Revelation Lesson #14 Series

A thorough study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show his servants things which must shortly come to pass. (Rev. 1:1)

Welcome to our study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ given unto Apostle John.

I am Phillip Smith, your host and fellow servant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we continue our study in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as given to John, we begin in chapter 14.

We are introduced to the 144,000 ‘Firstfruits’ of heaven. Let us read.

Rev. 14:1-3. 14 And 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. 2 And 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: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

John sees a representation of Jesus standing on Mt. Sion, or the Holy Mount in Heaven. He is the ruler with all authority in heaven and on earth. With him is a crowd who have the name of God on their foreheads. These are the ones who belong to God; God’s saints gathered as ‘firstfruits’. This represents the first saints before the great harvest. Vs. 4. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

In the old law of Moses, God required the first of the crops to be sacrificed to God from the children of Israel annually. They were called first fruits. Here these firstfruits are the souls who ‘were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.’ If they are actual physical people, God has gathered them special for this purpose. If this is a symbolic spiritual literature, they are true saints as in the representation of the Israelites first of their harvests. God has gathered his first of the harvest of the souls of earth. They are truly God’s possessions. Vs. 5. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

This gives reference to the number as we saw in chapter 7. The number 12, or quotient of 12 (a number divided by 12) represents belonging to God and the number 1,000 represents a very large number. All of the firstfruits here in heaven are God’s chosen of the firstfruits or souls to enter heaven seeing they are virgins and have not defiled themselves by sin; no guile was found in their mouth and they were without any fault or sin.

This shows God can do anything at any time He choses from His creations. We, as mortal men, should not question the will of God but accept it.

Does this imply these are from the first resurrection? Rev. 20:4-6. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The souls mentioned here are faultless, also. They, too, did not worship the beast. However, it says these were beheaded for witnessing for Jesus Christ. They were raised early and reigned with Jesus Christ a very long time before the rest of the dead were resurrected.

There is a little discrepancy between the two groups. It is hard to justify one opinion over any other in whether these were some of the firstfruits mentioned in chapter 14.

Rev. 14:6-7. 6 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, 7 Saying 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.