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.



Dig Deeper

There is something very powerful about music for human beings. We can be inspired by music, soothed by music, agitated by music, mesmerized by music, etc. In Fact, people often split up into social groups, especially when they are in their teenage years, based on the type of music that they enjoy listening to. Music can bind groups of people together and give them an identity.


That is no less true when it comes to God’s people. John says that God’s people, those gathered under the New Covenant, have been given a new song that only they can sing. This song emanates from the place of God’s presence, heaven, and is symbolic of what joins God’s people together. Thus we have a beautiful picture of God’s people joining together under the New Covenant singing to instrumental music and glorifying God. Surely we when join together to worship God, we can engage together in praising and worshipping Him with hearts and music that glorifies Him with this new song.


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 the 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. We should 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 descriptions of 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 as harpists 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 virginity 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.



Devotional Thought

John writes that the the followers of the Lamb, had no lie found in their mouths. Does this describe you? Could it be said of you, that no lie was found in your mouth. Be honest this week, even when it is painful to do so. If you fail, be especially aware of your deceit and immediately appeal to God for forgiveness. Then go make your lie right with whoever you deceived. The more you focus on being truthful, the more you will be able to do so.