. This seal will not protect Christians from the Beast or Antichrist who declares war on Christianity, beheading all those who do not confess submission to Allah or the devil. Many thousands of followers of Christ will be martyred during this time. A few tattered Christians will elude capture and be on earth to greet Christ at His return. At that time, He will bring with Him the souls of dead believers, to be rejoined with their resurrected bodies (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).