"Tune in again next week...same Bat time, same Bat channel". For those of us that grew up in the 1960's you know exactly what I'm talking about. The 1960's campy super hero action TV show Batman, starring Adam West and Bruce Ward as the "Caped Crusaders", the "Dynamic Duo" along with many other monikers, was a weekly show based upon the DC Comics comic book series started in 1939. At the end of each show, the announcer would give some teaser questions about the next week's show followed by the line "Tune in again next week...same Bat time, same Bat channel". In short, the "cliffhangers" from left unresolved in the current week would be answered in the next week.
Today we return to the book of Revelation after a one week break in the action, starting in Revelation 14. Chaper 14 is another preview chapter of sorts--reminding us to keep tuned in to the action. Stay tuned!
144K: Look...And Behold
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. Rev 14:1
Quite often in the book of Revelation we see these words: Then I looked. In addition, when John looked he beheld or studied what he saw. What happens most often when we see then I looked is that the stage set is changed and often the characters have as well. In Revelation 13, we saw primarily two characters, Antichrist and the False Prophet. The scene is set in the Tribulation period, and we see the rise of both of these end times characters to power and authority. Now the stage and the subjects of the drama change, not only in location and person but in their very nature: Antichrist and False Prophet are both as dark as midnight in a mile deep cave; the subjects of verses 1-5 shine like the sun at high noon.
Let's examine this cast of characters. First, we have the Lamb, whom we have already identified as Jesus Christ. In multiple places in God's Word we see Jesus referred to using the term Lamb; He is the Lamb who had been slain (13:8). The term Lamb (capital L) is used 25 times in Revelation and this is fitting because the correct full title of this prophetic book is The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The lamb of the Passover was slain, and the blood of the lamb then put over the door posts and lentel of the doorway to deter the angel of death sent by God upon Egypt; Jesus, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for us and the blood of Jesus Christ washed away the sins of those that would accept Him.
Then we see that with Him (are) one hundred and forty-four thousand (hereafter we will call the 144K). We saw these same men in Revelation 7; they are, as John MacArthur stated "They will emerge from the worst holocaust in history, the Tribulation, battle weary but triumphant; they will be like 144,000 Daniels." In short, these men will be unlike any other group of Christians in world history. No movement, no awakening, no evangelistic crusade in history will have a group of men like these 144K. In fact, these men will be radically different which we will discuss later.
These superevangelists will be identifiable by the mark of God that they will have upon their foreheads. This is stark in contrast to the mark of the beast upon the foreheads and right hands of the lost; the 144K have a mark of redemption and calling, the lost have the mark of condemnation and choice of sin over the love of God.
While these 144K will be conspicuous by the mark on their heads, they will also be conspicuous by their ministry of powerful evangelism. They will call a spade a spade when it comes to sin and they will make Jonathan Edwards, the famous preacher who preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" look mild in comparison. Their lifestyles will be beyond reproach, as we will see when we get to verse 5.
144K: Which Mt. Zion?
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb 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 voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. Revelation 14:1-2 (NKJV)
With the characters cast, we now look to the stage that is set: Mt. Zion. Where is this Mt. Zion? There are two lines of thought, one that this is a Mt. Zion in heaven, one is that it is the literal Mt. Zion which is located in and synonymous with Jerusalem. While there are a few scholars I study and agree with for the most part that feel that Jesus and the 144K are in heaven (quoting Hebrews 12:22) , I strongly believe that this is the latter view: Jerusalem itself. There are two main reasons why this is the case.
First, the 144,000 will never die; they will not be in heaven during the tribulation period. Those that hold the view of the 144K in heaven also hold the view that this is during the Tribulation period. However, the rapture already happened before the Tribulation period (pre-trib rapture) and the only way they could go to heaven would be to die; they are "sealed" (Rev 7:1-8) supernaturally protected by God and will not die. Further, we can see that these men will not be harmed (because of the seal), let alone die:
They (demonic locust/scorpions) were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Rev 9:4 NKJV
Secondly, in verse two John heard a voice from heaven; one would think that to hear "from heaven" that you would need to be on earth. The scene is set at the beginning of the Millennium, when Jesus will officially be crowned King of Kings.
144K: The Voice From Heaven
And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. Revelation 14:2-3 (NASB)
"Having been a pastor for many years, I have heard many harpers—harping about this or that, but these are a different kind of harper. The harpers I have listened to were not musical, I can assure you. But these heavenly harpers are going to make beautiful music."--J. Vernon McGee
Again, with the setting of these 144K superevangelists (144,000 Daniels--John MacArthur) being on earth, John hears a voice from heaven. In the New King James Version, the last part of the verse reads as a separate sentence, which does causes some confusion: And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps, which sounds like a separate thing altogether from the voice mentioned in earlier part of the verse. However, the NASB, NIV and most other translations definitely convey the thought of the voice being like the sound of harpists playing on their harps as we see in the NASB.
If you know me very well, you know that I love music. Not all music, but most music, and music that has good lyrics. If you think for just a moment, what is your favorite song? Is it because of the lyrics, or because of the music?
Let's just start with a song that you like because of the music itself. Maybe it's a song that has a great beat. Maybe it's because the man or woman that wrote the music wrote great harmonies, or maybe it's because you really like the instruments or the type of instruments (brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings) that are being played.
This voice will not only be understandable because of what is being said, but it will have the powerful booming quality of thunder, and will sound also like "cascading waters" (HCSB). What should we expect, a whisper from Heaven? Absolutely not. This will be the coronation not of a king, but of the King of Kings! There will be no room for doubt, because of the intensity of the sound, that this is the event, that this man is the King. There will be no need of racks and racks of loudspeakers like we would see in concerts, Heaven itself will explode in joy and praise to the King and all the people of earth will hear.
At the same time, this voice will sounds like millions and millions of harpists playing their harps. Not only will the sound be startling, but the very music itself will be a masterpiece that would make Beethoven, Chopin and Wagner envious. The music of a harp is a many stringed sound; it is a harmonious sound ranging from the This sound of music from heaven will be the most beautiful sound ever heard by human ear.
144K: New Song, A Lifesong
They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. Rev 14:3
I have found in my years of pastoring, and in my own personal life that the worst thing you can often tell someone is "I know how you feel". It is fine if you have been through the same battles of life as that person, but if you have not it is on the insensitive side if not actually bordering on being rude. You may mean well, but it's important to tell that person "I can sympathize with you, but I cannot empathize with you". No offense, but be "kindhearted", not "lunkhearted".
Before we get into this topic, let's look at the setting. As to a change of venue, that is unclear; the four living creatures and the twenty four elders are only stated to be before the throne in Heaven. Yet, the song is sung by these 144K, so it may be that the four living creatures and the twenty four elders may be on the earth at that time. Since, then, that this is an earthly setting instead of a heavenly one, it may be that "Jesus brought the whole band". This setting duplicates the one seen in Rev 4-5 with one important caveat: it is Jesus that sits upon this earthly throne.
The four living creatures (which we identified as cherubim) are the guardians of the holiness of God; the twenty four elders are representatives of redeemed men. As we discussed before in Revelation 4, these twenty four elders may be comprised of twelve Old Testament saints and twelve New Testament saints (the twelve apostles most likely). This will be a time of not only crowning the King, but it will be--like in Revelation 4 and 5--a time of worshipping the King. .
But what is this new song, and what does it mean that no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand? If this is, as I feel it is, at the coronation of the King during the Millennial Kingdom, then this is an event that all peoples and quite likely a large host of angels will attend. And this song will be one that will apply specifically to the 144K.
The term in the Koine Greek for learn (manthano) carries the meaning of learning but the late Dr. Henry Morris notes in The Revelation Record that it speaks of experientially understanding. In other words, no one truly knows their walk in their life and their ministry. It will be their lifesong, as the Christian contemporary band "Casting Crowns" sang about in their album by the same title almost a decade ago. Their lifesong will be sung. Others will be built up by it, others will be praise God for it, but only they will experientially understand it.
Lastly, we see that these 144K are redeemed from the earth. They will have been redeemed like all the saved saints of the ages, more specifically redeemed and saved by the Lamb, but this carries a different meaning.
...who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:3-5 (NKJV)
These 144K are said to be redeemed from the earth. Morris wrote in The Revelation Record: "Not only had they been redeemed spiritually but, precursively as it were, they had been redeemed from the very curse on the earth (Genesis 3:17), being protected from pain and death by the guarding seal. Further, they had apparently even been set free from the very presence of sin in their lives in order to accomplish the unique and demanding ministry ordained for them by the Lamb." In other words, they were saved like others, but when God sealed them He also sealed them from pain and death but also set them free from sin.
We can see this thought carry forward in verses 4 and 5. As we discussed months ago, these men are Jewish (12,000 sealed from each tribe as seen in Revelation 7:5-8) but we can see here that they are single, even virgins. In short, to qualify as part of the 144K, you had to be 1) left behind at the Rapture, meaning unsaved now and at that time; 2) Jewish; 3) possibly virgins and 4) male (ministry as such belonging to men). Jewish, male virgins. Not Jehovah's Witnesses or any other class of people that claim to be part of the 144,000.
Some scholars have the view that the 144K as possibly married men, not true virgins but instead being celibate. It can actually be either. The Koine Greek term parthenos is the same term used in reference to the Virgin Mary, and also of "marryable damsels". "Used...in Rev. 14:4, referring either literally to chaste, pure men who have not known women or are unmarried for the sake of greater devotion to Christ (1 Cor. 7:33), or figuratively to the spiritually pure, God's people who have not defiled themselves with the daughters of this world (i.e., the world-system, called Babylon in Rev.)". (Spiros Zodhiates) Regardless these men will probably be unmarried and will without a doubt be celibate. In short, they will have no time to spare for such relationships during that horrible time.
It's important to look at the qualities that the 144K will display. They will follow the Lamb wherever He goes, in other words, "They speak with authority They have the Lord on their minds constantly. They have a song in their heart personally. They see the Lamb's directives very clearly. It's all built and based on the fact that they are virgins—people of purity." (Jon Courson) Also, these men will be redeemed from among men, meaning they have sinned just the same as any other men but will be taken out of the world system by Jesus, called to their duty and they will not sin again. They will be the first of many on the earth that will not sin, with the Raptured Church returning at the end of the tribulation period. Being sinless from their call onward will make them without deceit and blameless before Jesus who will sit on the throne.
