The Song of the Redeemed

Kingdoms in Conflict  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 10 views

Lead Pastor Wes Terry preaches on the Army of the Lamb out of Revelation 14:1-13. This message is part of the series entitled "Kingdoms in Conflict." The sermon was preached on February 27, 2022.

Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →

INTRODUCTION:

For the past four weeks we’ve been in the book of Revelation looking at chapters 12-14. It’s an apocalyptic description of the conflict between the kingdom of God and all that opposes God, his people and his redemptive plans for the world.
Chapters 12 and 13 introduce us to this unholy trinity. John uses picturesque language to describe them but their identity is clear: Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet use an evil end times government and deceptive antichrist religion to crush the people of God and dominate the world.
Chapter 13 closed with every single person being confronted with a choice: a choice of conformity.
Will I conform my life to Christ or the antichrist?
Will I conform my life to the truth of the Gospel or the lies of this false Gospel propagated by this false religion and false prophet?
Will I bear the mark of God or the mark of the beast?
In reality, that’s not just a decision that people will have to make then. It’s a decision that people have to make today. Eventually the Bible says every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
The decision you make about Jesus during your life lived on earth will determine your eternal destiny. Everybody is going to live forever somewhere. Everybody is going to face somebody’s wrath. The question for us is whose wrath do we want to face? The wrath of God or the wrath of that which is opposed to God?
The clarion call of Revelation 12-14 is to resist this unholy trinity and it’s kingdom of darkness and submit to Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom of light.

Two Marks

Every person must make a choice. Conformity is a choice and the decision you make will determine who’s mark you will wear.
Last week our passage ended with the mark of the beast being bestowed on those who submitted themselves to the antichrist and his empire and the destruction of all of those who refuse to take the mark of the beast.
Revelation 14 is going to pick up where that leaves off. This time, instead of focusing on the mark of the beast John zooms in on those who’ve received the mark of God.

Read the Text

Revelation 14:1–5 (CSB)
1 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. 3 They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Identifying the Characters

Revelation 14 opens with a picture of Jesus standing on Mount Zion and 144K people who have Jesus’ name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
This remnant of 144K sealed and protected by God was first introduced in Revelation 7. In that chapter this remnant was protected from the wrath of the antichrist during the opening of the seven seals.
In chapter 14 that believing remnant shows up again proving that God’s protection and supernatural deliverance belong to those who bear his mark.
They are a unique group that receive supernatural protection by God from the wrath of the antichrist during the Great Tribulation.
What I want to do in today’s message is better understand this believing remnant, why John places them here in chapter 14 and what we can learn from them in our efforts to overcome evil in the world today.

The Setting: Which Mount Zion?

Before we identify this group let’s first identify where they are and why they’re there.
We know the lamb is a reference to Jesus but what are we to make of the idea that the lamb is standing on Mount Zion?
Some say that Mount Zion is a literal reference to the city of Jerusalem. So Jesus would literally be standing on his throne there in Jerusalem.
The prophet Joel speaks about Mount Zion and the city of Jerusalem being a place of refuge during the Great Day of the Lord. (Joel 2:32)
Others say the reference to Mount Zion is figurative. The Bible talks about Mount Zion being in heaven. (Heb 12:22; Gal 4:26) A place where God, his people and myriads of angels gather in festive celebration.
And so the looming question is where is Jesus and his people standing in Revelation 14? A literal mount outside of Jerusalem or a heavenly mountain in the heavenly Jerusalem? Much of this depends on your approach to the book of Revelation!
So while there is a literal Mount Zion in the literal city of Jerusalem. There’s also a heavenly Mount Zion and a Heavenly Jerusalem.

A Picture of Heavenly Worship

More than that, when Jesus comes again that heavenly Jerusalem descends and fills the earth. So there really is some degree of ambiguity.
I think here in chapter 14 it’s probably a reference to heaven because
the 144K are worshipping “before the Lamb’s throne...”
The 4 living creatures are there as well as the 24 elders. (cf Rev 5)
Almost every other time the Lamb is mentioned being “before his throne” it’s a reference to his heavenly throne.
That being said, it could also be John forecasting the results of Christ’s victory over Satan and a visual foretaste on what worship will be like when Jesus establishes his kingdom on the earth.

The Exodus Connection

Something else to consider is how John has been using the theme of the Exodus throughout the book of Revelation and particularly in chapters 12-13.
After Moses and the Israelites are delivered from Pharoah and his army there is a song of victory sung that looks similar to our passage today.
Exodus 15:17–18 (CSB)
17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your possession;
Lord, you have prepared the place
for your dwelling;
Lord, your hands have established the sanctuary.
18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!
And so the picture is that of a worship service filled with people who are praising God for his supernatural deliverance and redemption. God’s people gathered in God’s temple. People bought with a price so they are now servants to the one who delivered them.

The Ezekiel Connection

The prophet Ezekiel also describes this picture during the end of days in Ezekiel 20:40
Ezekiel 20:40 (CSB)
40 For on my holy mountain, Israel’s high mountain—the declaration of the Lord God—there the entire house of Israel, all of them, will serve me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your contributions and choicest gifts, all your holy offerings.
Notice all of the parallels between this passage and the one in Revelation 14.
We see the reference to Mount Zion - the holy mountain.
We see a reference to the “entire house of Israel” which is what I believe the 144K represent (at least the believing remnant who wear God’s seal.
We see the mention of “contribution and choicest gifts” which John describes using the word “firstfruits.”
This time the “contributions and choices gifts” aren’t items like food or animal sacrifices. Those things were abolished through the death of Christ on the cross.
As Paul said in Romans 12:1-2 we offer our BODIES as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.

True Worship

That’s what John sees. John envisions a temple filled with true worshippers who are totally surrendered to God and submitted to his will.
That’s what real worship looks like. Worship is rejecting conformity to this world and instead conform our lives to Christ and his Gospel.
John actually quotes from Ezekiel 20 again when describing the New Jerusalem in Revelation 19-20. As usual, John is introducing some elements early and then will fill in more details as the prophecy continues to develop.
The point is, in the end, the whole earth will be filled with true worshippers. People who say “Jesus has given everything to me. Who am I to withhold anything from him?”

The Song: Who’s Making the Sound?

Not only does John see the Lamb on Mount Zion surrounded by true worshippers. He also hears a sound. And the sound he hears is like that of cascading waters or a roaring ocean. This is not a drip or some soothing quiet sound. It’s LOUD. Boisterous.
It’s the same sound Ezekiel hears when the wings of the cherubim fly in with the throne of God. (Ezek 1:24) Or the voice of God approaching in his glory (Ezek 43:2)
It must’ve been a pretty impressive sound because he adds two more similes. He says it also sounded like thunder (Rev 6:1; 19:6) and the sounds an ensemble of harpists make when playing their harps.
When we think harps in heaven we may think angels floating around playing little one offs. That’s not what’s being described her. It’s a BIG POWERFUL sound. But it’s also melodic and harmonious.
Who’s making the sound? Who’s singing the song? It’s not angels. It’s a song angles aren’t able to sing because they are unfamiliar with it’s theme.
The song being sung is the song of the redeemed. It’s a uniquely human tune sung exclusively by people who’ve been delivered from sin because of the shed blood of the Lamb.
What’s the song they are singing? Perhaps it’s similar to the song the redeemed sang in Revelation 5:9-10
Revelation 5:9–10 (CSB)
9 And they sang a new song:
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slaughtered,
and you purchased people
for God by your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
10 You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.
If it’s not that song perhaps it’s something else. Whatever the particulars, the theme of this new song is the theme of deliverance. That’s the theme of every “new song” in the book of Psalms (Psalms 96:1; 98:1; 144:9)
Their anthem is a song of victory. The ones equipped to sing this song are the ones who were faithful to endure to the very end.
That they were redeemed “from the earth” doesn’t mean they were removed from the earth but rather they were protected from evil while living on the earth.

The Singers

Now that we have defined the setting and the song, we need to answer the harder question of“who are these 144K?”
Like the Mount Zion, the identify of the 144,000 is debated.
We’ve already answered this question in Revelation 7.
It wouldn’t make much sense to define them one way in Revelation 7 and a different way in Revelation 14 so I’m going to remain consistent in my view. Just know that many people disagree.
My interpretation of Revelation 7 was that you had two groups of God’s people represented.
The 144K describe a believing remnant of Israel (think Jewish believers protected by God during the Great Tribulation).
That picture is followed by an innumerable multitude from every tribe, tongue and nation.
Back then I argued that John was pulling from God’s promise to Abraham that his descendents would be like the sands on the seashore and stars in the sky.
That promise was fulfilled not just with the birth of Israel (144,000) but through Israel came a Messiah that offered the blessing of faith to every tribe, tongue and nation. (the church)

Israel and the Church

Throughout the book of Revelation I think you see God’s people through both of those symbols. To put it simply: Israel and the Church.
In chapter 7 the allusion is to Abraham and those blessed by his seed. (innumerable multitude).
In chapter 12 Israel is presented as the woman. Jesus is the child and the church is presented as “the rest of her offspring who keep the commands of God and hold fast to the testimony about Jesus.”
So if that’s the meaning of the 144,000 in chapter 7 then I believe the same group in presented in Chapter 14. It’s a reference to Israel (probably a remnant of Jewish believers located in/around Jerusalem).
Now some would say the 144,000 and the innumerable multitude in Revelation 7 are the same group. Some would call them the “church” some would say God’s true covenant people or TRUE Israel.
And there are reasons to see Israel and the Church as one because Romans 9 says we’ve been “grafted into” that vine. We are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
We are ALL in Christ by grace through faith. In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. Satan opposes us Jesus the same and God redeems both peoples through the Lord Jesus Christ.
So many commentators see this 144,000 as a sweeping reference to the entire covenant people of God. Jews and Gentiles, Israel and the Church.
Whether it’s a select group of Jewish believers or a figurative reference to the covenant people of God in general - the point is THEY are the ones who sing the song of the redeemed.
They are the ones sealed and protected by God before he unleashes the seven trumpet judgments.
They are the ones preserved throughout Great Tribulation.
Now, here in chapter 14, we see them standing on Mount Zion before the throne of God.
Some say they the sealing represents their salvation and that Rev 14 presents them in heaven with the rest of the redeemed.
Some say their sealing also includes supernatural protection on the earth and Rev 14 shows a glimpse of the future earthly kingdom in which all 144,000 are protected and preserved.

When Did They Get Sealed?

If it is a reference to Israel and a group entirely separate from the Church, when did this remnant of Jews get saved? (Marked)
I think it was sometime after the breaking of that 6th seal where there were cosmic signs and wonders that portended the day of the Lord.
Joel 2 describes the imagery in a way very similar to our passage here.
Joel 2:30–32 (CSB)
30 I will display wonders
in the heavens and on the earth:
blood, fire, and columns of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
32 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved,
for there will be an escape
for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
as the Lord promised,
among the survivors the Lord calls.
You see there a perfect description of what John is describing in Revelation 14. When they see these signs that they KNOW announce the Day of the Lord, then they see Jesus coming on the clouds they will turn to the Lord, calling on his name and thereby be saved.

Three Descriptions of the 144K

Whoever these singers are, wherever it is that they’re standing, John’s description of them in verses 4-5 is the most compelling thing to me.
The lives they live and the sound they make are worthy of our imitation.
Let read about them in verses 4-5.
Revelation 14:4–5 (CSB)
4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
What are we to make of these designations?
They are undefiled by women, maintain their virginity.
They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They are firstfruits purchased from among men.
They are described as having honest lips and blameless lives.

Undefiled Virgins

As to the reference of “not defiling themselves with women” and remaining “virgins” people debate as to whether or not they’re being used figuratively or literally.
If taken in the literal sense, the phrase “not defiled themselves with women” refers to a man remaining sexually pure.
That is, he has not committed adultery or engaged in any sort of sexual activity outside of God’s design (one man, one woman, one life long covenant of marriage).
The word virgin is usually applied only to women who have not engaged in any sexual intercourse whatsoever. In this case, if literal, the sexual abstinence refers to both men and women.
The fact that John links these two ideas together and applies them to a group that likely includes both men and women leads me to think he’s using the terms figuratively.
The general idea is that of undiluted love for the Lord. An absence of idolatrous worship that is seen everywhere else on the earth. A refusal to “worship the golden calf” or be “seduced by the harlot Babylon and her sexual immorality.”
Honestly it could be figurative and literal as both ideas can be held without contradiction.

Follow the Lamb

This undiluted love for the Lord reveals itself through uncompromising obedience. Wherever the Lamb goes his people will follow.
It harkens back to the words of Jesus in John 12:26 “If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be...”
Remember, the picture is that of worshipping community in the temple of God.
These worshippers have been made a kingdom of priests to God which means they serve him night and day by going where he says to go.
As the old hymn says, “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.”
The image communicates uncompromising faithfulness to the Lamb.
You cannot follow God and follow other gods as well. (Deut 13:4; 1 SAM 12:14; 1 KINGS 18:21) (Lev 19:4; Num 14:23; Josh 14:8-9, 14; Jer 2:2-3)

First Fruits Purchased Among Men

Finally this group is described as redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb.”
Usually when you think of first fruits you think of something else following after those who are firsts. And yet, in this case, who are the ones that follow? (some say it’s those who come to faith in Christ during the millennial reign of Jesus)
As you might guess, the word “firstfruits” actually has a broad semantic range. It can mean first in a sequence but it can also carry the sense of that which completely belonging to the one receiving the offering.
This is actually how the idea of firstfruits is used in the story of the Exodus and therefore also how I think John is using it here.
This is especially likely when you link the idea of first fruits with the idea of being “redeemed” or “purchased” like we see in verse 4.

The OT Source Text

This idea becomes even more plain when you realize what OT text John is drawing from to paint this description.
While there are many OT texts that correlate with these ideas, there’s one passage that unites all three together in the context of God’s deliverance of Israel from Pharoah and Egypt.
It’s in Jeremiah 2:2-3
Jeremiah 2:2–3 (CSB)
2 “Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says:
I remember the loyalty of your youth,
your love as a bride—
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy to the Lord,
the firstfruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it found themselves guilty;
disaster came on them.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
You see all three designations (pure -virgin- love; uncompromising faithfulness/following; and total surrender/firstfruits) back to back.
Not only that, it’s followed by God’s threat of judgment which is exactly what follows in Revelation 14.
When you put these ideas together what you have is a community of worshippers who are wholly surrendered to God and who demonstrate that life of sacrifice through undiluted love and uncompromising obedience.
In the words of Jeremiah 2:2-3, they are “set apart and holy to the Lord.

Application:

That’s the invitation for us today. You might see these 144,000 as a remnant of Jewish believers who has no relevance your life today.
Nothing could be further from the truth. As Christians we are also sealed by the Holy Spirit and redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
The song of deliverance sung by the 144K was first sung by the innumerable multitude in Revelation 7 and that a song every child of God will sing.
We are called to be HOLY . To be set apart unto the Lord. But we cannot be holy in our own strength. That’s why God sent Jesus into the world.
True holiness is never earned, it is received as a gift. The only way to receive that gift is through repentance and faith.
Repentance is agreeing with God about the facts. It’s agreeing with God that your sins really are an offense to his holiness and you really do deserve his wrath.
But that repentance is followed by faith in the Gospel. The good news that Jesus died for your sins so you could be saved.
When you believe that and receive God’s grace into your life, you’ll be able to admit your weakness without shame. Your sin and shame will be covered by the blood.

Questions

Which leads me to the final point of application.
In the KJV this believing remnant is described as those “without guile in their mouth, without fault before the thone.”
The only way to stand without fault before the throne is to stand clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. He is our holiness. It’s a gift. It isn’t earned.
But holiness is sustained through confession of sin. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin but confession is the means by which the cleansing is applied.
So let me close by asking a few questions.
Are there idolatrous competitors for your hearts affection?
Are there sinful compromises either great or small?
Are there conditions for your obedience?
Confess it to the Lord. Offer yourself as a blank check to be spent.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more