Revelation - Part 16
Notes
Transcript
The Lamb and the Church
The Lamb and the Church
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,
3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb,
5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.
Ok, verse one has a lot going on if you slow down and really think about what is being said here.
First, let me remind you that we have just finished chapter 13 last week
and we were just talking about two beasts.
One rising from the sea
One rising from the earth
and we are fairly confident that those two beasts are the AntiChrist and His False Prophet.
Immediately following those visions of two beasts
John says, Then I looked.. and here is what he sees …
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
The Lamb is standing on Mount Zion.
Mount Zion is a reference to the literal Jerusalem, as stated plainly in 2 Samuel chapter 5 when David first conquered the Jubusites in Jerusalem, it says he took the “Stronghold of Zion”, and named it “the city of David”.
and it also refers symbolically to Heaven.
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
So, the question we have in our text is to determine are we talking about literal Jerusalem, or Symbolic Jerusalem.
Or course the answer isn’t graded.
You won’t be tested on this
It isn’t a salvation issue to know if Revelation chapter 14 verse number 1 is referring to Jerusalem on Earth, or New Jerusalem from Heaven.
However, when we see who is standing with the Lamb, we get what I think is a pretty good clue.
There are 144,000 standing with the Lamb.
These must surely be the same 144,000 of Isreal in chapter 7.
Those 144k were sealed with a seal.
We determined in the lesson about chapter 7 that the 144,000 was referring to the church.
I know it says they came from the tribes of Isreal,
but Paul says that the church is the true Isreal.
In the listing of the Tribes in Chapter 7
Judah was listed first, not Reuben
Why? Because Jesus is the head of the Church.
Also, Levi was listed with his brothers.
Why? He was never listed with them before in the Bible as a separate Tribe since the Levites had to perform the preistly duties
And yet, here is Levi listed as one of the 12.
The reason was because Jesus is the new High Priest of the church.
Levi can put up his ephod.
So, if the Church is standing with Jesus on Mt Zion
It is most likely a reference to Heaven, not the Earthly Jerusalem.
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
In chapter 7, we saw that eh 144,000 were sealed.
And here we see what it was that they were sealed with.
The ones that were followers of the AntiChrist had the mark of the beast on their forehead or right hands
and the ones that are followers of the True Christ, have his name, and his Father’s name on their foreheads.
3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
If you are reading the KJV, it does not say “his name and his Father’s name”.
It only says…
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.
So, why is there more information added to the ESV, and other modern translations?
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
There are over 230 copies that have been discovered that contain the verse in question.
Exactly one copy from the 14th century is written the way the KJV is written.
The other 230 something copies were written the way the ESV is stated.
You might find the KJV rendering easier to cope with if you are Oneness
It seems easier to explain that there is only one name of their foreheads
and that it is the name of the Lamb’s Father.
However, the fact that there is one name doesn’t negate the fact there is a lamb and a lamb’s Father.
So, the question of who is the Lamb, and who is the Lamb’s Father doesn’t go away if we favor the KJV.
We have already established that the Lamb is Jesus Christ in the flesh.
The Lamb is described as being “slain”
Only flesh can be slain.
So, when we talk about the Lamb, we are referring specifically to the flesh.
The incarnation.
The Son of God.
However, the Lamb has a Father.
Which is God the Father.
When we look at the ESV, we could think that two names are written on their fore heads.
However, we could also read it to mean that they have one name, and that one name is the Lamb’s name and his Father’s name.
That one Name is Jesus.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
So, the name above all names is Jesus
And the Bible says that his name will be ONE in the end.
So, I believe the name of Jesus is written on their foreheads
and that is the Lamb’s name
and that is also His Father’s name.
Because the Lord is one, and HIs name is ONe.
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
So, Jesus is standing in Heaven with the Church who has been sealed with His name on their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,
3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
Now, these 144K started singing a new song
It is a song of redemption
No one could even learn the song except the church
So, this is the song that not even the Angels can sing
This is our song
The redemption song.
I can’t wait to join in that choir and sing that song that even the angels cannot sing.
4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb,
3 Things are listed here about the 144,000, and 2 more are listed in verse 5.
They have not defiled themselves with women
This is symbolic, and not referring to literal virgins.
God doesn’t expect us to stay celibate in order to get to heaven
That would contradict the Bible in many places
However, symbolically, God talks about how Isreal committed adultery with the gods of other nations in many places in the Old Testament
And so, the Church is the perfect bride of Christ and has not been defiled
I believe this is meant to be contrasted to the ones that will be defiled with the great Harlot later in this chapter.
Just as Christ has an antiChrist, the Church will have an antiChurch.
One that is very similar, but does not have the truth.
2. They follow the Lamb Where ever he goes.
The second attribute of the 144k is that they follow Jesus.
This is the Church, not literal Isreal.
3. They have been redeemed
Again, this is the church, not literal Isreal.
5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.
4. No lies in their mouth
This is meant to convey that they have the truth
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life
And the 144k represents the Church who follows the Lamb, and has the Truth
Again, contrasted to those that will follow the Harlot based on lies.
5. They are blamless
Again, this is the church redeemed
Singing the song that no one else can sing
The redemption song
It doesn’t mean they are without sin
But their sin is redeemed
and therefore they are blameless
There will be no guilty charges placed on the church
Jesus paid for all of that with His own blood.
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Message from 3 Angels
Message from 3 Angels
So, after this depiction of the church with Jesus in Heaven singing the redemption song, John’s vision changes scenes again in verse 6. We know that the scene changes because of the prompting of the words…
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.
7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Okay, let’s talk about these 3 angels and their warnings.
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.
This proclamation of the Gospel, appears to be the fulfillment of the what Jesus said before his death, burial, and resurrection.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
So, the Gospel has to be preached to every nation before the end comes
and John said he saw an angel flying around telling everyone the eternal gospel.
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.
I received a report from Brother Bernard this weekend at District Conference that there are currently 210 sovereign nations on Earth, and we have a UPCI presence in 203 of them.
We are 7 away from preaching the Gospel to all nations.
No other Oneness Pentecostal Movement can say that.
No independent church can say that.
But the UPCI is truly taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.
7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
So, the first angel preaches the Gospel, and give this warning.
Fear God, Give him glory, Judgment is coming.
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
So, the first angel was about preaching the Gospel
And the second angel is about this Mystery Babylon character that we are about to learn more about in another chapter.
She is the Great Harlot
She is a symbol of False Doctrine
She is the opposite of the Gospel
but she is masquerading as if she is the Gospel
We will see later on that she lives in a city with 7 hills
and is dressed in purple and Scarlet
And here in verse 8 we see that she has intoxicated the nations with her wine
The Sexual immorality is mostly symbolic.
Though, Mystery Babylon is not lacking in literal immorality
So, it appears we have two angels preaching about a different message
One preaching the Gospel to all nations
and one preaching about the falling of Babylon
Babylon was the center of the religious alternative from the start
Since the first tower that was built in the literal city by that name
They have always represented the other option.
Rather than get into an Ark that God built for salvation
They built a tower to heaven to save themselves
They have a message of salvation
But their message is in vain
Because their tower will not take them where they want to go
Fallen is Babylon the angel cries
Finally, the false religion and center of self righteousness has fallen.
Again, We will see more details about Babylon as we get to other chapters in this study
but for now, suffice it to say that I wholeheartedly believe that Babylon in our day is the Roman Catholic Church.
The symbols are too exact.
And we will see just how exact they are as we get further.
but for the introduction to Babylon, we simply hear and angel proclaiming that Babylon the great has fallen.
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
So, this 3rd angel is warning about the mark of the beast.
So, in this chapter we have the Lamb Which is Christ
We have the Gospel
We have the False Gospel of Babylon
Then we have the AntiChrist
And it forms this Chaistic (or ABBA) literary device.
CHRIST
GOSPEL
FALSE GOSPEL
AntiChrist
We are warned here by the 3rd angel to never do these 3 things:
Don’t worship the beast
Don’t worship the image of the beast
Don’t take the mark of his name on your forehead or hand.
And to cap off that warning, we see the call to endurance again.
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
The Harvest
The Harvest
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”
16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.”
19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.
This is hard to imagine being anything other than the rapture that Paul described in… 1 Thes chapter 4, when he said
We will be caught up together with Christ in the clouds.
Here, Christ is in a cloud with a sickle in his hand
and the next verse says what he does with the sickle
15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”
16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
So, to me, this must be the rapture.
And if you notice, the reaping of the saints happens first
and then we have an angel with another sickle that comes out to reap…
17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.
This angel isn’t coming to reap the saints
Jesus already did that.
This angel is about to reap everyone else.
And the symbol of the winepress
indicates it was not good.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.”
An angel with authority of the fire
This must refer to the lake of fire
and this harvest is for those who didn’t get harvested by Jesus.
They are symbolized by Grapes
and these grapes are about to be crushed in the winepress of the wrath of God
19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
In this last verse we see that it wasn’t grape juice after all
it was blood
and the blood was so high
It went up to a horse’s bridle
about 6 feet high and 1,600 stadia
which it was 184 miles in each direction.
That is a lot of blood.
This vision tell me that if you don’t make the rapture
You won’t have a chance to make it again
The ones left behind were crushed by the wrath of God
They didn’t accept the Blood of Jesus
and so they had to pay with their own blood
I don’t know about you, but I’m so thankful that my debts were paid with the blood of Jesus.
