When John D. Wilsey met David Puckett as a seminary student in 1996, he never expected Norton 234 to be his own office one day.

Puckett taught church history at Southern Seminary for seventeen years and his mentorship and friendship helped spur a young Wilsey to earn a PhD and begin his own seminary teaching career.

Now occupying the same desk as one of his ministry heroes, Wilsey teaches Boyce College and Southern Seminary students modern church history, history of Western thought, American patriotism and theology, history of the Black church, and American religious history. He’s also an expert on , a topic that has engulfed Christians since 2016 but has historical roots.

Following the celebration of American Independence Day, Wilsey shared his expertise and pastoral wisdom to help Christian ministers assess competing visions of national identity—a topic he will address more fully in an upcoming book. He also encouraged aspiring college, graduate, and doctoral students to study American church history to serve the church.

Here are Wilsey’s answers to three questions Christians face today.

Should patriotism matter to Christians?

Patriotism matters a great deal. Patriotism is, to put it simply, love for country, for home, for one’s own people and heritage. Love for country, like all loves, belongs on a hierarchy. Love for God is the highest love. Love for family is second to love for God. Love for country fits on that hierarchy of loves after love for God and family. Love for the gospel and for the church is part of our love of God. But love of country, while it is lower on the hierarchy of loves, does not war against love for God or family. Love for country fits coherently in a rightly ordered set of loves, and Christian leaders should model it, teach it, and extol it.

Is it necessary for church leaders to study the American founding?

Yes, because the American founding represents one significant part of who we are as Americans. The American experiment is, in prominent respects, an experiment in religious freedom. As leaders in the church—pastors, teachers, missionaries, counselors, and parents—we have the privilege of exercising religious freedom every day as we model the truth of the gospel through precept and example. People who know history know that things were not always as they are. The American founding is a landmark event in the history of the church, and to ignore it is to take religious freedom for granted in some way.

Patriotism reflects gratitude to God for the good gifts He has given us. We hope in the mercy of God in all things and recognize that every good and perfect gift flows from him (James 1:17). Our country, though by every measure not perfect, is a good gift that the Father has bestowed on us. Central to who we are as followers of Christ is the knowledge that life is worth living, that the human person is of inestimable value, and that gratitude expresses dependence on God and his everlasting mercy. Allowing us to be beneficiaries of such a bountiful land and broad freedoms to raise our families, fulfill our callings, and grow in spirit, intellect, and body is a tremendous blessing from the Lord. Patriotism is not just acceptable for a Christian. I think it is a Christian duty.

Why should students consider further study in American church history at Southern Seminary?

The purpose of seminary is primarily for the training of pastors, counselors, missionaries, and teachers for the benefit of the church. It is also aimed at training scholars who seek to edify the church through research and writing. The fields of biblical studies and theology are the most intuitively obvious fields for further study in seminary, but history is often overlooked. This is a great tragedy because it is a liberal inclination to be contemptuous or dismissive of history. But history is central to our faith because our faith is rooted in history. And the study of American history is so needed among rising Christian scholars because the advancement of the gospel is central in American historical studies. So, if you are interested in studying American history on the doctoral level, Southern is the place to do it!

Wilsey’s books include , , an abridgment of Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic 1840 work, , and .

He is an elder at Kenwood Baptist Church at Victory Memorial in Louisville. His wife Mandy and their two daughters, Caroline and Sally, bring joy to him each day.

For more information on earning a PhD in church history from Southern Seminary, visit hereFind all other admissions information here

Like the rest of the book of Revelation, the identity of the 144,000 in chapter 7 of John’s vision is heavily disputed among evangelicals. Who are they and what is their significance?

Those Who Are Sealed

The previous text (Rev. 6:12–17) concludes with a query: Who can withstand the wrath of God and the wrath of the Lamb? John answers that question in these verses. The “four corners” of the earth aren’t intended to teach that the world is flat. Instead, the four corners stand for the entire world (cf. Isa. 11:12; Rev. 20:8), just as “four corners” of a house stand for the entire house (Job 1:19), and “four corners of the land” stand for the entire land of Israel (Ezek. 7:2). The four angels, then, superintend the world for God’s sake.

The “four winds” stand for the judgment to come, the final judgment, which will engulf the entire world. We see precedent for this in the OT (cf. also Ezek. 5:10, 12) where “four winds from the four quarters of heaven” will be inflicted on the entire land of Elam (Jer. 49:36; cf. Ezek. 37:9; Dan. 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zech. 2:6; 6:5; Matt. 24:31; Mark 13:27), but here the four winds encompass the whole world. Elsewhere in Scripture, a close relationship is forged between angels and winds that strike the world (Ps. 104:4).

Here the angels are restraining the winds so that they are not unleashed on land, sea, or trees. John takes us back to the period before the final judgment commences.

Another angel appears with the seal of the living God, commanding the four angels about to harm the earth and sea—i.e., the angels about to bring final judgment on the world—to refrain from doing any harm until God’s servants are sealed on their foreheads. The sealing on the forehead isn’t literal but symbolizes protection granted to those who belong to God (cf. Rev. 9:4). So now we know who can endure the wrath of God—those with God’s seal upon them. John again draws upon the OT.

In Ezekiel 9, Jerusalem is about to be judged by executioners because of its evil. Those who are wicked will be annihilated, but a “mark” is put “on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it” (Ezek. 9:4). The judgment will not spare the young or old, but those with the mark will remain untouched (Ezek. 9:6). Those who are sealed by God on the forehead in Revelation stand in contrast to those who accept the mark of the beast on their foreheads (Rev. 13:6; 14:9; 20:4).

In both instances the mark is symbolic. What separates believers from unbelievers is that the former have God’s seal and the “Father’s name written on their foreheads” (Rev. 14:1; cf. Rev. 22:4). They are protected by God and marked out as his own people, his genuine servants.

Those who are sealed are now identified. John hears the number. They are 144,000 from every tribe of Israel. John then lists 12,000 from each tribe. God numbers, knows, and cares for his own; he knows each of his sheep by name (John 10:3). The list of tribes doesn’t match any rendition of the tribes in the OT. Judah may be first since Jesus the Messiah, head of the people of God, comes from Judah. What is also striking is that Dan is omitted, perhaps because of the evil associated with that tribe (Judges 18). Instead we have Joseph and Manasseh. This is curious, as Manasseh descended from Joseph, and thus we would expect Ephraim and Manasseh. These peculiarities in the listing suggest a symbolic reading.

But Who Are They?

Scholars differ on identifying the 144,000. Some say the number is literal and records Jews from each tribe who become believers in Jesus Christ. Dispensational interpreters think the number refers to Jews who are saved during the final seven year tribulation period.

It is more convincing to say the 144,000 symbolically represent all Christians throughout history, both Jews and Gentiles. They are God’s army who wage war by being faithful to the Lamb and enduring persecution.

The reasons for thinking John refers to all Christians are numerous, and some stem from Revelation 14, where the 144,000 appear again. First, numbers in apocalyptic literature are regularly symbolic. Here we have the number twelve representing the people of God from the twelve tribes in the OT, and the number is squared and then multiplied by 1,000. Hence the number should be understood as a symbolic way of designating the entire people of God.

We too deserve the wrath of God but have been spared by his grace and mercy, which should lead to thankfulness and heartfelt praise.

Second, John follows a pattern we saw in chapter 5. He is told about a Lion (Rev. 5:5), but he sees a Lamb (Rev. 5:6), and the Lion and the Lamb are the same entity. So too here, John hears the number 144,000 (Rev. 7:4), but he sees an uncountable multitude (Rev. 7:9). Again we have two different ways of describing the same entity, and the uncountable multitude buttresses the point that the 144,000 represent all believers.

Third, specifying 144,000 from Israel doesn’t necessarily mean they are Jews. John has already said twice that the Jews are a synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9; Rev. 3:9), and the roles between unbelieving Jews and Christians have been reversed, so that now unbelieving Jews play the role of Gentiles in the OT; they will bow before Christians to acknowledge them as the loved ones, the elect ones of the Lord (Rev. 3:9; cf. Deut. 7:7–8; Isa. 41:8).

Fourth, a practical problem arises if the reference is to 12,000 from each tribe of Israel. Virtually no Jews today know from what tribe they descend, nor is it clear that most knew their genealogical ancestry in John’s day. If someone were to say that God knows the tribes and apportions exactly 12,000 from each tribe, it is difficult to see how such a statement would be meaningful, for no one on earth could know that the 12,000 are from each of the twelve tribes specified.

Fifth, in Revelation 14:3 the 144,000 are described as those “redeemed from the earth” and in Revelation 14:4 as having been “redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb.” The redeemed are most naturally interpreted to refer to all the redeemed, both Jews and Gentiles.

Sixth, John says they are “virgins” who have “not defiled themselves with women” (Rev. 14:4). But surely this language is symbolic, for being a virgin is not more pleasing to God than marriage, and it is false teachers who say sexual relations within marriage are defiling (1 Tim. 4:1–3). John (cf. comment on Rev. 14:4) reaches back to the OT, which often warns Israel against spiritual prostitution. To be devoted to God is to be a “pure virgin” devoted “to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). For all these reasons, then, we have good grounds for thinking the number 144,000 is laden with imagery and symbolism, referring to the entire people of God.

Spared by His Mercy

Who will escape the wrath of God at the final judgment? Only those who belong to God, those who are sealed by him, who are numbered by him. If we are sealed by God, we are protected and authenticated by him. At the same time, those of us who are sealed by God are the true and new Israel, the chosen and loved people of the Lord. We too deserve the wrath of God but have been spared by his grace and mercy, which should lead to thankfulness and heartfelt praise. How wonderful it is to be counted among his flock, to be the army of the Lord—an army that preaches peace and love through the slain and risen Lamb!

Editors’ note: This article is adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Volume 12) edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar. It was  at the Crossway blog.

James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Professor of Biblical Theology

Thomas R. Schreiner is the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Professor of Biblical Theology at The ÍřĆŘłÔąĎ where he also serves as associate dean of the School of Theology.

What comes to your mind when you imagine a Puritan pastor in the pulpit? Long, boring sermons? Monotone diatribes? Such notions fail to account for the testimony of men like Humphrey Mills who spent three years struggling to quiet his conscience after hearing a sermon by the famous Puritan pastor, Richard Sibbes (1577–1635). Mills’ description of Sibbes provides a more accurate picture of Puritan preachers: “His sweet soul-melting Gospel-sermons won my heart and refreshed me much, for by him I saw and had much of God and was confident in Christ.”[1]

Centuries later, the physician-turned-pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones described Sibbes’ gospel-centered preaching in medicinal terms: “The heavenly Doctor Sibbes . . . was a balm to my soul at a period in my life when I was overworked and badly overtired, and therefore subject in an unusual manner to the onslaughts of the devil. . . . His books [based on his sermons] quieted, soothed, comforted, encouraged, and healed me.” [2]

Physicians of the Soul

That Sibbes could be effective despite the historical distance evidences just how skilled many Puritans were as physicians of the soul. As a result, they have much to say to us today about gospel-centered preaching.[3]

The Puritans possessed what J. I. Packer called “a minute acquaintance with the human heart.”[4] While historical caricatures tend to emphasize their external scrupulosity, in reality they aimed at the inner person by means of what they called the “plain style” of preaching.[5] This method, as outlined by the renowned Puritan expositor William Perkins (1558–1602), encouraged preachers to first explain the text of Scripture, then describe its doctrinal significance, and finally to apply it to the particular “experiences and condition of the church.” The best of the Puritans weren’t content merely to defend doctrine from the pulpit; they sought to apply truth in the pews by engaging the hearts of their hearers. The directives below highlight five key strategies for applying the gospel to the heart.

Puritan Prescriptions for Gospel-Centered Preaching

1. Let Scripture Illustrate Scripture

Sibbes’ sermons were full of the Bible because he recognized its role in transforming the heart. “Means do not make the heart tender,” he noted, “but God through the use of means softens it by his Word.”[6] One practical outworking of this conviction was Sibbes’ use of Scripture as a source for sermon illustrations.

For example, he encouraged his hearers to look to God himself for assurance of salvation, instead of trusting in the “the fig leaves of morality.”[7] By calling to mind the well-known biblical image of fig leaves (Gen. 3:7), Sibbes provided a powerful contrast between the frail, useless attempts to secure one’s own righteousness with the trustworthy foundation of gospel truth.

2. Make Use of Memorable Images

Sibbes explained the gospel with powerful pictures. He did not merely say, “See great things in little beginnings.” He mused, “See a flame in a spark, a tree in a seed.”[8] He not only called weary Christians to look to Christ, but advised, “When we feel ourselves cold in affection and duty, the best way is to warm ourselves at this fire of his love and mercy.”[9] For believers who longed to maintain a tender heart, Sibbes encouraged, “Use the means of grace; be always under the sunshine of the gospel.”[10]

Such pictures conveyed truth by engaging the imagination. As Sibbes described, “The way to come to the heart is often to pass through the fancy [the imagination].”[11] He believed that “the putting of lively colors upon common truths hath oft a strong working both upon the fancy [the imagination] and our will and affections.”[12] These “lively colors” enhanced the appeal of “common truths” by engaging the heart.

3. Be Tender and Tactful

Sibbes counseled pastors to handle young believers with gentleness and to resist the temptation to be overbearing. A tender Savior shouldn’t inspire ill-tempered shepherds. That Sibbes managed such a disposition himself seems clear from his reputation among contemporaries and the way he was remembered by his colleagues. In his day, he was known as “the honey mouth” and “the sweet dropper” for his winsome ability to apply the gospel to tender consciences.

Sibbes’ diplomatic temperament may have contributed to his willingness to remain in the Church of England, even as some of his protégés began to dissent. In The Bruised Reed, Sibbes indirectly cautioned his comrades against being quick to censure other believers or to break fellowship over disputable matters. He valued tact and discretion, remarking, “Where most holiness is, there is most moderation, where it may be without prejudice of piety to God and the good of others. We see in Christ a marvelous temper of absolute holiness, with great moderation.”[13]

4. Provide Practical Points of Application

Sibbes sought to comfort the troubled, but he also called the faithful to action. He counseled the “bruised reed” to embrace the work of God in his life, however painful it might be. “It is better to go bruised to heaven than sound to hell.”[14] The “smoking flax” must remember how God views her, despite her meager faith. Christ considers not just who we are, but who he will make us to be, for he can fan a spark into a flame.

Such words of encouragement were accompanied by practical instructions for pursuing the means of grace. In The Bruised Reed, Sibbes specifically encouraged regular fellowship with other believers, the practice of spiritual disciplines, consistent attendance to hear preaching, and the exercise of grace through spiritual obedience.

5. Keep Christ at the Center

In Jesus alone, Sibbes proclaimed, “All perfections of mercy and love meet.”[15] He spoke often of Christ and tied his expositions to the Son’s person and work. By drawing the heart’s attention to the mercy of Christ, Sibbes could counter discouragements, calm scruples, and conquer the heart’s deepest fears. Whatever the spiritual infirmity, the work of Christ supplies the cure: “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.”[16]

Sibbes recognized the importance of both engaging the mind and stirring the affections with truths about Jesus. “Because knowledge and affection mutually help one another,” he argued, “it is good to keep up our affections of love and delight by all sweet inducements and divine encouragements; for what the heart likes best, the mind studies most.”[17] His preaching clearly aimed to inspire hearts to love Christ above all.

”UNDER THE SUNSHINE OF THE GOSPEL”

Sibbes and other Puritans provide a faithful example of gospel-centered preaching for pastors today. Though their context is surely different, they addressed the same concerns pastors see in ministry.

Pastor, there are bruised reeds in your midst. Will you lend them strength or increase their burdens? There are smoldering wicks before you every week. Will you fan them into life or snuff them out? Your own heart is sure to grow cold at times. If your sermons will be gospel-centered, you must heed Sibbes’ counsel: “Be always under the sunshine of the gospel.” Bear this in mind and rest in the tender mercy of our Savior as you endeavor to lead others toward his light and easy yoke.

Editors’ note: This article  at 9Marks.

—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”

[1] Referenced in Michael Reeves, foreword to The Tender Heart, by Richard Sibbes, Pocket Puritans (1983; repr., Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2011), ix.

[2] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (1971; repr., Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972), 175.

[3] Portions of this article are adapted from Matthew D. Haste and Shane W. Parker, The Pastor’s Life: Practical Wisdom from the Puritans (Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2019).

[4] J. I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision for the Christian Life (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1990), 29.

[5] William Perkins, The Art of Prophesying, rev. ed. (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1996), 65.

[6] Sibbes, The Tender Heart, 19.

[7] Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed, Puritan Paperbacks (1630; repr., Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2008), 4.

[8] Ibid., 124.

[9] Ibid., 81.

[10] Sibbes, The Tender Heart, 57.

[11] Sibbes, Works, 1:66.

[12] Ibid., 1:184.

[13] Sibbes, The Bruised Reed, 33.

[14] Ibid., 13.

[15] Ibid., 62.

[16] Ibid., 33.

[17] Ibid., 103.

Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality and Biblical Counseling (2020); Director, Professional Doctoral Studies

Haste returned to Southern in 2019 after serving as a professor and pastor in Columbia, South Carolina for four years. He has over a decade of pastoral ministry experience, having served in College Ministry, Adult Discipleship, and as Pastor of Preaching at churches in Kentucky and South Carolina.

He is co-author (with Robert L. Plummer) of Held in Honor: Wisdom for your Marriage from Voices of the Past (2015) and co-author (with Shane W. Parker) of The Pastor’s Life: Practical Wisdom from the Puritans (2019). His work has been published at The Gospel Coalition, Puritan Reformed Journal, the Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, the Journal of Discipleship and Family Ministry, and The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology.