The New Song

Revelation chapter 14 were looking at verses 135 that I looked, and behold on Mount Zion's to the Lamb, and with him hundred 44,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters, like the sound of loud thunder the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their hearts. 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 hundred 44,000 who'd been redeemed from the earth. It is these have not defile themselves with women for they are virgins. Is the zoo follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind's firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth.

No lie was found for they are blameless spray Emily father we come before your throne today to praise you and thank you for your goodness, we thank you Lord for your precious word that gives us insight and direction for life.

We thank you Lord, because what we have in the Bible is truly the word of God where the Bible speaks God speaks help us Lord, that we might believe that an Lord that we might trust that in the Lord, you would use it in our lives to make us more like Christ.

Father's we look at this very glorious passage in Revelation.

Today we pray that you give us insight and direction that we might walk out of here today.

Loving Jesus more than we've ever love me before Jesus, we thank you and praise you for going to the cross for us for sharing your precious blood and dying for us at that date that we would stand with you on heavenly Mount Zion that we would be with the Lamb and would be with you forever gotten direct to this passage.

May Jesus be uplifted by this congregation be benefited from it and it's in your holy and precious thing that we pray. Amen. You may be seated in 1678, 341 years ago.

John Bunyan sat in a prison cell in Bedford England.

Why was he there. He was therefore preaching the gospel.

So while he was Larry decided not to waste his time and he wrote a book and that book was entitled Pilgrim's progress. That book has been the most published in most read book outside of the Bible in all the world for all these years is an amazing book. One of our elders.

Scott Starcher was converted to a study of the book Pilgrim's progress as have been thousands of others through the last 341 years.

What is so special about that book. Well, it's a book that is is extremely biblical and yet it is a book that is absolutely brimming with hope particularly hope about heaven. John Bunyan does not downplay trials and tribulations. In fact, he goes out of his way to tell us about pain and problems and persecution and helps us to get get ready for all of that, he tells us about the slough of despond.

He tells us about the Vanity Fair. He tells us about the war with the polygon tells us about doubting Castle but none of those things stop the main character is Christian but he continues to persevere on until he finally gets to the celestial city, which is a picture of heaven books. Bunyan forces his readers to abandon the deceitfulness of the temporary in order that they might embrace the glory and the joy of the eternal, that's exactly what John is doing in the book of Revelation that when we first started studying the book of Revelation.

I told you that there is 1 Particular Way of viewing the book of Revelation that I think is most helpful is called progressive parallelism or progressive recapitulation it what it does is it breaks down the book of Revelation into seven chapter divisions and the breakdown of 22 chapters goes like this. Chapters 1 to 3 chapters 4 through seven chapters 8 to 11 chapters 12 through 14 chapters 15 and 16. Chapter 17 through 19 and chapters 20 through 22 and each section is a picture of the church age. From the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ. Each section has different emphases and with as each section progresses as you go from one to the next. It becomes more and more intense nephew don't view it that way, you can come up with some problems. If you view it just is a book that was written in a chronological sequence you can have the second coming taken place over and over and over again.

We know that's not the way it happened.

The progressive parallelism reminds me of a replay on the football field of play is made.

They're not sure exactly what happened in that place and they show it from Pacific seven different care camera angles.

I show it from an angle from above, from behind the quarterback from on the right side of the quarterback. The left side of the quarterbacking. Finally, when you look at all those different views you get a clear understanding of what truly took place. Today we are in the last part of the fourth division, which is chapters 12 through 14 and in chapter 14 what we see is the second coming of Jesus Christ. We see us with Christ in his glory. We being told here that are struggling and perseverance is not for nothing that there is purpose. It is meaningful.

Our perseverance will be rewarded and how will it be rewarded. It will be rewarded with eternal life. We will be safe for all of eternity. Simon kissed a mocker describes this chapter this way. He said the lampstands majestically on Mount Zion is the victor over all the anti-Christian forces in the world. Thus, the saints must take heart, and not display or for they share in the victory of the Lamb.

I remember the first time I read the Pilgrim's progress and I got to the end and was reading about the Christian who was facing the river of death had to go to the river of death before you get to the celestial city which is in heaven and he was to see was scared he was afraid for the death is the last enemy and he had never faced that that enemy before and he was greatly frightened within his he went under the water. Almost immediately he found himself in the celestial city, which is a picture of heaven and brothers and sisters. That's the way it is to be absent from the body for the Christian is to be present with the Lord, and there he was in the celestial city Tennessee in nature was eradicated and all of a sudden there were no more temptations to have to deal with.

It was no more fighting with the world, the flesh and the devil. It was nothing but joy unspeakable and full of glory.

I member the first time that I read that I wanted to jump out and just shout brothers and sisters. It will be worth it all. When we see Jesus.

Revelation 14 should affect us that very same way, is a chapter about us in victory. It is a chapter about the redeemed about the true Church of God is a chapter about those who are lovers of Jesus who are followers of Christ for things this morning I want to share with you about the redeemed number one is the identity of the redeemed look at me again if you would at verse one. Then I looked, and behold all Mount Zion stood the Lamb and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name written on therefore heads in John chapter 10 verse 28 Jesus said, and I given to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of my hand. That is the picture of the hundred and 44,000 that are gathered with the Lamb on Mount Zion.

Now if you remember back to chapter 7 we saw that number back in chapter 744,000. We said back then that that was a symbolic number. The number 12 represents completeness. The number of thousand represents either a long extended period of time or a huge big number.

Here it represents a huge big number two you have 12×1244 times a thousand hundred 44,000. What is that that is the totality of God's people all the way back from Adam until that last person who comes to know Jesus before Christ returns.

The emphasis here it is on the certainty and the finality of the number. That number was determined by God before the foundation of the earth, and it will never ever be changed. This is the doctrine of eternal security. Philippians 16 Paul said being confident of this very thing, that he was begun a good work in me shall perform it to the day of Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 8 verse 38 to 39 prime persuaded that neither death nor life, nor powers, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, or any other creature, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You remember from the last two chapters that we were taught that Christians are going to be fighting the Satanic Trinity all the way through our Christian life. What is the Satanic Trinity number one is the Dragon which is Satan. Number two is the first beast which is the secular political system.

Number three. It is the second base, the false prophet, which is a false religious system that you would think that as Christians are fighting that great Satanic Trinity that some of the Christians would just kind of fall to the wayside that that some of them would lose their standing with God. But all know that's not what's happening not at all not at all. Everyone is standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Every single one of them that began it are standing there with Jesus so he doesn't say well there's about hundred 29,600 that or they are and so that's 90% is pretty good is not what he says it doesn't even say that there's 143,999 that were there was just one that didn't make it doesn't say that they are all there. The exact number of those who started the journey of salvation are with Christ on Mount Zion. In other words, those who are truly born again will persevere to the end not in say that all who profess Christ would be there at the end. I said all those who were truly born again will be there with Christ, and will persevere in the faith and will be saved for all of eternity from Psalm 23. All those who seriously said the Lord is my shepherd will dwell in the house of the Lord forever now know that the dispensation was playing with the hundred 44,000 are hundred 44,000 Christian Jews.

They take it as a literal number and they say they're going to be like 144,000 mg unleashed on the earth.

That's just not true. The Jehovah witnesses say that the hundred 44,000 are hundred 44th thousand literal people to join the Jehovah witnesses called. That's not true either. 12×12×1012 represents the 12 apostles, and it represents the New Testament church.

The other 12 represents the Old Testament patriarchs and you take those together multiply times a thousand. And what do you have all the children of God for all time that you remember from the last sermon that those who who followed the beast would be given a number 666 at number represents fallen mankind and they were given that number.

What that means is that they have rejected Christ, and they have a balding end of the philosophy of the secular state and they have just capitulated to the culture of that day.

GK Beale said the following number hundred 44,000 connotes the completeness of God's true people in antithesis to the 666 on the four heads of the beast followers which connotes their incompleteness in achieving the divine design for humanity. If you sat down with the Christian and non-Christian. Today, there would not be a visible mark to distinguish them. Revelation is speaking in symbols of the great spiritual reality that corresponds to faith or unbelief to say that God's name is written on someone's four head.

It is a figurative way of stating that the person belongs to him and is protected by his presence. What an encouragement this should provide to every believer.

Having believed on Jesus you know that God is marked you as belonging to himself or all of eternity is a corollary to Isaiah 4916 were God declares that he is marked himself with your name.

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands reason that we can speak of eternal security for those who believe in Christ is God's sovereign determination to possess and protect all those he is playing for himself. The seal is furthermore an emblem of the allegiance of those who bear it hundred 44,000 consist of those whose pledges been given to God through Christ.

In contrast to those who are loyal to the world and its beastly dominion in this way the vision shows that you are ultimately defined by your stance regarding Jesus to embrace him in faith requires you to renounce your allegiance to the world and sin but ensures an eternal destiny with him in glory.

To deny Christ and his gospel is to remain a slave to the world and sin enjoyed in this life. The poison pleasures that they offer than the day of Christ return receiving the eternal punishment reserved for his rebellious enemies having you be numbered in this glorious body simply by believing in Christ. John said that he wrote his gospel so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name .2 is the location of the redeemed. Let me look at verse one again that I looked, and behold on Mount Zion stood the Lamb and with him hundred 44,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their four heads where the hundred 44,000. They are on Mount Zion, and this is a picture of heaven a picture of heaven of this Mount Zion is is the place with the Lord's throne is and where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the father is interesting to me that the earthly Mount Zion is a picture of the heavenly Mount Zion where is the earthly Mount Zion is in Jerusalem is the highest point in Jerusalem is the place where David was instructed by God to take the tabernacle and constructed on Mount Zion, and David did that david did David hired people past the men of God to come in as worshipers and dancers and musicians. People would just come and stand there at the tabernacle and they would stand there for how long.

Worshiping and praising God 24 hours a day seven days a week, 365 days a year and they did that for 33 years. That was how long David reigned in Jerusalem. It was an amazing thing. Psalm chapter 50 verse two says, out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined the earthly Mount Zion is a picture of the place where God dwells. It was physically higher than any other place in Jerusalem you can stand on Mount Zion. You could look at Jerusalem.

You could see just about everything was there and the earthly tabernacle was there.

We have extra biblical sources that tell us that David did most of the writing of his Psalms seated at the door of the tabernacle just basking in the glory of God being fully inspired to write those glorious songs. Jesus reigns in Mount Zion which is a picture of heaven.

Let me ask you some was the greatest thing about heaven is at the gates of pearl. No is the river of life. No. Is it the streets of gold, no what is it it's Jesus brothers and sisters. It's Jesus happen without Jesus would be nothing but sadness. What John is portraying.

Here's what Paul is telling us in the Colossians chapter 3 verse 134 pieces. If you then have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things that are above, not only things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also with a will appear with him in glory.

In other words, put your mind on heaven. How do we win this spiritual battle by looking forward to what our end will be in by looking upward. Looking always at our Lord Richard Phillips did a beautiful job explaining the us is about seeing the divinely ordained end of our salvation. John and his readers are encouraged they face Roman persecution.

His example urges Christians to think from the end of history back to our present trials, rather than starting where we are in our weakness, doubt and earthly affliction.

Looking forward from them with anxiety over our future prospects. We should reverse the process we should instead fix our minds on the certainty of our future on Mount Zion were the lampstands in victory, working back to find hope in our present trials. The Lamb holds the high ground eternally looking down on the conflict below, see, and Jesus standing on Mount Zion. We are assured that all of God's promises to us will be fulfilled at those who bear his name will be kept safe and that our lives of faith will be crowned with success takes us to .3 and that is the character the redeemed look at verse 235 and I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters, like the sound of loud thunder the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their hearts.

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 hundred 44,000 who'd been redeemed from the earth.

It is these would not defile 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, and in their mouth. No lie was found for they are blameless. John is explaining here what makes the Christian victorious and what determines success for the world. The world find success by education or finance good looks and personality, physical prowess or talent you got those things in the world looks up to you with admiration and affirmation success depends on the size of your house.

It depends on the style of your car. It depends on the prestige of your job or the number of college degrees that you have or whether you can dunk a basketball, or whether you can dance and dazzle people.

We tell you something none of those things point to success for the Christian none of those things. Instead, success for the Christian is seen in his Christian character is spirituality. Verse four speaks of the hundred 44,000 redeemed who have done what they have not defile themselves with women for they are virgins. This verse has perplexed many people down through the ages and is literally created a whole host of problems.

Some of the last days novels believe that you're supposed to take this literally at these were hundred 44,000 people who have never been married, who have never had in on any kind of sexual intimacy and those are the people they say that are the really spiritual people books, the Bible does not teach that anywhere. It does not teach that anywhere. The Bible teaches that sexual intimacy between a husband and a wife is a holy gift of God that God uses that God uses to hold a marriage together sexual purity in the Bible involves both abstinence outside of marriage and faithfulness inside of marriage. Hebrews 13 for sales let marriage be held in honor among all and let the marriage bed be undefiled. It is adultery, not sex itself that defiles the marriage be Paul himself was single.

He didn't every marriage far as we know, and these these single journey is his Christian ministry, for sure and and because daddy had a lot more time and he could do a lot more things in the ministry because he didn't have the the responsibilities of being a husband. There a lot of the apostles that were married, Peter was married to Peter took his wife with him along. Many of the missionary trips when Peter was being martyred for his faith. As in the Roman prison. They took him out of the prison.

I totally moved on crucifying but his wife was also imprisoned and they took her out to an exit were to crucify her first will make you watch to increase your suffering. So they crucified Peter's wife and Peter stood up under the cross and he looked up at his wife, bleeding and dying there on the cross and said remember the Lord. Remember the Lord. Remember the Lord. Peter was a godly godly apostle. Yet he was married he was married.

This passage is not to be taken literally. Paul uses marriage is a picture of the union between Christ and his church, and sexual intimacy in marriage is part of the glue that holds marriage together women through the centuries have been offended by this verse, because a literal take makes it appear that even marital intimacy can defile a person and folks that was not John's intention at all list now. Richard Phillips explains the us and share some beautiful insight from some other theologians, he says, how then do we avoid taking this statement as described in the hundred 44,000 as celibate men who have gained their status by maintaining their virginity. The answer familiar now to our study of Revelation lies in taking the statement symbolically. Philip Hughes writes the purity in question is that of spiritual faithfulness. Leon Morris adds, it means that the people in question have Themselves completely free from intercourse with the pagan world system. They have lived up to what is implied in their betrothal to Christ.

Spiritual purity cannot be separated from moral purity.

Of course the apostles lived the Roman world. It was even more sexually debauched than the decadent West today.

For this reason, the apostles placed a priority on sexual purity, requiring believers to engage in determined repentance from sexual sins. Paul added this encouraging message that Christians having been purified in Christ can regain our virginity when it's been lost. Although Paul condemned the sexually immoral, adulterers, and practicing homosexuals.

He added, and such were some of you but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Spiritual purity, which is faithfulness to Christ is a key to winning in spiritual warfare. When a Christian is constantly yielding to temptations over time, he becomes spiritually hardened and he becomes insensitive to sin.

And he ends up becoming apathetic and weak.

There are Christian or professing Christian men and women today were absolutely hooked on pornography and they lose their understanding of what that can do to a person's heart that the deeper they dig into it, the deeper the addiction gets the more insensitive their heart becomes the more hardened they become until pretty soon there absolutely defeated, not when in any victories in their in their Christian life. Folks, we must fight for purity in Revelation chapter 14 verse eight. The Scripture says Babel and the great.

She made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality. Those who don't know Jesus by end of the lies of the world and drink the wine of immorality. But the redeemed refuse that and they strive for purity. So first, the character of the redeemed is to be pure. Second, the character of the redeemed is obedience. Look at verse four it says that they follow the Lamb wherever he goes where Christ calls us to go we must go where Christ calls us to do. We must do following Christ means belief in his teaching. It means submission to his commands. It means zealous promotion of the gospel.

Romans chapter 12 verse one into says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable in the God which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Third character of the characteristic of the redeemed is truth verse five sales and in their mouth. No lie was found. Truthfulness was is what was one of the most distinctive marks of the true believer in Romans chapter 1 verse 25. The Scripture tells us that the world exchange the truth of God for a lie.

Christians will not do that they will not exchange the truth of God for a lie and in fact they stand with Christ and refuse to deny him no matter what the cost. The idea truthfulness simply means integrity been faithful to Jesus no matter what the cost .4 is the activity of the redeemed verse three.

They were singing a new song before the throne and before the living creatures and before the elders.

No one could learn that song except the hundred and 44,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. The activity is worship and joyful singing I love the way he describes how they're saying and pay says it's like the sound of of many rushing waters ever been to Niagara Falls and you heard the sound of that waterfall when you get there you can even hear yourself think. It's a wild and that he said is like a loud thunder was like him. The first pastors conference that I went to the 2000 preachers were there in the first song we sang was all hail the power of Jesus name. And I can remember it being so loud, so sweet so joyful I thought the roof was in a pop up that place and it was glorious but this is heaven in its mega glorious for brothers and sisters are sin nature will be eradicated. Our joy would be feel in full and just exciting will be with Christ, and there will be no deadlines to meet, and they'll be no interruptions.

We will be worshiping him with everything in us and it will never end. How many of us will there be a Scriptures is a great number which no one could number I and people from every tribe, kindred tongue and nation.

In the sermon on this text. Jonathan Edwards explain the reason why the saints in heaven glorify God so fervently. Jonathan Edwards said this, he says it's because they see God in his glory, and then he said this, those who see God in his glory cannot help but to praise him in that the truth and winning seems of glory. I sing the new new song will be the old, old story that I have love so is pray. Heavenly father, we thank you for this glorious passage of Scripture, we thank you heavenly father that you have given us a vision of what heaven is going to be like and how excited it's going to be when Christ returns at we see Jesus face-to-face for the first Lord lay that do something in us that move us all the little love Jesus more into serve Jesus more fervently into the what Christ would have us to be holy fathers we get ready now to celebrate in the Lord's supper. We pray that you would be with us in great power may you just allow us Lord to just to love you deeply here. May your presence Lord be felt by every true believer that's here today and lowered it for those who don't know you may today be the day that they get hungry for Christ may today be the day that they realize Lord that that they don't want spend eternity separated from this great God and made a run to you for salvation. We love you Lord, thank you and praise you for your love and goodness to us and we assess prayer in your holy and precious name. Amen