Revelation 14:1-5

The Lamb and the 144,000
1Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing
on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and
his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a
sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a
loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists
playing their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the
throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No
one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been
redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile
themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They
follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased
from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the
Lamb. 5No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.



14:1 - John looks and sees before him, the Lamb, standing on Mount
Zion. This takes us back to Psalm 2, where it says "I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy hill" (Ps. 2:6). The Beasts rose from the land and the sea,
but the Lamb stands on Mount Zion, and is already installed as King of
kings and ruler of all nations. There are many prophetic passages in the Old
Testament that reference the restoration of the Mountain to earth, which is
a prophecy of restoring things to the original paradise that God intended His
creation to be (Isa. 2:2-4; Dan. 2:32-35, 44-45; Mic. 4:1-4). This all points
to the time when God’s Kingdom will fill the earth (Isa. 11:9). The Lamb
standing on the Mountain is a symbol of Christ in victory over His enemies,
with His people restored to a fellowship with God. This means that the
Lamb is not alone on Mt. Zion. With Him are 144,000 who had His name
and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. The mark of God’s
ownership (like the sealing of the true Israel - Isa. 7:2-8) is readily visible
within God’s holy people, the remnant of Israel, the Church. If we remember
from chapter 7, the 144,000 belong to the Church, the gathering of
overcomers, but are also, specifically, the remnant-Church of the first
century. So, while the specific application of the 144,000 is to the first
century Church, in principle they are seen as the entire Church (which they
were when John wrote this). This can be seen by comparing the description
between the 144,000 here and the redeemed in Rev. 5:6-11.

14:2-3 - Once again, John hears the familiar sound of the voices like the
roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder , as well asharpists playing their harps. These are the familiar sounds that are associated with the Glory Cloud of God. The army of saints sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the
elders. As we saw in Rev. 5:9, the new song is the new form of worship
and liturgy associated with this new epoch in history. This exultant worship
belongs to the church alone (cf. Rev. 2:17). No one could learn the song
except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth (or literally,
"purchased from the land). The saints have been redeemed out of Israel
from the tyranny of the Beast. They are the only ones capable of worshiping
God with this new song, in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

14:4-5 - John continues in his description of the redeemed as he says they
are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept
themselves pure. The imagery of virgins is extreme symbolism for the
purity of the saints, it is not a reference to their literal virginity. The concept
of virgin is used frequently in the Old Testament to describe the people of
God (2 Ki. 19:21; Isa. 23:12; 37:22; Jer. 14:17; 18:13; 31:4, 21; Lam. 1:15;
2:13). The context of the passage also shows condemnation for the fornication
committed by the nations in worshiping the Beast. There are numerous
examples in the Bible with fornication and harlotry being used as metaphors
for apostasy and idolatry (Isa. 1:21; Jer. 2:20-3:11; Ezek. 16:15-43; Rev.
2:14, 20-22).

The army of believers gathered around the Lamb, are chaste, faithful, and
fully committed to Him. In fact, they follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
The term ‘follow’ is a typical metaphor for being an obedient disciple (Matt.
9:9; 10:38; 16:24; Mark 9:38; 10:21, 28; Luke 9:23; John 8:12; 10:4-5, 27;
21:22). These followers were purchased from among men and offered
as first fruits to God and the Lamb. The first fruits is an expression of
sacrifice, the giving of the first harvest of the land to the Lord. These
Christians have given themselves up, then, to the service of God because
they have been purchased by the Lamb.

No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. It is the Dragon
who is the deceiver and the father of lies (John 8:44; Rev. 12:9). The
children of the Dragon are characterized by lies, but the children of God are
characterized by truthfulness. The basic lie that plagues human beings is
idolatry. This the first lie that humans accepted and has caused the rift
between man and humanity.