Revelation 7:1-8 144,000 are sealed

Evidently not all believers have been killed at this point. The angels restrain the winds, which would certainly wreak havoc on the earth's climate, although unbelievers would attribute it to anthropogenic global climate change. But further damage to the earth is withheld until the angels with the seal of the living God marks the believers with a seal. What is this seal and what is its significance? Sphragisoman simply means to close or cover up with a seal. 2 Cor 1:22 and Eph 1:13 suggest that this is the Holy Spirit. However since Paul made it clear the believers were already sealed in this way (past tense) this hold on the next phase implies these are new believers, not previously sealed. Perhaps these are Jews who did not previously believe in Jesus, and now are brought to faith in Him, either through the evidence of the preceding events, or through the direct unction of the Holy Spirit on their lives. 

          What does this seal do? The context suggests that the Holy Spirit will protect those sealed from the consequences of the things that God is about to do to the earth. How is this possible? There is certainly no limit to the ability of God to bring cataclysm and yet protect individuals. (Psalm 91:5-10) Perhaps the most straightforward understanding of this passage is that the seal of the Holy Spirit signifies the immersion of these individuals into the Holy Spirit so that they will qualify for this protection. (Psalm 91:1-2) 

          The identification of the 144,000 seems unambiguous in declaring that these are Jews by descent from the original tribes of Israel, although Ephraim appears to have been renamed for his father Joseph.  The only catch is to identify people by tribe in the modern era. But this is not a problem for God. These 144,000 have been uniquely selected by God to be His witnesses on earth during the end times, after the evil on earth thinks they have exterminated all testimony to Jesus by martyring all of those who name His name. And these 144,000 will stand with the unique qualification that the coming judgments from the hand of God will not affect them because they are sealed to God.