Saturday's Prayer 18APR26

 

Revelation Friday Night Bible Studay 17APR26 (Revelation 14:1-5)

The 144,000 and the Lamb

 

“Then I looked. The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.  And I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.  They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn that song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.  These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.  No lie was found in their mouths, for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Revelation 14:1-5).

  

        In John’s vision, he witnesses the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and the 144,000 were with Him who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. In the Bible, Mount Zion was a prominent hill in Jerusalem, the city that King David captured from the Jebusites, and was later known as the City of David (2 Samuel 5:7). After David’s conquest of the fortress, Jerusalem became a possession of Israel and his royal palace was built there, thus Jerusalem became the center of Israel’s kingdom. It represents God's presence on earth, and in the New Testament, the heavenly city of God and the spiritual church. 

The Prophet Isaiah describes Mount Zion as the place where God's law will go forth to all nations during the Millennial age. The Bible says: “ In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.  Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3). Therefore, the prophet Isaiah describes Mount Zion as a cosmic mountain where Heaven and Earth intersect, and God’s blessings are bestowed on all of humanity.

During Isaiah’s time, Jerusalem, with Mount Zion at its center, was filled with idolatry, corruption, and injustice, but his prophecies offer warnings of hope and judgment. Yet, Mount Zion will be a place of blessings for the saints to come. Therefore, Zion’s significance can be summed up in four major points: it has physical significance as the Western Hill outside of Jerusalem, it is the City of David, it is also the City of our God, and the location of Christ’s rule on earth, and it is a spiritual location and an eternal Jerusalem.[1]

           

            The Apostle John saw Jesus standing with the 144,000, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, who had the seal of God written on their foreheads instead of the mark of the beast. According to many biblical scholars, the 144,000 will be those selected by God from the 12 tribes of Israel, Jews, living during the Great Tribulation, who will testify about Jesus and refuse to take the mark. They had not defiled themselves with the idolatry of mankind and had chosen to remain faithful to the Lord. While there is debate as to if the Bible means a literal celibacy or spiritual, there is enough in the text to let one know that they are pure before the Lord. The Bible says: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:22-23). There are going to be two seals in the tribulation period. One will either be sealed with God's or the beast's mark. There will be no middle ground. Even now, are you sealed by God with your name written in the book of Life, or are you undecided, thus belonging to the enemy?

            The 144,000 are to be spared from the coming judgments and wrath of God. The Bible says: “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 or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” (Revelation 7:2-4). Therefore, these selected ones will not be taken out of the world but will be given strength and protection to endure it. People will be angry at their message, but God's hedge of protection will be around them. Now, does this mean they will not be martyred? There is a great debate amongst biblical scholars about whether they will or not. However, the protection from the wrath of God is not the same as protection against persecution. The Bible does speak of martyrdom during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11). The Lord could protect them for a time, just as the two witnesses, until their work is over, and then allow them to be martyred. We really do not know because the Bible is vague on the subject. Nevertheless, they will be a witness unto the whole earth about the Lord.

 

John heard the sound of mighty waters and thunder, which was music to his ears. The 144,000 sang a new song before the throne, living creatures, and elders. This song is one that had never been sung before because they made it through the Great Tribulation and followed the Lamb of God. Oh, what a day it will be to know that you have finally made it and will never have to endure pain, suffering, and trials anymore. One can only imagine the beauty of the tune that will be heard.

Imagine not being able to carry a tune on earth, but once you make it to Heaven, strings of great-sounding melodies will come from your vocal cords all because of the Lamb that was slain. The Bible says: “O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth! Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; declare His salvation from day to day. Proclaim His glory among the nations,  His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the nations are worthless, but the Lord made the heavens.  Honor and majesty are before Him;    strength and beauty are in His sanctuary” (Psalm 96:1-6).

 This is a song that even the angels cannot sing. What a special song it will be. The Bible says that no one could learn the song because it was unique to those who had been redeemed. It will be a song about the experiences of those who have gone through the Great Tribulation and their victory through the blood of the Lamb.  Only those who have gone through such experiences can give personal testimony to God’s saving power.

John says that they were virgins and undefiled. Again, while this could be literal, there is also a symbolic meaning: they are undefiled by the things of the world. They stayed pure unto God. They did not commit adultery against God and ruin themselves with the temptations of the earth, but remained faithful and true to Him. This does not mean that they were perfect; rather, they had overcome and had not been corrupted by earthly things. The Bible says: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father, but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

 

John said that the 144,000 followed the Lamb wherever He went. God’s children will be obedient to God's will and align themselves accordingly. To be a Christian is more than just carrying the title; it means to be Christ-like. Therefore, as followers of Christ, we take on Jesus' characteristics, which is done by listening to his voice and obeying him. The Bible says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.  I and my Father are one” (John 10:27-30). The 144,000 will have accomplished this and will be rewarded in Heaven for their obedience to the Lamb.

  We belong to Christ because we were bought with a price. Jesus paid the price by shedding His blood for our sins. We are the first fruits offered to God because He chose us first, even though we did not choose Him. Because Christ sacrificed himself for mankind, once we accept Christ, we become that new offering to be given to the Father. The Bible says: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The 144,000 had no deceit found in their mouths, and they were blameless. They did not succumb to the devil’s schemes and were found worthy in the eyes of the Lord.

---

[1] Glory Dy, "What Is the Biblical Significance of Mount Zion?," Christianity.com, last modified July 7, 2020, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-the-biblical-significance-of-mount-zion.html.

 

Saturday's Prayer 11APR26

 

Revelation Friday Night Bible Study 10APR26 (Revelation 13:15-18)

 

666

 

“The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666”

(Revelation 13:15-18).

 

           

On August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine was then marketed for the prevention of COVID-19 in pre-teens and adolescents aged 12 through 15 years and for the administration of a third dose in certain healthy individuals. However, in 2020, the vaccine was made available to various age groups under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Act.[1] Nevertheless, some pastors have suggested that the COVID-19 vaccine is linked to the number 666, while some people believe that it is nothing more than a myth that has been debunked by medical experts, religious scholars, and fact-checking organizations.

Experts, such as the Hennepin Healthcare medical institution, hold that there are no ingredients or identifiers that contain the Mark of the Beast or identify with its number. Nevertheless, there is a Microsoft patent filed in 2019, prior to the pandemic, with ID WO2020060606. Other claims, such as the “Luciferase,” a common light-producing enzyme used in general medical research, have been said to be inside the COVID-19 vaccine. However, medical professionals claim that this is misinformation. On top of this, a 2020 U.S. House bill (H.R. 6666) was introduced to provide funding for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. While the bill did not mention or mandate vaccines, many people concluded that this, too, was related to the Mark of the Beast, especially when employers, including the military, began mandating vaccination and even firing those who refused. Yet questions still linger regarding the details of the Mark.

 

In John’s vision, the second beast (false prophet) was given power from the dragon (devil) to give life to the image of the first beast (antichrist), so that it could speak, and for all who refused to worship the image of the first beast (antichrist, political leader) were to be killed. What does worshipping the image mean? In Greek, the word for image is εἰκών (eikōn), which means a likeness, representation, or shape. It suggests a copied resemblance that shows the original rather than just a passing similarity. It entails displaying the character of the object it represents. Therefore, in Genesis, when God said, “Let us make man in our image,” it did not mean that He was creating another God, because there could only be one; rather, we are created in His likeness, thus sharing attributes of who He is (Genesis 1:26). Yet, God did not stop there, He breathe into man the breath of life and then man became a living soul, for without the breath, man would not have been a complete image of God without life. The Bible says: “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King…” (Jeremiah 10:10a).

Similarly, the devil wishes to imitate God, and he fools many people with his ability to provide a form of godliness but denies the power thereof. Therefore, in John’s vision, he gives power to the second beast to breathe life into the image of the first beast, which is not the first beast himself, but a likeness of similar character. Remember that the first beast is a political figure, so the image would be his system of authority, known as the beast system, through which the second beast gives life, providing support, encouragement, and dedication to help it thrive. In other words, the false prophet is going to be instrumental in convincing people to worship or revere the antichrist through means of adhering to and taking part in the beast system, thus demanding total allegiance, forcing false worship, and enforcing a strict economic system using the mark (666) to allow buying or selling.

Furthermore, the false prophet will promote obedience to ungodly laws, such as taking a mark that God has deemed unholy, and support the antichrist’s egocentric self-promotion. Furthermore, he will do signs and wonders to deceive the masses. Even now, there are many church leaders who are endorsing laws that go against God, self-promoting with their own agendas, sanctioning heretical teachings, and demanding unquestioning obedience, thus uncaringly subjecting other Christians, who stand up for what’s right, to be the object of persecution, name-calling, belittling, and more. Nevertheless, it will not stop there; during this time of the antichrist, those who defy him and his system will be killed in the name of God. Those who support him and his system will even use the Bible to sanction their ungodly ways in the name of religious diversity and unity. A prime example of this is when the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is challenging churches and Christian businesses. Because many churches are compromised, there has been an even greater attack on those who refuse to bend to such ungodliness.

The saints in righteous standing will look as if they’re the problem when, in actuality, it is the ones who compromised that are the real issue. Therefore, the churches and Christian business owners who defy the government and tell them that they will not comply with ungodly laws will be and already have been forced to eventually close down, be fined, and/or go to jail, while the ones that compromise will remain untouched. The “compromised” church will not stand alongside the “uncompromised” church and support what’s in the Word of God, but will join in with the rest of the world and accuse them of doing wrong. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). Although this is already taking place, it is going to get even worse when the antichrist and false prophet mentioned here in Revelation join forces worldwide to accomplish their demonic goals. 

The antichrist will do signs and wonders in front of the people to cause them to believe that he is of God. If people are not careful, they will be fooled into believing his deception. The Bible says: “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). The word elect in Greek is eklektos (ἐκλεκτός), which means someone who is chosen, selected, or hand-picked. Therefore, in this verse, these are the people who have been selected by God or His remnant. Even during the time of the antichrist, there will be those who will go through the Great Persecution and will be saved. Therefore, one must be careful not to follow someone because they can teach, preach, prophecy, evangelize, or perform wondrous acts, because the antichrist and his false prophet will be good orators and workers of signs, but they will be messengers of the dragon.

 

Everyone in the world will be forced to obtain a mark in their right hand and/or forehead to buy or sell, which has the name or number of the beast, which is 666. Similarly, the Christians in other countries are having this type of experience if they do not convert to Islam. Some have had to pay a tax to stay alive, while having what we know in English as the letter “N” put on their homes like a scarlet letter, representing “Nazarene,” meaning “follower of Christ.” This has been done to distinguish them from the rest of the Muslim population. Many people believe that the making of an RFID chip is the mark of the beast that we have to be cautious of. This chip, already created and inserted into individuals, can store all sorts of personal and public information.

The chip is inserted into the person’s right hand, and there is talk that it will go global to eliminate the risk of stolen identities, serve as a way to pay instead of cash, and store medical information, etc. Certain animals, like cats and dogs, have seemingly been the genie pigs for this, and now some humans have already received it. Should this be mandated, we will know that it is part of the demonic system to form a New World Order. DO NOT TAKE THE CHIP! Do not take anything that even remotely parallels this beast system’s identifying mark. This is why some believers refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine: the parallels with the mark were too obvious to ignore or take a chance with, at least for the spiritually discerning. While many still debate whether the C-19 vaccine was the mark, one should always consult God and WAIT for His answer before doing anything that remotely resembles the traits and attributes that lead to taking the mark.

We must stay alert and exercise wisdom regarding these matters, according to the Bible. Many Christians argue that the Pope or one in his position will be and is the false prophet, which is correct due to Catholicism’s erroneous beliefs, such as praying to Mary, confession booths, purgatory, and more, in addition to his influence in the political system around the world. Similarly, some Christians believe the Prophet Mohammad or whoever is designated to take his place is the false prophet, and this is why there is fighting between the Sunni and Shia Muslims, which is also true, at least in the sense of being a false prophet. The teaching of Islam through the Quran by Muhammad is definitely false as well. There is one major thing to watch for during these end times. Whoever is the one to bring about the New World Order of government leadership and tie in religious control, will be the antichrist and the false prophet that is spoken of in Revelation. Keep a close eye on the Pope and Islam, for either one or both is key in these last days to the religious control, and Islam could also play a role on the political end as well. The man's number is 666.

 

Let’s recap some of the traits of the first beast (man of sin).

 

Based on biblical, theological, and historical analyses, the first beast (Antichrist) is depicted as being a deceptive, charismatic world leader who attempts to imitate Christ to deceive the world, including believers, and ultimately demand to be worshiped. His main characteristics include great military and political power, tremendous lawlessness and ungodliness, and desires global dominion.

---

[1] U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine," U.S. Food and Drug Administration, last modified August 23, 2021, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine.