The fourth vision: The 144,000 and the Lamb

Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 7

Revelation 14:1-5

In the first three visions of the set of seven visions we’ve been considering, we met the “unholy trinity” of the dragon, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the earth. The dragon represents the devil as he seeks to destroy first Christ and then the Bride of Christ, the Church. The beast from the sea represents secular government as the devil’s instrument to persecute the Church. The beast from the earth represents the false-teaching Church as the devil’s instrument, working together with the government, to persecute the Church.

There are some eerie similarities between these three and the blessed holy Trinity. The dragon, that is the instigator of the other two beasts, mimics God the Father as the begetter and sender of the Son and the One from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds. The beast from the sea, representing the rulers of the world, mimics God the Son, who rules at God’s right hand. You recall that one of the heads of that beast had a deadly wound that was healed, even as Christ was slain for sins and then raised from the dead. And the beast from the earth is a false prophet directing men to worship the government, even as the Holy Spirit is the Inspirer of all true prophecy and directs men to worship Christ. There are other things we could point out, but let that be enough for now.

After the earlier visions of the great tribulations that would come upon the earth, we were shown the hidden reality: that God had marked off 144,000 as His own here on earth. That number represents all the elect here on earth as God preserves them in the faith here and then keeps them in perfect peace and safety once they reach heaven. Now, after the visions of the dragon and his two allies and all the ways they trouble God’s people, we’re given another vision of the same 144,000, assuring us that, although the devil and his allies do their worst, God’s elect are safe.

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

There’s the Lamb again, the Lamb of God, standing on Mount Zion, which represents the Church of God, either here on earth or in heaven. In this case, it seems to be the Church in heaven that John is seeing, because in a moment he’ll mention the throne from the heavenly throne room, as well as the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures which we saw earlier in the book. Don’t let it bother you that believers are depicted in different ways even in the same scene, sometimes as 24 elders and sometimes as 144,000, which is also a multiple of 12. Each picture emphasizes some detail we’re supposed to notice.

The elect who have come out of this great tribulation are in heaven with Christ. The “seal” with which they were sealed is explained here as “His name and His Father’s name” written on their foreheads. That’s both a mark of ownership, a mark of confession, and a mark of protection.

And I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.

When you compare the voice of the Christian Church on earth, especially the Church that holds to the truth of God’s Word in all things, with the voice of the world—with the voice of society, the voice of the stuff they put on TV or in the movies, with the voice of the media, with the voice of those who lobby for wickedness and perversion, with the voice of the false Church and the false prophets, it seems like the true Church’s voice is being drowned out, doesn’t it? Our voice here seems weak and small and insignificant. But the reality we can’t see is revealed to us here. The sound of the Church in heaven, singing God’s praises, singing a “new song,” the song of redemption and truth and eternal joy, is much louder, like the sound of Niagara Falls, like the sound of thunder that claps within a quarter mile of your house. That song is going on even now among the saints and angels in heaven. The voice of God’s enemies is pathetic in comparison. But only the redeemed learn this song, only those who finally end up in heaven. Here we can’t hear it or sing it, and we’re not supposed to. But we are supposed to believe that the song is being sung, and that we will one day add our voices to the heavenly choir.

The 144,000 are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. That’s not meant literally. Throughout the Old Testament, and also in the New, God compares Himself to a husband and the Church to His Bride. He also compares idolatry to adultery and fornication. His people are supposed to be devoted to Him as our only God, but many in Israel “played the harlot” with false gods. Not the 144,000. Not the elect. They worship the Lord their God and serve Him alone. They worship Him in the innocence and purity and perfection of heaven.

These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Just as Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. Note this well! Don’t be deceived by the world’s idea of heaven. The heart of eternal life is following the Lamb, following Christ around wherever He goes. Not fishing. Not drinking beer with your buddies. Not driving around the streets of heaven in your favorite car. It’s the characteristic of true Christians that they want to be with Christ. Those who end up in heaven will “be with the Lord forever,” as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. If that’s not your goal, then you still don’t even know the true God, much less with you spend eternity in His heaven.

These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. In one sense, Christ redeemed all men by paying for their sins on the cross. But sometimes Scripture speaks of redemption in the final sense of being rescued out of this world and brought safely into Christ’s heavenly kingdom. That’s what Jesus says as the signs of His return are fulfilled, one by one. Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near! Again, the 144,000 in this vision are those who have made it safely to heaven. And they’re called firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, like the Old Testament offerings that were brought to God in the temple and devoted to Him. The rest of the crops were consumed by the people in their homes. But the firstfruits belonged to God, just as the elect do.

And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without blemish before the throne of God. This verse looks back to Psalm 32, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. It also reminds us of what Peter says in 1 Peter 2 about Christ Himself: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. Finally, it also reminds us of what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in chapter 5: Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. What a beautiful picture of the saints in heaven! No spots. No blemishes. No lies or deceit or sin of any kind. They were made perfect before God here on earth through the forgiveness of their sins. They’re made perfect before God there in heaven so that, finally, they will have no sins to forgive.

Again the Lord has given us a much-needed reprieve in this vision of the 144,000 with the Lamb. The unholy trinity of the dragon and the two beasts may make this world similar to a living hell, but try as they might, they won’t succeed at dragging God’s people away from Him. There awaits a place at the Lamb’s side on Mount Zion for all who remain faithful until death. Amen.