Revelation Chapter 14
Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with
him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their
foreheads.
These are the company of people who were sealed before the judgments of God were
poured out. These are all Jewish (Israeli) believers who were saved after the
rapture of the church. It appears that they were raptured and not killed perhaps
that same seal protected them from death. A lot of people that believe in the
mid-tribulation rapture think that this is where it occurs but we see only
Jewish believers here indicating either more than one rapture of believers or
else it could mean that the bible just doesn't mention the church at this point.
For some reason God wants to keep the rapture of the church a mystery so that we
stay spiritual alert and not sleep. We know it will happen and I personally lean
toward the pre-tribulation rapture for the church but we do not know for certain
and I believe God planned it that way so that we are always ready. But here we
see the 144 thousand believers standing before the lamb (Jesus Christ). I think
they are literally the 10 tribes or first fruits of Israel.
Rev 14:2 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:
Rev 14:3 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.
They were saved, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, washed and clean by
faith and obedience to Him. No one but these 144,000 can sing this song.
Here were the first converts to Christ from among Israel as a nation. This
couldn't mean Gentile believers for their number would be far above 144,000. My
own opinion here is that this number does not include today's Messianic
believers who are Jewish because they would have been taken out to be with the
Lord when the Gentile believers were taken away in what we call the rapture. If
this is the present day Messianic Jews, then what happens if the number exceeds
144,000. I conclude then that these people are Jews that were saved just after
the rapture but before the judgments of God were poured out. They did not die as
martyrs like the ones mentioned in chapter 6 and 7 which may have been both Jews
and Gentile believers. The 144 thousand are probably those that live in Israel
or will live in Israel that are not yet believers now. Not everyone comes to
Christ at the same time. Some accept Christ the very first time they hear of Him
while others take much longer to realize that Jesus truly is the savior that
came to save us from our sins.
Notice also that in heaven there will be singing as well as musical instruments.
If these things are okay in heaven, why not in church gatherings? Also there
will be praising, shouting, bowing and much worship so if it’s okay there, why
not in our assemblies?
If we see people praying out loud in heaven, why not pray out loud in our
assemblies? I notice that in heaven there are periods of silence but there is
also spontaneous praise continually. If we don't like noisy praise and worship
services here, we are not going to like heaven. Remember Jesus saying to the
people who wanted to silence those that were shouting praises to Him:
Luke 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these
should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
Rev 14:4 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 first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
It would seem that these were all men at the first glance but virgins are women
and it is clear that these are not all women so I will boldly assume that these
were a company of both men and women of Israel who were saved after the rapture
of the church.
The fact that they were called virgins was probably because they had nothing to
do with the great whore false religion that will be discussed in later chapters.
To be faithful to the Lord and be pure is to avoid all false teaching or
doctrine that causes us to defile our flesh by fornication, idolatry and many
other works of the flesh condemned in the word of God but also spiritual
fornication which involves worshipping other things or beings that are not God
or His Son, Jesus Christ. These were faithful until the time Jesus took them
from the earth to be with Him. This may be the man-child spoken of in previous
chapters that is caught up to heaven causing the armies of the anti-christ to be
more fervently angry toward the rest of Israel. Satan was ready to devour both
Jesus Christ and these 144,000 of Israel the moment they were born. In the case
of Christ, he tried to have Herod kill him the moment He was born. In the case
of the 144,000, he caused the anti-christ to try to destroy them when they were
born again, but I believe the seal of God protected them. They most likely were
the ones that preached the gospel to the rest of Israel.
Here is a message for today's church. Fornication and sexual impurity is a
sin. It can take us to hell. We can be forgiven of these things and
made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ but we can't expect to enter heaven if
we do not confess and forsake this sin before we die. We live in a world
where we think the gospel is a social gospel of caring for the poor and feeding
the hungry. It is not. That is not the gospel that saves the soul.
The gospel is turning from sin and being born again by the spirit. While there
is a place for caring for the poor and we should do that. It is a sin to neglect
that if we have it to give but that alone is not the gospel. The true
gospel will cause the conditions of the poor to improve. It will affect
the society around us but that alone is not the gospel. The gospel saves
individual souls from an eternity in hell. The gospel changes individual
lives and makes one from a vile sinner to a born again believer. Notice
the 144000 were not defiled with false religion which compromises with sin.
They were pure, washed in the blood of Jesus and were living in holiness.
Homosexuals can be saved but they must forsake that lifestyle. We are not
to hate them but we are to tell them the truth. Those that have abortions
can be saved but they must forsake the thinking that it is okay to kill their
unborn babies just because it wasn't convenient to have them. All of us
can be saved if we forsake and confess our sins allowing Jesus Christ to enter
our lives through the person of the Holy Spirit but we must repent or turn from
sin to have that salvation. To find out what sin is, we must read the word
of God. Sin is transgression of the law of God.
Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault
before the throne of God.
Once the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin, we are without fault if we remain
faithful to the end and do not return to the filth we were saved out of. These
were faithful and did not believe the great lie that those of the earth believed
after the anti-christ gained power. They might have had to choose between having
possessions, houses and lands or lose those things to follow Christ. We see from
this scene in heaven that they made the right choice.
Rev 14:6 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,
Rev 14:7 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.
After the 144 thousands were taken into heaven, God sends Three messengers to
preach the gospel, announce the fall of Babylon and warn of the doom of Beast
worshippers. First the two witnesses preached, they were killed, the 144
thousand preached while they were on the earth, and now God sends His angels.
This angel that preaches the gospel is not TBN or any satellite tv program that
claims to preach the gospel to the whole world. It is a literal angel. If it was
TBN, why are they not warning of the fall of Babylon and against worshipping the
beast?
Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication.
We will get into more study on Babylon in chapters 17 and 18. Here we see an
angel foretelling of the literal destruction of Babylon. This could not be the
Babylon of long ago because that would be confusing to take something that
happened in history and bring it forth into the future. It is clear that
Revelation is a vision of the future. Babylon was not in existence in John's day
unless there was a city called Babylon that was small and insignificant. Babylon
may have been the deadly wound that was healed. In other words perhaps Babylon
will be rebuilt and become more wicked and perverse than it had ever been in the
past. The United States armies are in Iraq now. With the power and wealth of our
nation uniting with the people in that area, a rebuilding of Babylon is
possible. Whatever it is, it is a great city that controls the world under the
anti-christ and influences them first by an apostate religious system that kills
those that dissent and it seems to control trade and commerce. The religious
whore of Babylon is destroyed by the kings of the earth but God destroys the
commercial Babylon.
Some say this Babylon is the United States that God will destroy in one hour. We
do seem to have the most power and control a lot of trade and commerce so that
is not a farfetched idea. However, our nation could be destroyed or made weak in
one hour so that a literal kingdom of Babylon could arise. At this point we are
not sure. I am open to many different theories which I will get into later.
One trait that is present in both the religious system of Babylon and the
commercial system is that they kill God's true believers. So far the United
States has never done that so we couldn't be this Babylon yet. I know that can
change. The United States may have been a mystery in John's day but it is no
mystery now. Also the United States is not and never was in the vicinity of the
Old Roman Empire. We are not in the Middle East so I can't really see how we
could be this Babylon in that respect but I am open to change my opinion if God
reveals it to me.
Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If
any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead,
or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured
out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence
of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they
have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name.
Here is where we find out that those that take the image or mark of the beast
can never be saved but are lost for eternity. This is why I can't see the mark
as a chip or something that is put on us unknowingly. I don't want any chips
under my skin and will refuse anyone from putting one in me even if it is used
like a credit card but if this occurs, I can't see us being condemned to hell
for that type of thing unless we knowingly took it in allegiance to the beast
and knowingly denied Christ by allowing it to be done to us. The way I see it,
those that take this mark are pledging allegiance to that beast and giving over
their souls to him. It has to be a decision that we know what we are doing and
by doing this thing we are denying God's authority to rule over our lives and
accepting the authority of the anti-christ.
If we are willing to vote in a wicked president, congress or local politicians
that promise to send us checks and improve the economy even if they stand for
evil, then how would we be able to refuse any mark of the beast?
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
The true saints of God are reminded over and over that the power of this beast
is temporary. He his power is limited to 3 and one half years and for sure no
longer than seven years.
Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.
I don't know if it is meant that blessed are those from this point in prophecy
that die in the Lord or from the time that John was receiving this message. At
any rate those that die for the cause of Christ is blessed. It appears that
there are more martyrs after the 144 are raptured.
Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one
sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand
a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to
him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come
for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and
the earth was reaped.
Rev 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also
having a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire;
and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in
thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her
grapes are fully ripe.
Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the
vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of
the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six
hundred furlongs.
This harvest is speaking of the severest judgment of God, not the gathering of
saints. This is a harvest of judgment symbolized by the sickle. Here we see the
armies of the anti-christ receiving the severest judgment of all time. I believe
this is judgment by Jesus Christ Himself. God sees that these representatives of
the anti-christ has tormented, killed and tried to get God's people to deny
Christ by the use of torture, taking away their property, lives and much more.
God probably has taken all He can stand and allows the Son to bring forth this
judgment which falls upon those that shed the blood of the martyrs and in return
have their own bloodshed so that flowed everywhere and was deep.
Joel tells of this also:
Joel 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the
mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
Joe 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears:
let the weak say, I am strong.
Joe 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves
together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Joe 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat:
for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
Joe 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for
the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the
LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw
their shining. Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his
voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD
will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Now is the time to come to Christ if we have not done so previously. Our only
safety is to deny our sins and turn to Christ for cleansing and to be filled
with the gift of His spirit. There is only one way to be saved.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water.
We never have to go it alone and be lost. God has made a way out.
Revelation 15
