The Lamb of Calvary

L) Saints Worship God

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

   And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice 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.

   These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

   And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. 14:1-5

The worshipping 144,000

   After the depression brought by the False Prophet, the Antichrist and the battle of Armageddon, it is so refreshing to again see the Lamb; the wonderful Lamb of Calvary! 5:6  Now He is not on Mount Calvary, now he is standing victorious on Mt. Zion.   Now he is not alone and forsaken as He was at Calvary, now one hundred and forty four thousand (a non-specific number) redeemed saints surround him, all of them have His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

   I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder.  Almost the same words are repeated again in 19:8, I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings.  Accompanying the heavenly, subtle sound of the harps, the redeemed sang a song; it was as if it were a new song, which only those 144,000 could learn. 

   These are they which have not defiled themselves with women; for they are virgins.  By using the word defiled he tells us that he is not talking about any moral sexual activity within the marriage bond; those activities do not cause defilement as the Roman Catholic church teaches.  

   Vine+++ suggests that the word, defile, has to do with physical fornication or adultery, whereas the word, virgin, has to do with spiritual uprightness.  According to Vine, even though they were sexually active within the confines of marriage, they are still called virgins because they are not sexually defiled.

   A question concerning gender does arise.  Were the 144,000 all males? Perhaps the whole statement is not gender sensitive at all; maybe it was simply John’s way of writing because of the times in which he lived.   Also, as mentioned earlier, the number given may just represent, a huge crowd; including everyone there. For more on this see: 

http://ikefehr1939.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-opening-of-fifth-and-sixth-seal.html

   they are without fault before the throne of God.  The Bible says that There is none righteous, no, not one; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Rom. 3:10+23.  Who, then, are those who are without fault? As surmised earlier - these are the Christian martyrs of all ages who are faultless in heaven because they have been washed clean by accepting the forgiveness provided by Christ.

The Song of Redemption

And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 

   They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 

   Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.” 15:2-4 

   I saw something like a sea of glass.  The writer again saw a video and the screen was showing what he thought looked like a Sea, but now he saw a fire burning on the sea of glass (the video screen).   He also saw, standing on the sea of glass, those who were victorious over the beast.  These saints had the harps of God and they sang two songs: the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.  Mr Smith notes that the song of Moses is the song of redemption which the Israelites sang after they had successfully crossed the Red Sea. 

   Part of that song goes like this:

  Thou hast guided in thy righteousness this thy people whom thou hast redeemed, by thy strength thou hast called them into thy holy resting-place. Exodus 15:13  
Bring them in and plant them in the mountain of their inheritance, in thy prepared habitation, which thou, O Lord, hast prepared; the sanctuary, O Lord, which thine hands have made ready. 
The Lord reigns for ever and ever and ever. Exo 15:17-18.  

  How very fitting these words will seem when we are finally safe in the prepared habitation which the Lord has prepared for us.  Christ said, In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2  

   At this point in the book, the rapture has happened, all people have been judged, and the earth has undergone cataclysmic changes.   Former Christians are worshipping Jehovah in heaven; people who had lived decent lives in their lifetime are living in peace on the new, refined earth; people who lived wicked lives, those we read about in 20:8, together with the false prophet, the beast and the devil are in the lake of fire. 

   The Bible says, that at that time all nations shall come and worship before You.  It seems as if this could refer only to the people on the new earth; they will come to the holy city to worship Jehovah.  To confirm this theory 21:26 says, And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it (from outside the holy city into it).

The next post will have more about the Bride of Christ - The Church.
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+++ An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W.E. Vine,