Nuggets
- The Lamb and the 144,000 are united in Heaven.
- There is the voice of God and voices raised in praise in Heaven.
- This is all about redemption.
Revelation 14 begins another of John’s visions. Without coming out and saying it, it appears that the harvest of the earth has begun.
Let’s take a look.
Let's Put It into Context #1
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Devotions in The Harvest of the Earth series
Let's Put It into Context #2
“And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” (Rev. 7: 4 ESV)
The 144,000 were first discussed in Revelation 7. We noted then that it was not the normal tribal list.
We have a problem with the number because we think that there would be more than 144,000 Israelites/Jews who would have given their lives to Christ. We decided that determining whether it was a literal or a figurative number had to go in the UNR book — understanding not required.
After that, we learned that there will be a multitude of people in Heaven, not just Israelites/Jews. “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7: 9 ESV).
Does this multitude contain the 144,000 and mean that the remnant will be called from all over the earth? Possible.
Does this mean Jew and Gentile together? That makes more sense to me. I don’t see a segregated Heaven.
Meeting the Lamb
“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads” (Rev. 14: 1 ESV)
The Lamb and the 144,000 are united in Heaven.
We’re not told timing of this event occurring. Is it after judgment because they individually get to Heaven? Or are we considered redeemed only when the Church is “… redeemed from the earth” (Rev. 14: 3 ESV).
The last reference to the 144,000 is in Revelation 7. But a change has occurred to them since then.
In Revelation 7, we see them in this life. In Revelation 14, the Rapture had occurred, and they are in Heaven.
Is it just the Israelites/Jews, or is it also the Church? I would say that it is both.
Yes, we are talking about the Israelites/Jews here. But if they have been raptured, the church has been, also.
This is that for which we are waiting – reunion with God.
Wait a second. It only talks about seeing the Lamb.
That’s okay. We know the nature of God and the Lamb are the same. “I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10: 30 ESV).
Think about it a second. We tend to focus on our restoration with God. Regeneration is a great benefit of salvation.
Manning reminded us that we will be restored with everyone who numbers the 144,000 and the multitude. All God’s children will be unified in Heaven.
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As this life is a trial run of our lives in Heaven, we should strive to live in unity with the saints now.
The Lamb’s his name and his Father’s name will be written on their foreheads. The placement of the marking makes His ownership of us that much more conspicuous.
It also validates Paul’s directions to us. “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Rom. 10: 10 ESV).
Oh, sometimes, we fail in that aspect during our trial run. There are times that some want to hide the fact that they are disciples.
We shouldn’t want to hide our godliness. We should realize that we cannot hide true godliness.
We have to remember that we are striving to gain God’s character. We are not our own. We are His.
Voices in Heaven
“And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders ...” (Rev. 14: 2-3 ESV)
There is the voice of God and voices raised in praise in Heaven.
We’ve discussed previously that God has a voice like roaring waters.
- “his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters” (Rev. 1: 15 ESV).
- “After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend” (Job 37: 4-5 ESV).
I think this is a first. I don’t remember hearing about voice like the sound of a harp.
But we’ve talked several times about the songs of Heaven.
- Song of the living creatures and the elders (Rev. 5: 8-10)
- Song of the angels (Rev. 5: 11-12)
- Song of every creature (Rev. 5: 13).
- Great multitude (Rev. 7: 9-10).
- Song of the elders (Rev. 11: 16-18).
I know that some do not care for music. For those of us into it, we feel the emotions and truth woven throughout the melody and lyrics.
That is what makes it a great way to worship God. It is an expression of the heart.
No, we are not all going to agree on the type of music that makes up worship. Shackelford said we shouldn’t expect that. He wrote,
“Universal agreement on the subject is not to be expected, because the subject is so mixed up with questions of expediency, of taste, of knowledge. People have a right to expect that the canticles and hymns shall be sung to music in which they can join, but devout people who can sing must be taught that, while spiritually alert, they must be vocally silent in many parts of Divine worship.”
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Ooo, baby. Silent vocal music. What does that mean?
I would offer that it means that while we worship through music – vocally and otherwise – we need to take the focus off ourselves and keep it totally on God. The object of the worship is Him.
We shouldn’t be focusing the spotlight on us. We aren’t looking to show how talented we are.
But look at what Brooks said. He wrote, “Every virtue is a harmony.”
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Brooks has a great explanation of this that you should read.
My take. The music comes out of our virtue – our character. When we are a child of God’s, it comes out of God’s character – because we have His character.
That is where the harmony comes into play. We are in harmony with God and with other disciples.
Shackelford said the musicians who perform should be trained. The music performed should be appropriate and well-known to the performer.
This also isn’t the first time that the music has been referred to as a new song. It will be a new theme with a fresh rendition.
Probably the biggest new part of the music will be the emotions that it evokes. We will be in Heaven, in the presence of the Ancient of Days and the Lamb that was slain. Our trials will be done. Our pain will be over.
We will be rejoicing!
Look at where they were at. They were before the throne of Sovereign God.
When we think about what we will be doing in Heaven, we generally focus on our continuous praise of God. The One we’ve adored for so long from so far will be right in front of us.
But let’s go back a second to what Shackelford said. What does that mean to a disciple?
We are trained by studying God’s Word. We need to seek Him.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17)
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3)
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16)
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11)
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2)
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11)
We can look at it being appropriate a couple of ways. This ties in nicely with discernment. We have to recognize right from wrong.
The other way we can look at it is appropriate is being obedient to God. We have to follow God’s Will.
Yes, those two are similar, but I see a big difference. We can recognize right from wrong – but still not choose to do what is right.
Disciples need to do both.
Some may trip over God’s Word being well-known to us. I mean, we are going through Revelation – which challenges our understanding.
I see this to mean that we are to be progressing from a milk baby to a steak adult. We are to be in God’s Word daily, looking to see Him.
We have to be working out our salvation. Working out our salvation is making it real to us. It is applying it to our lives and seeing what being obedient to God really means.
Do we think we are going to have everything figured out at conversion? Really? Especially when we are six years old?????
We aren’t going to have everything figured out. God’s ways are higher than ours.
So, when we get to Heaven, it will be a new song, one that we haven’t sung before.
But we have to consistently be seeking God.
The Redeemed 144,000
“... No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless” (Rev. 14: 3-5 ESV)
This is all about redemption.
The 144,000 Redeemed from the Earth
Woodford explained that from which the number was probably derived. He wrote,
“It is based, probably, upon the number of the twelve apostles, and of the twelve tribes largely multiplied, and expresses, as has been said, the native and not degenerate progeny of the apostles. They are the princes of the kingdom, perfect in a multiform unity, which are so delineated, equally derived from every quarter.”
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The number really isn’t the important thing. What is important is redemption.
Look at what Kidd said about redemption. He wrote,
“The term ‘redemption’ is employed in Scripture in two different senses, or rather to suggest two aspects of the change which it indicates. At one time it signifies release from the bondage of the Evil One without; at another, release from the bondage of the evil nature within.”
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Does anyone else see salvation and sanctification there? We are immediately regenerated upon conversion. We are made spiritually alive when we are rescued from Satan and the bondage of sin through navigating the Sanctification Road.
We still have to navigate the Sanctification Road. That changes our nature from our sinful nature to having God’s nature. This is where we are purified.
It is this training – sanctification – that prepares us for Heaven. Remember, we keep saying this life is a preparation for eternal life.
I am sure that some of us are tripping over the last part of verse 3. “… No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth” (Rev. 15: 3 ESV).
Does that mean Gentiles really aren’t redeemed?
Even though we Gentiles are not numbered among the 144,000, we can still come and worship Him.
Talmage argued that it is the angles that are not allowed to join in the song. I get that. The angels do not need the Plan of Salvation. They didn’t side with Satan when he fell.
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Only those who have sinned are in need of salvation. Only those who have accepted the gift can sing the song.
Not Defiled Themselves
Seiss talks about characteristics that true disciples must have. These, I feel, are relevant to both Jews and Gentiles.
- Genuine profession of faith.
- Observable obedience to God.
- A separation from the worldview.
- Purity in their lives (i.e., being a virgin).
- Truthfulness in speech and faith.
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True disciples are justified and sanctified in the eyes of God.
So, let’s put all of this together. They are with the Lamb on Zion, singing a song only the redeemed can sing.
Follow the Lamb
Only those who follow the Lamb will sing the song.
Unfortunately, many worldview people think salvation can be earned another way than what God says. They think we can be good people. They think we can do good deeds and earn our way into Heaven.
They would be wrong.
We know that God is adamant that there is only one way to salvation. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Ac. 4: 12 ESV).
Once we make our confession, we need to follow Jesus’ example. How do we do that?
I love the advice that Spurgeon gave us. He wrote, “Try to put your feet down in the footprints that He has left you. Do aim at complete conformity to Christ; and wherein you fail, mark that.”
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How do we know Jesus’ footprints? We imitate Jesus by following God’s laws and commandments. We follow God’s Will for our lives.
But is this verse talking about our walk here or our walk in Heaven? Spurgeon felt that it in Heaven.
If we look at this as the first minutes in Heaven after the Rapture, it would be Heaven. It would be a picture of what Heaven is like.
Firstfruits
Being the firstfruits shows us in perfect fellowship with God.
God puts great store in being first. The first-born son was given a double portion of the inheritance.
There was a festival of firstfruits. “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Lev. 23: 10-11 ESV).
The firstfruits are those who have been bought with a price – the blood of Jesus. We know this because Jesus was called the firstfruit.
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Cor. 15: 20 ESV).
I think this helps us with the discussion of the 144,000. That number is the first fruits. It is not the complete harvest.
It is logical that the Jews are the firstfruits. Jesus came to them first. “He [Jesus] answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Mt. 15: 24 ESV).
Mulligan took a different viewpoint. He believed that all the Church is God’s firstfruits.
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In a way, I can see that. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3: 28 ESV).
I agree that God does not have favorites (Rom. 2: 11). But He clearly identifies the 144,000 as Jews. “And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” (Rev. 7: 4 ESV).
Making the Connections #1
Redemption is based on forgiveness. God has pardoned us for the sins we have committed.
And yes, everyone has committed sin. Not only do we have a sinful nature, we choose to disobey God.
Redemption comes when we choose to obey God.
Making the Connections #2
Seiss tried to put things into timeline order for us. He wrote, “The Lamb is yet to take possession of the city where He was crucified, there to fulfil what was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin over His head when He died.”
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This makes it sound like the rapture has just happened. This is our first minute in Heaven.
How Do We Apply This?
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
- Realize that regeneration gives us communion with the saints.
- Strive to live in unity with the saints in this world.
- Learn from the saints’ examples.
- Don’t try to hide our godliness.
- Strive to gain God’s character.
- Ensure the music in worship is real to aid in devotion.
- Obey Sovereign God by following His laws and commandments.
Imitate Jesus.
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Father God. You love all Your children. Lord, we can see the 144,000 as being from the tribes of Israel. We know You will welcome both Jews and Gentiles to Heaven. Amen.
What do you think?
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