Laodicea is Faultless – Part 11

I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads… And they sung as it were a new song before the throne,… and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 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. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:1-5

In the previous message, we looked at Revelation chapter 7, the first of the two New Testament passages that deal with the 144,000. We saw that Revelation chapter 7 discusses the 144,000 in the context of the question, “Who will be able to stand during the great tribulation that will precede the second coming of Christ in all His glory?” Revelation chapter 14, the second passage dealing with the 144,000, describes their spiritual attainments or qualities. It presents this faultless group in the setting of the three angels’ messages, which are themselves the message of Christ our righteousness. It is the proclamation and acceptance of this message – righteousness by faith – that will produce the 144,000.

Thus, the three angels’ messages can be described as sealing messages. They prepare a people for the last days and the coming of Jesus. The three angels’ messages are also God’s final call to a doomed world to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as their only hope of salvation.

Notice how Revelation chapter 14 begins: “I looked…” (verse 1). Remember that in chapter 7, John hears the 144,000 when they are scattered over the earth; he doesn’t see them until they are gathered in heaven. Now in chapter 14, he sees them. Chapter 14 is dealing with the 144,000 after they have arrived in heaven. This seems evident from the statements that follow. The Lamb is on Mt. Zion with the 144,000 around Him (verse 1).

Mention is made, again, of the fact that the 144,000 are sealed, having the name of God written in their foreheads. Chapter 14 contrasts God’s seal with the mark of the beast (see verses 1, 9). Both God’s people and Satan’s followers receive a seal or mark in their foreheads – either God’s seal or the mark of the beast. When the three angels’ messages have been proclaimed to the whole world as a witness, when the subject of Christ our righteousness has swallowed up every other issue, then the entire human race will be divided into just two camps. No one will be left sitting on the fence. As Christ once said, “He that is not with me is against me.” (Matthew 12:30) Then there will be only believers and unbelievers.

Those who have accepted Christ’s righteousness will have surrendered themselves to His cross. They will say, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave His life for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Those in Satan’s camp will cry out, “Crucify Him!”

After he sees the 144,000 standing with the Lamb on Mt. Zion, John says, “I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder,” (verse 2). The Greek words translated “many waters” actually mean “rushing waters”. It sounded like thunder to John’s ears.

Verse 3 goes on to say that only they can sing the new song that no one but the 144,000 can learn. Why is it that only the 144,000 can sing this song? It is because this song describes their experience during the last days of the earth’s history.

Verses 4 and 5 describe the spiritual characteristics of the 144,000. They are spiritually pure (have not been defiled with women). The contrast is between this group and God’s enemies, who are in Babylon, the mother of harlots. (see Revelation 17:5) Babylon is also characterized by self. Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself, saying, “Look at this great city that I have built.” In contrast, the 144,000 have lost all confidence in the flesh, they are rejoicing in Christ.

Verse 4 also says that the 144,000 are “virgins”. I once thought that no married person could be among the 144,000 because the Bible says they must be virgins. This is the problem with interpreting everything literally. We must always remember that Revelation is written in symbolic terms. The 144,000 are virgins in the same sense that Paul was talking about when he wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “I have espoused you (engaged you) to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2). He continues, “But I fear, lest by any means… your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (verse 3) Paul is saying, “I want you to be totally grounded in Christ and in His gospel; I want you to be trusting completely in the righteousness that is in Christ. I want to present you to Christ as a virgin, undefiled by self, but I’m afraid that you will be easily swept away from the gospel.”

So when John says that the 144,000 are virgins and have not been defiled by women, he is saying that they are no longer defiled by self or any human substitute for the pure righteousness of Christ. They are resting in Him as their only Saviour, their only hope.

John also says that the 144,000 will “follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth.” (Revelation 14:4) The term Lamb is used to signify Christ in the context of sacrifice. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me (follow me), let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes will share in His cross.

The cross is not just a piece of wood on which Jesus died. It is a truth; it is the truth of God’s verdict of death to the flesh or human nature, it is a symbol of death to self. “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:24)

In each believer, there are two natures struggling for supremacy. There is the flesh, which is our natural, sinful life. And there is the Spirit, which is the divine nature of which every born-again believer has become a partaker. These two natures can never be at peace, can never come to a partnership or marriage. The moment we try to combine these two, we are committing spiritual fornication. The flesh and the Spirit are implacable enemies. (see Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:16, 17)

What the flesh sees, the flesh wants. At the very centre of the flesh is self. The self covets everything. We need to realize that our sinful, human nature will never be satisfied until it takes over the place of God. If God didn’t put restrictions on the flesh, it would end up getting rid of anything or anyone who stands in its way. To reach its ultimate goal, the flesh even has to get rid of God, because its ultimate goal is to take God’s place.

All this is revealed by the cross of Christ. It revealed that sin, if given free reign, would end up crucifying the Son of God Himself. That is why we cannot take sin lightly. Sin is far more than simply breaking a rule or doing something bad. Sin is essentially self taking the place of God. Sin is saying, “I, not Christ”.

When the Spirit says no to the flesh, the flesh is not happy; it suffers. All through His life on earth, from His birth to the cross, Jesus stood on the platform of “not My will, but God’s will be done”. All His earthly life, the flesh suffered, and God’s will was performed in Him. (see 1 Peter 4:1) In Revelation chapter 14 we see a group of people, the 144,000, who are willing to take the same stand and suffer as Christ did. The 144,000 are described as those who have been “redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:4) One significance of the term first fruits is that it means harvest time has arrived. In this same chapter, after the three angels’ messages have produced the 144,000, John sees a harvest scene. Christ sits on a cloud holding a sharp sickle. An angel comes out of the temple in heaven and cries, “thrust in thy sickle, and reap, for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” (verse 15) As the first fruits, the 144,000 are a sign that the harvest is just around the corner.

The first fruits also symbolize the fruit or grain that is harvested first before the rest of the crop. Even though the 144,000 are the last generation of Christians in point of time, they are the first ones to be gathered together by God.

In the Bible, our English word perfect often translates the original word meaning “maturity”. For example, in Matthew chapter 5, Jesus contrasts egocentric human love with God’s agape love. He says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.” (verse 43) This was the kind of love taught by the scribes and Pharisees. But Jesus goes on to say that a person doesn’t even need to be a Christian to practice this level of love; even sinners do this. Jesus presents a higher standard of love. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (verse 44) He concludes, “Be ye therefore perfect (mature), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (verse 48) Loving unconditionally, loving those who are unlovable, this is spiritual perfection, spiritual maturity. This is the way God loves–unconditionally. This is the way Jesus loved those who mistreated Him. When they cursed Him on the cross, He prayed for their forgiveness. He showed love for those who hated Him. To love as He loved is to be one with Him.

When Christ said we must be perfect, or mature, as His Father in heaven is perfect, He meant that we must love unconditionally, spontaneously, whether or not the object of that love treats us well or badly. We must love each other as God loves us.

The 144,000 will fully reflect this unconditional love of God. This is perfection, spiritual maturity, because love is the fulfilling of the law. (see Romans 13:10; Galatians 5:14) It is in this sense that Jesus will say, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God.” (Revelation 14:12)

We must be clear about what Jesus means when He speaks of our keeping the commandments. Does He mean in the letter, or does He mean in the spirit? The Jews were experts at keeping the letter of the law. So are many Seventh-day Adventists. But is that what Christ is looking for? The letter of the law is important, but more important is the spirit of the law. We can keep the letter of the law and be totally out of harmony with its spirit or intent. But if we are keeping the spirit of the law, we will be in harmony with the letter of the law as well.

So when the 144,000 are called the “first fruits” of those who are redeemed, it means that: 1. They are the first to be harvested.
2.They are the sign that the rest of the harvest of the earth will be reaped next.

The 144,000 will manifest the full power of the gospel while still living on this earth. In heaven, all believers, all the saved, will reflect the character of Christ, including the great multitude.

In describing the 144,000 further, John says, “In their mouth was found no guile.” (Revelation 14:5) Peter uses the same expression in describing Christ’s behaviour at the cross: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1Peter 2: 21-24)

Christ was willing to suffer that we should be saved. We must be willing to suffer that He might be glorified. That is what the 144,000 are willing to do. Will they be persecuted in the great tribulation? Will they be mistreated? Will they be reviled? Will they suffer? Yes, they will face all these situations. How will they react? They will react as Christ did. They will keep quiet; they will not fight back. They have no guile in their mouths. This is the power of the gospel. The greatest test that will come to us during the great time of trouble is this: Will we, by faith, overcome even as He overcame?

Can the gospel produce such a people – not merely one or two individuals, but a church of such people, who will lighten the earth with God’s glory/character?

The answer is “Yes”. The three angels’ messages, which are righteousness by faith in verity, will do it. That is the only thing that can produce such an experience – a clear understanding of Christ’s righteousness and a heart response to it.

Finally, John says that the 144,000 are “without fault before the throne of God.” (Revelation 14:5) Revelation 7:14 says they “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” This is how they are without fault. They stand in the perfect righteousness of Jesus, imparted to them by faith. “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)

So here we have a picture of a people, the 144,000, who are cleansed, who fully reflect the character of Christ, who are undefiled and without fault. How will this happen? Will it happen as a result of promotional programs? By incentives? By skillful administration? No. It will come about only through the preaching of the gospel, by the righteousness of Christ, as presented in the messages of the three angels, and by our response to these messages in faith. Christ and His righteousness is the only truth that can produce such a people.

God has a great plan for Laodicea – this last generation of Christians. The proclamation of the three angels’ messages will bring that plan to fruition. It will produce a people who will be able to stand in the great tribulation and at the second coming of Jesus. Remember that in His divinity, Christ is a consuming fire. Anyone not covered by His righteousness will be consumed at the second coming. But the 144,000 will be able to stand that consuming glory, not because they are good in themselves, but because they are clothed with the white raiment – the righteousness of Christ. In joy, they will cry out, “This is our God and Saviour; we have been waiting patiently for Him, and here He is!”

“The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (verse 20)
Amen.

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