We have just seen a couple of the worst signs that could happen for humanity and the church.  We have seen the forces of evil in full swing.  Now John turns to the triumph of the Lamb.  The shift is sudden and effective.  It ties the whole picture together although it is presented in a very mysterious fashion.  John presents glimpses of the final blessings or blessedness along with the judgments that will come.  The future holds times of suffering and persecution and even death.  John shifts the focus for a moment to the heavenly blessing of being with Christ, the Lamb, a reward for faithfulness.  This is a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of what is in store for those who remain faithful to the end.  John sees and hears only the blessings of God in this short section.  The church is triumphant in that they have been preserved through it all and now will experience the glory of Heaven and worship the One who has preserved them for His good pleasure.

 

v. 1 – Here is another sudden occurrence in a vision for John.  He looked and saw the Lamb standing before him.  Things happen so quickly in Heaven.  Not only did he see the Lamb, but also the 144,000 with Him.  They bore the mark of His Name and the Name of the Father on their foreheads.  We just left the scene where people were marked with the number of the name of the evil one.  This vision is in contrast to the previous vision.  Here the Lamb, who was acknowledged as the only one worthy to open the seals of the great scroll of the destiny of humanity, and who was worshipped by the multitudes in Heaven, is now standing in victory on Mount Zion (the place of deliverance – Joel 2:32).  This is the heavenly Mount Zion (Heb. 12:22), the Jerusalem that is above (Gal. 4:26).  In chapter seven we saw that this 144,000 represented the Church, and they were sealed as protected by God.  They would be preserved through the great persecution to come.  The Church would be victorious.  Well here they are – victorious – in Heaven – standing with the Lamb who made the victory possible.  They are now on the other side of the persecution – the winning side – the victorious side.  The same number of them – not one was lost.  The promise of the sealing is fulfilled.  They bare the mark of their allegiance to God just as those in the last chapter bear the mark of their allegiance to evil.

 

v. 2-3 – John now hears an unidentified voice in Heaven again.  This always indicates a divine voice or divine pronouncement given by divine order.  Here John uses three descriptions as to what this voice was like to him.  It was like – the sounds of rushing waters – the ocean roar – see 1:15 – see Ezek. 1:24.  It was like - the sound of peals of thunder – see 6:1; 19:6.  It was like – harpists playing their harps – the sound was attractive and melodious.  It seems that the voice(s), the sound he heard was the celebration song of the 144,000.  It is obviously many voices not just one.  Verse 3 states, “they sang a new song.”  They sang this new song before the throne in Heaven.  Remember that throne in Heaven?  This is the place of the presence of Almighty God.  They are singing to the Lord God a song of victory, a song of thanksgiving, a song of praise.  In the Psalms, a new song is usually mentioned along with deliverance.  Here is the ultimate deliverance.  The church stands in heaven with the Lamb whose blood was shed to deliver it.  Here the actual deliverance is realized. They are separated from the evil of the world influence.

 

v. 4 – Here the identity of the 144,000 is revealed in very symbolic language using three figures.  1) They are virgins who have not defiled themselves with women; 2) they are followers of the Lamb; 3) they are the first-fruits purchased from among men.  

1 - The first description has caused many difficulties.  A fundamentalist approach is that this represents 144,000 male virgins (literally).  This doesn’t sound likely since we know the 144,000 is not a literal number, but representative of the church – the perfect or whole church of believers. While celibacy is condoned and even encouraged if possible, the purity of marital relations is also promoted.  This interpretation would speak against married men and women being a part of this victorious grouping.  Gen. 2:18-24 states that in the beginning God created men and women to be together and fill the earth.  Marriage is holy.  Another view is that these have kept themselves from immoral relations with the opposite sex. 

Often in Revelation we need to consider the O.T. as a background source, we find that Israel is referred to as a virgin in a few places (“Virgin Daughter of Zion” - 2 Kings 19:21; Lam. 2:13 – “Virgin Israel” - Jer. 18:13; Amos 5:2).  In the N.T. Paul tells the Corinthians, “I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Cor. 11:2).  Here the 144,000 are presented as the church who has not defiled itself with the world and its evil.  They have not committed adultery against God by aligning with Rome and her evil ways.  This is a symbolic image again. 

2 - The next description as those who follow the Lamb reminds us of Jesus' own words to his “followers.”  “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt. 19:21; Mark 8:34; etc.).  Some may even follow him to their death – as some of the early church in fact did.

3 - The third description tells they were purchased and offered as a sacrifice.  This was a sign of their sanctification to the Lord.  They offered themselves solely to him and for his purposes only.  Purchased by the blood of the Lamb they are an offering to God.     (1 Cor. 6:20)

 

v. 5 – A final characteristic of the true believer is complete truthfulness.  This stands in contrast with the lost of the world who “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25; 2 Thess. 2:11).  They did not align with the antichrist in any way – there is no blame found against them.  Zeph. 3:13 – the remnant of Israel would speak no lies, neither would deceit be found in their mouths.  The vision of the victorious 144,000 standing with the Lamb on the Mountain in Heaven singing a new song of salvation is of tremendous encouragement to the church then and now.  It is this vision of hope and this vision of the promise of the future victory that gives the church the perseverance needed to face any persecution and remain faithful for the joy of what’s to come.