Rev 14:4 | KingComments | STEP | . A new scene is shown to John and he invites you with the regularly reoccurring “behold”, to watch together with him. He taps, as it were, on your shoulder and points with his finger to a certain direction and says: Look at that! If you are still thinking about the horrible developments of the previous chapter, you immediately come to rest here. Both beasts with their slanderous, murderous and deceitful actions, give way to “the Lamb” and His righteous and benevolent performance. In the Lamb you see how God is beyond all rages of hatred, violence and lie and calmly does His own work in those who are His. For the first time in the book of Revelation you do not see the Lamb in heaven, but on earth, “on Mount Zion”, and particularly in connection with the remnant from the two tribes. Zion is the mountain in Jerusalem that God has chosen to place His sanctuary there ( ). He will also establish the throne of the kingdom of David there. That mountain represents the grace in contrast to Mount Sinai that represents the law ( ; ). With the Lord Jesus you see one hundred and forty-four thousand people standing. This number symbolically indicates fullness. In Revelation 7 this number is also mentioned ( ). There it refers to a fullness of people from all twelve tribes and they are seen before the great tribulation ( ). Here it is about a fullness of the two tribes in the land, although with this hundred and forty-four thousand there are certainly also some believers from the ten tribes, who however as a whole are still in the dispersion. This group comes from the great tribulation. They have remained faithful to the Lord. They have refused the mark of the beast on their forehead. Now on their forehead is written, as a special distinction, the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father. . While the Lamb is standing on Mount Zion with the faithful remnant, John hears “a voice from heaven”. It is a mighty, awesome voice. At the same time it is also a lovely and melodic voice. What a contrast to the bragging and boasting of the beast. This voice and this music are purposed for the faithful remnant that has gone through so much suffering. It is heavenly music, played by heavenly saints for the saints on earth. Heaven and earth are brought into harmony. . John does not hear just music, but he also hears something that sounds like “a new song”. It is sung by people in heaven. These singers are not the elders, the believers of the Old Testament and that of the church ( ). The song is not sung by them, but for them. It is also sung “before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders”. It is a song heard with approval by the symbols of the kingdom of God, that is the throne and the living creatures. The singers of the song are believers who after the rapture of the church were killed because of their faithfulness to the Lord and who share in the first resurrection ( ). They teach those who are on earth to sing the song. The saints in heaven and the saints on earth from Israel are clearly related to each other. The saints on earth are further referred to as “who had been purchased from the earth” which indicates the contrast to ‘those who dwell on the earth’. They do not stand beside the Lamb on Mount Zion on the basis of their own merits, but on the basis of the redemption work of the Lamb. The same goes for those who are in heaven. They too do not owe it to themselves that they have come there, but also because of what the Lamb has accomplished on the cross of Golgotha. The Lamb is on earth, but the Lamb is also in heaven. From heaven, where the Lamb stands as if slain ( ), the new song is being taught. Can that new song have a different content than the Lamb? In heaven and on earth it is sung what the Lamb has accomplished. The connection between heaven and earth becomes possible only because of the Lamb and His work on the cross. . A further description of the one hundred and forty-four thousand follows. Some features or characteristics of them are mentioned. The first is that these faithful ones are “chaste”, which is applied to both men and women. It means that they granted their love not to another, but only to Him. They have not let themselves be seduced by enticing people or ideas to become unfaithful to Him. During the time of the great tribulation, a time that is full of temptations, they have kept themselves clean from literal and spiritual fornication (cf. ). It is the time in which the roman-catholic church will expose herself as the great harlot ( ). It will take a huge effort to remain clean, because the world is full of uncleanness. It is already the case, but then it will be more abundant. The second characteristic is that they “follow the Lamb” right through the great tribulation “wherever He goes”. Here you also have the secret by which they kept themselves chaste: their eyes are continuously focused on the Lamb. This is a great example of how you can keep yourself clean. Loving the Lamb determines where they go and what they do. Where He goes and is, there they go and are. That is rewarded by the Lamb. They were with Him in the tribulation, now they are allowed to be with Him in His glory. This reward is also waiting for you if you stay with the Lamb. The third characteristic is their advanced position. They are “first fruits to God and to the Lamb”. ‘First fruits’ have got to do with the harvest. First fruits are the first collection, while the great harvest is yet to be gathered. This is the case with this company. Together with many others they have been purchased from among men by the blood of the Lamb. Among those who are purchased, these one hundred and forty-four thousand are the first fruits that are allowed to share in the blessings of the kingdom of peace. Shortly after that a great harvest will follow, both from Israel and from the nations (cf. ; ). . The last characteristic mentioned is that “no lie was found in their mouth” ( ; cf. ). Humanly speaking they have delivered a supernatural performance in this way. They could do that only because of their attachment to Christ as the truth ( ). They lived in a time that was full of lies and deceit. It was not possible to survive without lying and deceiving. But they kept standing and did not allow themselves to be dragged by the gushing floods of lies that were poured out over the world by the beast and his henchmen. The biggest lie is the denial of the Father and the Son ( ). But they have testified uncompromisingly of the truth concerning the Father and the Son. It is the joy of the Spirit to testify of them that “they are blameless”. . In we watched the scene from after the great tribulation. Now we turn back to the time of the great tribulation. Several scenes of that time are highlighted in the rest of this chapter. In total there are six angels connected to those scenes. The last angel you have seen was the seventh and last trumpet angel ( ). The first angel here is not a new trumpet angel, but “another angel”, the first of a new group of angels. This angel is flying in midheaven. In that position, he can be seen and heard by everyone on earth. He has a special assignment and that is to preach the “everlasting gospel”. This shows how great the love and grace of God are. Also in that particularly serious time God allows the good news – for that is the meaning of the word ‘gospel’ – to be proclaimed. The everlasting gospel is a gospel that is not connected to a certain period. It is valid at all times and for everyone. It comes to “those who live on the earth” for the last time, whatever group they belong to, so that they may repent before God’s judgments break loose. An angel has no part in the redemption, but he can surely pass on a good news of general scope (cf. ). When it comes to the gospel of grace, an angel must step back. You see that in the history of Philip and the Ethiopian. An angel led Philip to the Ethiopian, but it was Philip who preached the gospel of grace to the Ethiopian ( ). Now read Revelation 14:1-6 again. Reflection: Which characteristics of those who follow the Lamb can be applied to you?

‏ Revelation of John 14:4

The Song of the One Hundred and Forty-four Thousand

Rev 14:1. A new scene is shown to John and he invites you with the regularly reoccurring “behold”, to watch together with him. He taps, as it were, on your shoulder and points with his finger to a certain direction and says: Look at that! If you are still thinking about the horrible developments of the previous chapter, you immediately come to rest here. Both beasts with their slanderous, murderous and deceitful actions, give way to “the Lamb” and His righteous and benevolent performance. In the Lamb you see how God is beyond all rages of hatred, violence and lie and calmly does His own work in those who are His.

For the first time in the book of Revelation you do not see the Lamb in heaven, but on earth, “on Mount Zion”, and particularly in connection with the remnant from the two tribes. Zion is the mountain in Jerusalem that God has chosen to place His sanctuary there (Psa 78:68). He will also establish the throne of the kingdom of David there. That mountain represents the grace in contrast to Mount Sinai that represents the law (Heb 12:22; Psa 125:1 ; Psa 126:1).

With the Lord Jesus you see one hundred and forty-four thousand people standing. This number symbolically indicates fullness. In Revelation 7 this number is also mentioned (Rev 7:4-8). There it refers to a fullness of people from all twelve tribes and they are seen before the great tribulation (Rev 7:1-3). Here it is about a fullness of the two tribes in the land, although with this hundred and forty-four thousand there are certainly also some believers from the ten tribes, who however as a whole are still in the dispersion. This group comes from the great tribulation. They have remained faithful to the Lord. They have refused the mark of the beast on their forehead. Now on their forehead is written, as a special distinction, the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father.

Rev 14:2. While the Lamb is standing on Mount Zion with the faithful remnant, John hears “a voice from heaven”. It is a mighty, awesome voice. At the same time it is also a lovely and melodic voice. What a contrast to the bragging and boasting of the beast. This voice and this music are purposed for the faithful remnant that has gone through so much suffering. It is heavenly music, played by heavenly saints for the saints on earth. Heaven and earth are brought into harmony.

Rev 14:3. John does not hear just music, but he also hears something that sounds like “a new song”. It is sung by people in heaven. These singers are not the elders, the believers of the Old Testament and that of the church (Rev 4:4). The song is not sung by them, but for them. It is also sung “before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders”. It is a song heard with approval by the symbols of the kingdom of God, that is the throne and the living creatures. The singers of the song are believers who after the rapture of the church were killed because of their faithfulness to the Lord and who share in the first resurrection (Rev 20:4-6).

They teach those who are on earth to sing the song. The saints in heaven and the saints on earth from Israel are clearly related to each other. The saints on earth are further referred to as “who had been purchased from the earth” which indicates the contrast to ‘those who dwell on the earth’. They do not stand beside the Lamb on Mount Zion on the basis of their own merits, but on the basis of the redemption work of the Lamb. The same goes for those who are in heaven. They too do not owe it to themselves that they have come there, but also because of what the Lamb has accomplished on the cross of Golgotha.

The Lamb is on earth, but the Lamb is also in heaven. From heaven, where the Lamb stands as if slain (Rev 5:6), the new song is being taught. Can that new song have a different content than the Lamb? In heaven and on earth it is sung what the Lamb has accomplished. The connection between heaven and earth becomes possible only because of the Lamb and His work on the cross.

Rev 14:4. A further description of the one hundred and forty-four thousand follows. Some features or characteristics of them are mentioned. The first is that these faithful ones are “chaste”, which is applied to both men and women. It means that they granted their love not to another, but only to Him. They have not let themselves be seduced by enticing people or ideas to become unfaithful to Him.

During the time of the great tribulation, a time that is full of temptations, they have kept themselves clean from literal and spiritual fornication (cf. 2Cor 11:2). It is the time in which the roman-catholic church will expose herself as the great harlot (Rev 17:1-6). It will take a huge effort to remain clean, because the world is full of uncleanness. It is already the case, but then it will be more abundant.

The second characteristic is that they “follow the Lamb” right through the great tribulation “wherever He goes”. Here you also have the secret by which they kept themselves chaste: their eyes are continuously focused on the Lamb. This is a great example of how you can keep yourself clean. Loving the Lamb determines where they go and what they do. Where He goes and is, there they go and are. That is rewarded by the Lamb. They were with Him in the tribulation, now they are allowed to be with Him in His glory. This reward is also waiting for you if you stay with the Lamb.

The third characteristic is their advanced position. They are “first fruits to God and to the Lamb”. ‘First fruits’ have got to do with the harvest. First fruits are the first collection, while the great harvest is yet to be gathered. This is the case with this company. Together with many others they have been purchased from among men by the blood of the Lamb. Among those who are purchased, these one hundred and forty-four thousand are the first fruits that are allowed to share in the blessings of the kingdom of peace. Shortly after that a great harvest will follow, both from Israel and from the nations (cf. 1Cor 15:23; Jam 1:18).

Rev 14:5. The last characteristic mentioned is that “no lie was found in their mouth” (Zep 3:13; cf. 1Pet 2:22b). Humanly speaking they have delivered a supernatural performance in this way. They could do that only because of their attachment to Christ as the truth (Jn 14:6). They lived in a time that was full of lies and deceit. It was not possible to survive without lying and deceiving. But they kept standing and did not allow themselves to be dragged by the gushing floods of lies that were poured out over the world by the beast and his henchmen.

The biggest lie is the denial of the Father and the Son (1Jn 2:21-23). But they have testified uncompromisingly of the truth concerning the Father and the Son. It is the joy of the Spirit to testify of them that “they are blameless”.

Rev 14:6. In Rev 14:1-5 we watched the scene from after the great tribulation. Now we turn back to the time of the great tribulation. Several scenes of that time are highlighted in the rest of this chapter. In total there are six angels connected to those scenes. The last angel you have seen was the seventh and last trumpet angel (Rev 11:15). The first angel here is not a new trumpet angel, but “another angel”, the first of a new group of angels.

This angel is flying in midheaven. In that position, he can be seen and heard by everyone on earth. He has a special assignment and that is to preach the “everlasting gospel”. This shows how great the love and grace of God are. Also in that particularly serious time God allows the good news – for that is the meaning of the word ‘gospel’ – to be proclaimed.

The everlasting gospel is a gospel that is not connected to a certain period. It is valid at all times and for everyone. It comes to “those who live on the earth” for the last time, whatever group they belong to, so that they may repent before God’s judgments break loose. An angel has no part in the redemption, but he can surely pass on a good news of general scope (cf. Lk 2:10).

When it comes to the gospel of grace, an angel must step back. You see that in the history of Philip and the Ethiopian. An angel led Philip to the Ethiopian, but it was Philip who preached the gospel of grace to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26 ; 35).

Now read Revelation 14:1-6 again.

Reflection: Which characteristics of those who follow the Lamb can be applied to you?