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.
No comments:
Post a Comment