Jesus was with blameless followers of the lamb

JESUS WAS WITH BLAMELESS FOLLOWERS OF THE LAMB
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Revelation14:4-54These are those who did not defile
themselves with women, for they remained virgins.
They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were
purchasedfrom among mankind and offered as
firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5No lie was found in
their mouths; they are blameless.
The Followers ofthe Lamb
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon Aug 4, 1889
Scripture: Revelation14:4-5
Sermon No. 2324
From: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 39
The Followers ofthe Lamb
“These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth. These were
redeemedfrom among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the
throne of God.” — Revelationxiv. 4, 5.

WHATEVER the saints are in heaven, they began to be on earth. There is, no
doubt, a perfection of characterin the world to come;but the charactermust
be formed here. In the next world there will be no real change;where the tree
falls, there it will lie; he that is filthy will be filthy still, he that is holy will be
holy still. I am going to talk to you to-night about those who surround the
Lamb, and are with him in the blaze of his glory, singing to his honour. I say
that what they were in heaven they were in a measure on earth. The life of
glory is the life of grace. Thatlife which men have in heavencomes to them in
regenerationon earth. When they are born again, they are born for heaven;
then it is that they receive the life which lives on throughout the eternal ages.
If you do not have that life here, you will never have it. If you die dead in sin,
there is nothing for you for ever but the abode of the dead, “where their worm
dieth not, and their fire is not quenched.” To-day is the only time which we
have for character-forming. Earthis the greatplace for making instruments
of music; here they are tuned and prepared; up there, they play them; but
they will never play them there unless they have had them made and tuned
here.
The subject of my discourse will be, first, a survey of the outline of
characterof those who are to be with Christ hereafter; and then, secondly, a
contemplation of the perfectpicture of the saints with Christ in glory, where I
trust we, too, shall be, in the Lord’s goodtime.
I do not know whether these verses describe all the saints in heaven. If they
do, then you must be like them, or you cannever be among them. If , however,
they describe the electof the elect, the innermost circle of heaven, if they
describe the body-guard of Christ, the immortals that perpetually surround
him, nearestto his person, the most divinely like him, if they describe a kind
of aristocracyofthe skies, the nobility of heaven,— and it seems to me that
they do, for they are the firstfruits, and the rest of the righteous may be
regardedas the harvest afterwards reaped,— if these words describe some
specialsaints, then we should seek to be like them. I would cultivate a holy
ambition to be among the brightest stars of God. Why should we not reachto

the highestprize of our high calling? If there be any specialityamong the
redeemedabove, should it not be our earnestdesire to attain to that standard?
I. So, first, here is AN OUTLINE OF THE CHARACTER OF THOSE
BLESSED ONES WHILE THEY ARE HERE.
And, first, notice their adherence to the doctrine of sacrifice while they are
here: “These are they which follow the Lamb." There are some professing
Christians who talk much about the example of Christ, but deny the efficacy
of his atoning blood; they are not of those who will be in heaven. There are
some who magnify the philosophy of Christ; all his ethical teaching is greatly
to their taste;but, as to his being a Substitute offeredup as a sacrifice on
accountof human guilt, they cannot awaywith it. Very well; they cannot enter
heaven, for “these are they which follow the Lamb;” not Christ only, mark
you, but Christ as the Lamb of God’s passover, Christ as the Lamb of God
slain before the foundation of the world, Christ as the Lamb of God which
taketh awaythe sin of the world. You cannot be of that blessednumber, if you
rejectChrist as a sacrifice. As for me, and I trust for you also, “Godforbid
that I should glory, save in the cross ofour Lord Jesus Christ!” Christianity
without the blood of Christ is a dead Christianity; it has nothing to give life to
it, “for the blood is the life thereof.” If you take awaythe doctrine of sacrifice,
you have takenawaythe core, the heart, the pith, the marrow of all
Christianity. You have left bones for dogs;but you have not left food for
immortal spirits. Whosoeverwill be saved, before all things it is necessarythat
he should believe in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takethaway the sin
of the world. “ForGod so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son:
that whosoeverbelievethin him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Look, look, look unto him, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth, for he is
God, even the bleeding Saviour, he is God, and beside him there is none else.
May it be said of you all, dear friends, that you followedthe Lamb by your
adherence to his atoning sacrifice!
Many have thus followedthe Lamb in spite of fierce persecution.
Remember that brave woman, Ann Askew. When they had rackedher, and
pulled every limb out of its place, so that she ached all over in her exquisitely
delicate frame, yet she sat on the stone floor of her cell, and still defended the

sacrifice ofChrist. When she had an opportunity to write her thoughts, she
penned that quaint verse,—
“I am not she that list,
My anchorto let fall,
For every drizzling mist;
My ship’s substantial.”
She thought that being vexed by Popish priests and torn to pieces onthe rack
was only a drizzling mist, for which it was not worth while to casther anchor.
She was more than a match for fifty priests. God raise us up a race of such
men and women! The devil seems to have takenthe backbone out of most
people. May we begin to know what we do know, and to believe what we do
believe, and to put our footdown, and say, “God helping me, I will not forsake
my God, nor turn awayfrom his truth.” You remember how Martin Luther,
when he stoodat the Dietof Worms, closedwhat he had to say when they
bade him recant, and he would not. He said, “Here I stand; I cando no other,
so help me God;” and thus, invoking the help of his divine Lord, he committed
his body to the flames, if need be, soonerthan he would renounce a single
Word of the MostHigh, or sin againstthe light which he had received.
And, next, it is clearof these people that they followed the Lamb by
practically imitating Christ’s example, for it is written, "These are they which
follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth.” They so believed in him that—
“Theymark’d the footsteps that he trod,
His zeal inspired their breast,
And following their incarnate God,
Possessthe promised rest.”
You cannot be with Christ unless you are like Christ. If you have really
trusted in Jesus, he will transform you, he will take awayfrom you those evil
tendencies and vile propensities which are contrary to holiness, he will work
in you to will and to do of his own goodpleasure. And the highest holiness for

you is to be like Christ. The very noblest possible characterto which you
could ever reachis to follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth, in obedience to
God, in love to man, in self -sacrifice, in humility, in gentleness, in love. You
must follow him whithersoeverhe goeth, and do what he did, so far as your
position makes it fit for you to do it. I mean that you cannot do as he did as
God, but you can do what he did as man. Try to put your feetdown in the
footprints that he has left you. Do aim at complete conformity to Christ; and
wherein you fail to reachit, mark that you come so far short of what you
ought to be. To be like Christ is that which God intends for you; and unless
you have some measure of it now, you will never be with him, for all they who
are with Christ above are the people who were made like to Christ here below.
Note that very distinctly, “These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoeverhe goeth.”
Will you, dear friends, labour to take Christ for your pattern? Do not come
and take his name, and then dishonour his character. There are among you
some who are very much like your Master;you are the joy of the church.
There are among all the churches some who bear Christ’s name, but are not
like him. My venerable predecessor, Dr. Rippon, used to sayof his church that
he had in it some of the best people in England; and then he used to add in a
low voice, “and some of the worst.” I am afraid that I have to saythe same;
but I am very sorry that I should have to say it. The worstpeople in the world
are those who profess mostand do least. Do not be among that unhappy
number; but do, I pray you, by the blessing of God, and the help of his Spirit,
be among those who at leastendeavour to “follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe
goeth.”
Now, notice in the sketchof these people that they recognizeda special
redemption: “These were redeemedfrom among men.” Christ had done
something for them that he had not done for others. They were not redeemed
“among men”, but “from among men” They recognizedthe speciality of
Christ’s sacrifice. Theycould read, for instance, a passagelike this, and
understand its meaning, “Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it,”
for his church, for his body. “These were redeemedfrom among men.” Come,
beloved, do you belong to this company of persons who have been fetchedout
from the restof mankind by the powerof the Spirit of God, and also by the

merit of the precious blood? Do you feel that you are marked with the blood
as others are not? Do you belong to a people who are not of the world, even as
he that bought them was not of the world? Are you henceforth not of the
common multitude, but one who has been bought and paid for by that
redemptive price which was found in the veins and the heart of the Redeemer,
and are you so redeemed as no longer to be one of the greatmass of mankind,
but fetchedout, calledout, chosen, “not your own, but bought with a price”?
These are they that will be with Christ hereafter, as specially redeemedones.
And as they recognizeda specialredemption, you will observe that they
made a full surrender of themselves to God and to the Lamb: “These were
redeemedfrom among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
On a certainday, when the harvest was getting ripe, a man went down to the
fields, and plucked an ear here, a handful there, and another handful further
on, and he passedalong the field, and gatheredears here and ears there, and
when he had collectedenoughfor sheaves, he tied them up, and took them to
the temple of God, and presentedthem to the Lord as an offering, to signify
that he owedall the harvest to God, and he brought him the first ripe ears as a
sacrifice to him. Now, beloved, has the grace of God pluckedyou out from
among the rest of mankind, and do you feel that now you belong to Christ,
that you belong to God, that you are not to be gathered with the mass of men
for the greatcondemnation, but that you are presented unto God, and belong
to him altogether? It is a very easything for me to talk about this; but, believe
me, it is by no means an easything to carry it out. I see numbers of people
who profess to belong to God; but they live as much for money-making as
anybody else, they live quite as much for self -seeking as the world does;and it
would be difficult, even if you had microscopeson both your eyes, to see any
difference betweenthem and worldlings. This will never do. “Come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saiththe Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing.” If you are the firstfruits unto God, be so;if you belong to yourself,
serve yourself; but if, by the redemption of Christ, you are not your own, but
bought with a price, then live as those who are the King’s own, who must
serve God, and cannotbe content unless their every actionshall tend to the
divine glory, and to the magnifying of Christ Jesus. Now this is what all of us
who are truly the Lord’s have in outline. Oh, that the sketchmight be

properly filled up, that we might become more the firstfruits unto God and to
the Lamb!
I must take you a little further. These people who are to be with Christ, the
nearestto him, are a people free from falsehood. “In their mouth was found
no guile.” Brethren, if we profess to be Christians, we must have done with all
craft, policy, double-dealing, and the like. The Christian man should be a
plain man, who says what he means, and means what he says. I know of no
worse suspicionagainstany man who professes to be a Christian than the
suspicionof not being transparent. It were better for us to be simple as fools
than to be cunning as hypocrites, even though our cunning should place us in
the front rank of the governors ofmankind. The Christian man should scorn
to tell a lie; exaggerationandequivocation should be strangers to his lips. “In
their mouth was found no guile.” The Lord Jesus Christ was a greatspeaker
of plain truth; and those whom he chooses to be near him, to be his personal
attendants in heaven, must also be free from guile. "With many a mistake,
with many a weakness, yet, beloved, the saints are free from falsehood. They
are true, whatevermay be their mistakes. Look to yourselves, and see whether
it is so; as I would look to my own soul, I charge you to look to yours.
And then, once more, it is said that they are free from blemish; “they are
without fault before the throne of God.” “Oh!” says one, “I am not without
fault.” No, but there is the outline of that characterin you if you are, indeed,
one of the Lord’s people; you have alreadygot rid of many faults, and you are
getting rid of more; you grieve over what remains, and you will never rest till
every sin is conquered. Is it not so, beloved? Saints are not only men of
honour, but men of holiness;we would not tolerate any knownsin in
ourselves. Wheneverwe are carriedinto a fault by temptation or by inbred
sin, we feelunhappy; we bow low in the dust, and we cry to God for grace,
that we may not commit the like sin again. But God’s people are a blameless
people, after all. If you are to find pure and right characters,where will you
find them but among the followers ofthe Lamb? You know and I know many
believers in Christ whose lives are blameless;we would not say that they are
absolutely without fault, but still, the grace ofGod so works in them that we
may safelytake them for examples, and do as they have done. It was so in the
olden time, and it is so now; and unless your characteris such that your

children may safelyimitate it, and your servants may tread in your footsteps,
and your neighbours may actas you do without going wrong, how canyou
hope to be where Jesus is? Jesus Christreceives sinners, but he makes them
saints. The gospelopens a greathospital, not for sick men to lie in it and
remain sick, but that there they may recoverhealth, and may be made strong.
He that believes in Christ is saved, savedin this sense among others, that he is
savedfrom the powerof sin, and turned from an unholy and godless life into a
life of purity, honesty, and uprightness. “Be not deceived,” any of you, to-
night, “Godis not mocked;for whatsoevera man soweththat shall he also
reap.” If there be not about you a likeness to Christ, if there be not at leastthe
sketchwhich I have tried to depict, then, surely, you are not among those who
will be for where Jesus is. I have seenan artist make his crayon drawing; he
just took a piece of charcoal, and marked out what he was going to draw. I am
afraid that is about all that is done with us here. There is an outline made with
the charcoal;all the lines of beauty and all the glory of characterare yet to be
laid on as we grow in grace and in likeness to Christ. But, at least, there must
be that sketch. If you have not that, come humbly to the feet of Jesus, and
pray that he would begin in you his goodwork which he will carry on and
perfect in the day of his appearing.
Thus much upon the outline of the characterof saints while they are upon
the earth.
II. Now indulge me for just a few minutes while I try to give you A
GLIMPSE OF THE PERFECT PICTUREIN HEAVEN. I Cannotreally
show you the picture; that is in the upper galleryin glory, and you must go up
there to see it. I canonly tell you my idea of what that picture is like when it is
finished.
Well, first, those who are with Christ enjoy perfect fellowshipwith him. Up
there, they “follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth.” They are always with
him. There were certain young princes chosenin certaincourts to attend upon
the king. Wherever the king went, they went; where the court was, there was
their abode; their one business was to behold the king’s face, and to abide
near him. That is the business of the glorified ones of whom I am speaking.
When will the day arrive that you and I shall enjoy this perfect fellowship

with our glorious King, never absentfrom him, never doubting his love, never
cold in our affectiontowards him, but being—
“Forever with the Lord”?
Shall I go on with the verse?
“Amen! so let it be!
Life from the dead is in that word,
’Tis immortality!”
Some of you have dear children who have outstripped their mother, and
are enjoying this felicity even now. Others of us have mothers, brothers,
friends who were very dearto us, who follow the Lamb in glory. How many
who once satamongstus here are now up there, following the Lamb, and he
leads them unto living fountains of waters, and all tears are wiped away from
their eyes!Oh, to think that wherevermy Lord shall go I shall go! When he
shall descendfrom heaven with a shout, we shall come with him. When he
shall sit upon his throne to judge the world, his saints shall sit with him. When
he shall reign amongsthis ancients gloriously for a thousand years, we shall
reign with him on the earth. When he shall return to the Father’s throne,—
“All his work and warfare done,”
we shall partake of his triumph, following the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth. I
vote to cast in my lot with my Lord in life and in death; what say you? My
Master, where thou dwellest, I will dwell; if men put thee to shame, I will be
put to shame with thee; if thou diest, I will die with thee, that I may for ever
live with thee in thy glory above. Sayyou not the same, beloved? Say it deep
down in your heart to-night.
Well, now, notice in this complete picture, next, that up there they are
perfectly acceptedwith God: “These were redeemedfrom among men, being
the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” God always accepts them; he
always looks upon them as his firstfruits, bought with his Son’s blood, and
brought by his Son into his heavenly temple, to be his for ever. Sometimes
here we mar our service;but they never mar it there. Our songs getout of

tune, but theirs never know a discord. We praise the Lord, and yet groan,
being burdened; but in heaven there are—
“No groans to mingle with the songs
Which warble from immortal tongues.”
We doubt; we fear; we grieve the Holy Spirit; sometimes we getvery sadly out
of gearwith God. It is never so there; fully redeemedfrom sin, they are
acceptedin the Beloved, and to the very top of their bent they know it, and
enjoy it. Happy day, happy day, when you and I shall be of them and among
them!
Observe, also, that they have perfect truth there in heart and soul: “In
their mouth was found no guile.” “No lie,” says the RevisedVersion. Here,
dear friends, we do fall into error inadvertently, and sometimes, I fear me,
negligently. We say, not knowingly, more than the truth. How often we say
much less than the truth, and almost necessarilyso when we speak of divine
things; but up there they are not only free from wilful guile and deceit, but
they are free from all error and mistake. Happy day! Happy day! Do you not
long to be there to be rid of every false doctrine, every wrong opinion, every
error, every mistake, so that in your mouth there shall never be guile again?
This is what they are above, made perfect. He who washedtheir hearts here
has washedtheir tongues there. As they loved the truth here, they know the
truth there. As they sought it here, they have found it there. As they were
willing to die for it here, they live in the enjoyment of it there, and shall do so
for ever.
One more feature of that perfect picture is this, they enjoy perfect
sinlessnessbefore God:“They are without fault before the throne of God.”
That text brings back to my recollectionthe secondsermonI preachedto this
church, one Sabbath evening, when we were but few: “Theyare without fault
before the throne of God.” I had great joy, as a youth, in expatiating upon the
perfect blessing of being altogether“without spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing.” If there were any fault in them there, they are where it would be seen,
for they are before the throne of the all-seeing God; but even there, in that
matchless place of light in which there is no darkness at all, they are declared

to be without fault, without blemish. Can you think that you will be of that
happy number one day? I had to put it very mildly just now when I spoke of
saints being without blame here; but you may put it as strongly as you please
when you speak of their being without sin there. They were once, perhaps,
before conversion, the very chief of sinners; but in heaventhere shall be no
trace of their sin. They will bless the grace that came to them when they were
up to their neck in the filth of sin; but there will be no trace of their filthiness
left. There is no blood stain on Manasseh, there is no brand of blasphemy on
Saul of Tarsus now; they have washedtheir robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. Some of these men were by nature and by practice,
too, so depraved that it lookedas if they could never escape from their evil
habits. We might have said of them, “Canthe Ethiopian change his skin, or
the leopardhis spots? Then may these men, who are accustomedto do evil,
learn to do well.” Yet so has the grace ofGod changedthem, that there is no
trace of any evil tendency, no propensity to lust, or lewdness, orblasphemy, or
any kind of fault.
What a wonderful change it will be for those who were once greatsinners
to be found without fault; not only without greatcrime, not only without gross
vice, but without fault, and that, too, as I have said, before the throne of God,
where, if there were a fault, it would be seen!They are cleansedfrom all the
guilt of sin, and from all the depravity which the habitude of sin brings to
men. “Theyare without fault before the throne of God.” Truly, if you had
never heard this before, it might make you laugh for joy to think that it
should everbe possible that the very chief of sinners, through faith in Christ,
might be made so cleanas one day to be without fault before the throne of
God. I do think that, when we get there, part of the joy of heaven will be a
long surprise, an endless wonder; and if we are permitted there to recollect
what we used to be, some of you will recalla night of sin, and say, “And yet I
am here.” You will recall, perhaps, some dreadful passion, some atrocious
outburst of foul language, orsome terrible occasionof sin, and you will say,
“Yet here am I, cleanas the driven snow, washedin the blood of Jesus, and
renewedby the Spirit of God.” Although they always praise God, I think that
they must every now and then have a fresh outburst of hallelujahs when they
begin to review the past. One says, “I, evenafter conversion, was a poor,

limping Christian, and I was thrown back once or twice with terrible
backslidings. My Christian friends despairedof my ever holding on; and yet
here I am, without fault before the throne of God. Hallelujah!” Will not a man
be obliged to break out like that, and do you not think that all the saints
around him will take up the Hallelujah, too, till it goes in swelling chorus all
round the choirs of heaven, “Hallelujah to God and the Lamb”? And another
one will say, “And I, after I had long known the Lord, fell, oh, so sadly, so
grievously! But he would not give me up, he followedme; and by his mighty
grace, I was restored, my broken bones were setagain, and I was made to sing
of free grace and forgiving love. He created in me a new heart, and reneweda
right spirit within me; and now I, even I, am here without fault, without a
single fault.” You can hardly imagine it, can you? You begin to think, “Well,
surely that cannot be,” for, if you look within, you see so many faults over
which you groan; but you will look without and look within, when you once
get there, and neither without nor within, in any respectwhatever, will you
have any kind of fault; for “ they are without blemish before the throne of
God.”
I do not feel inclined to preach any more, but just to shout, “Hallelujah,”
againand again, at the very thought that I shall be there. Oh, it is hard to go
to heaven from such a place as that which I occupy! Your eyes sometimes
startle me in my dreams, these thousands of eyes fixed upon one poor mortal
man, who has to try to lead you to Christ, and lead you to heaven. Your eyes
at times seemto pierce me like so many daggers. Ithink, sometimes, “Whatif
I am not faithful, if I do not preachplainly, if I do not warn them, if I do not
invite them earnestly, if I do not with all my heart cry, ‘Come to Christ’?
What shall I do in eternity if six thousand pairs of eyes are for ever seeming to
stick, like daggers, into my heart?” Oh, but it will not be so!I believe in him
that justifieth the ungodly; and I have fully preachedhim to you, and all my
greatcongregation. My hope is in the precious blood that cleansethfrom all
sin; and I have pointed all my hearers to that precious blood; and the day will
come when I, with all who believe in Jesus, shallbe without fault before the
throne of God. The very thought of it makes me cry “Hallelujah,” and with
that I finish. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Say“Hallelujah,” all of you.

[“Hallelujah” from the congregation.]Hallelujah!Hallelujah to God and the
Lamb! The Lord bless you, for Christ’s sake!Amen.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The GreaterSalvation
Revelation14:4
S. Conway
Firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. From this and the many like
expressions whichare scatteredoverthe New Testament, we gatherthat there
is a salvationgreaterand less. Forhere it is said that these hundred and forty-
four thousand are "firstfruits." Therefore we learn -
I. WHAT THESE ARE NOT.
1. They are not all the saved. The very word indicates that there is much more
to follow. They are but the beginning. Nor:
2. Are these firstfruits the mass of the saved. True, a large number is named,
but what is that comparedwith the "greatmultitude that no man can
number, out of every," etc.?
II. WHAT THEY ARE. The word "firstfruits" teaches us that these thus
named are:
1. The pledge of all the rest. Thus Christ has "become the Firstfruits of them
that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20). He is the pledge and guarantee that in him
"all shall be made alive." And so the natural firstfruits of corn guaranteedthe

rest of the harvest. For the same sun, and all other nurturing forces whichhad
ripened the firstfruits, were there ready to do the same kindly office for all the
rest. And so we are told, "The Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies." The same poweris presentfor
both the first and after fruits.
2. The pattern and representative of all the rest. Compare the first and after
fruits. In the main they were alike;and so in the spiritual world also. But:
3. The firstfruits were pre-eminent over the rest. They were specially
presentedto God, and held in honour; so was it with the natural grain. But,
without question, there is pre-eminence implied in being the firstfruits of the
heavenly harvest.
(1) In time. Theirs is "the first resurrection," ofwhich we read in Revelation
20. - that resurrectionof the dead which St. Paul calls "the resurrection," and
"the mark" towards which he pressed, if by any means he might attain unto it
(Philippians 3.). "The rest of the dead lived not againuntil the thousand
years," etc. (cf. Revelation20.).
(2) In honour. St. Paul called it "the prize of our high calling of God in Christ
Jesus." Now,a prize implies specialhonour. And our Lord tells us that there
is a "first" and "last" in the kingdom of heaven; "a least" and "a greatest."
"One star differeth from another star in glory." There is "an entrance
administered abundantly," and there is a "being savedso as by fire." As here
there is no dead level of reward, so we might believe, and we are taught, that
there is none such in heaven. Infinite mischief is done by the belief that all will
be equally blessed, equally honoured, equally like God. It is as if we had
adopted the creedof Ecclesiastes, where we are told, "One end comethalike to
all," instead of St. Paul's, who tells us, "What a man soweththat" - not
something else - "shall he also reap," in quantity and quality too.
(3) In service. Thatthey were pre-eminent here, who that knows their history
on earth, or reads even this book, will question?

(4) In character. See how they are describedas to their spiritual purity, their
unreserved consecration, their separateness fromthe world, their
guilelessness andfreedom from all deceit.
(5) In the approval of God. Of them it is written, "Blessedand holy is he that
hath part in the first resurrection" (Revelation20.). How could it be otherwise
than that such as they should stand highest upon the steps of the everlasting
throne, and nearestGod and the Lamb?
4. They are the electof God. In another part of this book they are spokenof as
"the called, and chosen, and faithful." They answerto the description of
God's chosen, and so we learn that "whilst all the electare saved, all the saved
are not. elect" (Alford). All are not firstfruits, greatest, first, in the kingdom of
heaven. The very words imply order, gradation, rank. But it is for us to take
heed as to -
III. WHAT WE SHOULD STRIVE TO BE. There are some who say that they
will be content if they can only "getjust inside the door of heaven " - such is
the phrase. This sounds very humble minded, and if it be so, then those who
thus speak are just those who would not be content with any such place. For,
and to their credit be it said, they are such as desire to be like their Lord - to
resemble him, to possesshis Spirit, and to please him in all things. But if they
desire, or will be content with, the lowestplace in heaven, they must getrid of
all these beautiful and blessedqualities. But rather than this they would die.
Too often, however, the phrase is but a substitute for diligence and faithful
following of Christ. They are content to be but little like their Lord; they do
not follow after holiness in the fear of God; they are the worldly hearted, those
the leastworthy of the Christian name. But who would be content to be as
these? Who would not be in full sympathy with St. Paul, who said, "I labour...
to be acceptedofhim" (2 Corinthians 5:9)? Ours, then, is to be not contented
with any lowestplace - if we be, there is grave doubt whether we ever attain to
that - but to "press towardthe mark for the prize of our high calling of Godin
Christ Jesus."- S.C.

Biblical Illustrator
Thrust in thy sickle, andreap.
Revelation14:14-20
The harvest and the vintage
S. Conway, B. A.
It is held by many that both these refer to the same fact of God's judgment
againstsin and sinners. And no doubt, at times, the "harvest" does mean such
judgment (Joel3:13; Jeremiah51:33). In Matthew 13. both harvests — that of
goodand evil alike — are told of. "Let both grow togetheruntil," etc. Still
more commonly the figure stands for the people of God and their ingathering
into His blessedpresence. And we think that here, whilst there canbe no
doubt as to what the vintage means, the "harvest" does not mean the same,
but that gathering of "the wheatinto His garner" which shall one day most
surely be accomplished. Forsee the preface (ver. 13) to this vision. It speaks of
the blesseddeadand their rest. And but for the plain pointing out that the
vintage did not refer to them, that also would have been so understood. And
the Lord Jesus Christ — for He is meant — is Himself the Reaper(ver. 14),
Himself thrusts in the sickle (ver. 16), whilst the vintage of judgment is

assignedto an angel(ver. 17), indicating that it is a different work from the
other. And the figure itself, the harvest, the precious corn fully ripe, belongs
generallyand appropriately to that which is also precious and an object of
delight, as is the company of His people to the Lord whose they are. It is not
the time of the harvest, but the corn of the harvest, which is spokenof here,
and this is ever the type of good, and not evil. Thus understood, let us note —
I. THE HARVEST. "The harvestof the earth." This tells of —
1. The multitude of God's people. Who can count the ears of corn even in one
harvest-field? how much less in the harvest of the whole earth?
2. The preciousness ofthem. What could we do without the literal harvest of
the earth? Our all, humanly speaking, depends upon it.
3. The joy of God in them. "They shall joy before Thee with the joy of
harvest."
4. The care that has been needed and given.
5. The "long patience" that has been exercised. Who but God could be so
patient? We often cry, "How long, O Lord, how long?" But He waits — and
we must learn the like lesson — for the harvest of the earth, for that which is
being ripened in our own soul.
6. The evidence of ripeness. We know of the natural harvest that it is ripe by
the grain assuming its goldenhue. And when it is thus with the people of God,
when the goldenlight of the Sun of Righteousnessshines on them and they are
transformed thereby, then the evidence of ripeness is seen, and the seasonfor
the sickle has come.
7. God will certainly gatherin His people. "Harvestshall not fail"; nor shall
this harvest either. "Look up, lift up your heads; for your redemption
draweth nigh."
II. THE VINTAGE. Under the altar on which was "the fire," over which the
angeltold of in ver. 18 "had power," were the souls of them that had been
slain for the testimony of Jesus (Revelation6:9). They had asked, "How long,
O Lord dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the

earth?" And now the answeris given. The vintage of vengeance has begun.
For the "grapes" ofthe "vine of the earth" are fully ripe. It is the judgment of
the whole earth, when "all nations" shall be gathered (Matthew 25.)before
the Sonof Man. The square of four — four ever the symbol of the earth —
amplified by hundreds, the "one thousand and six hundred furlongs" of ver.
20, likewise point to the universality of this awful judgment. Minor fulfilments
— presages,predictions, and patterns of the final judgment — of these there
have been many and will be many; but in this vintage of vengeance upon the
world's sin all are summed up and fulfilled. But will there be any such event
at all?
1. Men have ever felt that there ought to be such judgment.
2. And now it is declaredthat such judgment shall be. Conscienceassents to it.
3. Human law and justice strive after right judgment.
4. And the judgments that come now on ungodly nations, communities, and
individuals are all in proof.
(S. Conway, B. A.)
A coronationsermon
G. Clayton.
I. THE ILLUSTRIOUS PERSONAGEINTENDED.This we conceive to be no
other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the exalted Messiah, who, forthe suffering
of death, was made a little lowerthan the angels, and is now crownedwith
glory and honour.
1. His characteristic designation— "The Son of Man." This was the form or
similitude He wore. The manhood of Christ is exalted to the throne of Deity.
2. His high exaltation. He is said to be throned on the clouds of heaven, and
dignified with the highest honours.

3. The insignia appropriate to His office. He is advancedto the dignity and
authority of a king, and therefore is invested with a crown of gold, and a sickle
— an emblem of power, answering to a sceptre or sword, but put in this form,
as having a relation to the service which was immediately to be performed in
reaping the harvest of the earth. These are the regalia of His kingly office.
II. THE MAGNIFICENT APPEARANCEHE ASSUMED.
1. He is seatedon a white cloud. On a cloud, to betokenHis elevationand
empire. On a white cloud, to signify the immaculate purity of His nature, as
the Holy One of God; the unimpeachable rectitude of His administrations,
transparent as the fleecyvapour of which these visible heavens are composed;
and the blessedconsequencesofHis government, when purity shall be
universally established, and "white-robed Innocence," returning to our
forsakenworld, shall take place of fraud and rapine, violence and blood.
Furthermore, on this luminous cloud He is said to have been seated, as ona
throne, expressing at once the high dignity and perfect repose which He
enjoys.
2. On His head was a goldencrown. The crown is an emblem of empire and
dominion, and a crownof pure gold fitly represents the validity of His title,
and the honour and glory by which He is encircled.
3. In His hand there is a sharp sickle. This I apprehend to be an emblem of
His judicial authority and retributive vengeance. To Him the Fatherhath
given authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man, and hath
put all things into His hands. What havoc and slaughter shall be made by the
sharp sickle, with which He is invested, when His irreclaimable enemies shall
be made the helpless victims of His inexorable indignation! When the great
day of His wrath is come, who shall be able to stand?
III. THE PRACTICAL LESSONS INCULCATED BY THE
CONTEMPLATION OF THE SUBJECT.
1. We infer the high and honourable conceptions we should form and
entertain of the Lord Christ.
2. We infer that, "before honour is humility."

3. Let us learn how important it is to ascertainwhetherwe are among the
subjects of this exalted Prince.
4. Let us learn to rejoice in the perfection of His administration.
5. Let us learn how terrible will be the final doom of all the enemies of this
mighty Prince.
6. If such be the advantages andpleasures connectedwith the sight and
contemplation of a glorified Saviour in this world, what will the beatific vision
include? To see Him as He is, without the interposition of any obscuring veil,
any dense medium!
(G. Clayton.)
The harvest of the earth
R. Tuck, B. A.
The expressionis a singular and, indeed, a striking one.
I. GOD PREPAREDTHE EARTH FOR HIS SEEDING. Scientific men may
wrangle over the ages and order of creation. It is enoughfor us to know that,
at a given time, God had prepared the earth to be the scene ofa moral trial
for a new race of beings. The farmer cleans, and ploughs, and manures, and
harrows, and ridges, his fields, in precise adaptation to the cropthat he
intends to grow upon it; and earth is the prepared field of God, made ready
for His sowing.
II. GOD SEEDS HIS PREPAREDEARTHWITH MEN. Scattering the seed
all over the earth, that man's probation may be carriedon under every
varying condition of soil, and landscape, and climate, and relationship. God
keeps on seeding the earth with men; every seedwith a great possibility in it;
every seedset where its possibility may freely unfold, and where the God-
provided influences all tend to the nourishment of all its best possibilities.
Men, men everywhere are the seedof God. They are quick with Divine life,
and sownin the earth to grow into a harvest for God.

III. THE HARVEST GOD SEEKS FROM HIS SEEDING IS CHARACTER.
God sows His earth with moral beings, in the hope of reaping moral
character. But what is moral character? It is the proper fruitage of the earth-
experience of moral beings. But can we understand it a little more fully than
that? A moral being is one that can recognise a distinction betweengoodand
evil, and, when the distinction is seen, can choose foritself which it will have,
the goodor the evil. But a moral being must be put into such circumstances as
will offer it the choice betweengoodand evil. And substantially the test
amounts to this: goodis doing what is known to be the will of the Creator: evil
is doing the will of the moral being himself, when that is knownto be not the
will of the Creator. The story of a life is the story of that conflict. It is the
growth, through the long months, of God's seedinto the "full corn in the ear"
of establishedmoral character. It is the unfolding of what God would gather
in from His seeding of men, the righteousness ofthe acceptedwillof God. One
thing only does man take through the great gates — the characterthat he has
gained. It is the full earthat heads the stalk, and ripens for the reaper.
IV. GOD HAS ANXIOUS TIMES WHILE HIS SEED OF MEN IS
GROWING INTO HIS HARVEST OF CHARACTER. Every blade that
breaks the earth in the farmer's field has to fight for its life with varied foes:
insects, worms, mildew, rust, living creatures, varying temperatures,
crowding weeds;the growthof every blade to stalk and ear is a hard-won
victory. The stalk can do its best, and be its best, only at the costof unceasing
struggle and watchfulness. And the field of earth is but a type of the world of
men. Every characteris the product of a stern experience, the issue of a
hundred fights; a triumph from an unceasing struggle. The problem of each
man's dealings with his surroundings — helpful be they, or injurious — God
is intensely interested in. He is anxious as the farmer is anxious over his
growing blades. The one thing of profoundest interest to God is the making of
characters in His greatearth-fields. Be it so;then a fact of infinite sadness has
to be faced. The issue is disappointing, for God's harvest-hope of reaping
characterfrom His sowing of men is only partially fulfilled.
(R. Tuck, B. A.)

The twin mysteries:life and death
J. Stoughton.
I. THE TRUE THEORY OF A GOOD MAN'S LIFE RIPENING FOR THE
HARVEST. Did you ask, while you saw the farmer plodding his weary way,
what means that sowing? Did you ask, as you saw the wind and the snow
fulfilling the word of a higher power, what means the white flake and the
rough blast? You have now the plainest answerin the growing of the corn.
And if you againinquire, What is it growing for? the harvest will explain that.
When the ear has been well filled, and the heat hath ripened and moulded the
wheat, and the golden treasures are gatheredhome amid the reapers'song of
joy, and the barns are filled with plenty, the result will sufficiently explain the
theory of agricultural toil and of natural influences. And in like manner the
growth of the soulexplains the moral discipline of life; and the harvest of
souls in heaven explains their growth on earth. The days we spend at present
are all days of discipline. Now, is this the theory of your life? Are you
conscious ofsuch growthand ripening? "No," says some poor, timid, cast-
down Christian, "there is no growth, no ripening in me; my heart is as hard
and cold as ever it can be." But, are you not conscious ofresisting temptation?
You cannot deny that you are fighting againstsin. H you cannotboastof any
good, and have a greatdeal of evil to lament, still you can conscientiously
admit that if you did not make a decided stand you would have a greatdeal
more of evil than you have at present. And is there not hope in that fact —
that casting off of evil, and striving and praying and wishing to getrid of
spiritual death? — is not that a sign of spiritual life, of spiritual growth, at
leastin its earlieststage?Thank God, there is hope. It is God working in you;
He will not fail to watchover you for your good.
II. THE TRUE THEORYOF DEATH as illustrated by the text. First of all, it
is never premature. If the wickedare not cut down until they are ripe for
judgment, we cannotbelieve that God's people are cut down till they are ripe
for glory. Fitness for heaven, be it remembered, consists not in the particular
state of mind in which a man may happen to be when the death-stroke
overtakes him. It does not depend upon his being in a state of religious
consciousness. No;it depends upon the habits in previous life, upon the

principle of his previous history. Norshall we be dismissed till we have had
full opportunity of doing all that the Masterintends us to do. There are
different degrees ofservice, evenas there are varied kinds of service. The
terms of service are sometimes long and sometimes short. Norforget that
there may be much living to goodpurpose when the length of life has been
very limited. We often measure life by length. Does not God measure it by
depth and breadth? We look at quantity, does not He look at quality? The
harvest is never premature, and is always carefully gatheredin, and nothing
lost. There is something very instructive in the signs of careful preparation for
the harvest, which are indicated in the text. Before it is commenced, a voice
announces the arrival of the time, and the purpose is calmly and deliberately
executed. In the death harvest there is no haste and nothing lost. "Ofall that
the Fatherhath given Me," said Christ, "have I lost nothing." He is as careful
of what there is of value in the soul as of the soul itself. How very apt are we to
fancy, when such an one is suddenly cut off, that the greatstores ofhis mind
are wasted, that his acquirements by study and discipline are now lose to him.
No, no, we may rely upon it, that there is not anything worth carrying into the
eternal world that that sanctifiedsoul will leave behind it; not one noble
affectionbut is nobler than it everwas;not one greatprinciple but it is
strongerin the soul than ever, not one spiritual habit but it has grown in
force, not one true excellence but it excels in beauty. And the harvestgathered
in without less is preservedafterwards without loss:"Gatherthe wheatinto
My garner." Cornis laid up to be preserved; but that is not all, it is also laid
up that it may be used. At the death harvest, the soulis placed for everbeyond
the reachof harm. The accidents to which it was exposedwhile growing, the
moral frost, and blight, and mildew, and the blast of the lightning, they are all
among the former things, and have passedaway. But the soulis preserved
where it will be of greateruse than it ever was. The best use of the corn comes
when it is cut. All before was subordinate usefulness, beautifying the
landscape and furnishing subjects for poets and painters; but when it is cut, it
feeds and sustains the nations. So the best use of the soul and its acquirements
will be in heaven, not here.
(J. Stoughton.)

COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(4, 5) These are they . . .—The characteristicsofthe servants of the Lamb are
given in this verse and the following. The first is purity: they are virgins. The
expressioncanhardly be limited to the unmarried, as the 144,000 represent
the wide societyofthe choice ones of God. They are those whose hearts have
been made as the hearts of little children (Matthew 18:1-4), who have that
purity of heart which Christ declaredto be blessed, and which St. James
declaredto be the first mark of heavenly wisdom (Matthew 5:8, and James
3:17). The next is implicit obedience:they follow the Lamb whithersoeverHe
goeth. Some, indeed, take this to be a kind of heavenly reward: they shall be
the nearercompanions of the Lamb. But it is better to take it as describing
their complete consecrationto Christ. They are those who are with Christ,
who have tastedthe cup that their Lord tasted, and have taken up their cross
and followedHim (Matthew 20:22; Luke 14:27;John 12:24-26). It is well to
weighthese words; it is in the “wheresoever”that we may test the reality of
our Christian life. Here lies the cross that Christ bids us take up. Here is the
echo of Christ’s words, “Whosoeverforsakethnot all he hath cannot be My
disciple.” The third mark is separation, or unworldliness: they were
purchased from among men, as a firstfruit to God and to the Lamb. They
were a chosengeneration, a peculiar people (Titus 2:14; 1Peter2:9), as the
Israelof God(Deuteronomy 7:6). The fourth feature is utter truthfulness: in
their mouth no guile or no falsehood. (Comp. Psalms 14 and Deuteronomy
32:1-2.)The verse emphatically ends with “Theyare blameless.”The words
“before the throne of God” must be omitted. (Comp. Revelation7:14-15;
Ephesians 5:27; and Colossians 1:22.)
We have seenthe servants of God; we have marked their character;we are
now to see the weaponwhich is to be employed in the conflict againstthe
enemies of Christ.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
14:1-5 Mount Sion is the gospelchurch. Christ is with his church, and in the
midst of her in all her troubles, therefore she is not consumed. His presence
secures perseverance. His people appear honourably. They have the name of
God written in their foreheads;they make a bold and open professionoftheir
faith in God and Christ, and this is followedby suitable actings. There were
persons in the darkesttimes, who ventured and laid down their lives for the
worship and truth of the gospelofChrist. They kept themselves cleanfrom
the wickedabominations of the followers ofantichrist. Their hearts were right
with God; and they were freely pardoned in Christ; he is glorified in them,
and they in him. May it be our prayer, our endeavour, our ambition, to be
found in this honourable company. Those who are really sanctifiedand
justified are meant here, for no hypocrite, howeverplausible, canbe
accountedto be without fault before God.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
These are they - In this verse, and in the following verse, the writer states the
leading characteristicsofthose who are saved. The generalidea is, that they
are chaste;that they are the followers of the Lamb; that they are redeemed
from among people;and that they are without guile.
Which were not defiled with women - Who were chaste. The word "defiled"
here determines the meaning of the passage, as denoting that they were not
guilty of illicit sexualintercourse with women. It is unnecessaryto show that
this is a virtue everywhere required in the Bible, and everywhere statedas
among the characteristicsofthe redeemed. On no point are there more
frequent exhortations in the Scriptures than on this; on no point is there more
solicitude manifested that the professedfriends of the Saviourshould be
without blame. Compare the Acts 15:20 note; Romans 1:24-32 notes;1
Corinthians 6:18 note; Hebrews 13:4 note. See also 1 Corinthians 5:1; 1
Corinthians 6:13; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians3:5; 1
Thessalonians 4:3. This passagecannotbe adduced in favor of celibacy,
whether among the clergy or laity, or in favor of monastic principles in any

form; for the thing that is specifiedis, that they were not "defiled with
women," and a lawful connectionof the sexes, suchas marriage, is not
defilement. See the notes on Hebrews 13:4. The word rendered here "defiled"
- ἐμολύνθησανemolunthēsan, from μολύνω molunō - is a word that cannotbe
applied to the marriage relation. It means properly to "soil, to stain, to
defile." 1 Corinthians 8:7; "their conscience being weak, is defiled."
Revelation3:4; "whichhave not defiled their garments." The word does not
elsewhere occurin the New Testament, exceptin the passagebefore us, and it
will be seenat once that it cannot be applied to that which is lawful and
proper, and consequently that it cannot be construed as an expressionagainst
marriage and in favor of celibacy. It is a word that is properly expressive of
illicit sexual intercourse - of impurity and unchastity of life - and the
statementis, that they who are saved are not impure and unchaste.
For they are virgins - παρθένοι parthenoi. This is the masculine form, but this
form is found in the later Greek and in the Christian fathers. See Suidas and
Suicer, Thes. The meaning of the word, when found in the feminine form, is
well understood. It denotes a virgin, a maiden, and thence it is used to denote
what is chaste and pure: virgin modesty; virgin gold; virgin soil; virgin blush;
virgin shame. The word in the masculine form must have a similar meaning as
applied to men, and may denote:
(a) those who are unmarried;
(b) those who are chaste and pure in general.
The word is applied by Suidas to Abel and Melchizedek. "The sense," says
DeWette, in loco, "cannotbe that all these 144,000hadlived an unmarried
life; for how could the apostle Peter, and others who were married, have been
excluded? But the reference must be to those who held themselves from all
impurity - "unkeuschheitund hurerei" - which, in the view of the apostles,
was closelyconnectedwith idolatry." Compare Bleek, Beitr. i. 185. Prof.
Stuart supposes that the main reference here is to those who had kept
themselves from idolatry, and who were thus pure. It seems to me, however,
that the most obvious meaning is the correctone, that it refers to the
redeemedas chaste, and thus brings into view one of the prominent things in

which Christians are distinguished from the devotees ofnearly every other
form of religion, and, indeed, exclusivelyfrom the world at large. This
passage, also,cannotbe adduced in favor of the monastic system, because:
(a) whatever may be said anywhere of the purity of virgins, there is no such
commendation of it as to imply that the married life is impure;
(b) it cannotbe supposedthat God meant in any way to reflect on the married
life as in itself impure or dishonorable;
(c) the language does not demand such an interpretation; and,
(d) the facts in regard to the monastic life have shownthat it has had very
little pretensions to a claim of virgin purity.
These are they which follow the Lamb - This is another characteristicofthose
who are redeemed - that they are followers of the Lamb of God. That is, they
are his disciples;they imitate his example; they obey his instructions; they
yield to his laws;they receive him as their counselorand their guide. See the
notes on John 10:3, John 10:27.
Whithersoeverhe goeth- As sheepfollow the shepherd. Compare Psalm 23:1-
2. It is one characteristic oftrue Christians that they follow the Saviour
whereverhe leads them. Be it into trouble, into danger, into difficult duty; be
it in Christian or paganlands; be it in pleasantpaths, or in roads rough and
difficult, they commit themselves wholly to his guidance, and submit
themselves wholly to his will.
These were redeemedfrom among men - This is another characteristic of
those who are seenon Mount Zion. They are there because they are redeemed,
and they have the characterof the redeemed. They are not there in virtue of
rank or blood John 1:13; not on the ground of their ownworks Titus 3:5; but
because they are redeemed unto God by the blood of his Son. See the notes on
Revelation5:9-10. None will be there of whom it cannot be said that they are
"redeemed";none will be absentwho have been truly redeemed from sin.
Being the first-fruits unto God- On the meaning of the word "first-fruits," see
the notes on 1 Corinthians 15:20. The meaning here would seemto be, that the

hundred and forty-four thousand were not to be regardedas the whole of the
number that was saved, but that they were representatives ofthe redeemed.
They had the same characteristics whichall the redeemedmust have; they
were a pledge that all the redeemed would be there. Prof. Stuart supposes that
the sense is, that they were, as it were, "an offering especiallyacceptable to
God." The former explanation, however, meets all the circumstances ofthe
case, andis more in accordancewith the usual meaning of the word.
continued...
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
4. virgins—spiritually (Mt 25:1); in contrastto the apostate Church, Babylon
(Re 14:8), spiritually "a harlot" (Re 17:1-5; Isa 1:21; contrast2Co 11:2; Eph
5:25-27). Their not being defiled with women means they were not led astray
from Christian faithfulness by the tempters who jointly constitute the
spiritual "harlot."
follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth—in glory, being especiallynearHis
person; the fitting reward of their following Him so fully on earth.
redeemed—"purchased."
being the—rather, "as a first-fruit." Not merely a "first-fruit" in the sense in
which all believers are so, but Israel's 144,000 electare the first-fruit, the
Jewishand Gentile electChurch is the harvest; in a further sense, the whole of
the transfigured and translatedChurch which reigns with Christ at His
coming, is the first-fruit, and the consequentgeneralingathering of Israel and
the nations, ending in the last judgment, is the full and final harvest.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins; that
is, that would not comply with antichristian idolatry and superstition; for
idolatry is all along in holy writ comparedto whoredomand fornication.

Which follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth; that follow the Lord Christ
fully, in all things keeping close to the rules of worship and life which he hath
given.
These were redeemedfrom among men; these show themselves to be
redeemedby the blood of Christ from the vain conversationof men, whether
towards God, in matters of worship, or towards men.
Being the first-fruits unto Godand to the Lamb; that are consecratedto, and
acceptedofGod, as the first-fruits were, being the only part of the world that
are not profane.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
These are they which were not defiled with women,.... With the whore of
Rome, and her harlots, she is the mother of; while the kings and inhabitants of
the earth were drunk with the wine of their fornication, or committed idolatry
with them, which is spiritual fornication, and is here meant by being defiled
with them, these were free from such pollutions, or idolatrous practices:
for they are virgins; for their beauty and comeliness in Christ, chastity,
sincerity of their love, uncorruptness in doctrine and worship, and for the
uprightness of conversation;See Gill on Matthew 25:1;
these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth; as the sheep
follow the shepherd of the flock, and which is a characterof Christ's sheep,
John 10:4. These follow Christ in the exercise ofthe graces ofhumility,
patience, and love; and in the performance of the severalduties of religion,
and subjectionto ordinances, and in the path of sufferings; and in every way
in which Christ the Lamb has gone before them, or in his word and
providence leads and directs them to, whether it be grateful to the flesh or
not; particularly they follow where he is preached, and his Word and
ordinances are faithfully administered; and they follow him to heaven, where
he is: it was part of the oath takenby the Roman soldiers, ' , "to follow the

generals whereverthey should lead" (n), to which it is thought there is an
allusion here; see 2 Samuel15:21;
these were redeemed from among men; "by Jesus", as the Syriac and Arabic
versions add, and so the Complutensian edition; by the blood of Christ, for all
men are not redeemed by it; and in consequence ofthis they were called, and
delivered from this present evil world, and the men of it, and from a vain,
wicked, and idolatrous conversationwith it:
being the firstfruits unto God, and to the Lamb; in allusion to the firstfruits
under the law, which representedand sanctifiedthe lump, and showedthat
harvest was coming; so these persons are called the firstfruits to God, and to
the Lamb, being calledby grace, andconsecratedto their worship and service,
with reference to the harvest of souls, or that large number of them which will
be gathered in during the spiritual reign of Christ, which these persons will be
at the beginning of; and as those who are first called and converted in a
country or nation are said to be the firstfruits of it, Romans 16:5; so these
being the first, in the period of time to which respectis had, bear this name;
and as the convertedJews receivedthe firstfruits of the Spirit, on the day of
Pentecost, and at other times, so these will receive the firstfruits of the far
greaterpouring forth of the Spirit in the latter day, which will begin, and
usher in the kingdom of Christ; see Romans 8:23.
(n) Vid. Lydii Dissert. de Jurament. c. 2. p. 258.
Geneva Study Bible
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb {1} stoodon the mount Sion, and with him {2}
an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's {3} name written in
their foreheads.
(1) The history of the Church of Christ being finished for more than a 1300
years at which time Boniface the eighth lived as has been said: there remains
the restof the history of the conflicting or militant church, from there to the
time of the lastvictory in three chapters. For first of all, as the foundation of
the whole history, is described the standing of the Lamb with his army and
retinue in five verses, afterhis worthy acts which he has done and yet does in

most mighty manner, while he overthrows Antichrist with the spirit of his
mouth, in the rest of this chapter and in the two following. To the description
of the Lamb, are propounded three things: his situation, place and
attendance:for the rest are expounded in the former visions, especiallyin the
fifth chapter.
(2) Prepared to do his office see Ac 7:56, in the midst of the church, which
mount Zion pictured before.
(3) This retinue of the Lamb is described first by divine mark
(as before in) Re 7:2 in this verse. Then by divine occupation, in that every one
in his retinue most earnestlyand sweetlyRe 14:2 glorify the Lamb with a
specialsong before God and his electangels. Fleshand blood cannothear this
song, nor understand, Re 14:3. Lastly by their deeds done before, and their
sanctificationin that they were virgins, pure from spiritual and bodily
fornication, that is, from impiety and unrighteousness. Theyfollowedthe
Lamb as a guide to all goodness, cleavedto him and are holy to him, as by
grace redeemedby him. In truth and simplicity of Christ they have exercised
all these things, sanctimony of life, the guidance of the Lamb, a thankful
remembrance of redemption by him and finally (to conclude in a word) they
are blameless before the Lord, Re 14:4,5.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Revelation14:4-5. John describes the one hundred and forty-four thousand as
a selectnumber surpassing all other believers in moral perfection. The
understanding of this description depends principally upon the proper
arrangementand framing of the individual expressions. At the beginning and
at the close two specialpoints stand (Revelation14:4 : οὑτοι εἰσιν οῖ μετὰ
γυναικῶνοὐκ ἐμολύνθησαν;Revelation14:5 : καὶ ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶνοὐχ
εὑρέθη ψεῦδος);here, where the subject pertains to the past earthly life of
those who have died, the aor. necessarilystands. In both casesthe conclusion
is by formulæ framed precisely in like manner (Revelation14:4 : παρθένοι
γάρ εἰσιν; Revelation14:5 : ἄμωμοι γάρεἰσιν); but here, where an advance is

made from the definite actualpreservationof the deceased, to their proper
nature and permanent condition, the present necessarilyoccurs. Betweenthe
two double-membered sentences, in the beginning and at the close, there are
besides two sentences, whichare thereby exhibited as independent of one
another and the beginning and closing sentences, in that they both commence
with the specialdesignationofthe subject (οὖτοι), and that the first expresses
something present(οὖτ. εἰσιν οἱ ἀκολ.), but the secondsomething past,
completed in the earthly life (οὖτ. ἠγοράσθησαν, cf. Revelation14:3).
Hofmann[3445]is the first expositorwho keeps in view the disposition of
Revelation14:4-5;but he misjudges it by regarding the παρθένοι γάρ εἰσιν as
immediately attractedto the succeeding words. The disposition attempted
now also by Ew. ii., whereby three members appear (1. οὐτοί εἰσ., κ.τ.λ.;2.
οὖτ. εἰσ., κ.τ.λ.;3. καὶ ἐν τ. στόμ., κ.τ.λ.), is in violation of the context.
οἱ μετὰ γυναικῶνοὑκ ἐμολύνθησαν. According to Leviticus 15:18, the sexual
union in itself, even that in wedlock, was regardedas defiling.[3446]
ΠΑΡΘΈΝΟΙ. This predicate was not seldom ascribedalso to men.[3447]In
order to avoid the thoughts forcedfrom the word, and not seldom made the
best of by Catholic interpreters in the sense of monastic asceticism,[3448]it is
regardedeither directly as figurative,[3449]andreferring to spiritual purity,
especiallyto abstaining from the worship of idols,[3450]or, if we abide by the
proper sense ofthe words, to sexualpurity, as an example of all virtues.[3451]
Hofm. attempts to remove the difficulty by saying that the declarationis
concerning believers of the last time,[3452]to whom celibacywill become a
moral necessity, becauseofthe specialcircumstances ofthose times. But
nothing is said here concerning Christians of that time. The expedient of
Bleek[3453]and De Wette, who regard it as referring to abstinence from all
lewdness, as it was ordinarily combined with the worship of idols, is forbidden
by the expressionμετὰ τ. γυναικῶν, which is altogethergeneral.

Nothing else seems to remain than with Augustine,[3454]Jerome,[3455]Beda,
Andr., to explain it in the proper sense, and to acknowledge the idea, to which
also other points in the text lead,[3456]that entire abstinence from all sexual
intercourse belongs to the distinguished holiness of that one hundred and
forty-four thousand,[3457]because ofwhich they enjoy also distinguished
blessedness. [See Note LXXV., p. 404.]This is declaredby the words
immediately following: οὖτοι εἰσιν οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες τῷ ἀρνίῳ ὅπου ἂν
ὑπάγει. There is generallyfound here a description of the obedience of
believers who follow the Lamb even to the cross and to death;[3458] but
because ofthe present tense, which here expressesthe presentcondition,—
while the holy manifestationin the earthly life is designatedby the aor.,—
there can be meant only a descriptionof the blessedreward which those who
have died are enjoying[3459]withthe Lamb.[3460]It is meant that
everywhere whither the Lamb goes, there that chosenone hundred and forty-
four thousand accompanyhim; whether it be that a certainspace in heaven
remain inaccessible to other saints, or that the latter do not form the constant
retinue of the Lamb, at leastnot in the same way as the former.
ΟὙΤΟΙ ἨΓΟΡΆΣΘΗΣΑΝ Ἀ̓ΠῸ ΤῶΝ ἈΝΘΡΏΠΩΝ ἈΠΑΡΧῊ Τῷ Θ.,
Κ.Τ.Λ. What applies to all the redeemed, viz., that they have been bought unto
God by the blood of the Lamb, from among men, of the earth (Revelation
14:3), or from all nations and kindreds (Revelation5:9), applies in an eminent
sense to the one hundred and forty-four thousand: they are bought as an
ἈΠΑΡΧΉ. They appear, therefore, not as the selectfirst fruits from the entire
world,[3461]but from believers, or, at any rate, from the blessed. The
correlate to the ἀπαρχή is afforded by the context: τῶν ἠγορασμένων. As such
selectfirst fruits the one hundred and forty-four thousand appear, with
respectboth to their peculiar holiness (παρθένοι), and also their peculiar
blessedness(ἀκολ. τ. ἀρν., κ.τ.λ.).
Besides distinguishedvirginity, in Revelation14:5 another peculiar perfection
is mentioned, which that multitude had manifested in their earthly life

(εὑρέθη, aor.);viz., perfect truthfulness never clouded by a lie. The expression
ψεῦδος[3462]is to be takenin its generalsense, and not to be limited to the
lies of idolatry,[3463]heresy, or denial of Christ.[3464]A contrastis easily
conceivable to the sphere of falsehoodin which the seducing false
prophet[3465]moves, with the worshippers of the beast accepting his
lies.[3466]Cf. also, in Revelation9:21, in an enumeration of the characteristic
sins of the inhabitants of the earth, the juxtaposition of πορνεία and
κλέμματα.[3467]
ἄμωμοι γάρεἰσιν. The conclusionwhich stands especiallyin analogous
relation to the immediately preceding specialpoint, as the παρθ. γ. εἰσ.,
Revelation14:4, to the immediately preceding clause,[3468]is, nevertheless,
because ofthe comprehensive meaning of the predicate ἄμωμοι,[3469]
especiallysuitable for rounding the entire description (Revelation14:4-5).
[3445]Schriftbew, II. 2, p. 392.
[3446]On the expressionἐμολυνθ., cf. Isaiah59:3; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 2
Corinthians 7:1.
[3447]Cf. Fabricius, Cod. apocr. Vet. Test., II., pp. 92, 98 (where Josephis
calledan ἀνήρ παρθένος); Kypke, Observ. sacr. adh. l. (παρθένοννἰα from
Nonnus, on John 19:26); Suidas, see on Αβελ.
[3448]N. de Lyra, Stern.
[3449]Cf. 2 Corinthians 11:2.

[3450]Victorin., Zeger, Coccejus, Grot., Vitr., Wolf; cf. also Züll.
[3451]Eichh., Beng., Hengstenb., who says that sexual intercourse, as legally
defiling, is a figurative designationof sinful defilement in general.
[3452]Cf. also C. a Lap.
[3453]Beitr., p. 185.
[3454]De s. virg., c. 27. Opp. Antw., 1701, T. VI., p. 258.
[3455]Adv. Jovin., I. c. 40. Opp. Franeof, 1684, T. II., p. 34.
[3456]See above.
[3457]So also Neander, p. 543, who, from this mode of contemplation,
properly recognizes a mark that the writer of the Apoc. is not identical with
the EvangelistJohn.—Ifthe expositionabove given be acknowledged, it must
also be maintained (againstEw. ii.) that the view, which, to the writer of the
Apoc., is fundamental, of the impurity of all sexual intercourse, is significantly
distinguished from what is said in Matthew 19:11 sqq., 1 Corinthians 7:32; 1
Corinthians 7:34, since here, under the express presumption that sexual
intercourse in marriage is an ordinance which is divine, and by no means in
itself impure, it is assertedthat certaincircumstances canmake a complete
abstinence from marriage possible and necessary. Possiblythe too far-
reaching statement of the writer of the Apocalypse is occasionedby the fact

that he wishes to emphasize in the highest degree the contrastwith the
worshippers of the beast, i.e., the Gentiles, with their sexual abominations.
[3458]Cf. Matthew 10:38. Coccej., Grot., Vitr., Wolf, who recallthe factthat
the soldiers were accustomedto swear:ἀκολουθεῖντοῖς στρατηγοῖς ὅποι ποτʼ
ἅν ἅγωσιν [“to follow the generals whithersoever they would go”]. Beng., De
Wette, Hengstenb., Ebrard, Ew. ii.
[3459]Cf. Revelation7:17.
[3460]Augustine, l. c., but he is not consistent;Andr., Züll., Stern.
[3461]AgainstDe Wette, Hengstenb., who improperly appealto Jam1:18,
where the express designationἀπαρχ. τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτωνis given; cf. also
Jeremiah2:3.
[3462]Cf. Revelation21:27.
[3463]Grot.:“They did not invoke the gods, which are not gods;” Beng.
[3464]Cf. Hengstenb.
[3465]Revelation13:14.
[3466]Cf. Ewald, Ebrard.

[3467]Cf., besides, 1 Thessalonians 4:4 sq., and Revelation14:6.
[3468]See above.
[3469]Cf. Ephesians 1:4;
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
4. for they are virgins] The first instance of the use of the word as a masculine.
It was adopted in ecclesiasticallanguage, andapplied e.g. to St John himself.
It is best to understand the word literally. St Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 7
prove, on any fair interpretation, that a devout and unselfish celibacygives
specialmeans for serving God, and so we need not be surprised to learn here
that it has a specialrewardfrom Him. No disparagementof holy matrimony
is implied. Marriage is loweredby the Fall from what God meant it to be
(Genesis 3:16), and so, like other things which God made very good, has its
own evils and dangers;but it does not follow that it is here conceivedas in any
sense defilement—they who are virgins à fortiori are “not defiled with
women.” It is noticeable that we owe to the two celibate apostles the highest
consecrationof marriage, see Ephesians 5:23-33,and the last two chapters of
this Book.
being the firstfruits] This seems to imply, as is required by the view that
“virgins” strictly speaking are meant, that the 144,000do not representthe
whole number of the Elect, but a speciallysanctifiednumber from among
them. See on Revelation7:4.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 4. - These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are
virgins. There is little doubt that these words are intended in a spiritual sense.
In the Old Testamentthe employment of the figure of adultery and

fornication to denote spiritual unfaithfulness is common (cf. 2 Chronicles
21:11;Jeremiah 3:9, etc.). St. John elsewhere in the Apocalypse makes use of
the same symbolism (cf. Revelation2:20," Thatwoman Jezebel, which calleth
herself a prophetess, to teachand to seduce my servants to commit
fornication, and to eatthings sacrificedunto idols;" also Revelation17:5, 6).
Similarly, also, St. John pictures the faithful Church as the bride adorned for
her Husband the Lamb (Revelation19:7, 8). So also St. Paul(2 Corinthians
11:2), "I espousedyou as a chaste virgin to one Husband, Christ." Παρθένοι,
"virgins," is a word equally applicable to men or women. This verse,
therefore, seems to describe those who are free from spiritual impurity and
unfaithfulness; those who have not worshipped the beast and his image.
Alford, however, thinks the words should be understood literally. These are
they which follow the Lamb whithersoeverhe goeth. These words describe the
greatsource of the bliss of the redeemed, viz. that they are continually in the
presence ofChrist. This is their rewardfor following him on earth; but the
words must not be taken as referring to the earthly course of the saints (as
Bengel, De Wette, Hengstenberg, and others). These were redeemedfrom
among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb; these were
purchased from among men, the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb.
Some have erroneouslyconcluded that a reference is made to a portion of the
redeemedto whom specialhonour is conceded;or to some who attain to glory
before the rest. The firstfruits were the best of their kind (Numbers 18:12),
selectedfrom the rest, and consecratedto the service ofGod. So the redeemed
are the best of their kind; they who have proved themselves faithful to God,
who voluntarily separatedthemselves from the world, and consecrated
themselves to the service ofGod while in the world, and who are thus
afterwards separatedby him and consecratedto his service forever.
Vincent's Word Studies
Were not defiled (οὐκ ἐμολύνθησαν)
The verb means properly to besmearor besmirch, and is never used in a good
sense, as μιαίνειν(John 18:28; Jde 1:8), which in classicalGreekis sometimes
applied to staining with color. See on 1 Peter1:4.

Virgins (παρθένοι)
Either celibate or living in chastity whether in married or single life. See 1
Corinthians 7:1-7, 1 Corinthians 7:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2.
First-fruits (ἀπαρχὴ)
See on James 1:18.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
CHRIS BENFIELD
A Glorious Victory Celebration(Message# 32)
Revelation14:1-5
We have spent severalweeksstudying the dark, disturbing passagesthat
have dealt with Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the mark of the
Beast. We have seenhow the world will be deceivedand commit them-selves
to the worship of Satan. Tonight we come to a passageofhope amidst the
darkness as we see the 144,000 aroundthe throne.
The Bible must deal with the deceitof Satanand the depravity of man, but
that isn’t its central theme. The Bible is the HIM Book;Jesus is the theme and
focus of the Bible. Among the tragedies and wickednessofa sin cursedworld
blooms the Lilly of the Valley, the Rose ofSharon. Once againwe find a scene
of rejoicing and triumph in the midst of greatTribulation. We are dealing
with literal future events, but we can draw encouragementfrom the pages of
Revelation. Our world is dark, but we are not without hope! Let’s take some
time to rejoice as we consider: A Glorious Victory Celebration.

I. The Identification of the 144,000(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. We 1stencounteredthese men in
Chp.7:3-4. They were sealedof Godto carry the gospelof Christ to those who
would receive Him during the Tribulation.
 We have now come to the end of their ministry. They have kept the faith and
finished the course, finally being martyred by the Antichrist, and now their
faith has ended in sight. There are a couple of things we need to consider
concerning them.
A. Their Association(1a) – Keep in mind that the vast majority of mankind
has bought into the lies of Satanand have chosento follow Antichrist and
receive his mark. They have aligned themselves with the counterfeit of Christ.
These on the other hand, have given themselves to the Lord and His work. At
the end of life they are found standing with the Lamb. All of the suffering and
hardship they’ve facedhas ended and they have been receivedby the Lamb of
God.
 What hope that gives to every child of God! There is much that we must
endure in this life. We are often ridiculed and rejectedbecause ofour
associationwith the Lord, but there is coming a day when we shall be
welcomedinto that heavenly city. The trials of this life won’t evenbegin to
compare with the glory that we shall behold. Rom.8:18 – For I reckonthat the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be comparedwith the glory
which shall be revealedin us. All the mockery, tragedy, and suffering ended
with the wonderful privilege of standing with the One they had endured so
much to see. We will also see Him as He is.
B. Their Assurance (1b) – The world had given in to acceptthe mark of the
Beast. Theyare now identified with Satanand will spend eternity with him in
torments. These have found a much different destiny. They were sealedwith

God the Father’s name written in their foreheads. Theywere identified as
belonging to the Lord.
 As they stand before the host of heaven, His name still remains. Satanhas
marked those who belong to him and God has sealedthe 144,000 withHis
name. They had put their faith in the Lord and He hadn’t failed them. There
were 144,000 thatwere sent out to preach the gospeland here we find 144,000,
all present and accountedfor, standing before the Lord. There had not been a
one of them lost during the Tribulation; there wasn’t a one of them that God
could not keep.
 That ought to make you rejoice tonight. We will not endure the Tribulation,
but we have that same assurance. Ifyou have been savedtonight, you are
secure in the Lord. He hasn’t lost a one who has come to Him and He isn’t
about to lose you! Jn.10:28-29 – And I give unto them eternallife; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My
Father, which gave them me, is greaterthan all; and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand. Satan may not like it, but we are safe and
secure in the hands of our blessedLord! We are gonna’ make it!
I. The Identification of the 144,000(1)
II. The Celebrationof the 144,000 – As the faithful of God find themselves in
the land of their dreams, a greatcelebrationbegins. Let me saythat heaven
will not be a place of sorrow and depression;it won’t be a gloomy place where
hearts are heavy, loaded with care. Heavenwill resound with the rejoicing
and praise of God’s people. Notice this celebration. It is:
A. An Unending Celebration – We find in V.1 that these have been ushered
into Mount Sion. In the Bible Zion always refers to the city of Jerusalem.
There is a difference in opinion as to where these men actually are. Some

believe that the text is referring to Jerusalemin the time of the Millennial
Reign. Others believe that this is referring to the New Jerusalem, the heavenly
city. This seems to be what the text supports. They are found before the
throne among the four beasts and the elders.
 Consider the joy that these now have found. They have endured the famines,
the droughts, the persecution, and death while preaching to a lostworld. They
have spent their time witnessing the entire world rejectGod and follow the
Antichrist. Theirs was not an easyexistence. Butnow all of that is a distant
memory; they have been delivered to worship the Lord they were faithful to
for all of eternity.
 That sounds like my kind of place, a celebrationthat I look forward to
experiencing. I rejoice in the fact that this world is not all there is. We have
the promise of a home in heaven where we’ll have the privilege of worshipping
our blessedLord throughout eternity!
B. A United Choir (2) – And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of a greatthunder: and I heard the voice of harpers
harping with their harps: These sing the song of the redeemed, praising the
Lamb who delivered and purchased their redemption.
 John described a voice, (singular) as the sound of many waters, the sound of
greatthunder. Imagine the scene that we shall behold, 144,000servants of
God will lift their voices in praise to the Redeemerin perfectharmony. We
can’t begin to imagine the beauty of heaven’s sights and sounds. There will be
no sweetersound than the redeemed singing praises to God.
C. An Unknown Chorus (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. They will sing a new song that no man can sing but these

144,000.It will be a song that is unique unto them. They alone have endured
these trials; they alone will know the words to this glorious song. The church
will be able to enjoy this wonderful chorus, but we won’t be able to sing it
with them.
 We maybe can’t sing that song, but every child of God has a song to sing!
Ps.40:2-3. Ihave a song within my heart for the Lord. I know what it is to be
brought out of the miry clay of sin. I know what it is to have been placed upon
the Rock ofmy salvation. I know what it is to feel His presence nearme. That
certainly puts a song in my heart!
 We are really the only ones who have a song in our day. There are many
who earn large sums of money as music artists, but they can’t sing our song.
Our song is sung from the heart to the glory of our Redeemer!
I. The Identification of the 144,000(1)
II. The Celebrationof the 144,000
III. The Presentationofthe 144,000 (4-5)– There will be many saints that
receive greatrewards in heaven. Consider the crowns of Abraham, Moses,
David, the prophets, and the apostles. Greatwill be the rewards of many, but
these will receive a great rewardas well. These have stoodthe test during the
difficulties of Tribulation and emergedvictorious. As they are presentedto
God Himself, there characteris revealed. May their stand serve as a challenge
to us today! Notice:
A. Their Spiritual Purity (4a) – These are they which were not defiled with
women; for they are virgins. The word defiled means “polluted, stained, or
contaminated.” They have kept themselves pure of the defilement of sin
through fornication. There is much sexual perversion in the world today and

it will be rampant in the Tribulation. These have kept their lives pure before
God.
 There is more than what we see on the surface to their purity. Spiritually
they are pure before the Lord. They haven’t defiled themselves with the
seductive greatwhore of Tribulation. They have kept themselves committed to
the bridegroom who purchasedthem.
 I know our world is filled with perversion, but we as God’s people must
keepourselves pure, physically and spiritually. Young people keepyourselves
pure. Christian keepyourselves pure from seductionand this world’s religion.
We are the bride of Christ and should behave as such!
B. Their SacrificialPersistence(4b) – These were wholly surrendered to the
ways of God, they which follow the Lamb withersoeverhe goeth. They would
not compromise the truth due to the pressures they faced. They were
consistentin serving the Lord and going at His command. Their lives were
lived entirely for the Lord, come what may. The persistence ofthese has
spokento my heart. They servedGod in the midst of greatTribulation.
 We often find it hard to serve Him in a Christian environment. We have
fellow believers and the church to lean on. God expects us to live committed to
Him and His purpose for our lives. The word follow means to be in the same
way as someone else. We are to live our lives as Jesus did.
C. Their Symbolic Prophecy (4c) – These were redeemedfrom among men,
being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. In the OT days of sacrifice,
the people brought what was known as a “wave offering.” Theywould bring
the first sheaves ofgrain from the new harvest into the Temple, waving it
before the Lord as a testimony to the harvest that would follow. These men
were calledto carry the gospelmessage. Theyhave been faithful to the task

and are receiving their reward, but their work hasn’t ceasedto exist. There
will be countless more that will be saved because oftheir labor in the harvest.
 This ought to encourage us to continue in the harvest. You might think you
have been of little value, that your life hasn’t been very fruitful. Listen it isn’t
our job to save them; we are calledto scatterthe seed. I’m sure it will be
amazing to see the harvest that has been produced from seemingly
insignificant lives. Just keepsowing the gospelseed!
D. Their Sanctified Position(5) – And in their mouth was found no guile: for
they are without fault before the throne of God. These have been examined as
they stand before God. They are without fault. There is no guile found in their
mouths. Guile literally means “a decoyor a deceitful image.” It has the idea
of “one who isn’t what he appears.” Theseare not decoys;they are not
counterfeits;these are the “realdeal.” They have professedthe name of Christ
and have been found worthy!
 This dark, sinful world needs to see men who have no guile. They need to see
the genuine article. We need not be found as hypocrites. Our lives ought to
reflectwhat we proclaim. We need to be people of character, living in private
the same as we do in public.
 The fact is this world knows who we are. We have a personalrelationship
with Christ and the world needs to see and recognize our faithfulness to Him.
Anyone can talk the talk; let’s walk the walk!
I hope you have been encouragedand challengedby these verses. The one
thing that kept coming to my mind is that a Christian’s life is never lived in
vain. You may not always enjoy the trip, but God is keeping a record. We
have a precious opportunity to live life to the fullest for Jesus. Are you
satisfiedwith your life as it is? If not, come and seek the Lord.

ALAN CARR
ALAN CARR
Rev. 14:1-5 WITH THE LAMB ON MOUNT ZION
Intro: After the turmoil and death of chapter thirteen, we need something
like this to
encourage andrefresh our hearts. Only God canfollow a black storm with a
beautiful
rainbow! Only God can take somehting so black and dark and make it turn
out all
right. He does this in our lives daily, and He will do it in the tribulation also.
Ill. The
blessednessofthe Lamb! He is THE theme of the Book! Ill. Here we see
againthe

144,000 ofchapter7. What can be said about these men can be applied to
every true
believer in Jesus. Let's gleanfrom the Book.
I. v.1 A HEAVENLY COMPANY (Ill. Mt. Zion in Jerusalem,
the
king's residence. It also stands as a type of Heaven.)
A. Divinely Protected- (Ill. The protectionof the 144,000 -13:15; Ill The
killing
of Antichrist's enemies, but not the 144,000 - 7:3. They are God's
Untouchables!
(Ill. the Christian is immortal until God is through with him, Ill. No
waepons -
Isa. 54:17)
B. Divinely Preserved- Ill. 144,000sealedand 144,000takenhome, not
143,999!

(Ill. Eternal Security!) (Ill. Business and Loss)(Ill. Not the perseverance
of the
saints, it is the Preservationofthe Savior! - John 17:12;1 Pet. 1:5!) (Ill.
All who
get savedgo home!) (Ill. Roll CallIn Glory!)
II. v.2-3 A HAPPY COMPANY(Ill. v.2 - Heaven's Orchestra is
playing the overature.) (Ill. Happiness and singing in Heaven!) (We need to be
happy and sing to the Lord down here! - Psa. 100:1-5!) (Ill. People who will
not
sing!) (Ill. Crows and Nightingales!)
A. A New Song - A fresh song - A song no one else cansing. (Ill. Everyone
has a

song, a testimony a praise that is unique to them! It is up to use to make
use of
very opportunity to use them for the glory of God!)
III. v.4-5 A HOLY COMPANY(All these should be true of us!)
A. v.4a They Ae Detached - (Ill. Sins of trib.) (Ill. Seperation - 2 Cor. 6:17)
B. v.4b They Are Dedicated - They followedJesus and did all He wanted!
(Ill.
John 14:15; 21) (Ill. Some areas where we need to be dedicatedto the
Lord!)
C. v.4c They Are Devoted - The Firstfruits are the guarantee of a full
harvest!
D. v.5a They Are Dependable - Jesus cantrust the holy - Luke 16:10
E. v.5b They Are Displayed - No Fault at all! (Ill. Fault now, but no
charges in

Heaven - Col. 2:13-14) (Ill. Believers are faultless - Jude 24) (Ill. God's
inability to remember forgiven sin - GLORY!!)
DR. THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 4
Three occurrences of"these" (Gr. houtoi) in this verse identify the144 ,000 as
worthy of specialhonor. First, with women (emphatic in the Greek text) they
had not been defiled because they were celibates (Gr. parthenoi, virgins).
Should we understand this word literally or figuratively? Literally the text
would mean that these males had no sexual relations with women.
"One of the specialcriteria for these slaves of God was that they have no
intercourse with women.... So in the future GreatTribulation, virginity will be
requisite for this specialgroup." [Note: Thomas, Revelation8-22 , p195. Cf.
Alford, 4:685-86;Newell, pp215-16;and Wiersbe, 2:607.]
Figuratively it would mean that they had remained faithful to the Lord, as the
NIV translation "they kept themselves pure" suggests(cf. 2 Kings 19:21;

Isaiah37:22; Jeremiah18:13; Jeremiah31:4; Jeremiah 31:21;Lamentations
2:13; Amos 5:2; 2 Corinthians 11:2).
"It is better ... to relate the reference to purity to the defilement of idolatry. In
fact, John seems to use molyno [defile] this way elsewhere ofcult prostitution (
Revelation3:4; cf. Revelation2:14; Revelation2:20; Revelation2:22)." [Note:
Johnson, p539. Cf. Walvoord, The Revelation. . ., p216;Ladd, p191;and
Beale, p739.]
I think the balance of evidence is slightly in favor of the literal interpretation.
If this seems too severe, it may be helpful to remember that Paul advisedthe
Corinthians to remain unmarried because ofthe nature of the distressing
times in which they lived ( 1 Corinthians 7:26; cf. Matthew 19:12). A
figurative interpretation of "celibates" couldbe the correctone, however. Of
course, both may be true; they may be unmarried and faithful spiritually.
[Note:McGee, 5:1008.]
Second, the144 ,000 receive specialcommendationbecause theyfollowedthe
Lamb faithfully during their lives. This was especiallydifficult due to the time
in which they lived, the GreatTribulation.
Third, they receive honor because they not only experiencedpurchase by God
but because theywere firstfruits to God. Some view this as expressing the idea
that they are the first of others who will follow, specificallybelievers who will
enter the Millennium as living believers. [Note: Walvoord, The Revelation. . .,
p216;Ryrie, p89; Smith, A Revelation. . ., pp210-11.]Howeverthere will be
no others who follow that are just like the144 ,000;they are unique. Probably
the firstfruits figure represents them as a specialgift to God. This is the idea
behind abut two-thirds of the references to firstfruits in the Old Testament.
[Note:Thomas, Revelation8-22 , p198.]

THE ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND ON MOUNT ZION
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Revelation14:1-5
12-16-62 10:50 a.m.
Now we turn to chapter14. On the radio you are listening to the services of
the First BaptistChurch in Dallas, and this is the pastorbringing the eleven
o’clock morning messageentitled The One Hundred Forty-four Thousand on
Mount Zion. In our preaching through the Bible after these many years, we
have come to the last and climactic book, the Apocalypse. And in our
preaching through the Revelation, lastSunday we closedwith the thirteenth
chapter, and today we begin with chapter 14. And the message this morning
is an expositionof the first five verses of Revelation14:
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stoodon Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred
forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of a greatthunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their
harps:
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four
living creatures, and before the elders: and no man could learn that song but
the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemedand
purchased from the earth.

These were they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoeverHe goeth. These were
redeemedfrom among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are blameless—Period.
[Revelation14:1-4]
A scribe added that last clause, “And in their mouth was found no guile: for
they are without fault, they are blameless” [Revelation14:5]. Now this
beautiful vision is inserted in the goodnessofGod, as so often in the
Apocalypse when terrible, and tragic, and dark, and black days are
delineated, almost always there will follow immediately a vision of a light and
a glory and the peace and the hope and the beauty of God. And it is so in this
vision of chapter14 containing this glorious scene with the Lamb on Mount
Zion and the one hundred forty-four thousand [Revelation14:1]. That
chapter immediately follows chapter 13, which describes the incomparable
and sickening horror of the beast[Revelation13:1-10, 11-18]. Chapters 12
and 13 delineate the malice of Satanand the rage of the evil one who is cast
down to the earth [Revelation12:3-13:18]. And in chapter13 is described
those two terrible monsters who are God’s symbols of the ministers of Satan,
that ultimate and final Antichrist [Revelation13:1-10], and the false prophet
[Revelation13:11-18], who delude and deceive the people of the earth and lead
them into damnation and perdition.
And this beautiful chapter immediately follows the horror of those darkening
days. It is the same kind of a thing as after a storm and the rage of the
tempest is over, then in the quiet and in the beauty and the calm, God over-
arches the heavens with the rainbow of promise. The clouds have emptied
themselves and break. The storm and the raging tempest has spent itself, and
the thunders no longer roar, and the lightning no longer flashes. And beyond
and back of the cloud, break the beautiful rays of a goldenlight.
That is this situation here in the Revelation[Revelation13:1-18]. Forin those
dark, terrible, and trying times, the Lord says:“Forthe elect’s sake, those

days are going to be shortened. Theycannot last” [Matthew 24:22]. God
would not permit it. And before the time of the destruction of those two
terrible monstrous instruments of Satan[Revelation1:1-8], the detail of their
destruction describedin Revelation17 and 18 [Revelation17:8-18:24], before
the time, God gives us this beautiful picture of Mount Zion and the Lamb of
God, the King of Israel and of the nations of the earth and of glory and of all
forever; the Lamb on Mount Zion and these one hundred forty-four thousand
faithful who stand before Him and sing a new song in the land of a new and
glorious beginning again[Revelation14:1-3].
You see chapter14 is nothing but the other side of chapter 13. They are
contemporaneous in history. These things all happened together, and 14 is
but the counterpart of 13. One side is the dark description of the beast and of
Satan[Revelation13:1-7] and of the judgment of God upon those who
worship his image [Revelation13:10]. And at the same time, incongruent, is
this beautiful scene ofthese glorious ones who serve Godand Him alone
[Revelation14:1-5].
In chapter 13 is the beast[Revelation13:1-8].
In chapter 14 is the Lamb, gentle and precious on Mt. Zion [Revelation14:1].
In chapter 13 is the spurious and the counterfeit and the false [Revelation
13:5-6].
And in chapter 14 is the real and the genuine and the lovely [Revelation14:2-
5].
Chapter 13 is the mark of the beast[Revelation 13:16-17].
And chapter 14 is the mark of the children of God [Revelation14:1].
In chapter 13 is the worship and idolatry and the corruption of the earth
[Revelation13:5-7].
And in chapter 14 is the worship of the true Lamb of God and their
disassociationfrom the corruption of the earth [Revelation14:5].

Jesus was with blameless followers of the lamb

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