Today we’ll began chapter 14:, let me remind us that this chapter is not chronological in that it does not take up the next events of the Tribulation.
Also let me say that chapters 10 –14 are a parenthetical section, what that means is that these chapters don’t move forward chronologically, instead John sees visions of peoples and events that are going on in the tribulation period.
If you’ll remember chapter 13 tells us about the Beast, the False Prophet, and the mark of the Beast. And then chapter 14: just stops every thing and gives encouragement by telling of the ultimate triumph for those who refuse the beast’s mark, and tells of the doom of those who do receive it.
Chapter 14 prepares the way for the climatic events, which will follow from chapter 15 and on.—chapter 14: you could say is a mini picture of the Tribulation.
In this chapter we get a backward look to the beginning of the Tribulation and also a forward preview to its end and the glorious reign of the Lord Jesus Christ with His saints.
In place of the wicked beasts of 13: the Lamb comes into view here in 14:-- In place of a multitude of people worshiping the Antichrist, there appears a vast number of redeemed ones praising and following Christ.
In chapters 14 we’ll find the word “voice”, eight times. We’ll see that the events recorded, will be God either speaking to His people or to the lost world, or His creatures speak out in praise of the Lord or in warning to the world.
We’ll notice that as the world moves into the last half of the Tribulation, beginning in 15: heaven is not silent.
--------------------------------------
Ø Listen as I read verse 1 of Rev. 14:
1And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
The site of His appearing is “Mount Sion.” This is an earthly scene, a picture of Christ’s return to reign, the place from which He shall rule gloriously. This is not “the heavenly Jerusalem,” sometimes called “Mount Sion” in Hebrews.
And the scene anticipates His “coronation”, that means {the act or ceremony of crowning a “sovereign”, & that means above or superior to all others; chief; greatest; supreme} –
And also the scene is in anticipation of the establishment of His kingdom when He returns to earth.
Why are they gathered on Mount Zion? Zion – is the ancient name for the hills that make up Jerusalem - is the place where the Messiah gathers His redeemed and reigns over the earth.
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
Micah 4:1-2 1But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
These 144,000 were last seen in Revelation 7, where they were identified as 12000 thousand men taken from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, there were 12000 from each tribe which adds up to 144000.
This is a group of Jewish believers that would go all over the world during the tribulation period and they would be preaching the gospel of the kingdom, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, they have Gods seal in their foreheads, nothing can harm these Jewish evangelist in the tribulation, although some may be put in jail for a time.
Since they stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb, it shows that they emerge victorious from the great tribulation. The beast of Revelation 13 certainly has not defeated the 144,000; here they are triumphant, worshipping, and standing firm with Jesus.
In chapter 7, the 144,000 are seen at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. In Revelation 14, it shows them in triumph from beginning unto the end of the Great Tribulation.
----------------------------
2And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
This “voice of many waters” is associated with the multitude before the throne of God.
Revelation 19:5-7 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
--and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
This refers to comfort and love “harps” and “harpists” this is the voice of adoration and commendation, we are not told what the voice sings, clearly the 144,000 hear words of commendation. These 144000 men were hated by the world during the seven-year tribulation. They were cursed by men and hunted by the Antichrist as criminals. Yet, now as they are in Christ’s presence, He commends them.
The voice and music comes from heaven, from around the heavenly throne;{vs.2} we believe the voice and the harping come from angels, and the 144000 are the only redeemed ones that can learn this song.
---------------------------------
3And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts**, {4 living creatures of chapters 4 & 5} and the elders:** {are the church} and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
{Remember this singing is coming from heaven according to verse 2, the 144000 are on earth}
The 144000 were a special body of men taken from earth for a particular mission this is not the church.
Not only are the 144,000 standing, but they are also singing. Because of the special experiences they had during the Tribulation, they have a new song to sing that only they can sing. Heavenly harps and other heavenly voices accompany them.
Listen, there’s not another group of the redeemed that could sing that song simple because no other group of people had experience and saw what they had experienced and saw, for instance as an example,
--How can any man tell of all the horrors of the Jewish holocaust unless they’d experienced it? It might be that we could read books about it and make a few comments, but no one can sing the song of the dear souls that survived it, they know what their talking about.
-------------------------
4These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
If you’ll recall, they were called out of the 12 tribes of Israel.—12000 from each tribe in chapter 7:
Some commentators say that this is to do with spiritual fornication, but I personally believe it means exactly what it says because “women” is mentioned.
-they are virgins- means they did not have a wife.
The Great Tribulation is a period of unparalleled suffering. The 144,000 have been through that period. The abnormal times demanded an abnormal state. That was the reason they were unmarried.
Listen, during the Tribulation period the times are going to be so frightful that it will be wise not to get married. During the Great Tribulation there will be an exaggerated emphasis upon sex, and obviously immorality will prevail. The 144,000 will have kept themselves apart from the sins of the Great Tribulation.
The prophet Jeremiah also lived in a critical period, the time of the Babylonian captivity. Because of the dark days, God forbade him to marry: “
Jer. 16:1–4 The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;--
-- They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth”
Jesus mentioned those who would be mothers during the Great Tribulation:
Matt. 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!”
Let me say that having a wife certainly don’t mean that your defiled, not at all, God meant for man to have a wife if he desired one, marriage is a holy union in His sight, and let me emphasize “man and woman” not two sodomites running around here holding hands like the fools they are, according to the Bible their on their way to hell, I said according to the Word of God. You can take that up with God if you disagree.
Jude 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
4-b- These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
firstfruits --are kingdom words. Being Jews, they are the “first-fruits” of Israel in the Great Tribulation. The harvest has be-gun but there is more to follow. Just as God gives the first-fruits, so He can be depended upon to give the greater harvest which will follow.
-------------------------------
5And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
These were truthful. The tribulation period in which they live is one when deceit and falsehood reigns. The Antichrist will come in the power of Satan with “lying wonders”
Zephaniah pictures this remnant in the millennium,
Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid.
-----------------------------------
6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
THE MESSAGE—
7Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
--- The everlasting gospel-------
“The everlasting gospel.” There is nothing in the message about grace, the blood, redemption, or forgiveness. “The gospel of the grace of God” does that.
The message of the everlasting gospel is essentially that which has been proclaimed since God’s earliest dealings with man, namely, God is sovereign, and true happiness comes to those who recognize His sovereign right in the earth. The Creator only, and not the creature, must be worshiped.
It is everlasting in the sense that it is ageless, not for any specific period. It is an announcement of the hour of judgment of God and the command to worship Him.
The everlasting gospel seems to be neither the gospel of grace nor the gospel of the kingdom, but rather the good news that God at last is about to deal with the world in righteousness and establish His sovereignty over the world.
This is God’s last call to a wicked and apostate world, for the hour of judgment has come. vs.7 The Creator has a claim upon His creation. Presently He at-tempts to woo men by the Holy Spirit on the grounds of Christ’s death in that He paid the sin debt for all who will receive Him.
But here He summons men by an angel to recognize and reverence Him as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
-------------------------------
8And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
This should be a comfort to believers even today as we see the growth of religious and commercial Babylonianism in our time (REV17:** - REV.18:)**
It’s no great mystery why our economy and most others in the world are in disarray, all of this is leading to the “one world money, and the one world government”.
We’re having laws passed that the people of the country are clearly against, this is the most apostate administration this country has ever had, but I keep telling my self that it’s all in Gods program, God is in complete control never forget that, He has placed this administration in power to cause the biggest mess we’ve ever seen, very soon this government will be in control of every thing.
Today we are seeing the rise and formation of international and multinational commerce, not merely commerce between nations but international commercial, ties which control the governments and political powers within those nations.
But it will reach its peak in the Tribulation.
Here in these present verses is the grace of God warning men and comforting believers. It is a warning to unbelievers not to trust in the Babylonian system, religiously, politically, or commercially because it is a doomed system. It’s alls in the sovereign plan of God.
The meaning here in verse 8 is “Fallen, fallen, Babylon the Great.”
All of this is designed to highlight the certainty and fact of the fall of the religious, political, and commercial systems of the world portrayed in the word “Babylon.” it becomes a warning against putting one’s trust in this system today or tomorrow. It is under the judgment of God and is surely doomed along with this world.
