Revelation: Removing the VeilThis revelation was given by God to the Apostle John because we needed to know it.
Part 1
“Let Every Breath Praise the Lord”Revelation was written to give us the optimistic message that everything that is, that was, and that will be should not lead us to despair and scare us, but we should know that God will prevail in the end.
Part 16
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads (Rev. 7:1-3).
Angels holding the four winds of the earth, 13th C.
Here an angel tells other angels not to do any harm until the seals have been placed on the foreheads of the servants of God. What does this mean in our modern language? We’ve said that our interpretations can be mistaken because we can’t interpret these prophecies with certainty, with conviction. Apparently, it says here that the number of saved people, those who want to be saved, must be fulfilled. The Fathers of the Church tell us that the world will exist as long as there are people who want to be saved.
As long as the 
A Brief Historical Look at the LiturgyThe Rite of Divine Liturgy in its most basic form—reading the Holy Scriptures, prayers for the living, prayers over the Gifts, and finally, Holy Communion—had already taken shape in the first century.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel (Rev. 7:4). The Apostle heard the number—144,000 from all the tribes of the son of Israel. This number, like all other numbers in the Revelation of the Apostle John, is symbolic—not a precise number. Somewhere it says half an hour, somewhere three years; however, these are not precise times, but symbolic numbers. 144,000 is 12 x 12,000. There were twelve tribes of Israel, so 12,000 from each tribe. Then St. John begins to list them: Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand (Rev. 7:5). And then 12,000 were sealed from the tribes of Aser, Nephthalim, Manasses, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph, and Benjamin (Rev. 7:6-8).
In the New Testament, Israel isn’t the Israel we know; it’s not the Jews. Israel in the New Testament is us Christians, the New Israel, the chosen people of God. Now, it’s not one nation (nationality), as the Jews used to be in Israel. They’ve completed the history of their relationship with God. The Kingdom of God left them and was given to another nation, which is no longer confined within the boundaries of nationality. It’s not the Greeks, the Russians, the Bulgarians, the Turks, or any other nation.
Any Orthodox Christian belongs to the New Israel. The children of the Church are only the Orthodox. The children of the Church are the children of the New Israel. Don’t be surprised that I say it’s only the Orthodox. The Orthodox Church is the Apostolic Church, which preserves the teaching and tradition of the Apostles.
Over time, various heresies emerged, but the Orthodox Church remains faithful to the teachings of the Holy Apostles and Fathers. The 144,000 mentioned are not limited to a specific number but represent a vast multitude of faithful followers of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is open to all who seek it, with no one left out. The Apostle excludes the tribe of Dan, believed to produce the antichrist, and includes the tribe of Benjamin instead. St. John the Theologian sees a multitude of people from all nations before the throne and the Lamb, symbolizing purity and enlightenment. The angels and elders worship God, acknowledging His eternal glory, wisdom, and power. The symbolic number seven represents completeness and perfection in the eternal praise of God. And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:13-14). St. John the Theologian witnessed this vision, but was unsure of the identity of these people. The elder explained to him that they were individuals who had endured great suffering, persecution, and sorrow. They were martyrs, a multitude of martyrs, who purified their robes and souls through the Blood of the Lamb. While washing clothes in blood typically turns them red, the Blood of Christ has the power to cleanse our souls.
The martyrs of Christ stood before him, including those who faced death as well as those who endured various forms of suffering for their love of Christ. These individuals experienced tribulation, persecution, slander, exile, imprisonment, injustice, and illness. Despite the injustices they faced and the pain they endured, they remained faithful to God. Dressed in white garments and holding palm branches symbolizing victory and immortality, these martyrs persevered through trials and tribulations, never renouncing their faith.
Through their participation in the Sacraments, communion of the Holy Mysteries, faith, love, and union with Christ, these individuals purified their souls and beings. The importance of partaking in the Sacraments, especially communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, is emphasized in their example. Additionally, the significance of possessing patience, as instructed by Christ in Luke 21:19, is highlighted as a key virtue for maintaining faith in the face of adversity.
The article concludes by teasing that the discussion will continue in future installments.
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