Warren Wiersbe said in his book Be Victorious, “Better to reign with Christ forever, than to reign with Antichrist for a few years.” Here we will begin to see God’s response to Satan’s effort to rule man.
If we remember back to chapter 10, John had to eat a little book which has allowed him to be able to prophesy these events he is now describing. These descriptions are an interlude of the story, an interruption, that describes other events and offer a different perspective to the events that are/have happened. These are things going on that he couldn’t see when witnessing the breaking of the seals and the blasts of the trumpets. This chapter is the end of this interlude which began in chapter 12.
1 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
The Lamb is the Son of God, Jesus. In chapter 5 we saw the Lamb standing before the throne. Mount Zion could be in one of three locations per text of the Bible. There are many verses that indicate Mount Zion as the City of David and the earthly temple. Others indicate Mount Zion as the future temple in the millennial city of Jerusalem. A few others indicate it to be the heavenly mountain and site of New Jerusalem. Here we see that John is looking into the heavenly mountain where the Lamb is standing, the throne is there as are the four creatures and the elders as described in chapter 4. However, it could be that this is when that heavenly throne is moving are has moved to earth. It could be that time when the two kingdoms become one again.
The Lamb is standing at the throne. This is significant as the Bible tells us that God stands and pleads His case to man just before judging him.
The Lord stands up to plead, and stands to judge the people. – Isaiah 3:13
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. - Ezekiel 20:35
“A noise will come to the ends of the earth—for the Lord has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the Lord.” – Jeremiah 25:31
The 144,000 were first introduced to us in chapter 7. It important to recognize that there are still 144,000. God has not lost one and He will not lose us. He sealed them and He kept them. These are those Jewish servants who will evangelize the earth during the Tribulation. These 144,000 are marked on their foreheads. The Hebrew word for the mark is ‘tav’. The only other time this is used alone is in Job 31:35. There it is used to signify his exemption from judgment as Job pleads to be judged. At the
time of the writing of Job, the ‘tav’ is the shape of a cross.
In chapter 7, we discussed that these 144,000 are indicated to be “servants” to God. The Greek word for servant used there is doulos, meaning ‘slave’ or ‘bondservant’. In chapter 1 we read that the Lord is the “Alpha and Omega, the first and the last”. In Hebrew that is the “aleph” and the “tav”. It is fitting that the mark on these bondservants of God is the last, in this time of the ending, and it is the work of Jesus on the cross that is the death nail to Satan.
John’s description of the voice of God has three parts: water, thunder, and music. In chapter 1 John also hears the voice of Jesus like that of many waters and in chapter 10 the voice of God was as thunder. Here, it sounds with the same power and intensity as a mighty waterfall and boom of thunder, but it is also mixed with the pleasant sound of music from a harp as these 144,000 sing a new song. Chapter 5 describes each of the 24 elders as having a harp. So, it is likely that John hears the voice of the Lord and the music of the elders worshipping with the song of the 144,000.
These 144,000 are in heaven as they are at the throne with the four creatures and the 24 elders. The elders sang a new song in chapter 5 as well. We should be reminded from Psalms 33:3 and 149:1 to sing the Lord a new song as we rejoice in Him and praise Him. This means that our heart should carry a different melody upon knowing and dwelling with Him. Worshipping God with a new song in our hearts is a natural response to having our burden of sin lifted and realizing that He remembers even us when we don’t deserve it.
The reference to being virgins may literally mean they had no sex on earth in their physical bodies, but it more likely means they did not worship any other thing or being as a god. They remained true to the only God that lives and did not worship an idol of any kind at any time. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are morally and spiritually pure.
These are the “firstfruits” or the first of those redeemed from the earth to heaven. Some indicate they are the first to heaven of those who survive the Tribulation. They have been “purchased”. All believers are found faultless and without spot before the Lord because of the Lamb of God who paid for our sins with His death. Jesus was sacrificed without spot or blemish and with no deceit in His mouth and we are redeemed and reconciled to God through His blood shed on the cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment