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Rev 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.
Rev 14:2  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:
Rev 14:3  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.
Rev 14:4  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.
Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Introduction

We have already demonstrated that this symbol of 144.000 who stand with the Lamb upon mount Sion is the symbol of God’s elect. So we will not belabor that subject. Instead we will remind ourselves that this is another chapter which leads up to and prepares us for the revelation of the events of the seventh trump, which is the pouring out upon our beast the fullness of the wrath of God. The six previous trumpets were sounded and immediately explained, but this seventh trumpet is first mentioned in Rev 10, then we are told that it is sounded in chapter 11, but it will not be explained until until the 16th chapter. Here is how this seventh trumpet is first introduced to us in Rev 10.

Rev 10:5  And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Rev 10:6  And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: [ no longer any delay]
Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

“The days… when he shall begin to sound…” certainly reveals that this seventh trumpet is part of a process that is taking place within us, which has nothing to do with the literal sounding of a trumpet within just minutes, or even hours. “This mystery of God” was revealed in our study of chapter 10 to be the revelation of “the secret which has been hidden from the ages and from generations”, but we need to be reminded what “that mystery of God… which He has declared to His servants the prophets” is. So here is what that great mystery which was declared to His servants the prophets is:

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

So now we know what this seventh trumpet is all about. “When this seventh angel begins to sound [ within our lives] the mystery of God… the mystery of Christ in us the hope of glory… should be finished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets.” Christ in us is not just a vague term or phrase. “Christ in you” has a specific meaning to those who truly know Christ. What that phrase means it that Christ is reliving His life of rejection by this world in us. What exactly does that entail? It’s not what we have been taught. Here is what that means. Here is what the seventh trumpet is all about:

Luk 18:31  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of [ Greek, the] Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

That is what the sounding of this seventh trumpet begins to “finish”. That is what He has declared to His servants the prophets. Christ is the king of the kingdom of God. Where is that kingdom? It just happens to be in the exact same place where the king of that kingdom resides:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

That is the mystery which God has declared to His servants the prophets. It concerns both Christ in us and His kingdom within us, because those two things are not two things at all. They are both the same thing, and they are both the same event which “begins to be finished, in the days when the seventh angel begins to sound”.
These 144,000 are the symbol for the body of Christ, as those in whom He has taken up His residence.

Luk 24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

“Beginning with Moses”, just to be sure we understand, means beginning with Genesis, the first of the “five books of Moses”. “… And all the prophets” means “all of the prophets”, major and minor. “He expounded unto them in all of the scriptures…” means that “all of the scriptures” concern Christ Himself. That is what all of scripture concerns itself with. “All the scriptures… concern Himself”. They all concern Christ, because “He is the beginning and the end”, and that means He is also everything in between.
While this book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ was not written at the time He was speaking to these two men on the road to Emmaus, this book certainly is His own Revelation of Himself, in far greater detail than in the law of Moses and all of the prophets.
Having already discussed the symbolism of the 144,000 as those who comprise the body of Christ who will come up in the first resurrection and rule the kingdom of this world for a thousand years followed by judging angels in the lake of fire, we will only dwell on the things that we have not mentioned in that past study.

Rev 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.

“Having their Fathers name written in their foreheads” is the symbol we have just discussed in the previous chapter concerning the mark, name, number and image of the beast. “The mark of the name of the beast” is in our foreheads when we are living that part of our walk.

Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

We saw that the symbol of “in their foreheads” means that we think and act as our father the devil, when we are His children. Likewise we have our Father’s name in our foreheads as the symbol of the fact that we now, as the elect sons of God, think and act as He thinks and as He acts.
We covered this in great detail when we covered this verse of chapter 13:

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

The mark is said to be “the mark of His name”, and the number is also called “the number of his name”.

Rev 13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Just as God had told Israel that His “mark” would be in their right hand and in their foreheads, so is the name, number and mark of the beast in our right hands and in our foreheads.

Deu 6:6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deu 6:7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 6:8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

The Lamb is said to be “standing upon Mount Sion.” Mount Sion is called the place where God will dwell and the place of God’s rest.

Psa 132:13  For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Psa 132:14  This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Since we are told that God dwells in His people, and since we are told that He dwells in us, it is obvious that “Mount Sion” is just another symbol of God’s elect.

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Rev 14:2  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:

Since we have just established where God dwells, and we have found that He dwells in His people, we have also established that ‘heaven’ is within us, because we are also told that “God dwells in the heavens”.

Psa 103:19  The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Psa 123:1 <A Song of degrees.> Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

God’s voice is often referred to as “the voice of many waters”.

Eze 43:2  And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

This statement in Ezekiel evokes thoughts of the roar that is associated with great waterfalls like Niagara Falls, which are so loud that nothing else can be heard. While that thought is no doubt very valid, we need to also remember that God’s Word is itself referred to in scripture as waters.

Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

So “the voice of many waters” is the voice of the truth of God’s Word, and the Truth of God’s Word involves the truth that judgment is now on the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). Those words of God speaking of that judgment are referred to “as the voice of a great thunder”.

Exo 9:23  And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder [ judgment] and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt [ our flesh and the lies we believe]

It is that judgment upon our flesh and all the false doctrines which appeal to our flesh, that this seventh trumpet is all about. This 14th chapter, speaking of these 144,000, assures us that God will see us all through His judgments, but we are never to deny that we are being judged and that God’s judgment against lies and sin is so severe that all lies and liars and all sin and death will in the end be destroyed.
Notice what the presence of God’s thunder reveals:

Exo 9:29  And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; [ and] the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’S.

So even this sinful earth is the Lord’s, and all that takes place within it is His work for His pleasure:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

The wicked are not wicked by their own free will. They are wicked “for the Lord” and for His own purpose and His own will.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

So even the lies we believe are actually evil, lying spirits which are “from the Lord” by the agency of the Lord’s Satan.

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee
1Ki 22:20  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade [ him], and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

So “the Lord… puts a lying spirit in the mouth of all” the false prophets of this world. We all hear their lies and believe their lies and propagate those lies ourselves. This all provides the Lord the occasion He is seeking against us, as He was seeking here against Ahab and as He sought against the Philistines.

Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD [ Samson’s desire for a Philistine wife], that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

The Philistines in scripture are those who are in the promised land without the agency or benefit of circumcision. They did not come up out of Egypt as we all must. They are the type and shadow of the lies that deny the need for coming through the baptisms of the Red Sea, the forty years of trials in the wilderness and the baptism of the Jordan River. In short, they are the shadow of all the lies of Babylon, and that is why hail is so often mentioned in connection with the thunder of the voice of the Lord.
Why is hail mentioned in connection with thunder? What does that hail signify and symbolize?

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

There it is. Thunder is connected in scriptural types and shadows with judgment. And the judgment of that thunder will bring with it the hail and lightning which will “wipe away the refuge of all the lies” of Babylon within us. In the end, our old man is judged, dethroned and destroyed, and our new man reigns on His rightful throne in our hearts.

1Sa 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

That is the meaning and purpose for “the voice of a great thunder”.

“Harpers harping with their harps”

But what is the symbolism of “the voice of harpers harping with their harps”? Who are these “harpers”? Here is who these harpers are, and once again we see that there are only two men in the entirety of scripture:

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

It is the four beasts and the four and twenty elders who are these “harpers harping with their harps” It is they who have “the harps of God”.
Who do the four beasts and the four and twenty elders with harps symbolize? We are not left to guess. The answer is in the very next verse:

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Where else do we see these redeemed of God with harps?

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Those who “stand on the sea of glass mingled with fire” are “them that had gotten the victory over the beast”. They are but another symbol for those who “have been redeem to God by the blood of Christ out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” They are both God’s few, faithful chosen elect. They are the 12,000 from every tribe of Israel. They are the firstfruits unto God and the lamb. They are this 144.000.

Rev 14:3  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.

Who else sings this “new song”? We just read who else sings this “new song”. But just in case we might have missed it, let’s go back to the four beasts and four and twenty elders of Rev 5. That is right, it is the same “four beasts and four and twenty elders” who have the harps of God.

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Since “no one can learn that [ new] song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth, and since John hears harpers harping with their harps when He sees these hundred and forty and four thousand, and since the four beasts and the four and twenty elders are also redeemed from the earth, have every one of them harps, and are also singing this same “new song”, it is clear to anyone with any spiritual discernment that these two symbols, like Pharaoh’s two dreams, “are one”.

Gen 41:5  And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
Gen 41:25  And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

What other symbols are used to show us who these 144,000 symbolize? Here is more symbolism for the same people:

Rev 14:4  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.

“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins”. Who is a virgin in scriptural symbolism?

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

A repentant harlot is a spiritually “chaste virgin to Christ”. The same is true of any man or woman who has repented of his or her adultery, fornication or uncleanness of any kind. The same principle applies to molested children who have accepted Christ as their savior. All who have Christ living His life of rejection and tribulation and persecution, within them, are “chaste virgins unto Christ”.
“These follow the Lamb where ever he goes”. What does that mean? It means that these recognize that they follow and live by the doctrine of Christ, and that doctrine is that “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4). It means that these virgins “fill up in their bodies what is behind of the afflictions of the Christ, for His body’s sake which is the church”

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ [ the Greek has the article ‘the’, and reads ‘the Christ’] in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

That is where the Lamb went, and that is where His virgin bride goes with Him. It is Christians who are espoused unto Christ as a chaste virgin, who are “redeemed from among men, and are the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb”.

Rom 8:23  And not only they [ the whole creation, verse 22], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

We are the adoption, and we are redeemed in earnest only at this time, and we are still “waiting for the adoption and the redemption of our bodies”.

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted [ in Christ], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest [ Greek, down payment] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

God’s “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” are right now “waiting for the adoption… the redemption of our bodies”. That is the honor we have been given if indeed Christ is living His life within us and we are “redeemed from among men”, and as His espoused bride we are going wherever He goes.

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

No healthy marriage relationship can exist on anything less than the Truth. A marriage based on lies cannot last, and we simply cannot say “Lord, Lord” and at the same time not do the things that Christ, our husband, says to do.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

We may deceive ourselves that we are obeying our spiritual husband, but He is not deceived. “There is no guile in the mouths of God’s elect, the espoused bride of Christ”. That is why we are told that Christ’s bride has heard the thunder of God and is familiar with the lightning that produces that thunder and hail.

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

It is because “the hail [ has] swept away the refuge of lies” within us, that there is no guile in our mouth, and we are without fault before the throne of God.

Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? [“before the throne of God”].
Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

God’s elect, His one hundred and forty and four thousand virgins, His four beasts and four and twenty elders singing a new song, harping with their harps, are without fault before the throne of God and of the Lamb”.

Summary

Rev 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.

What we have seen in this study is that the Lamb standing on Mount Sion, and the hundred and forty and four thousand, together are “the Christ”, who one and all think and act as our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ think and act. This is true to the extent that Christ says of us: I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecute”.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

We saw that mount Sion is just another symbol of where God has desired to dwell in His people. That being the case, the hundred and forty and four thousand are the same as mount Sion.

Rev 14:2  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:

We have seen that the voice from heaven as the voice of a great thunder, and the voice of many waters is simply the Word of God, and that the great thunder is the symbol of the judgment that comes with the fiery lightning which produces that thunder and its accompanying hail. We also saw that the thunder of God is the judgment of our sinful flesh, and that the hail of that thunder “wipes away the refuge of lies”, which is the doctrines of Babylon in which we thrive before God’s thunderous Word comes to us and judges us.

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

We saw that these harpers are the same as the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, who all have harps and sing the same new song just as these 144,000.

Rev 14:3  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

We have seen that the new song sung by the 144,000, can only be sung by the 144,000, and yet the harps which John hears here with the 144,000, and the fact that both the 144,000 and the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, all sing this same song, have the same harps and are both “redeemed from the earth, proves that these two symbols, like Pharaoh’s dreams, are both symbols of one thing. And that one thing is the few chosen and faithful elect of God, who are in both cases “redeemed from the earth”.

Rev 14:4  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.

We have seen that those who are “not defiled with women, and are virgins” are not virgins because they have never known women, but rather they are virgins because they have overcome the name, number, mark and image of the beast. We saw that being a virgin is a matter of repentance of our own ways, and obedience to the words and ways of our Lord. Being a virgin is a matter of coming out of the lies and sins of Babylon and her harlot daughters.

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my [ virgin] people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

We saw that the world will despise and reject God’s elect but that in the end no one can “lay anything to the charge of God’s elect” because, in God’s eyes they are “without guile, without blame, and without fault before the throne of God.”

Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? [“before the throne of God”].
Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, t hat neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Next week, Lord willing, we will cover these six verses in our study, and we will see that the preaching of the everlasting gospel is all about the fact that “the hour of His judgment is come”, which judgment will produce the “worship of the maker of heaven, and earth and the sea and the fountains of water”.

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [ his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here [ are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.