Revelation 14:1-7

(Rev 14:1 KJV)
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.

Throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, God will pronounce a judgment upon the nation of Israel or Judah, then we will find in close proximity the great blessings which God promises to the Elect line in those countries. We have the same situation here. Right on the heels of John seeing the numbering of the followers of the beast, God intervenes and shows John another great aspect of his vision. He sees the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion. Mount Zion has always been associated with salvation. (Joel 2:32 KJV) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Here we have this mount in Heaven. The mount in Scripture represents a kingdom and in this case John is seeing the Kingdom of God with all the believers.

(Psa 121:1-2 KJV) I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. {2} My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1 tells us that the writer looks unto the hills for that is where his help will come from and then goes on in verse 2 and plainly tells us who the source of his help is, it is the Lord.

In 14:1, we know that heaven is in view because once again the 144,000 are mentioned. This is important because in Revelation 7, where it is first mentioned to this point the church had faced much persecution and the fact that the same number is in view tells us that God had not lost one of His children. He is the protector of His children and has promised that not one will ever be lost, no matter how intense the persecution.

Then we are told that these 144,000 have their Father’s name written on their forehead which is symbolic of having the seal of salvation on them. The fact that they have the name of God on their foreheads is in contrast to the previous chapter where we saw the number of the unsaved on their foreheads and in their right hand, that number being 666 which is the number of the entire unsaved human population. The name is not physically written on the foreheads but is symbolic of all the redeemed of God.

(Rev 14:2 KJV)
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

(Isa 35:10 KJV) And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah had prophesied that all the redeemed shall come to Zion and will experience everlasting joy. In 14:2, we see that in heaven there seems to be very loud voices. They are described as a voice of many waters and of a great thunder which would indicate that these voices were not just humming at a low voice but the joy level in Heaven is extremely loud. Along with the loud voices of the believers were harpists playing the harps. This means not only was their verbal singing in Heaven but there were also instruments praising the Lord.

(Rev 14:3 KJV)
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.

This song is not being sung by angels because angels were never redeemed from sin and Satan. The song which is being sung is by all the redeemed from the earth. This new song they were singing was before the throne. No doubt it was some type of song of redemption that only the Elect of God can truly sing. (Psa 144:9 KJV) I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. David writes here that he has sung a new song plus he will be playing that new song on a stringed instrument. That Psalm of David is now being played out to the fullest in heaven by all the true believers. I would be surprised if David was not of the harpists.

(Rev 14:4 KJV)
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

John is describing the redeemed body of believers in several ways here. The first description is that of being virgins. (2 Cor 11:2 KJV) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. The Apostle Paul had told the church at Corinth that he wanted to present the church as a chaste virgin unto Christ. The description of the redeemed being virgins is because they have been purified by the blood of Christ. The virgin is one who has not had any sex with anyone until marriage and here they are spoken of as being virgins even though they are married to Christ.
 

When it says that they were not defiled with women, this is an allusion to the false religions of the world. (Jer 7:18 KJV) The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. In Jeremiah 7, we read that it was the women who baked cakes to offer to the queen of heaven. In ancient times there were number of female deities. One was known as Ashtoreth. (1 Ki 11:5 KJV) For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Another one was named Asherah who was the female companion of Baal. Then there was Ishtar of the Babylonians, Diana of the Ephesians, and Mary of Roman Catholicism. Now 14:4 is not specifically speaking of these pagan deities but I wanted to give an example that there were many false female deities in ancient times and of course who can forget Jezebel.

What God is telling us here is that the redeemed body of believers are chaste virgins who follow the Lamb and not any false religion. It is worthy to note that these redeemed followed the Lord wherever He went. The Lord was willing to give up His life for the Elect. Millions of His followers also gave up their lives in following the Lamb and not compromising their testimony. Those that gave their lives in following the Lamb may be referred to as the “firstfruits.” The firstfruits were offered unto God as an offering in the Old Testament. It is more likely that the entire body of believers are in view here as we read in James 1:18. (James 1:18 KJV) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. In James it speaks of all the believers being the firstfruits which gives us an indication that the true believers are the firstfruits of mankind who were redeemed from all of mankind throughout history. As a farmer brings only part of his crop at the beginning as an offering, so the believers, who were named from the foundation of the world are the firstfruits of mankind. After the firstfruits are brought as an offering, there is no secondary fruit offering. This means that those who God named before the foundation of the world are the only believers who are going to be saved and therefore are represented by the firstfruits which is a small part of the crop or the human race.

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

The believers are so pure that not even guile, which is craftiness or deceit, is found in their mouth and because of them being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb they are without any fault before the throne of God. (Rom 8:33 KJV) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Romans teaches us that God justifies His children so who can bring any type of accusation against a person whom God has saved and justified? The answer is no, especially since the accuser of the brethren was thrown out of heaven. This verse teaches us that the atonement of Christ was so complete, that these believers do not even sin with their tongue. (James 3:8 KJV) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. For the believers in glory, their tongue has been tamed.

(Rev 14:6 KJV)
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

From verses 6 to11 in this chapter there is a contrast between the believers and the unbelievers to which this section of verses is aimed. In 14:6 we have an angel which is flying through the midst of heaven. This angel is preaching the everlasting Gospel but his focus audience is not the conversion of the Elect, instead this angel is bringing the Gospel to those that dwell on the earth, which are the unbelievers who are in opposition to the true Gospel and those who are the persecutors of the brethren. This Gospel is a warning of impending judgment which will come upon all those unbelievers on the earth.

(Rev 14:7 KJV)
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The true Gospel message contains two aspects: One, is salvation, and secondly, that of warning the unbelievers that judgment is a real event and in this verse we see that the time of judgment is upon the earth. This messenger is forewarning the unbelievers that they must give glory to God who is the Creator of the entire universe and earth. There will come a time when every knee will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ and then those who hated Him will also give glory to God. (Phil 2:10 KJV) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; The word “fear” in 14:7 carries with it the meaning of “respect, reverence, and worship, along with fearing God.” The unbeliever is very bold on earth in believing that they are kings of this earth and that there is no God. This is why this angel is warning them that judgment will come upon them and it will happen very soon. Whenever we hand out a tract, the unbeliever has been warned.