Message 26

Scripture for Pray-reading: Rev. 14:1-5

In 14:1, "And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand..." Here Zion is the heavenly Jerusalem. By this time the Jerusalem on the earth will be in the hands of the gentiles (11:2). These firstfruits have been purchased from the earth. The firstfruits will not be left on the field (the field is the world, Matt. 13:28). They must be brought to the temple of God, they are in front of the throne of God and they are also before the four living creatures and the elders. They are all in heaven. And the Lord Jesus will come to the earth only when we are in chapter 19. These are enough to prove that this Mount Zion is in the heaven.

The Special Characteristic of the Hundred Forty-four Thousand

The hundred forty-four thousand here are not the same as the hundred forty-four thousand in 7:4. Those in chapter 7 were the chosen ones among the Israelites who had received "the seal of the eternal living God." They are the slaves of God. In chapter 7 the Lord is an angel; this speaks of the relationship between God and man in the Old Testament time. But the hundred forty-four thousand in chapter 14 were those who have been purchased from the earth (14:3). They have been purchased from among men (14:4). They have the name of the Lamb and of the Father written on their foreheads. This name is related to the church (1:6; 2:27; 3:5, 21) and was never mentioned to the Israelites. These 144,000 are virgins. In the Old Testament time, those barren are cursed.

This hundred forty-four thousand does not include everyone in the church; they are a group of special people out of the church, a chosen group of overcomers from among the overcomers (Peter and John are included here), they are the firstfruits. They were already raptured to the heavens before the great tribulation comes (prior to the speaking of the three angels). Their voices are like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the thunders and like beautiful sound of harps. All Christians were purchased, but this hundred forty-four thousand are those who have been brought home first. All Christians are redeemed, but this 144,000 were the first to be redeemed unto the heavens.

In the original text the words “they were purchased" were mentioned twice. This explains what kind of people the 144,000 are. Revelation 14:4 says, "These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins..." This is in line with what is recorded in Matthew 19:10-12, Luke 20:35, and 1 Corinthians 7:7. According to Revelation 14:1, only the 144,000 were given this kind of grace. They are those “who follow the Lamb wherever He may go." Referring to the past, the present and the future, they are the group of people who were most intimate with the Lord.

"…These were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb." They are different from the others. Leviticus 23 talks about the "firstfruits" (v. 17), “harvesting (v. 22), and “the remaining.” Man, not God, determines who will be raptured. The firstfruits refer to the Christians who ripened first and thus, were the first to be raptured. "And in their mouth no lie was found; they are without blemish." The words spoken through the mouth reveal the condition of the heart.

Notes:

1) It does not mean that there are no women among the 144,000; it is only because “woman” is not used as a unit in the Bible. Only the males are recorded.

2) This does not mean that they were the only ones included in the first rapture, but they are among those who were raptured first.