The End Times as God Reveals Them Pt. 45 Future Reward for the 144,000

I wish a very good day for each of you this morning. In Revelation 12 & 13 we saw the fullest view yet from John of the End Times government. We learned about the first beast which was a composite of the four beasts seen by Daniel. We learned that this beast is a picture of the antichrist and he will be controlled and empowered by Satan. We learned about the second beast being a picture of the false prophet and the unholy trinity that will arise consisting of Satan, the antichrist and the false prophet. 

Those days will be dark indeed because the saints of God will be relentlessly attacked and many will be martyred for their faith in Christ. The 144,000 will faithfully preach the gospel primarily to the Jewish people and many will be saved. Those days will be filled with the most vile language and blasphemy against the One, True God of heaven and against all of the saints in heaven, including the tribulation martyrs and the born again of the church.

All earthly forms of government will have been conquered by antichrist or will voluntarily give up their sovereignty. Devil worship will dominate the world and all manner of sin will explode as an affront to Holy God. 

We could summarize Revelation 12 & 13 in this manner. Hopeless times, fierce persecution of God's people, a hate filled rejection of God, evil days of sensual sins, pervasive darkness marked by demon worship and the forces of spiritual wickedness seemingly in charge.

God will prevail and Heaven will rejoice.

Praise God that He pulls the curtain back once more so we can see what is going on from heaven's perspective during earth's darkest days. We will see Revelation 14 & 15 are going to show us the final preparations in heaven that lead up to the final round of 7 judgments upon the world. After those 7 bowls of wrath are poured out, Christ will return and annihilate His enemies. 

Revelation 14:1  And 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. 

Chronologically, John's vision goes forward in time and shows us the 144,000 in Jerusalem after finishing the work that God gave them to do. The Lamb standing on Mount Zion is the Lord Jesus Christ. This view takes us forward to the actual day that Christ physically returns to the earth to establish His Kingdom. 

Zechariah 14:3-4  Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4) And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 

The Mount of Olives is the hill on the east side of Jerusalem. The text from Zechariah tells us that when the foot of Jesus Christ touches the Mount of Olives the hill is going to divide in four directions.  This mount contains a Jewish cemetery with about 150,000 graves that dates back about 3,000 years. When Jesus' foot touches the hill it may be the day of resurrection for the people buried in that place.

The 144,000 were sealed with the name of God in their foreheads and were sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom (Revelation 7). They will all be accounted for. Once they are sealed with the Father's name in their foreheads, not one of them will be lost to the antichrist. The Lamb of God Himself will be standing there with them.

Mount Sion or Zion is a higher hill on the west side of Jerusalem. It is the place where King David built a fortress. It is called the city of David and the city of God. Consider a few of the texts about Mount Zion and Jerusalem.

Mount Zion is special to Jehovah.

Psalm 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

Psalm 48:2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Here both Mount Zion and the city of Jerusalem are in view. It is the holy hill of God. He will set His Son, Jesus Christ as King on mount Zion.

Mount Zion is a place of worship and testimony of the works of God.

Psalm 9:11  Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

Psalm 132:13  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

Zion is the place on earth where Jehovah chose to put His name and to dwell between the Cherubim over the ark in the holiest portion of the Temple. This is the place where God chose to meet with His people Israel. It is to be a place of worship, a place of offering praise to Jehovah and to tell others about His mighty works. 

God loves Mount Zion and He will restore its glory.

Psalm 87:2  The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Psalm 102:16  When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

Both of these texts show how much the LORD cares for mount Zion and Jerusalem. Jehovah loves the gates of His holy city. Out of all the land that He promised to Israel this is the place He loves. When Christ returns as King and Judge, He will build up Zion when He appears in His glory. Much work will be needed after the ruinous reign of antichrist. 

Mount Zion will be a place of blessing.

Psalm 128:5  The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

Psalm 135:21  Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Both of these texts show that blessing will flow out of Zion and the goodness of God and His faithful dealings with Jerusalem will be seen by all. Mount Zion and Jerusalem are uniquely named the dwelling place of Jehovah, the covenant keeping God. It should inspire praise to Jehovah from all the redeemed people of God. 

When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, the meaning of Zion expanded to include the temple area.  In the Old Testament the name Zion is used as a name for the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 40:9), the land of Judah (Jeremiah 31:12), and the nation of Israel as a whole (Zechariah 9:13).

The word Zion is also used in a spiritual sense in Scripture. In the Old Testament Zion refers figuratively to Israel as the people of God (Isaiah 60:14). In the New Testament, Zion refers to God’s spiritual kingdom (Hebrews 12:22; 1 Peter 2:6).  We have not come to Mount Sinai, says the apostle, but “to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22). 

The Joy of a Pure Heart Before God. 

Revelation 14:2-5  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3) And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4) 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 firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5) And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. 

After we read about the 144,000 standing with the Lamb of God a voice from heaven will sound. It is a voice that sounds like many waters flowing (Psalm 29:3; Revelation 1:15) or booming thunder (Psalm 77:18). It is the voice of the God.  Harps or stringed instruments will be played in heaven to accompany the 144,000 who will burst into song. They are going to sing a new song that will be heard in heaven and on earth. The only ones singing this song will be those faithful 144,000 servants of God because they served God on earth during the most difficult time in human history. 

This group of men will be known not only for faithful service but also for unswerving  obedience. They kept themselves morally pure in perhaps what will be the most vile culture in human history. They did not lie or distort the truth and no craftiness will be found in them. The most noble and worthy accolade is that the 144,000 are without fault before the throne of God. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

The beginning of Revelation 14 we find something that should encourage us and strengthen our hearts.

We read about Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who will be standing with the 144,000 at Jerusalem when He has ended the great tribulation. All 12,000 Jews from each of the 12 tribes of Israel are present and accounted for. Jesus will never lose a single soul who has placed their trust and faith in Him. This reminds me of the faithfulness of God to keep His promises and of the power of Christ to save all to the uttermost who believe in Him. 

John 10:28-30  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30) I and my Father are one. 

We can be encouraged because we see that God is going to keep every single one of His promises to Israel and to the church. He is going to restore the Jewish people to their land and to the holy city of God, Jerusalem. Mount Zion will be the place where the glory of God will be highlighted and the blessings of God will flow forth over the earth. 

Last, the 144,000 show us that the best life we can live right now is a life of consistent obedience to the Word of God. Obedience will help us be morally and ethically pure before God. 

May the Lord bring the light of His word into our hearts in order to strengthen our faith and to help us be committed to living a holy life now, in preparation for being holy when we get to heaven. 

Bob