The Lamb and the 144,000 - Revelation 14:1-5 - Part 2

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Now, in honor of the one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Let's join Wayne see Thomas for today's message will we continue this week looking at the Lamb and the 144,100 44,000 is a topic that is received a lot of attention a lot of discussion, a lot of debates throughout history as to the origin and the identity of these individuals that are yet to come in the future.

We concluded last week that we think the Bible very clearly tells us that this group we see in Revelation chapter 14 the same 144,000 Jews that God seals with a special protection in Revelation chapter 7, so we found last week is that there is this scene and they are on Mount Zion and they are rejoicing. They are celebrating victoriously with our Lord Jesus Christ they be given a special song that only they will no special recognition for their faithfulness to our Lord's ministry.

So as we come this week to verse four we find a very interesting description concerning this 144,000.

We found a very interesting characteristic about them because it says in Revelation chapter 14 verse four. These are those who were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God into the Lamb there. Verse five says, and in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God's heavenly Father will honor Lord, what a privilege it is that you have provided this word for us, Lord, we asked would open our hearts and our minds to hear what it is that you were speaking to was through this passage of Scripture and Lord. It is my prayer that all things are spoken there to be nothing but sound doctrine, and may you be honored and glorified in all things your name Jesus. Amen these are not defiled with women for they are virgins very, very interesting texts to suggest that only unmarried men would qualify to be a part of this 144,000 but I will present some options to you today, there are those who think that this passage indicates that only those who have remained single for the sake of Christ may be in this group, there are people today that God has called to a life of singleness has called to a life of celibacy and I caution people who put pressure on individuals who were single to really make a spectacle of them by asking them and pressuring them. Why haven't they gotten married window. They want to to find somebody and even accusing them of of being too picky when it comes to selecting someone because not everyone has been called to marriage, but I do think that is a small percentage of of our society, but it could be very well that this group has remained single for the sake of Christ's based on Scripture is not certain whether the apostle Paul and John were married. Although most theologians think that Paul was married at some point because prior to coming to know Jesus Christ. He was a member of the Sanhedrin and to be a member of the Sanhedrin, a requirement was to be married, but the Bible says nothing about his wife. We don't know if he was married. Maybe she she died. Some have the theory of maybe she decided to leave him for becoming a follower of Jesus Christ.

We we simply don't know. But if he were married.

The Bible does not make mention of her. One thing we have to remember is that God told man, be fruitful and multiply in Genesis chapter 1 verse 28, so we will look at this passage is God contradicting himself. Is he in the beginning seem to be fruitful and multiply, but then is he coming back later.

Here in Revelation and say well to have sexual relations with a woman is the following.

Well let me be clear that women are not dirty women in that filthy women are not unclean. This is not mean that sexual relations within marriage defiled a person. So when we look at this text likely means that these men either only had sex within marriage or they will man who never had sex at all. Second Corinthians chapter 11 verse two. The text tells us, for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, but I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ's. Israel is frequently called the virgin daughter of Zion is Scripture, God places a lot of importance on virginity God places a lot of emphasis on sexual morality because we look throughout Scripture the symbolism of fornication is used to represent the following the false gods. Where's relations within marriage represent oneness, it represents faithfulness to the true God.

Said another way, when we look at sexual immorality. Folks there only two sides either is the side of God or is the side of Satan.

And so when you choose to be sexually engaged outside of marriage when you were symbolizing is satanic worship oneness agreement with Satan and I know there are people out there who have committed sexual immorality and they enter send no one I'm not a follower of Satan. But what I'm explaining is that is what it symbolizes the calls again in Scripture. Sexual relations within marriage symbolizes oneness symbolizes being in union and faithfulness to the true God.

We see it in Hosea chapter 4 verse 12. My people ask counsel from their wooden idols and their staff informs them for the spirit of harlotry, harlotry has caused them to straight and they have played the harlot against their God. Hosea 16 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel. There is harlotry of Ephraim Israel is defiled.

So we see God places a lot of emphasis on sexual morality when the nation of Israel would turn to these idols. God would related correlated to harlotry, which is promiscuity. And so I want to warn you folks today that for people that are living sexually immoral lives in you professing to be a Christian. You have to understand what you are doing is symbolizing rejection of Jesus Christ and acceptance of Satan in his dark kingdom and their people who are out fornicating on Saturday night and then their singing in the choir on Sunday morning, you think that everything is going to be just fine, but I want to warn you that is not okay with God, and I want to warn you that there is a price to pay.

Because there are many people who are much older and later in life, who also committed the sins of sexual immorality in their honest with you, they will tell you that there are consequences that are going to come there are consequences for doing things outside of God's order and so I encourage people today don't miss out on God's best, because studies have shown that for couples who wait until marriage to have sex the divorce rate is only 2% and also through studies they have found that for couples who waited until marriage to have sex have the most fulfilling sex life, but the world influenced by Satan says no go out have your fun. There many people who live through the 1960s and 70s the whole freelove movement.

The whole sexual revolution in an I've heard so many say that it was not worth it. I was listening to a radio show the other day and a lady called in who went through that time. She thought that she was being liberated. She thought she had freedom. She thought that she was able to do what she deemed as having liberal license to have sex with whoever she wanted and she did just that. But now, later in life she is reaping the consequences of failed marriages of not being able to have children of sexually transmitted diseases, and so people God's way works God's way, words, and so I'm encouraging today to flee from sexual immorality. But as we look at is 144,000 is likely the Scripture indicates that these men have always been spiritual virgins by having always followed Christ says they follow the Lamb wherever he goes and this is not me physically. Following him. But it means they are obedient to him.

So are you being obedient to the Lamb. When you be are you being obedient to Jesus Christ and the says they were redeemed from among men redemption by faith in Christ as a qualification for being in this group and even though the rapture the church and God's dealings with the church as such on earth people during the tribulation will get saved. Just as we do today through a personal faith in Jesus Christ unto salvation. So have you given your life to him today. Have you received him as Lord and Savior.

I encourage you to do so while you still have breath in your body in a text tells us they are first fruits to God and to the Lamb.

This 144,000 of the beginnings of the great harvest of Israel that will come out of the tribulation. Revelation 79 speaks of a great multitude that will be saved out of the tribulation after these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations tries peoples and tongs standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands want to be a great harvest that is going to come out of the tribulation with God's chosen people, and as we continue with verse five says, and in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without faults before the throne of God. These will be honest men. This contrasts greatly to the characteristics of those who follow Satan who was the father of all lies and as we look at the news media today.

You have to you have to look at it with wisdom and discernment folks because if you haven't notice. I want you to pay attention to something if you remember in 2020. Last year when the covert 19 pandemic came about every time you turn to the news.

What did you see Gisela ticker on the screen that was showing the number of cases in the number of deaths from covert, 19 they make sure they kept that in the forefront at all times.

They want you to see how bad things were well now we fast forward to 2021 and you flip over to your new stations and what do you see there is no ticker. The tickers disappeared. All of a sudden an interesting thing is that when you look at the same time frame between 2021 2020 more people have died from covert 19 2021 then in 2020 through the same time. So while the difference well 2020.

We had a president who the media paid its 2020. We had a president who the media did not want and so they wanted to keep it in your mind of how bad things were and to put the blame on the nation's leader, but when we come to 2021 and the one who's there in which they love the one who they adore the one who who they wanted then you no longer see the ticker on the screen. Two) understand that there are agendas out there.

They are marriages and this is all about being the characteristics of Satan which, again, the Bible says he's the father of all lies. There is agendas that you have to be wise you have to be discerning to pay attention to and that is why we have politicians that make false accusations of people being a racist when there is no proof of it. That's why you hear accusations of someone being a white supremacist when there is no proof of it. That is why you have someone like glycol Rittenhouse house who is a a white man and he's not allowed to defend himself because if in doing so he gets accused of being a racist and a white supremacist see the media has narratively trying to deceive people.

They're trying to cause division and their doing so because there are a lot of people that are following the ways of Satan which the Bible says again. He is the father of all lies and so close, we must be discerning. We must understand the tricks of the devil must transcend them and understand that we must be wise and discerning and look to the ways of our great and wonderful Lord you're listening to grind things out on God for more crying, please visit God not or browse our offensive library materials. There you'll find articles and messages available as MP3 downloads on various topics such as salvation, Bible, and the significance of lesson is just to name a few.

Also, sign up for our monthly newsletter and visit our web store visit God 1st.now let's return we are living in the time of greatest division we are living in a time of great deception. We are living in a time of propaganda, so we must be wise to the ways of the enemy says they are without faults does not mean that they will be perfect men.

They too will need to be redeemed as Jesus Christ was the only perfect human being that Ebner has ever lived. First Thessalonians 2.

Tina says you are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believed in the Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

This is a very beautiful and powerful passage because you understand that when we come to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior a great exchange takes place because the Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life, and what that means is that there has to be a payment for sin. There has to be death for sin, and so either you're going to have your sin paid for by Jesus Christ, who already went to Calvary and sacrifice his life, he came out of a perfect heaven came to this earth and die so that we might have eternal life became being born a lowly manger among filthy animals, the king, the creator of all things, so that we might have eternal life, and all we have to do is accept him as Lord and Savior, and in doing so what happens is he takes on our sin debt. A debt that we cannot pay and he took that dad's and then he in exchange gives us eternal life and he in exchange gives us his righteousness, and therefore we receive eternal life. Imagine that. I want to tell you to go down to the local bank tomorrow morning I'm going to give you a check for $5 million and then in exchange, I will take all of your debts so you walk away with $5 million in your bank and no debts. I think everybody would be willing to to take that deal with Jesus Christ is something even better because guess what folks $5 million will run out eventually.

But Jesus Christ gives eternal life, which is forever eternal means forever and so you will never die.

When you have Jesus Christ that he is die in this life physically, but you will be raised unto eternal life. So I urge you to give your life to Jesus Christ because when you do so when Jesus Christ comes into your life.

The Holy Spirit comes and indwells us.

And when the Holy Spirit comes to live in us.

That is why the passage tells us is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. What a glorious thing that is when God the father looks at me and doesn't see me. The old wretched sinner doesn't see me. The old fallen man, the one who is disobedient.

The one who is who. Who is not following his ways, his commands, but instead when he looks at me. He sees Jesus Christ and therefore I can be found worthy to live in the presence of our mighty Lord for all of eternity. So that is why we give glory to our Lord as well be give onto a little of that is why we give praise to him, for he came about, so that great exchange could take place again.

He takes our CN debts and then he gives us his righteousness. He pointed out all of himself. He did it willingly, and there is no greater love. Folks, there is no greater mercy. There is no greater compassion, no greater love that can be found anywhere than that of our Lord Jesus Christ in coming to take the weight of sin of everyone who's ever lived upon himself and all you have to do is ask him to come into your heart to receive him if you want true peace.

If you want true joy you want true happiness in your life is only going to be found through Jesus Christ.

But for those who choose to reject him for those who do not accept his free gift. As I said the payment. The wages of sin is death.

You have to make the payment yourself and that means eternal damnation. That means going away to be separated from God to to be in the lake of fire for all of eternity. And I know some hear this and you think what this this is sounds like a fairytale but the foes, God is not a liar incentive in his word is Satan is the one who is the father of all lies. He's the one that is trying to get you to not believe this but I rebuked Satan in the name of Jesus. And I declare that Jesus Christ is Lord and I asked the day soften your heart for those who have not yet come to know him and receive him as your Lord and Savior don't listen to the deception of Satan, who says you've done too much in. And God will never receive you, you will never accept you. He will never love you because God said it is not his will that any should perish but that it is is his will that all she have eternal life come to Jesus Christ today. So as we wrap up this series on the Lamb in the 144,000, when we come to this time of year. I know there are many of you who are feeling emotional pain due to loss. Loss of a loved one, maybe through death maybe through the just the severance of a relationship, but many are feeling pain, especially this time of year is wearing this holiday season, but I want to remind you that just like this 144,000 that we see in this chapter. They are seen celebrating with Jesus due to will celebrate with him if you don't quit because understanding you've been through storms. You've been through range of experience hurts you've experienced tremendous pain. But Jesus has always been there, no matter what you been going through no matter what the trial number, no matter how bad it's been.

Jesus has always been there. And guess what if you brought you this far. He will take you all the way. Just like when we look at this 144,000 who were faithful to our Lord.

In going through the tribulation and in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just like he's going to take them all away in their want to be retort victorious celebrating with our Lord on Mount Zion used to will be victorious due to will come through this. You two will have that peace that joy that surpasses all understanding. If you don't quit because I Lewis said he will never leave you nor forsake you. So during this season of Thanksgiving. This season of Christmas and new year. There a lot of people that just want to get it over with. There a lot of people to say the time is depressing. The memories of that love one because you won't have that son without daughter that husband of their wife or that mother or father or grandmother or grandfather. They will be there to open the presents with you into to say Merry Christmas. Your your heart is broken because you remember little Johnny how he would be so excited. Opening his gives you remember little Susie how she would be filled with so much anticipation and joy. Opening her presents and you cherish those memories and and now they no longer there and in your heart aches for you just want to get this season over with because there's so much pain, but again I want to encourage you, he brought you this far. Don't give up. Don't quit. He's going to take you all the way and we don't understand everything that our Lord is doing their things that we scratch our his about we say we prayed and we asked report our heart so we fasted we did all the things that we thought we were supposed to do with yet God steel took them away. We have to trust the calls his ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not ourselves, but we have to trust our Lord because guess what the love when that is gone away. They put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. They are just like this 144,000. They are celebrating right now victoriously without Lord because they are in eternity that was Jesus Christ and that is what we have to remind ourselves that we were created to be eternal beings. This life is just a vapor compared to eternity. We are just getting started and so don't quit. Don't give up.

Jesus Christ is with you, even in the midnight hour when you're crying and you're all alone and you feel the weight of the pain. He said I'll never leave you nor will I forsake you. I'll be with you all the way to the end.

Great is our Lord great and worthy is his name is worthy of all the glory. He is worthy of all the honor he is worthy of all the praise for he's the one who died for our sins so that we can have eternal life. Solomon encourage you today don't quit and as I spoke earlier about sexual immorality. Yes, there are consequences to pay for being disobedient to our Lord. But remember we serve a God who is all about redemption.

Just like he's going to redeem this earth that we will spend eternity on the redeeming to the point that it will appear as though CM never existed into can redeem you with your situation and will put it in the sea of forgetfulness and that's what you have to do you have to forgive yourself and let it go.

Put in the sea of forgetfulness and know that you have been redeem through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to heavenly father we thank you Lord for this time together. We thank you Lord Jesus, as we are in this season to celebrate your birth is all about you Jesus you are the reason for the season and so we come Lord to celebrate just like the angels in the Scriptures and we come to declare that you are Lord you are keen and we celebrate this time of you Emmanuel, God with us that you came from a perfect having you came to this earth. You died so that we can have eternal life and know what I am forever grateful for it. Lord I look forward to the day when I can put my arms around you and I can say thank you Lord Jesus died for my sins great you are, Lord worthy to want to be praise as we depart remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, bless God's great nation of Israel to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen. You can think of the Bible blame God for Ryan and I first was a right protected under our copyright is available@ourwebsite.org until next time great nation of Israel first picking