Song of the 144,000
CHAPTER 14:1-20
THE SONG OF THE 144,000
Review Last Lesson: Last lesson in Revelation Chapter 13 We learned about the mark of the beast and the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet. We also learned that the first mark of the beast was given by God to Cain when he murdered his brother Abel. We also learned that Satan will come before Christ.
The Song of the 144,000
1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion! And with Him were a hundred and forty four thousands, with the name of His Father having been written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound out of Heaven, as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of great thunder. Also I heard a sound of harpers harping on their harps. 3 And they sing as a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one was able to learn the song except the hundred and forty four thousands, those having been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones following the Lamb wherever He may go. These were redeemed from among men as a first fruit to God and to the Lamb. 5 And no guile was found in their mouth, for they are without blemish before the throne of God.
The Messages of the Three Angels
6 And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an everlasting gospel to proclaim to those dwelling on the earth, even to every nation and tribe and tongue and people, 7 saying in a great voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him, because the hour of His judgment has come; also, Worship “Him who has made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea,” and the fountains of waters. Ex. 20:11
8 And another angel followed, saying, The great city, Babylon, has fallen, has fallen; because of the wine of the anger of her fornication, she made all nations to drink.
9 And a third angel followed them, saying in a great voice, If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or in his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. And those worshiping the beast and its image have no rest night and day, even if anyone receives the mark of its name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are the ones keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice out of Heaven saying to me, Write: Blessed are the dead, the ones dying in the Lord from now. Yes, says the Spirit, they shall rest from their labors, and their works follow with them. 14 And I saw; and behold, a white cloud and on the cloud One sitting, like the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel went forth out of the temple, crying in a great voice to the One sitting on the cloud, Send Your sickle and reap, because Your hour to reap came, because the harvest of the earth was dried. 16 And the One sitting on the cloud thrust His sickle onto the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel went forth out of the temple in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel went forth out of the altar having authority over the fire. And he spoke with a great cry to the one having the sharp sickle, saying, Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, because its grapes are ripened. 19 And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw into the winepress of the great anger of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood went out of the winepress as far as the bridles of the horses, from a thousand six hundred stadia.
The Harvest of the Earth
14And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,
Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Review Chapter 14
A. Christ stands on Mt. Zion with 144,000 all sealed of God
B. There was music, new songs, and the redeemed first fruit.
C. Angel with the Everlasting Gospel, flying in mid Heaven to proclaim: “Fear God, Give Glory to Him, because the hour of his judgment is come.”
D. The second angel said “The great city, BABYLON has fallen, has fallen, because of the wine of the anger of her fornication, she made all nations to drink.”
E. The third angel said “If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or in his hand, he shall also drink of the wine of anger of God, having been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath. And will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb”. There will be no rest.
F. The fourth angel said to the One sitting on the cloud “Send your sharp sickle and reap, because your hour to reap came, because the harvest of the earth was dried. And He reaped the earth.
G. The fifth angel also had a sharp sickle and the sixth angel having authority over fire spoke to the one having the sharp sickle and said “Gather the clusters of the vine of the earth because its grapes are ripened.” And he gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the winepress of the great anger of God.
H. The winepress was trodden outside the city and blood went out of the winepress as far as the bridles of horses.
LESSON
Vengeance belongs to God! Christ and the 144,000 are setting in motion the finishing of the Will of God. The angel is going strong with the Everlasting Gospel, warnings sent out to all who take the mark of the beast, and the time for harvest has come. It was missed by the whole world.
When the angel told the one on the cloud: “Send your sharp sickle and reap, because your hour to reap came, because the harvest of the earth was dried. Go back and read what happened in the 3rd Seal:
5And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Harvest came and there was no fruit.
Pay attention people. The balances are to measure fruit for the harvest. There was very little fruit. The only thing that was left was the oil and the wine, the few doing God’s work without practicing all of those other abominations mentioned in the five churches that needed to overcome.
Let’s take a closer look at agriculture so that you can understand what will be taking place when the hour of judgment is come:
(1) Plowing and sowing. – Christ’ teachings to the Churches – Ministers and Christians teaching the Word of God If grain is to be planted, the seed is scattered broadcast by the sower. If the land has not been used for some time the ground is first plowed, and when the seed has been scattered is plowed again. The sower may keep his supply of seed in a pocket made by pulling up his outer garment through his girdle to a sufficient extent for it to sag down outside his girdle in the form of a loose pouch. He may, on the other hand, carry it in a jar or basket.
As soon as the seed is scattered it is plowed in before the ever-present crows and ravens can gather it up. The path of the plow in the fields of the hilly regions is a tortuous one because of the boulders jutting out here and there or because of the ledges which frequently lie hidden just beneath the surface. When the plowman respects the footpaths which the sufferance of the owner has allowed to be trodden across his fields or which mark the boundaries between the lands of different owners, and leaves them unplowed, then the seed which has fallen on these portions becomes the food of the birds. Corners of the field where the plow cannot reach are hoed by hand.
(2) Reaping. – Christ – The Angels – 144,000 Sealed After the plowing is over, the fields are deserted until after the winter rains, unless an unusually severe storm of rain and hail has destroyed the young shoots. Then a second sowing is made.
In April, if the hot east winds have not blasted the grain the barley begins to ripen. The wheat follows from a week to six weeks later, depending upon the altitude. Toward the end of May or the first week in June, which marks the beginning of the dry season, reaping begins. Whole families move out from their village homes to spend the time in the fields until the harvest is over. Men and women join in the work of cutting the grain.
A handful of grain is gathered together by means of a sickle held in the right hand. The stalks thus gathered in a bunch are then grasped by the left hand and at the same time a pull is given which cuts off some of the stalks a few inches above ground and pulls the rest up by the roots. These handfuls are laid behind the reapers and are gathered up by the helpers, usually the children, and made into piles for transporting to the threshing- floor.
(3) Threshing – Christ The threshing-floors are constructed in the fields, preferably in an exposed position in order to get the full benefit of the winds. If there is a danger of marauders they are clustered together close to the village. The floor is a level, circular area 25 to 40 ft. in diameter, prepared by first picking out the stones, and then wetting the ground, tamping or rolling it, and finally sweeping it. A border of stones usually surrounds the floor to keep in the grain. T
he sheaves of grain which have been brought on the backs of men, donkeys, camels, or oxen, are heaped on this area, and the process of tramping out begins. In some localities several animals, commonly oxen or donkeys, are tied abreast and driven round and round the floor. In other places two oxen are yoked together to a drag, the bottom of which is studded with pieces of basaltic stone. This drag, on which the driver, and perhaps his family, sits or stands, is driven in a circular path over the grain.
The fifth angel also had a sharp sickle and the sixth angel having authority over fire spoke to the one having the sharp sickle and said “Gather the clusters of the vine of the earth because its grapes are ripened.” And he gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the winepress of the great anger of God. The winepress was trodden outside the city and blood went out of the winepress as far as the bridles of horses.
Wine Presses: The Wrath of God Wine Presses consisted of two rectangular or circular excavations, hewn in the solid rock to a depth of 2 or 3 feet. Where possible one was always higher than the other and they were connected by a pipe or channel. Their size, of course, varied greatly, but the upper vat was always wider and shallower than the lower and was the press proper, into which the grapes were thrown, to be crushed by the feet of the treaders The juice flowed down through the pipe into the lower vat, from which it was removed into jars or where it was allowed to remain during the first fermentation.
Chapter 14 Test
- Who was standing on Mt. Zion?
- Describe what they were doing?
- What did the Angel flying in mid-heaven proclaim?
- What did the 2nd Angel say?
- What is the patience of the saints?
- What did the voice out of heaven tell John to write?
- What did the 3rd Angel say?
- What did the voice out of Heaven tell John to write?
- How far was the blood out of the winepress?
- Who follows the lamb?