REVELATION
SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER 14.4
Gleanings
from the Book of Revelation:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
The
REVELATION
TO JOHN
(The Apocalypse)
Chapter
Fourteen
The
Great Tribulation
A Parenthesis
The
Seven Trumpets
Trumpet
Number 7: Woe Number 3
Preface
Constituting the first fruits of the
harvest out of Tribulation are 144,000 sealed Israelites. The Lamb of God is
observed standing victoriously with them in the New Jerusalem (Zion) on earth
at the commencement of the Kingdom Age. The 144,000 are pictured having their
Father’s seal on their foreheads, signifying they had been protected by God
throughout the perils of Tribulation, and their works are complete. Having
lived in Satan’s empire they are overcomers – Loyal and blameless.
(Verse 4)
These are they (the 144,000) 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.
(Verse 5)
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without
fault before the Throne of God.
Verses 4 and 5 delineate seven major
characteristics of the 144,000 (12,000 from each tribe):
1. They are not defiled by women
2. They are virgins
3. They follow the Lamb everywhere
4. They have redeemed firstfruits unto God
5. They have redeemed firstfruits unto
Christ
6. They have no guile in their mouths
7. They stand without fault before God’s Throne
1. They are not
defiled by women.
These are
they (the 144,000) who were not
defiled with women
At
first glance, the beginning sentence appears awkward to the text. The word defilement can be construed in five ways
having different nuances. However, in this instance, molunō (Strong’s
G3435) connotes one being besmeared as with mud.
For example, believers who kept their garments from being stained are those who
have not soiled themselves from fornication or adultery. Thus, the word is not being
used here in a ceremonial or ritualistic sense.
2. They were virgins
For they are virgins
When properly utilized in the context of this
verse, virgins do not mean they
were not married or celibate. On the other hand, virgins are those who have not been led astray by tempters who
constitute spiritual harlots. The indication is 144,000 men have not prostituted
themselves as such and have remained spiritually chaste from the false religion
or the world’s religious system of the Antichrist.
Old Testament Israel is sometimes referred to
as “the virgin daughter of Zion.”
For instance:
2
Kings 19:21 – This is the word
that the LORD hath spoken concerning him (Assyrian King
Sennacherib); The
virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised
thee, and laughed thee to scorn.
Isaiah
37:22 – This is the word
which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and
laughed thee to scorn.
Lamentations
2:13b - O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall
I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin
daughter of Zion?
However, frequently Israel went a-whoring
after strange gods and succumbed to spiritual fornication. Some examples
include:
Exodus
34:15 – [Do
not make] a covenant with the inhabitants of the
land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto
their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice.
Deuteronomy
31:16 – And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy
fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring
after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be
among them, and will forsake Me, and break My covenant which I have made with them.
Hosea
9:1 - Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou
hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast
loved a reward upon every cornfloor (grain-threshing floor).
Notwithstanding, it is not that the 144,000
were never married, but they remained pure from spiritual adultery during
Antichrist’s reign. This principle is aptly addressed by James:
James
4:4 - Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Therefore,
regarding His pure code of conduct in presenting the Church as a bride, the
Lord is very clear and specific:
2 Corinthians
11:2 - For I am jealous over you (the Church) with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3. They follow the Lamb everywhere
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth
The 144,000 remained completely allegiant to
Christ during the Tribulation. The function of a Christian disciple who follows
Christ is distinct when Jesus said to follow in His footsteps:
1. To Philip Jesus said:
John 1:43 – The day
following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me.
2. To Matthew Jesus said:
Mark 2:14 - And as he
passed by, He saw Levi (Matthew)
the son of Alphaeus sitting at
the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him.
3. To the rich young ruler He said:
Mark 10:21 - Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou
lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou
shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.
Virgins
who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth exhibit
having a spiritual relationship with the Lord rather than following a religious
system. In the past, Israel started and ended their day [with a lamb being
slain] to preserve the relationship – A daily challenge for every believer.
4. They are the redeemed firstfruits unto God
These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God
The
redeemed 1144,000 are considered God’s very finest (first fruits) out of Israel
at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.
First Fruits
The practice of firstfruits is an Old Testament sacrificial concept. It is an act
of dedicating the first part of one’s harvest and setting it apart as holy unto
God. At harvest time for any crop, the first part was dedicated via a special
offering. The act simply stated:
Exodus 23:19a – The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into
the house of the LORD thy God.
Proverbs 3:9 - Honour the LORD with
thy substance, and with the firstfruits of
all thine increase.
Therefore,
at the end of the Tribulation, the 144,000 are denoted as the first fruits of
the harvest. These men are uniquely dedicated to God in several ways:
1. By
being sealed
2. By being sanctified
3. By being spiritual
4. By being blameless
5. By being undefiled
6. By being faithful
7. By proclaiming the Gospel
5. They have redeemed firstfruits unto the
Lamb
These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits …to the Lamb
Specifically,
the 144,000 are redeemed Israel unto the Lamb prophetically ushering in the
Kingdom. Again, they are His loyal followers.
Old
Testament Prophecy
Isaiah 11:11 - And it shall come to pass in that day, that the
Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left.
New
Testament Prophecy
Romans
11:26 - And so all Israel shall be
saved: as it is written, There shall
come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
6. They have no guile in their mouths
And in their mouth was found no guile
The phrase demonstrates they have not
perjured themselves. Guile means
deceit or falsehood, turpitude that keeps someone from entering Heaven (cf.
Revelation 22:15). This is a direct fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy as well:
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.
Thus, by keeping their tongues and not
participating in the great lying wonders of the beast they were not deceived. And
they also remained faultless…
7. They stand without fault before God’s
Throne
For they are without fault before the Throne of God
Being without fault does not mean someone is
sinless, but it is characteristic of a person who has nothing to hide. It also
describes someone who is above reproach or blameless. Of such, Paul encourages
and articulates:
Colossians
1:22 - You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you His enemies,
and you did evil things. But His Son
became human and died. So God made peace with you, and now He lets you stand in His presence as people who are holy and
faultless and innocent.
(CEV)
Postface
144,000 first fruits of Tribulation are viewed
in all of their unblemished glory with their imputed righteousness in Christ
Jesus. They led holy lives and ministered the Gospel effectively for Christ.
Similar to Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego appearing out of the fiery furnace without
even the smell of fire (cf. Daniel 3:27), the 144,000 now stand in the sight of
God clarifying their goal as the mark of triumphant Christians. The account of
their lives articulates an ideal of Christian living for all believers to replicate.
QUESTIONS:
1. Was the 144,000 celibate?
2. To whom does the term virgins apply?
3. In what respect does a person follow the Lamb?
4. How does the practice of first fruits apply to the
144,000?
5. How serious is lying in the eyes of God?
6. What does having
no-fault mean?
7. How can believers apply 144,000’s attributes
today?
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