Message
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. Revelation 14:1-5
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The 144k are 12k from each of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. They are Jews. There is no we any of us here can become a part of that group. We can all, however, learn from their character and try to emulate their behavior in our lives.
In contrast to all who live on the earth, small and great, who are forced to take the mark of the beast on their hand or forehead, these have the “mark” of the Father’s name on their forehead-no room for another mark.
5 Commandments of God fulfilled by the 144k:
1. BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY
firstfruits-Billy Graham’s hypothesis is that these 144k were super evangelists-in Chapter 7, immediately after the 144k are sealed we see a multitude without number from every tribe before the throne
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. Revelation 7:9
Billy Graham believes this multitude without number are Tribulation saints who came to faith in Christ as a result of the faithful witness of the 144k. Now, I Revelation 14 we see the 144k have joined their brothers in heaven-meaning they have given their lives for the faith.
It may be significant that this special group are called firstfruits. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus said ‘going, baptizing, teaching them to do all I command you, MAKE DISCIPLES. He also said “the fields are ripe for harvest, therefore, pray the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into the harvest field” (John 4). People who come to faith in Christ are a harvest-and these 144k are firstfruits; they bore further fruit through the ministry God gave to them.
2. LOVE
In the book of Revelation, all of the songs sung in heaven by the Saints are songs to God. This group gets to sing a song no one else can sing.
-When I was first learning how to sing, about 18 years old, I sang Albert Hay Malotte’s version of The Lord’s Prayer in a public forum-a choir festival where I was chosen as one of a few soloists. It was the national day of prayer, and after I finished singing the entire audience rose to their feet and gave resounding ovation. I thought that I had done a good job, until one of our choir members asked me later “What kind of song do you think the Lord’s Prayer is?” I said, uh, I think it’s a prayer, I guess. She said “hm. I’m not sure. I think it’s a love song.” I thought about it and came to the conclusion she was right. The Lord’s Prayer is written like one of those great old love songs one of the opera composers like Puccini or Verdi. That insight changed the way I sang the song-I’ve never sung it the same since-and I think the composer was right-prayer, understood properly, is a deeply, profoundly intimate experience. It is the pouring out of the heart in love to our Lord-it is treating the Lord as our closest and dearest friend, as George Eliot said:
“A friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”
Prayer is like that, and singing a song is, perhaps, a step beyond that. Have you ever loved someone so much you could not quite completely express your love without a song? Maybe this is the affliction of a singer, but I think it may be universal. Some love is not expressed until it is sung. The 144,000 can sing as no other group can. They can sing a song no one else can sing. They have, perhaps, a love for and intimacy with the Lord no one else has.
3. EMULATE GOD
On many occasions Jesus commanded “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19;8:22;9:9; 16:24, etc.) If you look up the word “follow” in a dictionary it will list “obey” as part of the meaning. Paul said it this way:
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2).
The King James translates that first phrase more literally, “Be imitators of God”. The 144k followed Jesus wherever He went-even when He went to the cross. They were “looking to Jesus, the forerunner of the faith”.
4. SPEAK THE TRUTH-
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body . . .
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
In the world we are encouraged in various ways to be less than completely honest, completely true. We are taught to please people-to say the right thing even if it isn’t quite what we believe to be true. Jesus told the truth, no matter what the listener thought. If He thought someone may not receive the truth He sometimes told stories which contained the truth, rather than saying the truth directly, but the truth was always in His mouth at all times. Politically or socially correct, dishonest speech is anti-Christian. We, as God’s people, must always tell the truth. God cannot lie. We, also, therefore, must not lie.
5. STAY PURE
-they have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins-
-they are Blameless, Engaged-pure, holy, synonyms include unalloyed, these men were focused on the calling of God on their lives, they’re view was toward heaven, not toward earth.
I think it’s interesting that the term virgin is applied as a state of being, not just an action, or an avoidance of a particular action- it says they were virgins, not they did sexual purity or they didn’t get involved sexually-they were sexually pure because they were virgins.
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Richard Branson has started more than four hundred companies. Most of them contain the word “virgin”- Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Records, Virgin Galactic and many more. He says he used that term because the when they started the companies they were new to the field-everything was fresh. They were able to rethink everything and do things differently and better than the companies already in that field. He started his airline because he was waiting for a flight to an island where he had some meetings. A half-hour before the scheduled departure they cancelled the flight and gave no options for alternatives. He went down the hall of the airport, chartered a plane, then came back to the waiting area and sold tickets, paying for the chartered flight and getting himself to his destination. . . based on that experience he bought a 747 second-hand and started a new airline, Virgin Atlantic to directly compete with British Airways. He started many companies based on frustration with how things were being done. I may not agree with everything Branson does or represents, yet I think he understands the essence of word “virgin”. The 144k were virgins. They were not satisfied with the ways things were done in this world.
Do you feel the way the world is not working, or is frustrating? Or are the ways of this world fulfilling for you? If they are frustrating, maybe it’s time to start following the example of the 144k, and walk in the way of the virgin-doing things differently from so many of the people around you-learning to do things better-repenting of the old, frustrating ways.
One final comment- back to the issue of intimacy with God-the 144k had a Mark very different from the mark of the beast- They did NOT take the mark of 666, but they DID take the mark of the name of Jesus and the Father. Anywhere they went, everyone could see they belonged to the LORD. I’m wearing a shirt that belongs to my son. Since he lived in a boarding school all of his clothes had to have a tag with his name on it. That way everyone knew who’s clothes they were. Are you willing to take the mark the 144k have taken-the mark of the Father’s name on their forehead? As Paul said “one thing I do, forgetting what is behind I press on toward the MARK of the high calling for which I was called heavenward in Christ Jesus”. (I know it’s a different kind of mark, yet the verse seems to fit)
Will you take the MARK?
If you are willing, the way of the 144,000 is to
1. BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY B
2. LOVE L
3. EMULATE GOD E
4. SPEAK THE TRUTH S
5. STAY PURE S
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Potter’s Hand
