1I 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. 2I 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. 3They 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. 4These 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. 5In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.
6I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7He said with a loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!”
8Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”
9Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.
12Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
13I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them.”
14I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!” 16He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. 18Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!” 19The angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20The wine press was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out of the wine press, up to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.
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.
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!