Revelation 14: Those Redeemed from the Earth

Today’s reading is Revelation 14.

The Genuine Article

Once again, ignore the chapter break. Revelation 13 ended with the false prophet/land beast sealing those who worshiped the beast. The seal, however, was a mediocre copy of a greater work.

As if God was afraid John had forgotten what the false prophet was copying, He reminded John by bringing the sealed 144,000 back into the vision. We first saw these sealed in Revelation 7:1-8. According to Revelation 9:4, seal was for protection.

A Kingdom of Priests

In Exodus 28:36-38; 39:30-31; and Leviticus 8:9, God had the high priest wear a nameplate on his headgear with engraved declaration “Holy to the LORD.” God’s seal in Revelation 14 takes it to another level. Here, God’s name is not on a nameplate worn on occasions. It is a seal on the forehead, always on display.

In Exodus 19:5-6, God declared, “If you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel” (ESV). That is, the entirety of Israel was to be as if their forehead declared “Holy to the LORD.” Israel never pulled this off. In 1 Peter 1:16, Peter declares, quoting from Leviticus, we Christians are to be holy because our Lord is holy. In 1 Peter 2:5, he says we “like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood” (ESV). Then in 1 Peter 2:9, he says we “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” (ESV). What Israel failed to accomplish, Jesus is making His kingdom into.

John picks up this theme. In Revelation 1:5-6, he writes of Jesus, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father…” (ESV). Then in Revelation 5:9-10, he says the Lamb is “worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (ESV). Please note, in this last verse, the word translated “ransomed” in the ESV is the same as “redeemed” in Revelation 14:4.

Who are these people with a permanent name plate of the Lamb and the LORD on their foreheads? They are the ransomed, redeemed kingdom of priests.

Undefiled

For those who take the 144,000 to be a literal group of people chosen for some special eternal purpose, the description of them is a real struggle. James tells us no one can tame the tongue (James 3:8), but we are to believe 144,000 people never, ever in their whole lives told even the smallest, whitest of lies? Additionally, this redeemed group only includes men. Are we truly to believe no women make it into the redeemed from the earth? Further, none of them have been married, but are all virgins. Are we to take this literally?

First, recall, just as John was told in Revelation 5:4 that a Lion had conquered, but then turned and saw a Lamb, in Revelation 7:3-8, he hears about 144,000 sealed from the twelve tribes of Israel, but then turns to see a great multitude no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. Let us not forget, we were already told in Revelation 5:9, the redeemed were not only from Israel but from every tribe and language and nation and people. In other words, we are not to take even the number and nationality literally. Rather, those are part of the picture to make a point. The number represents completeness and fulness (12 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 12). That is, God redeems everyone He is supposed to. He knows those who are His. The nationality carries on the picture of being God’s elect nation.

This group is pictured as virgins, for two reasons. First, just as the seal on the forehead intensifies the nameplate on the high priest, the picture of virginity intensifies preparation to meet God on His mountain. In Exodus 19, when the people were to prepare to meet God at Mt. Sinai, they were to wash their garments and avoid going near their wives for three days. In Revelation 14, the redeemed have met the Lamb on Mt. Zion. They are pictured not as avoiding sex for three days, but for their entire lives. The point is not sex is bad even in marriage and being abstinent for life is better than being married. The point is a group of people completely prepared to meet God on His mountain.

Second, this recalls the particular messages to Pergamum and Thyatira in Revelation 2:12-29. In both letters, they were warned against sexual immorality, especially as it connected with idolatry. Idolatry itself is often scripturally presented as spiritual immorality and adultery. The redeemed 144,000 are those who devote themselves to the Lord God and refrain from idolatry and immorality.

Finally, there is no lie in their mouths. That is, unlike the Balaams, Jezebels, and Nicolaitans, they speak truth. They let the truth set them free. They are redeemed by truth. They are not of the dragon who is the father of lies. They are of God the Father of peace, truth, mercy, love.

Redeemed

The undefiled part of the visionary description may cause us to miss another aspect of the description. The true preparatory work is redemption. As Revelation 5:9 explains, these were ransomed or redeemed by the blood of the Lamb that was slain. Though not specifically mentioned in Revelation 14, they have had their garments washed white in the scarlet blood of the slain lamb (Revelation 7:14). Another point from the Exodus 19 picture of preparing to meet God on His mountain.

In other words, these are not undefiled because they themselves lived completely undefiled lives. Rather, they turned to Jesus. His sacrifice cleansed them from whatever defilement they may have had so that they are presented cleansed, blameless, spotless, without wrinkle or reproach (see also Ephesians 5:25-27).

Perhaps, The Most Important Part

All this look at visionary meaning may cause us to miss the part that should most direct our steps as disciples even today.

It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes (Revelation 14:4b, ESV).

This is the meaning of discipleship. The redeemed didn’t just abide by some rules about sexual purity and verbal honesty. They followed Jesus everywhere He went. Again, I know this isn’t literal. Jesus had 12 apostles. But this group pictured as a multitude numbered at 12 x 1000 x 12. That is, the number of the apostles and of the tribes multiplied by completeness to the third power is a picture of those whom the apostles were supposed to go into all the world making (see Matthew 28:19-20). They are disciples. They are people who like the apostles follow Jesus around, listen to Him, learn from Him, obey Him.

This is our key for being part of the redeemed, the sealed, the protected, the victorious. We must open up our Bibles, find Jesus within (see John 5:39-40), and follow Him wherever He goes.

We may think we can’t possibly pull that off for the rest of our lives. Maybe not. How about we just start with today? Can we help you follow Jesus wherever He is going today? If so, let us know in the comments below.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 14.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Revelation 14 prompt or improve your praise of God?

Revelation 13: Six Hundred Sixty Six

Today’s reading is Revelation 13.

This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666 (Revelation 13:18, ESV).

Let the speculation begin.

A Warning

When Paul left Timothy behind in Ephesus, he warned:

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:3-5, ESV).

How easily we run where angels fear to tread, speculating where God has not clearly revealed. Then we argue and discuss and try to display our mental prowess on matters that matter little. Revelation is chock-full of opportunities for this. And the seal on the head of the beast followers is ripe for the picking.

The Parody Continues

Because of the popularity of “antichrist” movies and premillennial books, 666 has become a popular number. Folks have fixated on this seal. Most people, however, do not realize this is not the first marking and sealing we find in Revelation.

You, of course, have been reading along with us for weeks. You know. In Revelation 7 God sealed His people who were not to be harmed by the trumpets and bowls. It’s sad most people don’t know that, because if they actually read the Bible instead of popular renderings of end times hoopla, they could read into Revelation 14 and be reminded of the “144,000 who had [the Lamb’s] name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads” (ESV).

The mark on the followers of the beast is nothing more than a parody of God’s seal on His people. God’s seal on His people demonstrated real protection. They were those measured in the temple walls. God was/is a wall of fire about them and the glory in their midst. When the judgments come, He really protects His people. The beast’s mark and seal may be a means by which persecution can be rendered against God’s people, but it does nothing to protect the beast’s people from the trumpets, the bowls of wrath, and the coming war when the Rider on the White Horse brings His judgment.

The Identifying Mark

God sealed His people with His name and the name of the Lamb. The beast marks the people with the name of the beast or the number of his name: 666. I admit, I wish John had just told us the beast’s name. How much easier that would make things.

But now we have to listen to all the arguments. At this point, we usually are told by the commentators about the ancient practice of gematria. The ancients didn’t have the Arabic numerals as we do. Rather, they used their alphabet letters to represent numbers. Think of the Roman numerals you learned back in grade school. You know, M=1000, C=100, L=50, X=10, V=5, I=1. If someone’s name was Maximus, you could take each letter that represented a numeral, add it up and declare the number of his name is 2011.

The practice similar to this among the Hebrews was called gematria. Apparently, in other ancient Hebrew writings, even other apocalyptic writings, this number calculating for names did take place. Cue up the authors to start figuring out names whose numbers through one means or another can render 666. Perhaps the most common one we will hear is Nero Caesar. It seems if we transliterate Nero’s name into Hebrew letters and then count up the value of the letters, we get 666. Add to that the fact that some ancient manuscripts say 616 instead of 666 and then be told that if you use an alternate spelling of Nero Caesar, it will instead equal 616, and some people believe the riddle is solved.

I’m not at all convinced. Why would John’s readers in mostly Gentile churches in Asia think to transliterate names into Hebrew and then start calculating?

Of course, if the beast actually represents a kingdom, whether Israel for those who think John is explaining why Jerusalem will be destroyed or Rome for those who see a polemic against the empire, why are we actually looking for an individual’s name anyway? What if the reason why God reveals a “number” of the beast’s name is because the beast isn’t an individual and doesn’t actually have a name? What if the number is to signify something entirely different?

A Suggestion

With the warning about speculation I shared earlier held firmly in one hand, I will hold this potential explanation of 666 loosely in the other. I’d be happy to hear other perspectives. But this is what makes most sense to me right now.

Despite the beast mimicking God and pretending to be God, he isn’t God. Thus, the number of his name is the number of a man. Not that the beast is an individual man, but that the beast for all its signs and wonders is simply not God. His strength simply doesn’t compare with God’s.

In like manner, though our Bibles usually present this mark as the three numerals “666,” most of the manuscripts actually contain the words written out so that it reads “six hundred sixty six.” That could be represented 666 or perhaps, 600, 60, 6. And aren’t those all odd numbers in a book full of sevens? Seven lampstands, seven stars, seven spirits, seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls. Seven, over and over and over. Seven, Seven, Seven.

Except, not here. When the beast who tries so hard to be like Jesus is given a number, it falls just short of being the number we expect for Jesus. It falls just short of seven. Instead of seven hundred, it is six hundred. Instead of seventy, it is sixty. Instead of seven, it is six. Instead of 777, it is 666. The beast, attempting to mimic Jesus, falls short. He is incomplete. His power is incomplete.

No wonder his number doesn’t protect his people. In Revelation 14:9-11, we see the outcome of receiving the beast’s mark:

If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name (ESV).

The number 666 is not to be feared as if it has power. The whole point is it has no power. It is weak and powerless. So is the beast. At least in comparison to Jesus whom the beast is trying to imitate and defeat.

The End of the Matter

When all is said and done, when all the calculating and speculating is over, even if 666 is supposed to represent a particular individual, we find ourselves again in the place of saying the original readers could likely figure it out, but we simply cannot be certain. We can guess and we can speculate. We simply can’t know.

Even if in the original application John was trying to tell his original readers about a particular individual of whom they needed to be careful or for whom they needed to prepare, our application really gets to the place I’ve suggested above. We aren’t looking for a modern or future man whose name can be calculated as 666. Rather, we need to be leery of falling prey to enemy governments (sea beasts) and false-teaching religions (land beasts) that would lead us away from Jesus. We need to know no matter how strong they seem, no matter what they promise, they fall short of Jesus. We don’t want their mark on our forehead, we want Jesus’s mark on our forehead. He is the complete one. He is the strong one. He is the one who truly died and is resurrected.

Jesus is the Savior and King. Praise the Lord!

Next week’s reading is Revelation 14.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What do you want to share with others from Revelation 13?