Amazing Angelic Warnings - "The 144,000 & The Lamb" | Jean Ross

[Music] of [Music] just beyond the river [Music] till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond [Music] good evening everyone hello afco students and family well it's good to see you all here today and then we have some church members i'd also like to greet those of our church members and also our friends who are joining us online across the country and around the world very welcome to this special series talking about amazing angelic messages for our afco students this is the first time that i'm actually getting to meet you folks i know this past weekend was a big opportunity for you to meet the church but i was out of town just got back yesterday but i'm glad to finally be able to meet you and looking forward to sharing we're going to be studying the book of revelation together in the afco class and so we're going to have a wonderful time we're going to continue with our theme talking about the three angels messages tonight my topic is the lamb and 144 000 now before we get to that let me give you a little bit of a background to revelation 14. revelation chapter 14 is divided up into three sections it begins with the first five verses talking about the 144 000 and the lamb then you have the three angels messages starting in verse six and it goes all the way through to verse 13 and then you have the harvest of the earth or the second coming of christ that starts in verse 14 and goes through to the end of the chapter so three divisions that we find in revelation chapter 14. now what's interesting about the structure that we find of revelation 14 it begins by describing the 144 000 and they are standing with the lamb and they're on mount zion it's describing them victorious in heaven it shows them in their final reward but then what the chapter does is after describing this group of people in heaven it then backs up and tells us how this group got into heaven how did they get there well through the preaching of the three angels message and then of course the second coming of christ remember revelation even though it's a prophetic book it's not always written in chronological order so you need to kind of piece it together from time to time and that's the case here in revelation chapter 14. the original manuscripts that john wrote the original letters did not have chapter divisions that came a lot a long time afterwards so you need to kind of look at the context of what's been addressed with these different sections so we're going to be looking at this first description this group described in revelation 14 1 through 2 verse 5. and that's going to be our subject our topic for study so let's begin we're going to take a verse by verse study of these five verses revelation 14 1 says then i looked and behold a lamb standing on mount zion now who is the lamb here jesus is the lamb it's interesting to note that the first mention of lambs in scripture occurred in genesis chapter 21 and it's the story of abraham in order to attest his ownership to a well at besheba known as the well of the oath that's what boshiba means it's recorded that abraham gave seven lambs to abomilac interesting story here you have sheep mentioned previous in scripture but this is the first reference of a lamb or lambs so abraham's servants they dug a well they dug this well and they were using the water but then the servants of abumelech confiscated the well they took it away from abraham's servants and they claimed that the well was theirs so sometime afterwards abraham then has this this conflict between the servants of abraham and the servants of abomalek and finally abraham and abimelech get involved and abumbai says i didn't even know that your servants you know there was that you had the well and so there was this little controversy so abram gave seven lambs to abomalek to once again buy back that which was originally his now that's what i think is interesting the first reference of lambs in the bible is buying back something that originally belonged to the person buying it back and the earth created was christ it's his but the devil stole the earth so to speak when adam and eve gave their allegiance to satan instead of christ and through the lamb through jesus the earth is brought back christ has redeemed us he's brought us back so that's the first reference that we have of lambs of course when we talk about the lamb we're talking about jesus john the baptist jesus can't be baptized john the baptist says the next day john saw jesus coming towards him said behold the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world john the baptist didn't even understand the full extent of his own words and there was somebody standing in the crowd that day a young man who actually heard john the baptist point to jesus saw him point to jesus he heard him say behold the lamb of god that takes away the sins of the world well that young man then left john the baptist and started following this jesus and his name was john and many years later after this experience john is writing the book of revelation and he says i saw the lamb standing on mount zion and with him 144 000. now what is mount zion originally zion was the hill upon which the old jebusite fortress which david conquered and renamed the city of david eventually was changed to jerusalem and when the ark was transferred to jerusalem zion became known as the dwelling place of god in revelation mount zion symbolizes the new jerusalem so here we have a description of the redeemed standing with jesus in the new jerusalem it says with him 144 000. now the 144 thousand you do the math 12 times 12 times a thousand that's 144 000. numbers in the bible are significant especially when you come to the book of revelation so let's just quickly do a review of some of the more important numbers that we find in bible prophecy what is the number one representing bible prophecy i think some of you know what this is hear yo israel the lord our god is can you finish the verse one what does that mean well you've got the father the son and the holy spirit they are three distinct beings but they are united in their work of salvation they are together they are united for this call shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall be joined unto his wife and the two shall become one again it's unity of purpose so the number one in the bible represents unity of purpose what about the number two any significance the number two in bible prophecy the bible tells us to the something and something to the law and to the prophets all right to the lord to the prophets so the number two in the bible represents the word of god represents the law and the prophets now when we say the law and the prophets the first five books of the old testament written by moses that was considered the law everything else in the old testament was considered the prophets now we speak of the two witnesses and sometimes people say well is that the old testament in the new testament well not really the two witnesses they existed in the time of jesus that was the law and the prophets to the law and to the testimony that's the prophets if they speak not according to this there is no light in them so everything had to be tested by the law and the prophets the new testament is really an extension of the prophets so you still got two divisions the law and the prophets so the number two in the bible represents the law and the prophets and incidentally you've got two bible characters which represent the law and the prophets who in the old testament would represent the law moses represents the law and which of the prophets would represent the prophets elijah so you have the law and you have the prophets moses represents the law elijah represents the prophets now this is interesting the bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth is to be established you need two or three witnesses jesus took peter james and john and he took them up on a high mountain and jesus was glorified before them you know the story says his clothes began to shine forth like the sun and there appeared two people who appeared there with jesus on the mount of transfiguration moses and elijah and what did they talk to jesus about well they spoke about his mission he was the messiah and what that meant the fulfillment of that prophetic mission and so you have peter james and john they're witnessing moses and elijah and jesus so moses is testifying to jesus as being the messiah elijah is testifying to jesus as being the messiah there you've got your two witnesses and peter afraid not quite knowing what to say he said lord it's good for us to be here for now we'll build three tabernacles one for you one for moses one for elijah and there's a cloud that overshadows the disciples and there is a voice this is my beloved son hear him so you've got the law testifying to jesus you've got the prophets testifying of jesus but then you've got the third witness which is god himself saying this is my beloved son no doubt jesus is the christ he is the messiah so of course the number two then represents the law and the prophets we'll talk more about that when we get to revelation chapter 11 and we talk about the two witnesses what about the number three any significance the number three the trinity the father son and the holy spirit uh what about the number four significance of number four four corners of the earth revelation chapter seven describes four angels holding back the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow upon the earth upon the sea nor on any tree an angel is seen coming from the east with the seal of the living god so the number four in bible prophecy represents the earth it's the four points of the compass north south east and west what about the number five any significance to the number five how many loaves did jesus use to feed more than 5 000 people five all right five how many books in the law five so the number five often is associated with doctrine or teaching jesus told a parable about the ten virgins five were wise five were foolish so five often has to do with doctrine or teaching what about the number six this is an easy one what does the number six represent it's man's number man was created on the sixth day of the week what is the number of the beast six six six how many sixes three sixes is amazing the number of the beast is the counterfeit of the godhead you got god the father you got the son you got the holy spirit the counterfeit guarded is the dragon the beast and the false prophet man's attempt to usurp god's position we'll study that in more detail something else interesting about the number six representing man's number what was the first miracle that jesus performed do you remember that it was in canaan galilee and it had it was a wedding and what did jesus do at the wedding he turned the water into wine it's interesting he had about five disciples with him john was one of those disciples this is just after christ had been in the wilderness for 40 days fasting and then he went back to where john was baptizing and john again pointed to jesus said be all the lamb of god and john the apostle followed jesus and they went up the cane of galilee where this wedding took place in bible prophecy what does a wedding represent all right let me rephrase that in bible prophecy who is the groom jesus who is the bride the church okay and what is the wedding christ's reception of his bride or his church incidentally where does the wedding feast take place where does the married supper of the lamb take place in the father's house in heaven interesting anyway here's this wedding jesus is there his disciples are there and the wine failed literally it says the wine failed what does wine represent in bible prophecy pure wine not intoxicating fermented wine i'm talking about pure grape juice also known as wine in the bible what does that represent represents christ's atony sacrifice represents the blood of christ so there's a wedding taking place but there's a problem because the wine has failed can the wedding take place the married supper of the lamb take place without the blood of christ no so the wine fails the mother of jesus comes to jesus and says you know we have a problem the wine has failed and jesus says what have i to do with thee my hour is not yet come and then she says to the servants whatever he tells you to do it and then the bible tells us very interesting he says there are six how many six what does six represent man there are six stone water jugs used for the purifying of the jews what were those jugs used for purifying of the jews that was the ceremonial cleansing of their hands and that kind of thing but specifically the bible says there are six of these jugs jesus says to the servants fill it up full full right to the brim fill it with oil with water and then the water miraculously turns into wine and jesus says take it to the governor of the feast and when the governor of the feast had given his approval then the wine which was pure grape juice could be given to the guests in order for the marriage supper of the lamb to take place jesus had to take upon himself humanity because as a man here to provide the blood the sacrifice that would allow the married supper of the lamb to take place thus the six stone water jugs used for purifying it's through christ's atoning sacrifice as a man that we are saved from our sins and then before it could be given to the get to the guests that were there at the wedding you needed to get the approval of the master of the feast the governor of the feast when jesus rose from the dead and mary magdalene was there and she reached out and grabbed jesus by the feet what did jesus say to her he said do not detain me do not cling to me for i have not yet ascended to my father in heaven what was it that jesus wanted to hear from his father when he ascended to heaven he wanted to know that his sacrifice was enough we have a beautiful picture portrayed in desire of ages we have a description of christ's ascension after the resurrection and as he goes towards heaven and the angels are there and they sing in their praises and they're welcoming jesus as he enters into heaven but jesus hushes the angels and he's on a mission and he makes his way into the presence of his father and there jesus is in the presence of the father and jesus does not say father it's so good to be finally back home but when jesus stands in the presence of the father he says father i will that those whom thou has given me be with me where i am it's a moment of silence in heaven every eye is turned to god the father finally the father says let all worship him in other words the sacrifice is enough the blood is good enough give it to the guests give it to the guests the marriage supper of the lamb can take place so number six is significant oh there's so much we can say about numbers ten commandments written on how many tables of stone two tables of stone how many commandments are written on the first table four what do those first four commandments have to do with our relationship with god and is that relevant for every person on earth yes what does the last six commandments have to do with our relationship to our fellow man of course six is man's number very interesting all right what about the number seven any significance of seven seven represent represents completion or perfection the number eight not a whole lot the number nine not a whole lot what about the number ten ten commandments absolutely number eleven no not a whole lot what about the number 12 12 represents the church you've got the 12 tribes of the old testament you've got the 12 apostles the new testament so 12 represents the church it represents god's people incidentally i forgot to mention one thing moses and elijah when they appeared with jesus on the mount of transfiguration the bible records it's amazing the bible records three individuals that went 40 days without food jesus moses and elijah when moses went up on mount sinai to get the law he didn't eat for 40 days he was sustained by the presence of god elijah was fed special food by an angel and he went in the strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights here you have jesus and the other two who fasted for 40 days together on the amount of transfiguration testifying that jesus is the christ very interesting all right so here we have 144 000 incidentally the number 40 also represents a generation it is time of testing and time of purifying children of israel traveled in the wilderness for 40 years it rained for 40 days crisis in the wilderness for 40 days anyway so 40 represents a time of testing or purifying what about the 144 thousand so you've got 12 times 12 times a thousand that gives you 144 000. where do these 144 000 come from according to revelation chapter 7. they come from the 12 tribes how many come from each tribe 12 000. so our goal in studying 144 000 is not to nail down a specific number but we are trying to see what does this number represent or mean are you with me again revelation is a symbolic book now the hundred and forty four thousand are those who are able to stand in the final events the events portrayed in revelation uh chapter six it's the opening of the sixth seal they are the seal of the living god according to revelation chapter seven they are protected in a time of universal destruction when the seven last plagues are poured out now here is the sixth seal revelation chapter six starting verse 12 it says i looked and when he had opened up the sixth seal and behold there was a great earthquake that great earthquake was in 1755. november 1 1755 we call that the lisbon earthquake then it says there was a great earthquake and the sun became black a sackcloth of hair and the moon became his blood that was in 1780 1780 i think it was may the 19th 1780 incidentally that was right in the midst of the american war of independence happening at the same time that evening the moon came up as blood and then verse 13 says and the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree which she dropped so late figs when she's shaken with the mighty wind that was in 1833 just 10 years before 1844. and i believe that was november the 13th 1833 then verse 14. so we're between verse 13 and verse 14 today because verse 14 says then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up and every mountain and island was moved out of its place and the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the commanders and the mighty men every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and they said to the mountains and the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him and sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the lamb verse 17 for the great day of his wrath has come what's the last part of the verse who is able to stand now this is the end of revelation chapter 6 when do we read about the seventh seal it's not until revelation chapter eight and the seventh seal is silence in heaven for about the space of a half an hour so before we talk about the second coming of christ which is the uh seventh seal of course it also refers to it here in the sixth the question is asked who's able to stand when jesus comes the answer is given in revelation chapter seven those who have the seal of god in their forehead or the 144 000. so the 144 000 are described in revelation chapter 7 also we find it here in revelation 14. now there is great significance to the order in which john lists these tribes that you read about this is uh chapter seven each tribe has a specific meaning and when linked together we find a description of the experience that god's people will go through just before the second coming of christ now the order that we have these tribes before we get to the meaning of it it's kind of interesting not all of the tribes that you read about in the old testament are listed here in revelation chapter 7. uh the tribe that's missing is the tribe of dan ephraim is under the name of joseph ephraim joseph sometimes is used interchangeably so you'll notice dan's not there ephraim's not there but ephraim is is under the name of joseph we also noted that notice that the order is different it begins with the tribe of judah judah was not the oldest but here we have judah mentioned because jesus came from the tribe of judah but if you look at the meaning of the names it's very significant judah means i'll praise the lord reuben he has looked on me gad and given good fortune asha happy am i an afterlife for my wrestling manasseh god is making me forget simeon god hears me levi and he's joined to me it's a car he has purchased me zebulun a dwelling joseph god shall add to me benjamin the son of his right hand okay i'm just going to read the meaning of the names i will praise the lord he has looked on me and given good fortune happy am i for my wrestling well god's people have a wrestling experience before jesus comes he is making me forget god hears me and he is joined to me he has purchased me a dwelling and god shall add to me the son of his right hand who's that jesus see the 144 000 that we find listed here in revelation 7 it's very unique it's special it's describing the experience that god's people will go through in the last days before jesus comes are they going to have a time of wrestling yes will they cry out to the lord yes will god remember them yes god will add to them the son of his right hand now notice this group of people have the father's name written in their foreheads in the bible name is often synonymous with character in revelation chapter 7 verse 3 144 000 are sealed in their foreheads the forehead represents the mind there is a close connection between the seal of god and the father's name applied to 144 000 the seal and the name of god represents number one ownership this group of people they belong to god at a time of widespread apostasy when the world is bowing to the beast there is a group of people who belong to god and refuse to bow like shadrach meshach and abednego number two it represents character 144 000 reflect the image or the character of god in a very wonderful way and we'll see that later on when we study revelation chapter 7. last part of verse 1 says written in their foreheads the decision-making powers of the mind of course in the forehead to have the father's name written on the forehead is to have his commandments written in the heart and the mind by the holy spirit this is the fulfillment of the new covenant promise and we've been talking about that we spoke about the everlasting gospel on sabbath morning ezekiel chapter 36 26 says i will give you a new heart god says this i will put a new spirit within you i will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh i will put my spirit within you cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them do you think the 144 000 will have this new heart that god promises yes will they be filled with the holy spirit yes will they keep the commandments of god and have the faith of jesus yes so they have had this new covenant experience it's real it's personal their lives have been transformed by the grace of god verse two says and i heard a voice from heaven john describes what he hears 38 times in revelation and what he sees 78 times revelation is an eye and ear report of what john saw and heard while he was in version it's amazing to me you know john is taking off in division god reveals stuff to him and john just faithfully writes it down oh i heard this he writes it down i saw this he writes it down it's an eye in ear account it's a testimony from heaven to us and we're holding it in our hands and we can read this message straight from god it's an amazing thought book of revelation especially given for us from god revelation chapter one this is the introduction to the book of revelation the revelation of jesus christ which god gave to him to show to his servants things that must shortly take place and he's sent and signified by his angel to his servant john verse 2. what are the three things john did he bore witness to the word of god that's everything that he heard to the testimony of jesus what is the testimony of jesus revelation 19 10 tells us it's the spirit of prophecy so that which the spirit revealed to him and the things that he saw so it's an eye and ear account well here he hears a voice in heaven and this voice is like the sound of many waters jesus has the voice of many waters in revelation chapter 1 verse 15 and it says like the voice like loud thunder thunder is often connected with the presence of god so yeah 144 000 in the land they are in the presence of god there are mount zion they are victorious in heaven and i heard hang on i just hit the wrong button let's go back to that there we go and i heard the sound of harpists playing their harps so this is the redeemed they are worshiping god and they are playing harps would you like to play a harp you know we have a church member here at granite bay young gal and she plays the harp and every now and again we have her do special music and those of you who have heard her play before she is it sounds fantastic when she plays you can just imagine hundreds of thousands of harps all playing in perfect units i don't know what it's going to sound like but you'll have an orchestra of harps in heaven and here 140 000. they're playing their harps in heaven how boy you get to play an instrument that you never learn that's kind of cool they'll be singing so john hears the 144 000 playing the harps and singing of their experience of deliverance verse 3 says they sang as it were a new song before the throne this new song is sung by this new song that he sung is the song of moses and of the lamb it will be sung by 144 thousand who have stood with jesus and have gained the victory so what is the song of moses in the lamb now there is a song of moses that's recorded in deuteronomy but the song of moses is really a summary of god's deliverance of israel and sort of the high point of that deliverance occurred when the children of israel came to the red sea mountains on the right and on the left the egyptians were coming up behind them they couldn't defend themselves they couldn't fight against the egyptians all they could do was cast themselves in god's mercy and pray that god would open up a way and in the last moment as those egyptians were coming behind them god performed their miracle he opened up the red sea he brought them through on dry land and their enemies were destroyed in their deliverance because they drowned in the sea so likewise god's people in the last days they will face a similar situation according to revelation chapter 13 the time comes when there is a death decree now the good news is that death decree is not ever enforced because just in the last moment jesus comes to the rescue of his people this time he's not opening up the red sea but he's opening up the sky and jesus comes as king of kings and lord of lords to deliver his people and the wicked are destroyed with the brightness of his coming so when the hundred and forty four thousand i'm going to sing the song of moses it's a description of their experience how god delivered them from their enemies and took them home what about the song of the lamb do we have any record in scripture of jesus singing we know jesus sang probably sang as a young man growing up but he must have sung many times with his disciples but there is there is one occasion where it's actually recorded in scripture that jesus sang with his disciples can you think of when the disciples in christ sang a hymn ha you got it it's the upper room experience the last supper jesus with his disciples it says they sung a hymn and then where did they go then they went to the garden of gethsemane and of course in the garden of gethsemane jesus takes upon himself the sins of the whole world and he says those famous words if it is possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will thy will be done 144 000 will have that same experience where they will cry out and say lord if it is possible please deliver us nevertheless not my will thy will be done they will have full submission full surrender to the will of god like shadrach meshach and abednego on the plane of dura where they refuse to bow to that golden image and they stand before nebuchadnezzar and they say to him o king we're not afraid but our god whom we serve here's the one we worship we're not going to bow down to your image our god is able to deliver us but even if he does not deliver us we've made up our mind god's people in the last days they've made up their mind they are settled into the truth they know whom in whom they believe and they're going to stand faithful thus they sing the song of moses and the song of the lamb revelation chapter 15 2 2-3 says and i saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire those who have gotten the victory of the beast and over his image and over the mark and over the number of his names standing on the sea of glass having the harps of god and they sing the song of moses and the song of the lamb there again talking about the 144 000 singing of their deliverance the next part of the verse says they sing before the throne the throne has earlier been described and introduced in revelation chapter 4 verse 2 and that is the throne of god so the 144 000 will sing this new song in the presence of the lamb and in the presence of the father so here's the picture you've got the redeemed standing on the sea of glass you've got god the father seated upon his throne jesus is there by the father on the throne the redeemed are singing their praises to god because of what he has done and what christ has done to save them and while they singing god the father is listening but at some point the redeemed stops singing and there is a hush that falls over all of heaven the redeemed stand looking up to god seated on the great white throne the angels stand by the four living creatures are there the 24 elders they're all there but there is a quietness that fills all of heaven and as the redeemed stand looking up into the face of the father and the father looks at the faces of the redeemed he is so filled with joy that suddenly god the father starts singing for joy can you imagine that can you imagine standing before the throne of god and god looks at you and he looks at me and his heart is so filled with joy he can't keep quiet any longer and suddenly this rolling powerful voice which fills the whole universe resounds from the throne of god where god the father is singing for joy now you say pastor ross how do you know that it's going to happen well because the bible says so here's the verse that we don't often go to zephaniah 3 verse 17. notice this verse it says the lord your god is in your midst so there we are surrounding the throne of god the mighty one will save he will rejoice over you with gladness he will quiet you with his love he will rejoice over you with singing there it is god the father can i sing for joy oh i don't know about you friends but if heaven ends right there i will be happy just to hear god the father sing could you imagine what that would be like singing for joy because his children have come home so they sing the song there before the throne but they also sing before the four living creatures now who are the four living creatures while we read about them in revelation chapter four we have a description of the four living creatures we don't have time to get into all of the details but the first living creature these are you might wonder what exactly are they they are covering cherubs and seraphims they are angelic beings surrounding god's throne we'll study this in great detail when we get to revelation 4. but in the description that we have of these four living creatures in revelation 4 it says the first has the face of a lion in bible prophecy a lion represents royalty or kingship the second has a face of a calf or an ox that's a symbol of sacrifice of service the third has a face of a man symbol of humanity and the fourth has the face of an eagle which is a symbol of judgment and rulership now each of these four living creatures that surround the throne represent a different phase of christ's ministry the lion would represent jesus in heaven before the incarnation as a king as a lion but jesus gave the sept of the universe back into his father's hand and he took upon himself humanity and he came to this earth to bear our sins and to die a sacrifice that is an ox an ox is a beast of burden a calf a sacrificial animal but when jesus rose from the dead he ascended up on high he took humanity with him jesus is our high priest he is our older brother he is the second adam and he is interceding for us in the old testament in order for you to be a priest you had to be taken from the people so that you could sympathize with them you could minister for them you could represent them jesus is taken from us he sympathizes with us he ministers for us before the father and then the fourth has the face of an eagle that represents judgment and rulership when jesus comes again he comes as king of kings and lord of lords to execute judgment his priestly work is then finished now this is what's interesting if you were to look down on the camp of israel pitched in the wilderness thereby mount sinai you would have after the sanctuary was constructed you'd have the sanctuary in the center of the camp and there would be the shekinah glory hovering over the holy place the most holy place actually of the sanctuary then you have the courtyard and the tent the children of israel they were given strict instructions as to how they were to pitch their their tents there were to be three on each side facing the sanctuary there was to be a leading tribe amongst those three tribes and the tribes were to pitch their camp with their banner or the emblem facing towards the sanctuary so there are three tribes on each side and there is a leading tribe and he places the tribe places the banner of the tribe facing towards the sanctuary now we know from scripture which was the leading tribe we also know what their banners or their symbols were we find over here in numbers chapter 2 verse 3 10 18 25 it says on the east side towards the rising of the sun those are the standard of the forces of judah what was the symbol of judah a lion on the south side shall be the standard of the forces of reuben what do you think was the symbol of reuben an ox or a calf on the west side the standard of the forces of ephraim what do you think was the symbol of ephraim a man and on the stand of the forces of dan shall be on the north what do you think was the symbol of dan an eagle so looking down from heaven on the camp of israel it's as if it's almost a miniature of what's described in revelation chapter four we have god the father seated upon his throne and you've got the four living creatures the first is the face of a lion an ox a man and an eagle it's sort of a miniature of what we see in heaven representing god's presence god's throne then it talks about the elders and who are the elders revelation chapter 4 talks about the 24 elders surrounding god's throne there are two suggestions that's the identity of the 24 elders number one they are the ones who were resurrected at the time of christ's resurrection and taken to heaven you remember that group that the bible speaks of not a lot he said about them but there was a group that was resurrected at the time of christ's resurrection and they actually went into jerusalem but we have no reference of them in the book of acts they played no significant role or no role at all in the new testament church so who are they and where did they go well the bible gives us a clue so some suggest that maybe the 24 elders is that group of people another suggestion is that the 24 elders are created beings from other worlds that have not sinned they are the representatives of the unfallen worlds now here's a couple of verses matthew chapter 27 verse 52 talks about this group that was resurrected at the time of christ's resurrection it says the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the graves after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many so this group of people we don't know who's in the group it could have been i don't know aaron maybe or solomon or we don't know maybe elisha was part of that group or jeremiah isaiah we don't know but we do know that david was not in that group do we know why david was not in that group because in acts peter is preaching he says david is dead and buried and his tomb his grave is right here so no david's still waiting for the resurrection but there were others that were resurrected at this time well what happened to them here's the clue ephesians chapter 4 verse 8 talking about the ascension of christ it says therefore he saith when he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men so when jesus ascended on high he led those who were held captive by the grave he had set them free he led captivity captive and he gave gifts unto men now when christ arose those who were resurrected at the time of christ's resurrection where were they were they waiting for him in heaven or were they coming behind him what does the verse say he what he led captive so that would mean that those who are resurrected must be behind him that's an important point so when jesus ascends on high those who are resurrected they're coming behind him the reason i emphasize that is because in revelation chapter 4 you have the 24 elders who are already in heaven prior to christ's ascension okay well what about this other group job chapter 1 verse 6 talks about them he says there was a day when the sons of god came to present themselves before the lord and satan also came among them so here we have this gathering of a group called the sons of god they are the representatives of unfallen worlds satan showed up and why do you think satan came what world was satan representing he was representing the earth and you remember the story where god said to satan where did you come from and he says oh from walking up and down on the earth in other words i've been surveying my kingdom and then god says to satan have you noticed that there's somebody in your kingdom that really belongs in my kingdom his name's job and you know the way the story went so here we have these representatives of these unfallen worlds some suggest that maybe they are the 24 eldest now isaiah chapter 24 verse 23 talks about this group he says the moon will be disgraced and the sun is shamed for the lord of hosts will reign on mount zion and in jerusalem and before his elders gloriously see we have an old testament reference to the elders i think the 24 elders are the representatives of the unfallen worlds and the reason i say that is because of revelation chapter four and five jesus does not appear until chapter five but the twenty-four elders appear in chapter four revelation chapter four the throne room is described god the father is seated upon the throne the four living creatures surrounding the throne there is a rainbow about the throne there are seven burning lamps of fire then you have the 24 elders and then in chapter five jesus appears okay now here's a quote that you find in desire of ages that i think makes it pretty clear it says as he ascended the he there is jesus as he ascended he jesus led the way and the multitude of captives set free at his resurrection followed so where were the ones who were resurrected they were coming on behind jesus then she jumps forward and she describes what's happening in heaven she says there is the throne and the rainbow of promise this is actually she's describing revelation 4. there are the cherubim and the seraphim that would be the four living creatures the commander of the angel host then the sons of god the representatives of the unfallen worlds are assembled the heavenly council before which lucifer accused god and his son the representatives of the sunless realm over which satan had thought to establish a dominion all are there to welcome the redeemer you get the picture so i think these 24 elders are the representatives of the unfallen worlds based upon these verses and the statement from desire of ages okay next part of the verse says and no one could learn that song except 144 000. this song is sung by those who've stood firm for jesus in the final moments of earth history who have been taken to heaven without tasting death this song is an expression of their own experience thus only the 144 000 are able to sing it because it's their experience it says they were redeemed from the earth the 144 000 are redeemed from the earth from amongst the living at the second coming of jesus now revelation chapter 7 describes two groups of people it describes those who have the seal of god in the first few verses of revelation and then it talks about a great multitude from every nation kindertongan people and then it goes back to talk about this group that is arrayed in white garments again it's a reference to the hundred and forty four thousand so two groups described in revelation seven and we'll study this when we get to it you've got 140 000 you've got the great multitude and then the last part of verse seven is again talking about the hundred and forty four thousand so two groups described now in verse 13 and 14 one of the elders has a conversation with john envisioned then one of the elders answered saying to me who are these irating white robes and where did they come from now we've just spoken about the great multitude and john knows where the great multitude have come from because it says they've come from every nation kindred tongue and people but there is another group those are reading white and the elder says to john where did this group come from we know where that group came from but what about this group those have the seal of god in their fault where do they come from and john responds and he says and i said to him sir you know now you want to remember that when pastor carlos gives you a quiz and you don't know the answer you just write down sir you know always a good answer and you can say that's what the apostle john did so i'm in good company is that all right carlos can we do that all right we'll see okay so the answer says so you know it's a good answer then he answered and he said these are the ones who have come out of great tribulation have all the redeemed come out of great tribulation have there been some who put their faith in jesus and they've lived a good life but they haven't gone through the great tribulation yes and not everyone has gone through the great tribulation but this group they've gone through the great tribulation what is the great tribulation well the bible speaks of two tribulations the one is the 1260 years of papal supremacy where severe persecution came against the followers of god but there is another time of trouble according to daniel chapter 12 verse 1 that will be worse than any time before but at that time god's people will be delivered every one that he's found written in the book so obviously we're not thinking about those who have come out of the 1260 years of papal domination and supremacy we're talking about those who have gone through this time of trouble described by daniel in daniel chapter 12 verse 1. so they've come out of great tribulation what have they done they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb so they have come into a union with christ they are reflecting the character of jesus and then it tells us that they are before the throne all right verse 14 goes on to give us a little more details about this group it says these are the ones who were not defiled with woman for their virgins in bible prophecy a woman represents what a church in revelation chapter 12 you have a description of a woman clothed with the sun standing upon the moon she has a crown of 12 stars and she's being persecuted by the dragon who does that woman represent god's people god's church both old testament and then new testament but in revelation chapter 17 you have another woman she's sitting on a scarlet colored beast and she has something written on her forehead babel and the great the mother of harlots the abominations of the earth that is the apostate church of the last days so you have two groups this group they described as virgins meaning that they have held to the truths of god's word in revelation chapter 17 the woman has a golden cup in her hand with intoxicating drink representing her false doctrine but they've been faithful to jesus they haven't accepted these false doctrines okay revelation chapter 12 verse 17 describes this group the dragon was enraged with the woman went to make war with the remnant of our offspring those who keep the commandments of god and they have the testimony of jesus a third qualification is given on this group in revelation chapter 14 verse 12 they have the faith of jesus keep the commandments they have the testimony of jesus and have the faith of jesus next part of the verse verse 4 these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes the 144 thousand have faithfully followed jesus on the earth and now they get to follow jesus in heaven revelation chapter 7 verse 16 and 17 again talking about this group they will neither hunger anymore nor thirst the sun shall not strike them nor any heat paul is right there why specifically does it say that this group they won't feel this intense heat of the sun well the fourth plague that happens just before jesus comes is an intensity of the sun the first plague is a terrible saw the second place plague is oceans turning to blood the third plague is rivers and fountains turn into blood and the fourth plague is an intense heat now it's true that god's people during the seven last plagues will be protected they they won't feel the full effect of these plagues and yet to some degree they seem to experience heat which makes sense they're still on the earth so here it says that they won't feel that heat any longer verse 17 for the lamb who's in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of water and god will wipe away every tear from their eyes these were redeemed from among men the hundred and forty four thousand are translated from amongst the living and they are taken to heaven without seeing death being first fruits to god and to the lamb 144 000 are considered as first fruits in the sense of being the first part of a larger harvest and also a special gift to god last verse verse five and in their mouth was found no deceit now the form of the greek verb suggests that at a certain time of investigation the hundred and forty four thousand were found to be faultless doesn't mean they've never sinned but it means that at some particular point they are found to be without fault now of course daniel chapter 7 verse 9 and 10 talks about this daniel 7 9 i watched till thrones were put in place the ancient of days was seated his garment was as white as snow and the hairs of his head was like pure wool he's thrown a fiery flame it's wheels a burning fire a fiery stream ishmael came forth from before him a thousand thousands ministered unto him ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the court was seated and the books were opened this is the beginning of the pre-advent or the investigative judgment now for afco students we're going to study all about the pre-advent judgment but at the end of that pre-evan judgment jesus finishes his high priest priestly work and he declares these words when probation closes he says he that is unjust let him be unjust still he that is filthy let him be filthy still he who is righteous let him be righteous still he who is holy let him be holy still so probation closes at that point this group who have the seal of god in their voids who are faithful who are keeping his commandments will be declared holy they are declared righteous because of what christ has done for them and in them and through them and then verse 12 jesus says behold i am coming quickly my reward is with me to give to every man according to his works says for there without fault before the throne of god by the grace of god they have overcome every defect of character and they have been completely transformed by the grace of christ now we might look at our lives today and think well i don't think i could ever be amongst the 144 well friends don't underestimate the power of the holy spirit and none of us will ever be amongst the 144 000 if it was not for a special outpouring of the holy spirit we call that the latter rain incidentally the latter rain ripens for the harvest we need the holy spirit and jesus will finish the work that he has begun but the latter rain will only come to those who are earnestly seeking the latter those who are praying for a deep experience those who recognize their need and say lord without you i can do nothing those who claim the promises of god's word they are the ones that will be filled with the holy spirit they will be able to stand in these final moments jude chapter 1 verse 24 says now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present your faultless before his presence of his glory with exceeding joy ephesians chapter 3 20 21 now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us what power is that it's the power of the holy spirit to him be glory in the church by christ jesus to all generations forever and ever amen before we can go through these final events that is just soon to happen on the earth we need a special outpouring of the holy spirit we should be seeking that we should be asking for it we should be surrendering ourselves to christ and saying lord fulfill your promise for me the bible says that god will pour water on the thirsty if we're thirsty for the spirit and we'll receive it god will give it to us christ object lessons page 69 our final quote christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of himself in his church when the character of christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people then he will come to claim them as his own amen so the 144 000 that we find in revelation chapter 14 is really a description of god's people in the last days it's if you like he's his last day missionaries it's those who are taking the three angels messages to the world christ called 12 apostles their work was to take the news of christ and his kingdom to those all around the world at the end of time there's not only 12 but there is 12 times 12 times a thousand god's end-time missionaries these end-time apostles who are taking the gospel to the world it represents god's people in the last days those who receive the message and those who open it up to the world god is inviting you and i to be amongst the hundred and forty four thousand if we embrace that message and we believe it and we say lord i'm gonna do my part in taking it to the world we can fulfill that call that god has given us so before we get to the three angels messages john describes a group of people who are going to be taking the three angels messages to every nation kindred tongue and people amen so that's the group we want to be amongst that group we recognize that without god we can do nothing incidentally before the disciples were able to turn the world upside down they needed to have a special outpouring of the holy spirit which they received at pentecost before this group of people can do the work the three angels they need a special outpouring of the holy spirit we call that the letter is it your desire to be amongst those proclaiming the three angels message absolutely let's close with prayer dear father we are indeed so grateful that you have called all of us you've called all of us to play a part in the proclamation of the three angels messages father we we look to ourselves and we think oh lord there is nothing good how we ever to fulfill that great commission but father if we take our eyes off ourselves and we look to jesus we realize that all things are possible to him who believes and so father we say we are willing here we are lord we are emptying ourselves of self so that you can fill us with your spirit keep us faithful do a work for us that we cannot do and we will be empowered to proclaim your last warning message to the world thank you for your promise we pray this in jesus name amen amen

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Published: Fri Sep 10 2021