Handout No.

10

The 144,000, Three Angels, and Two Harvests Revelation 14

In contrast with the clamor and chaos of the rise of the two beasts that heed the call of the Dragon who took his stand on the shore of the sea, the stand of the Lamb on the mountain against him is with the pure and blameless. Angels pronounce his judgments upon the armies of evil and the harvest of the earth is reaped to the deliverance and joy of the righteous, and the great suffering of the wicked who are symbolized as grapes being tread upon in the winepress of the wrath of God. I. The 144,000 on Mount Zion (14:1-5) A. The Lamb and the 144,000 (v.1) 1. The Dragon stood on the sandthe Lamb on a really big rock! (Isaiah 2:2-4; Hebrews 12:22). 2. 144,000 represents the multiplied number of Gods people. 3. Sealed on their foreheads in contrast to the mark of the beastthese are sealed as Gods people because of their belief, trust, and obedience to God.

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4. Our friends among the Jehovahs Witnesses believe these are the special class of the saved who will be in heaven, while the rest of the saved, which they believe to be the great multitude (see Ch.7) will live on a renewed earth. The final number of the heavenly church will be 144,000, according to Gods decree (Let God Be True, p. 113). However, the great multitude is in heaven in Ch.19, so the idea is incorrect. The reason for the mistake (as with other Dispensationalists) is they fail to distinguish between literal and figurative language, and are inconsistent when they try to. Are the 24 Elders literally twenty-four individuals? If so, whom? Are they the 12 patriarchs and 12 apostles? If so, why would Abrahams sons occupy greater positions of honor than their great father? If so, what about the apostle Paul? (1Cor 15:8-10). Do they literally stand for special saints drawn from the 12 tribes? If so, where are those from Dan and Ephraim (see Ch.7)? Will there be no women in heaven? The point is these numbers are symbolic. They stand for literal truths, but are not literal truths themselves. They are symbolic truths. B. Voices (vv.2-3) 1. The voice of God: As in previous passages in Revelation. 2. The voices of the 144,000: I like the ESV, The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps 3. They sing in heaven a new song This represents privilege and joy (See James 5:13). How can the saints be joyful in a time like this? By trusting in the power and promises of the Lord! Remember Exodus 15. C. Description of the 144,000 (vv.4-5) 1. Have not defiled themselves with women This is Law of Moses terminology symbolic of the sanctification of Christians (some say purity). 2. Follow the Lamb wherever See John 10:1-5, 11 3. Redeemed, firstfruits The only purchase price ultimately available for human salvation is that of the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood was effective for the obedient who lived before the cross (Gal. 4:5; Heb. 9:15-17), and for those who have submitted to Gods will since that historic event (1 Pet. 1:18,19; Acts 20:28) Wayne Jackson, Christian Courier. 4. No lie, blameless Symbolizes of the truthful nature of Gods people II. The Three Angels Proclamations (14:6-13) A. Next comes three angels and their proclamations. The first angel and his proclamation may indicate that the gospel will continue to be spread (despite the efforts of the dragon and the beasts). People should therefore fear God and worship Him (not Caesar), for the hour of God's judgment has come (6-7). The proclamation of the second angel announces the fall of Babylon, described later in great detail (8). The third angel proclaims the

terrible judgment and eternal torment to befall those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark (9-11). The three proclamations are then followed by an explanation that the patience of the saints consists of keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, with a voice from heaven telling John to write of the blessedness of those who die in the Lord (12-13). Mark A. Copeland, ExecutableOutlines.com. B. A Call for the Endurance of the Saints (14:12-13) III. Two Harvests (14:14-20) A. The chapter concludes with a depiction of two harvests. The first shows the Son of Man on a white cloud reaping the harvest of the earth (14-16). The second depicts an angel reaping the grapes of the vine of the earth, which are then thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God, producing a river of blood almost two hundred miles long (17-20). These two harvests may be different ways of describing the same judgment about to come upon those who follow the beast, or the first may depict that Jesus will safely harvest His own while Gods wrath is being poured out on His enemies. I do not believe either represents that which will occur when Jesus comes at the end of time (though they may certainly foreshadow that great event). Instead, like the angelic proclamations they reassured the Christians of John's day that God's hour of judgment was soon to come upon their enemies (e.g., the Roman Empire). Mark A. Copeland, ExecutableOutlines.com. B. The blood flowed as high as a horses bridle about 184 miles. 1,600 (furlongs, or stadia) is a multiple of four, which usually represents the earth and mankind who lives on it. Perhaps that is what is in view here.