Revelation Chapter 14 - John Karmelich

1. This lesson is called, "Who's Saved, Who's Not and Who Cares". ☺

a) Chapter 14 is the third chapter in a series that I am calling "who's who in Revelation". These three chapters give brief overviews of all the key characters or group of characters that make up "The Great Tribulation".

i) In Chapter 12, the focus was on Satan himself as he was kicked out of heaven. The rest of the chapter focused on who was impacted by Satan being kicked out.

ii) In Chapter 13, the focus is on the rest of the "satanic trinity", which are two men commonly referred to as the antichrist and the "false-worship leader".

iii) In Chapter 14, the focus is one three things: 1) the "144,000" that were mentioned in chapter seven; 2) three angels that make proclamations to the world, and 3) two "harvests", one (presumably) of saved people and a judgment on unsaved people.

iv) None of this makes much sense together unless you understand it in context of all of Revelation. These three chapters are a break from the "earth judgment" process in order to describe the main characters for the remainder of Revelation, other than God and Jesus themselves.

2. Chapter 14 focuses on: 1) who is saved and 2) who is not.

a) I added the title "who cares" for our sake: The purpose of studying one's bible is not just to learn about the past or future, but to understand how it applies to our lives today.

b) Let me summarize the chapter and then I'll get back to the title:

i) First, there is a discussion of the 144,000 "saved" Jewish people that were first mentioned back in Chapter 7. Essentially, what is said in Chapter 14 is these 144,000 people are still saved and they sing a unique praise song to God.

ii) Next, we have three angels telling the whole world in effect, "OK, everyone, time's just about up. Either trust God and not the antichrist or you're going down!" ☺

iii) Finally, we have two "harvestings" of people on earth. Presumably, one harvest is of saved people and the other harvest (more of a condemnation) is for specific group of unsaved people. They are collected and sent to either heaven or hell.

iv) Much of Chapter 14 is a "prelude" to things to come in future chapters. Part of this chapter summarizes events described in more detail in the next few chapters.

c) The key is not to read this chapter and think, "Oh that's interesting, some people are saved and some are not. Hooray for the good guys." ☺ In this chapter, God is reaching out to the unsaved. We have three different angels telling the world in effect, "Come on, everyone, last chance before it's too late!" In the next two chapters, we will have the final phase of the "destruction judgment process" of the world. Before that happens, God is doing everything possible to get people to repent, without violating their free will!

i) This leads back to the "who cares" aspect of the title of this lesson! God cares! God is making every effort possible to save people before it is too late.

ii) Remember the key to Christianity is to go along with God's game plan. God never wants us to just sit there say, "Well, I'm saved. Your salvation is your problem!" A command given by Jesus is for us to preach the Gospel. (See: Matthew 28:19-20.)

d) Does that mean we have to quit our jobs and be full-time missionaries? For some people that is true. God usually makes it obvious for those who choose that route.

i) For the rest of us, we "are" in the full time missionary business whether we realize it or not. It might be to witness to our neighbors, our family, those we work with. My point is as Christians, we are "living" witnesses for Jesus. God is taking the time and trouble to warn as many people as possible as much as possible that the end is coming and it's not pretty. ☺

ii) There are many around us that are going to hell for eternity. If we love them, we need to tell then that truth. It doesn't mean we force them at gunpoint. It has to be a free-will decision on everyone's part.

iii) I should add we don't get "points" for every person we save. Our job is simply to preach the Gospel message, effectively and clearly. The results are God's problem.

iv) The point is when you study Chapter 14 think about "our part" in dealing with salvation. We will read of God going through all sorts of efforts to lead people to salvation. God's will for our lives is for us to get involved with His plan.

3. Chapter 14, Verse 1: Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

a) First, let's think about this verse in context of the last two chapters:

i) Chapter 12 was about a vision where "Satan fell from heaven". Satan was (or will be) kicked out of heaven. Since his time on earth is now limited, he focuses on attacking as many believers as he could in order to stall Jesus Second Coming as long as possible.

ii) Chapter 13 focused on Satan's "unholy trinity", for a lack of a better term. It described the antichrist and a false worship leader. This chapter gives more details of end time Satan's plan. Somehow, Satan influences these two people to lead a worldwide empire that turns people away from God.

b) This leads to a question for Chapter 14: Is anyone saved through this time period? One gets the impression in Chapter 13 that people are so swayed by this world leader (the antichrist), that there is no hope for those living in that time frame. Chapter 14 is the answer to that question. It describes groups that are saved during this time period.

i) It also describes the fact that God is still warning people during this time frame about what is still to come.

c) With all of that in mind, we can now talk about Verse 1: In this verse, we have a lamb standing on Mount Zion. With this lamb are 144,000 people. On the forehead of the 144,000 people is the name of the "Lamb's Father".

i) The "Lamb" is a title for Jesus. This is presumed based on the fact "His (lamb's) father's name is on their forehead. We've read earlier in Revelation that a title of Jesus is "The lamb that had been slain" (Rev. 5:6, 5:12, 13:8).

ii) So why doesn't the text just say Jesus? Why use the "lamb" title? The idea is to teach how this group of 144,000 was saved! We are not saved because God is impressed with our lives. We are saved because we trust in the shed blood of Jesus, our sacrificial lamb, for our sins. The same applies to this group of 144,000. They stand next to the "lamb who was slain" (Rev. 13:8) as that is their hope and our hope for our salvation!

d) The text says this group of 144,000 has God ("the Father") name written on their forehead.

i) In the last chapter, we had the antichrist putting "His seal" on those who belong to him. That was the idea of the antichrist's number ("666") or the antichrist's name (whatever that is) is put on either the forehead or the right hand of those who are his. The idea here is "contrast": God is showing that while Satan is sealing "his" followers, God has already sealed those who follow Him.

ii) Whether or not this is some sort of literal seal is irrelevant to me. The important fact is, "If God says you are saved, you are saved."

e) This leads to a discussion of who are these 144,000 people anyway?

i) Back in Chapter 7, this same group was mentioned. The Nation of Israel was once divided into twelve separate tribes. That tribal division no longer exists in the sense that we no longer have any records of who belongs to what tribe (based on ones father's lineage). Since "God is God", he still knows each Jewish person and what is their tribal origin. God "chooses" 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes.

ii) The purpose of this is to fulfill unconditional promises made to the Nation of Israel. God said this nation would inherit the Promised Land forever. That means God is going to need a specific group of saved-Jewish people to fulfill that role, and thus, 144,000 are chosen. Revelation Chapter 7 specifies that 12,000 come from each tribe. I can argue with a handful of bible verses that there are actually more Jewish people saved in the end, but these 144,000 are singled out as "starters".

f) Another point made in this verse is this group is standing on Mount Zion.

i) This is a mountain (technically a large hill) in Jerusalem. This is the specific location where the original temple stood. The first permanent structure temple was built by King Solomon on this spot. Mount Zion is mentioned over a hundred times in the Old Testament.

ii) The point is when Jesus comes back, it won't be to say, a small suburb in Ohio. ☺ He returns to Jerusalem and specifically to the central point of worship for the Jewish nation. The idea is this group of 144,000 survive this Great Tribulation period and at one point is gathered with Jesus at Mount Zion.

a) "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:6 NIV)

g) Let's back to my title of this lesson: "Who's saved, who's not and who cares".

i) Among the group that is saved is this group of 144,000. The relevance to us is to comprehend that if God picks you and me, we are definitely sealed for all of eternity. Although some scholars disagree with this view, I'll argue that we can't mess that up if we tried. In other words, if we still continue to trust in Jesus for the payment of our sins, we can't "sin enough" to lose that salvation. That doesn't mean we should try to "out sin" God. ☺ If we truly love God, we desire to obey His commandments. The point is we can have peace of knowing that how much we mess up, we, like this group of 144,000 are still saved.

4. Verse 2: And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.

a) From Verse 2 to 5 is more information about this group of 144,000. Verse 2 focuses on different "sounds" that John hears at this moment.

b) Whatever John heard, you get the impression it was loud. Remember when John wrote Revelation he was banished on an island used as a Roman penal colony. (Ref. Rev. 1:9). John would understand what the "roar of rushing waters" was like. The same would apply to a "peal of thunder". The idea is a single blast of thunder.

c) The third sound description is that of "harpists playing their harps".

i) Whatever this sound was, it was distinguishable. It wasn't just a loud blast of sound, it had the distinguished sound of harps playing.

ii) Back in Chapter 5 Verse 8, we had a description of 24 elders in heaven. Each had a harp and sang a song of praise to God.

d) Let me add Verse 3 and then put this all together:

5. Verse 3: And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.

a) The "they" in Verse 3 is the 144,000. Remember this group of 144,000 is standing on earth. Specifically they are standing on Mt. Zion, which is in Jerusalem.

b) This group of 144,000 is singing a "new song" (more on that in a moment) before the "four living creatures and the (24) elders".

c) A point of these verses is the location between heaven and earth is blurred.

i) Here are these 144,000 on earth singing a praise song.

ii) When this group of 144,000 started singing, John didn't hear sounds from earth, but John heard sounds coming out of heaven. This is the four living creatures and the "24 elders" of Chapter 4 who are in heaven are mentioned.

iii) It is as if heaven is saying, "They're singing our song, let's listen!"

d) One has to understand heaven is not a location somewhere in outer space. Heaven is a literal place that exists in dimensions that we as humans cannot perceive. Just as "God is everywhere" in that physical sense "Heaven is everywhere" in that it is a world we cannot perceive, but somehow, it is all around us.

i) One gets the impression nothing bridges and unites the gap between the world as we know it and the world as we cannot see it like praising God.

ii) That is the key point of these verses. These 144,000 are praising God and those who are in heaven are aware of their praise song.

iii) Now we can get back to the "voice of many waters and the peal of thunder". This voice or voices are coming from heaven. It could be the sound of those in heaven reacting to the praise coming from this group of 144,000. My view (it is just that) is the voice from heaven is that of God giving His approval to this 144,000.

6. Verse 3 (second sentence): No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

a) The first sentence of Verse 3 said this was a "new song".

b) The second sentence here says that no one could learn this song other than the 144,000.

c) So, whatever this song is, it is not in our hymnal. ☺ It is unique to the 144,000.

d) I'm speculating here, but I suspect that their "new song" tells the story of how they were redeemed. What is not told in Revelation is how they were picked, the story of their salvation or exactly what they do on earth during this Great Tribulation. Songs in the bible are often stories recalling events. I suspect that is their song of the redeemed.

i) When the Israelites were first saved out of Egypt, Moses wrote a song that describes the event. (Ref.: Exodus 15). I wonder if that is the same idea here. Just as the Israelites sang their song of redemption, so do the "144,000".

e) When you or I look back at our lives as Christians, we can recall how God has "called us". We can see how our lives were changed for the better. My point is each of us has a "unique song" in that how I was saved is a different story than how you were saved.

f) This gets back to the application of these verses. It is not just a history lesson about the 144,000. The idea is this group was saved for a purpose, and that was to give glory to God in all that they do. They take time off to sing praises to God.

g) So is that what Christians are supposed to do? Quit our jobs and sing praises to God all day long? ☺ God still calls us to "live a life" here on earth. One extreme mistake is to never take the time to praise God for our redemption. The other extreme mistake is to ignore what God has called us to do in order to spend all of our time praising God.

i) To take time to praise God puts our lives in perspective. We all have problems. Taking the time to praise God for our eternal salvation gets our minds off the problem and reminds us that we are saved forever.

ii) What if I'm not a bad singer or don't know any praise songs? ☺ This goes back to the Christian tag line of "God is not looking for ability but availability. It isn't our singing ability God is impressed with. God desires we simply take the time to praise Him, (individually and collectively) for what He has done for us.

7. Verse 4: These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.

a) Here we have a further description of the 144,000.

b) First, let me talk about what is not said about this group: Their purpose on earth.

i) When you read through bible commentaries, one will read that this group of 144,000 is "Jewish Evangelists" that preach to the whole world. While that sounds wonderful, there is only one problem with that theory: It's not in this text. It may be true. The point is we don't know what they do. All we do know is this group is picked by God as being saved. Here in Verses 4-5 we get a few more details.

c) The first thing said about this group is "they did not defile themselves with women".

i) The literal interpretation is they were virgins all of their life.

ii) It is important to emphasize that God is not "anti-marriage". You and I would not be around today if it weren't for marriage and sexual relationships.

iii) God called this specific group to be single, not all Christians.

iv) Paul brings up the topic of celibacy and marriage in 1st Corinthians Chapter 7. The basic idea is that marriage is a good thing, but that God does call some people to be single and only focus their lives on God alone. Protestants and Roman Catholics disagree on the issue of whether their priests/pastors should marry. The text only states that God calls "some" to celibacy, but the text is never more specific on that point.

d) In the bible, the term "adultery" and "idolatry" are often used as synonyms.

i) When one commits adultery, one is being unfaithful to their spouse.

ii) When one commits idolatry, one is being unfaithful to God.

iii) I bring this point up here as the idea of "virgins" has another word picture: The basic idea is these 144,000 are always loyal to God and did not commit the sin of "unfaithfulness" to which they were called.

iv) This verse is not a call for all Christians to remain single. The idea is we are loyal to God in all of our lives. That is a word-picture for "purity".

e) The next sentence says, "They (144,000) follow the lamb wherever he goes".

i) There is a term in the entertainment industry called a "posse" or sometimes an "entourage". You will see a celebrity enter a room followed by some group that goes wherever the famous person goes. If the famous person turns left, the "posse" or "entourage" turns left. It makes you wonder what these people do anyway! I make this point as I don't think the 144,000 is a big "posse" that literal turns left when Jesus turns left. ☺

ii) Again, we have this 144,000 follow Jesus wherever he goes. I believe this is a word-picture and not an "entourage". The idea is they are loyal to Jesus during the Great Tribulation. If Jesus orders them to do something, they do it.

iii) Hopefully, this tag line of "follow the lamb wherever he goes" is something that can be applied to you and me. If Jesus tells us to do something, hopefully we obey. In that sense, we are following Jesus wherever he goes.

iv) Could this verse be more literal? I wouldn't rule that out. Remember in the opening verse of this chapter Jesus is standing on Mt. Zion with this group. Maybe they are His "posse". ☺

f) The next sentence says, "They (144,000) were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.

i) It's important at this point to define "firstfruits". Imagine if one owns a large fruit farm. Let's say its harvest time and one plans on picking all the fruit. The first day of picking would get the first (group of) fruits or "first fruits". The idea is that this is not all the fruit, just the one picked on the first day of harvesting.

ii) That word picture "first-fruits" is used in the bible to represent the "first" of a group that was picked. For example, Jesus was the "firstfruits" of those who are saved. (Ref.: 1st Corinthians 15:20). It means that Jesus was the first to go to heaven from among those who are saved, and then everyone else.

iii) The word "firstfruits" as it is used here in Revelation is that the 144,000 were the "firstfruits" picked in the Great Tribulation.

iv) What is implied (here's the important part!) is that if the 144,000 are firstfruits, they are not the only fruit! The point is they are not the only ones saved during the Great Tribulation. The point is they were "only" picked first.

v) Remember the implied question of Chapter 13 is, "Is anyone saved during this Great Tribulation Period? The answer is yes. It starts with the 144,000 and then many others are saved. That is why some commentators speculate the 144,000 are some sort of Jewish Evangelists during this time frame.

g) This leads back to you and me. We may not have been picked first, but we were picked. We are sealed to God just as these 144,000. We are called to live in loyalty to God just as this group is called to live in loyalty. We are called to not defile ourselves with sin just as this group was. I'm not saying that the church is symbolically this group of 144,000. My point is we are called to live the same way this group is called to live: Our devotion is to God first. From His power, we then minister to those around us.

8. Verse 5: No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

a) Verse 5 is the final description of the 144,000. Nothing else is said about them in the bible.

b) Remember that this is "The Great Tribulation" period when the 144,000 are around.

i) Look what else is said about this time frame: "For this reason God sends them (unbelievers) powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2nd Thessalonians 2:11 NIV)

ii) Something significant happens during the Great Tribulation so that "the lie" is prevalent. Whatever "the lie" is, it has something to do with what the antichrist preaches. My point here is as to the 144,000, "no lie was found in their mouths".

iii) Do I think these 144,000 are "perfect people" with no sin? That would be a first in human history. ☺ What I do see is God gives them the power to be loyal to God the Father and Jesus the Son all during this time frame. They never lie to save their lives despite the persecution.

c) If these 144,000 are "blameless" in their loyalty to Jesus, does that mean we are not saved if we have moments of doubt? No. All people have a desire to be liked and loved. It is easy to keep quiet about our faith and not offend people. I don't think that is the issue. The issue is when the moment of truth comes and we have to declare our loyalty to God or something else, the Christian bluntly states their loyalty to God, even at the point of death. With that understood, God does desire we have the boldness to speak for Him when the moment presents itself.

d) The verse also says these 144,000 are "blameless". Again, I don't see that as being perfect as no human is ever perfect. There is another expression in Christianity that "God sees us through cross-filtered glasses". The idea is that God has forgiven all of our sins, past, present and future and sees us in our future, "perfectly forgiven" state. These 144,000 are blameless in that the "sacrificial Lamb of God" has paid the price for their sins.

e) With that said, we can actually move on to the next topic!

9. Verse 6: Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people.

a) We are now switching topics. The scene switches from this 144,000 singing a praise song to a vision of three angels. Verse 6 is the first of three angels that speak.

i) Each of these three angels give a specific message.

ii) Each of the three angels follow each other. The second angel gives a message that specifically follows the first angel. The third angel's message follows the second.

b) The first thing to notice is "another" angel. When was the first angel?

i) The las