1Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. 2The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. 4They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. 6He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven. 7It was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. 8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. 9If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.
11I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. 14He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. 15It was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands or on their foreheads; 17and that no one would be able to buy or to sell unless he has that mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
A Song that Only You can Sing
A Song that Only You Can Sing
I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.
A Man Singing From a Book
Revelation describes the mark of the beast as being on the right hand or the forehead (Rev 13:16). This is yet another satanic imitation of what God commanded for His people. God spoke to Moses about the importance of keeping God’s word foremost in the lives of His people, “8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” (Deuteronomy 6:8, NKJV). [See also Deuteronomy 11:18 and Jewish man to the left with tefillin on arm and forehead.] Satan will place his mark of the beast on the hand and forehead of his followers. Satan is the author of nothing original. He is an imitator.
John looks and sees Jesus standing on Mount Zion. We were introduced to these 144,000 Jews in chapter 7, who have come to faith and are working diligently throughout the Tribulation to bring others to Christ. John sees them there in victory with the Lord in Jerusalem. They are sealed with the seal of God on their foreheads. The name of God is Yahweh, and His name is inscribed on their foreheads. A Jew reading this text would immediately see that the “mark of the beast” takes the place of God’s commands, and to accept the mark is to reject God Himself.
2 I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. 3 They sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth. 4 These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless. (Revelation 14:2-5 WEB) John hears the voice of Jesus as thunder, and he hears a loud voice from heaven. It is a strange heavenly sound, sort of like a waterfall mixed with thunder and harpists playing on harps. I imagine a sound like a loud symphony tuning up. And these were singing this new song that only the 144,000 could sing. These men are all sexually pure and are free from the sexual idolatry that is going on in the world. There are special songs that only certain groups can sing throughout the Bible. Deborah had a song. Moses had several songs that were just his. That reminds me that each of us has a unique song we can sing. We sing a song of praise when we live our lives in submission to the Holy Spirit. And these 144 thousand, too, have a song of deliverance through the Tribulation. The text says that these are the “first fruits,” meaning the harvest of believers in the Tribulation. These are the first fruits of the survivors. It says they are “without fault” before the throne of God. That’s exactly how each one of us will stand before God because of the wonderful work of Jesus Christ. God sees each of us as faultless. Are you seeing the song that He has put into you? Reader, you may not be a very good singer, but offer your praise, honor, and glory to God because He is so faithful and true to you. He has been there every step of your life. Ask God to make your life a song for Him. Let us praise God that we, too, stand faultless before the throne of God because we are washed in the blood of Jesus!