1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.
Comment: Unless looked at in the context of the book of Revelation and of the whole Bible this passage leads us into many potential traps. But there is hidden a whole lot of glorious truth. The problems, if we take it all absolutely literally are to mention a few ,,,, a) ‘and with him 144,000‘ – Of the billions who have lived on the earth only 144,000 will be at this arrival back on the earth of the Lamb (Jesus)! b) ‘It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins.‘ Taking this literally, there will be no women in the number, and having had sexual relations with a woman excludes men from the group. c) ‘they are blameless‘ Only absolutely perfect men are permitted to be there! Do you among your friends know even a single blameless person?
And yet the first verses picture the described scene as causing ecstatic worshipful joy arising around the throne of God! How can we tie these two apparently diverging divisions of these few verses without being mental twisters of the truth to suit ourselves and get what we want even though it isn’t really true!?
In answer to the problems – a) 144,000 is a perfect representative number for the potential billions who will be there. – 12 tribes of Israel (OT) X 12 Apostles (NT) X the perfect representative number 1000 = 144,000! b) 1. In the days when the Bible was written man often meant mankind which didn’t upset women because they knew it included them! 2. This passage is using the word ‘women’ to refer to ‘idols’ or ‘false religions’ and ‘virginity’ as having refrained from following other ‘gods’. c) Refers to the glorious truth that God covers those who are right with Him because of the perfect Sacrifice/Propitiation which Jesus has made for His followers. This allows God to see His followers as ‘blameless’.
Isaiah 64: – 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Prayer: Thank you for having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands