JESUS APPEARS ON MOUNT ZION WITH THE 144,000 (Rev 14:1-5)

In Rev 14:1-5 John sees a vision of Jesus standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000 after their resurrection and rapture to heaven. Mount Zion sometimes refers to Jerusalem, and sometimes it apparently refers to a place in heaven called the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God (see Heb 12:22). We learn some new things about the 144,000 here. Before studying these five verses we will review what we already know about the 144,000. They are a remnant of Jews who apparently become believers in Jesus as the Christ during the tribulation period. They are sealed to protect them during the first half of the tribulation period. Rev 7:3 refers to them as “servants of God.” However, they must not be believers in Jesus as the tribulation starts since they are not part of the general rapture. They receive supernatural protection from God while they are doing his service on earth during the tribulation. They apparently do their work in the first half of the tribulation period. They seem to be one of the lampstands making up the two witnesses described in Rev 11. Rev 7:3-4 tells us that they had a “seal” placed on their forehead, indicating that they belong to Jesus. We will next see what else we can learn about them from Rev 14:1--5.

• From verse 1 we learn that the seal that had been placed on their foreheads contained the names of Jesus and God the Father.
• In verses 2 and 3 we see them in heaven before the throne of God and the four living creatures and the elders. Thus we see that the Mount Zion is verse 1 is in heaven. The 144,000 were singing a new song that nobody could learn except for them. Psalms 96 and 98 tell us what the new song is all about. In fact, Ps 96:10, 93:1, 97:1, and 99:1 all quote some of the words of the song “The Lord reigns.” Both Psalms also tell us that the Lord is about to judge the world. In fact all of the Psalms from Ps 92 to Ps 99, as well as 149 have a similar theme. They all seem to tell of the period just before and right after the Second Coming. Ps 94:22-95:1 seem to be saying that the Jews finally understand who Jesus is and he becomes the rock on which they stand and in whom they take refuge. The new song was also a song of joy, Ps 92:4-5, 96:10-13, 97:11, 98:1-9, 100:1-2. Rev 14:3 says that nobody else except the 144,000 could learn the song. That implies to me that the 144,000 were a very unique group. They were Jews who had rejected Jesus as being their God but came to know him as their Savior in the tribulation. They were indeed singing a “new song” that nobody but Jews could sing. Verse 2 also says that John heard a sound from heaven “like the roar of rushing waters.” This likely is referring to the sound of the river of the water of life which flows through the new Jerusalem. This is the Holy Spirit and is described in Rev 22:1-2. John 7:39 says that this is the Holy Spirit. The thunder that John hears coming from heaven is likely the voice of God as described in Rev 10:2.
• Verse 3 says that they were redeemed, meaning that they had become believers in Jesus. Jesus redeemed those who believe in him by buying our pardon with his blood. Verse 4 says that they were purchased from among men, again meaning that Jesus had purchased them with his blood. Verse 4 also calls them firstfruits, meaning that they had been part of the first harvest, in this case part of the fifth judgment rapture of believers which occurred five months after the mid-point of the tribulation period. 1 Cor 15:20-23 says that those resurrected and raptured to heaven are included in the firstfruits.
• The language in verses 4 and 5 about them being pure, blameless and perfect, implies again that they had become believers. We understand that the spirits of all believers are seen as perfect in God’s eyes because of Jesus’ sacrifice. Hebrews makes this very clear in several places. The phrase “they had not defiled themselves with women” likely means that they had not worshipped other gods or idols. God often referred to his people worshipping idols as prostitution. Likewise the phrase “no lie was found in their mouths” likely means they had not bought into the lie that there is some way to heaven other than through Jesus. The other extremely popular lie of today is that Jesus did not create the universe; that it just evolved in some way.

THE SEVEN ANGELIC PROCLAMATIONS (Rev 14:6-20)

We have seen seven angels mentioned before in Revelation. First we saw the seven angels of the seven churches in Rev 1:19. Then we saw the seven angels with seven trumpets in Rev 8:2 administering the seven trumpet judgments. These may be the same angels or they may be different angels; we are not told to the best of my understanding. Anyway, in John’s vision in Rev 14 he sees seven angels making significant proclamations concerning events that happen just before and during the Second Coming of Jesus and doing some very significant things. We will next study those significant proclamations and events.

• FIRST ANGELIC PROCLAMATION: Rev 14:6-7, a proclamation of the eternal gospel to all those still living on earth. Verse 6 says that an angel will proclaim the gospel to all those who live on earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people. His message included a fearful proclamation to “fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come.” This message was proclaimed by an angel in some manner unknown to us, just before the Second Coming. It was a last chance for the people of the earth, I would imagine. In his Olivet Discourse in Matt 24:14 Jesus told his disciples, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole earth as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” This verse has been misinterpreted over the years to indicate that the church would have to do this before Christ would return. However, Rev 14:6 tells us that an angel will do it right at the end, just before the Second Coming. This does not diminish the great commission of Matt 28:18-20.

When verse 6 calls the first proclamation angel “another angel,” who is this referring back to? It is not clear, but it may be the angel in Rev 11:15, who is the angel with the seventh trumpet. Thus these seven peoclamation angels are likely not the same as the seven angels with the seven trumpets.

• SECOND ANGELIC PROCLAMATION: Rev 14:8, a proclamation that Babylon had fallen. The city of Babylon was the headquarters for Satanic activity for centuries and God refers to it as Satan’s city. It was the place of origin of many of the pagan traditions that still haunt us today. Much of the idol worship of the ancient world was centered there. It was possibly the most important city in the ancient world for about 2,000 years and the center of the Babylonian empire. Nebuchadnezzar made his headquarters there. It was a marvelous city on the Euphrates River. The city still exists today in the country of Iraq and was being rebuilt by Sadaam Hussein before his overthrow. The area in which Babylon was located in the ancient times was variously called Babylonia, Assyria and Mesopotamia. The Tower of Babel was located there. The area which the Bible refers to as the Garden of Eden was also in this general area. The term Babylon as used here in Rev 14 and in other places in Revelation may refer to the city of Babylon in Iraq or it may be symbolic of the Satanic world, the seat of ungodly practices and pagan religions. However, it most likely refers to the great prostitute, the woman, mystery Babylon of Rev chapters 17-19. We will later conclude that mystery Babylon is the Satanically inspired, all inclusive apostate religion of the antichrist, after the rapture.
• THIRD ANGELIC PROCLAMATION: Rev 14:9-12, a proclamation that those with the mark of the beast will be doomed to hell forever. Let us go to the dictionary of symbology and review the mark of the beast before we continue this discussion. We see that taking the mark of the beast, at a minimum, means to accept the Satanic program of the antichrist. Those who accept his Satanic program and worship Satan during the second three and one half years of the tribulation period are allowed to sell and purchase the necessities of life. Those who do not are taken into captivity and killed (Rev 13:10). To repeat, this third angel is proclaiming that those who have taken the mark of the beast will face the fullest fury of the wrath of God which is about to be poured out in the seventh judgment. They have refused the free gift being offered to them by the first angel and have instead chosen to follow Satan. Therefore they will be sentenced to hell and will face eternal torment (Rev 14:10-11). Verse 12 is a challenge to those believers who remain on the earth until the end; they must exercise patient endurance, obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. God’s New Covenant commandment from 1 John 3:23 is to believe in Jesus Christ and love one another as Jesus loved us, sacrificially even to the point of death if necessary. Rev 13:10 uses much the same wording as Rev 14:12. These two scriptures are likely aimed specifically at those who become believers during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation period. They are being warned of the consequences of taking the mark of the beast and are being told to instead choose imprisonment and death at the hand of the antichrist.
• FOURTH ANGELIC PROCLAMATION: Rev 14:13, a proclamation that those who die in the Lord will be blessed. This may be saying that it will be so terribly horrible on the earth as God’s full wrath is being poured out in the seventh judgment that it will be a blessing for believers if they die. They will have rest from their burdens and rewards for their endurance in remaining faithful to God in the face of the terrible reign of the antichrist. We noticed above that Rev 14:12 used much the same language as Rev 13:10-11. In spite of the terrible wrath inflicted first by the antichrist and then by God, it is imperative that believers remain faithful to God. If they turn from him and take the mark of the beast, the wrath that they will face in hell will be immensely greater than the wrath on earth, and it lasts forever.
• FIFTH ANGELIC PROCLAMATION: Rev 14:14-16, a proclamation that it was time for Jesus to reap a harvest of those remaining on earth. In verse 14 we see Jesus with a gold crown on his head as he is coming to reign on earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. However, we see that he has something very unusual with him, a sharp sickle. The fifth angel is proclaiming to Jesus that it is time for Jesus to reap because the harvest on earth is ripe. The time had finally come; Jesus was returning to earth. In verse 16 we see that Jesus did just as the angel suggested; he swung his sickle and harvested the earth. This may be an allusion to the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus told several parables about the coming harvest. We can learn a lot from these parables so I suggest that readers take a look at a couple of them, including Matt 13:24-30, 37-43, Matt 13:47-50, Matt 21:33-44, Matt 24;36-51, Matt 25:1-13, Matt 25:14-30, 25:31-46. We see that Jesus said he would be gone a long time before he returned, that nobody would know the day or hour of his return, that there would be a harvest at the end of the age, that he would send his angels out to do the harvesting when he returns, that believers would be separated from unbelievers and that unbelievers would face eternal punishment. What else can we learn from these parables? What can we learn about the Jewish people and the role they will play?
• SIXTH ANGEL, NO PROCLAMATION: Rev 14:17, a sixth angel came with no proclamation but with a sharp sickle. This angel is the only angel of the seven who does not have a proclamation to make. We see that he does have a sharp sickle with which he could harvest if called upon to do so.
• SEVENTH ANGELIC PROCLAMATION: Rev 14:18-20, a seventh angel came proclaiming to the sixth angel with the sharp sickle that it was time for him to take his sickle and gather the cluster of grapes from the earth’s vine, because the grapes were ripe. He does as he is told, harvests the grapes and throws them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. Apparently those that are thrown into the winepress are unbelievers because we saw in the parable in Matt 13:24-30, as explained in Mat 13:37-43, that the weeds are harvested first and thrown into the fiery furnace. We also saw in the discussion of the sheep-goat judgment in Matt 25:31-46 that believers and unbelievers are dealt with separately.