The 144 Thousand Hebrews and The Exaltation of the Lamb of God
From the beginning of the New Testament
era and the ending of the Old, the Lamb of God has been announced by the first
New Testament prophet, John the Baptist, and highly exalted by the last New Testament
prophet, the Apostle John, both in his Gospel and his final work, the book of
the Revelation where the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is mentioned 28
times using title “Lamb”.
It is this last book of the Bible, that
focuses on the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and also gives the
most information on this the most descriptive title of the Savior of the world.
It was John, who, after reviewing the work of the three other Gospel writers,
some three decades later, who supplied us with the announcement of John the
Baptist, ‘Behold the Lamb of God’ (John
1:29,36), and the many references to the Lamb of God in the book of the
Revelation of Jesus Christ.
He is introduced as “the Lamb having been slain” in chapter five of the Revelation, Who
is the only One worthy to take the book and to loose the seals, however, He
appears in the ‘Midst of the throne’
which is the throne of God and this is the focus as God the Father on His
throne and the Lamb are mentioned together six times in this opening throne
room scene (Revelation 5:6, 5:13, 6:16, 7:9, 7:10, 7:17).
These six references showing God the
Father on His throne and the Lamb occur in heaven with both God and the Lamb
appearing in the throne room. But the last four references in the book of the
Revelation where God and the Lamb are seen together occur after the ‘New heaven and a new earth…new Jerusalem’
are present (Revelation 21:22, 21:23, 22:1, 22:3). Now, God and the Lamb are
united as they both are ‘The Temple’
and ‘the Light’, with the throne
belonging to both God and the Lamb.
However,
the reference to God and the Lamb that evokes the most interest is the one
found in Revelation 14:4 where the 144 Thousand appear with the Lamb and are
described as ‘The first fruits unto God
and to the Lamb’. Heaven and earth share this scene as ‘Mount Zion’(Revelation 14:1) is on
earth, and the sounds of ‘Many
waters…great thunder…and harpers harping
with their harps; And they sung as it were a new song before the throne’
(Revelation 14:2,3) are simultaneously heard in heaven.
This magnificent event occurs at the end
of the Seventieth Week of Daniel when the Redeemer comes to Zion (Isaiah 59:20,
Romans 11:26) bringing redemption to Israel which is the second act in the
Revelation’s unfolding story of redemption, the first being the full redemption
of the saints when He resurrects, rescues, raptures and receives all those who
have been saved by grace in history past (Revelation 7:9-17).
The third act of redemption occurs when He
comes in glory to redeem those who were martyred along with those saved during
the Day of the Lord (Daniel 12:3; Revelation 20:4-6) with His final act of
redemption being the resurrection of the Millennial saints.
So, these 144 Thousand Sons of Israel who
first appeared in (Revelation 7:3-8) are ‘Sealed
the servants of God…sons of Israel’ with twelve thousand coming from each
of the twelve tribes of Israel. But, this title here in (Revelation 14:4) ‘The first fruits unto God and to the Lamb’
is unique to this group and must be defined in order to give a clear definition
of just who these men are and how they fit into God’s plan for the end of the
age.
The word ‘First-fruits’ appears in the Greek New Testament eight times
referring to the first in order of a spiritual
harvest with one reference showing the Lord Jesus Christ as the ‘First-fruits’ of those resurrected
(I Corinthians 15:23). In the
Greek Old Testament, known as the Septuagint, the word appears over seventy
times most of which refer to the first of any crop or offspring of livestock
which typically was God’s portion.
These 144 thousand men must then be the
beginning of a certain spiritual harvest ‘Unto
God and to the Lamb’ which in this case refers to the first of those Jews
who are saved during the 70th Week of Daniel. This conclusion can be
easily discerned from the record given in Revelation chapter six and seven.
In Revelation chapter six, six of the
seven seals are opened, which seals initiate the opening of the 70th
Week of Daniel. The first four are grouped with horsemen and riders showing
conditions on earth prior to God’s Day of the Lord judgment which is also known
as the Wrath of God from which the saints are delivered.
(I Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9)
The last three seals focus on the Day of
the Lord as the martyrs in the fifth seal ask ‘How long’ until God’s Day of the Lord judgment comes, and the
sixth seal is the well published sign of the Day of the Lord as it appears on
numerous occasions in both Testaments (Isaiah 13:6-13; Ezekiel 32:7,8; Joel
2:10, 30,31, 3:14,15; Zephaniah 1:14-18; Matthew 24:30,31; Mark 13:24; Luke
21:25; Acts 2:19,20).
This sign in Revelation 6:12 ff is fully
described displaying to all on earth that God’s Day of the Lord’s Wrath is impending and will begin when the seventh
seal is loosed (Revelation 8:1), opening the scroll, thereby revealing the
trumpet judgments which are the seven first plagues (Revelation 9:20) or
judgments (Revelation 8-11) that God brings upon the unbelieving world with the
seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1) or judgments, also known as the vials,
following in order (Revelation 16:1-21).
But, first, the first fruits unto God and
to the Lamb, the 144 Thousand are sealed (Revelation 7:1-8) providing them with
supernatural protection (Revelation 9:4). Then, the dead in Christ rise and the
surviving saints on earth are rescued out of the Great Tribulation
(Revelation7:9-17) by the rapture.
These 144 Thousand select servants, sons
of Israel are set apart unto God, Old Testament type saints if you will, for
the New Testament saints have been removed from the earth, delivered from the
wrath of God, raptured into heaven and fully redeemed by the Lamb of God to be
with the Lord.
Therefore, the Lamb of God is the focus,
and redemption is the continuing theme with the 144 Thousand perfectly meshing into the plan of God
carrying the torch of the Gospel as they ‘Follow
the Lamb wherever He goes’ (Revelation 14:4). For, the Lamb of God is exalted through it
all as He continues His march toward the full and complete redemption of
believing mankind!
No comments:
Post a Comment