Revelation 14:1–5 - Then I Looked, and Behold

In times of discouragement or trouble, it’s not uncommon for a person to open the Bible and look for something to read that will change their perspective or lift their spirits. If you ever do that, I doubt you will go to Revelation 13.

We looked at that passage last week, and it was heavy. The chapter reveals that Satan is at work in the world behind anti-Christian institutions of belief that prop up and endorse anti-Christian governments.

The three main figures (the dragon and the first and second beast) form a kind of unholy trinity. They mimic God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The dragon (Satan) imitates God the Father, presenting a savior to the world. But it’s a false savior. It’s anti-Christian government imitating God the Son by posing as a savior. At the same time, the second beast imitates God the Holy Spirit. Anti-Christian institutions of belief teach people to worship the first beast.

This is going on throughout the world today – in our country and others. It’s an eye-opening message, perhaps a confirming one, but not an encouraging one. And the more we recognize it, the heavier it feels.

So it makes sense that after Jesus shows John that vision in Revelation 13, he then shows him the vision at the beginning of Revelation 14 – a vision of Jesus Christ. This is a pattern every believer should follow, not only when we see the evil in the world, but also when we see the evil within ourselves.

Robert Murray McCheyne was a Scottish minister in the 1800s, and in a letter to a friend, he gave this advice: “Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief!...Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him. Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh.”

One look at you and your sin – ten looks at Jesus.

One look at the anti-Christian world – ten looks at Jesus.

But when we take these looks at Christ, what will we see? What should we see? John saw a vision of the Lamb – a symbol of Jesus Christ the Lord – and in this vision, three characteristics of the Lord were on display. You can see them summarized in the outline for you on page 6. John sees that Christ has given us a place with Him, a song about Him, and an identity in Him.

Now notice verse 1 again. John writes, “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb.” The Lamb represents Christ. Jesus is the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for sins. And John sees the atoning Lamb standing above Satan’s wickedness. The devil is manipulating world governments and belief systems, but Christ is still King. He reigns from heaven, and one day, He’ll bring down the heavenly Zion when He returns to make all things new.

John adds, “and with him 144,000 “This number came up in Revelation 7. Using the Scriptures as our guide and looking at the context, it’s 12 times 12 times 1000. The 12 OT tribes and 12 NT apostles are the foundation of God’s people. They represent the complete people of God. 1000 is a “multitude” in the Bible. It’s a huge amount. Therefore, 144,000 represents the complete multitude of God.

These aren’t just those believers who have passed away and are with God in heaven; rather, this is all believers – the total number, whether living or dead. And they are marked – a sign of to whom they belong. Look at the rest of verse 1: “144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” Revelation 13 revealed that those who belong to Satan bear his mark — the mark of the beast. But the people of Christ have a marking too – the mark of the Lamb.

We belong to Jesus. We aren’t slaves to sin or to the devil.

Satan is carrying on with his wickedness, but Christ has given us a place with Him. All God’s people are – at this very moment – secure with Christ. All believers – whether they have died and gone to heaven or are living and still on earth – have safety and stability with Christ as if we were with Him in heaven right now.

But if we’re down here – and not up there – what is this place we have with Him?

I want to point out two aspects of it. One aspect is the view He gives us. It’s the perspective of Jesus. In Christ, we can see the world as He sees it. He sees through all of Satan’s schemes. He recognizes that so many world leaders are the devil’s puppets. Jesus sees the vanity of the wicked and their useless quest for power and prestige. He sees the empty pursuit of worldly wealth and comforts.

We belong down below with the world, but He brings us up and says, “Take a look from up here. See the world in light of truth and in light of eternity. Look from up here, so you can understand how to walk by faith and glorify God down there.”

Another aspect of our place with Him is the refuge He gives us. Christ is a place of shelter. Even as we endure the enemy’s attacks during our lives, in Him we’re protected and preserved. Our souls belong to Him; our future with Christ is locked. He truly is our hiding place in this life.

In Ephesians 1, the apostle Paul uses this interesting phrase: “the eyes of your heart.” When you look at Christ – when you get a fixed and extended look – your sight is affected, your sanity is protected, and your soul will be relieved. Christ steadies the troubled mind by causing us to see that He is with us now on earth, and our future with Him is so secure that it is as if we are already with Him in heaven.

Now look at verse [2] “And I heard a voice from heaven.” John hears a sound, “like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder.” The OT prophet Ezekiel associates these sounds with God. John says, “The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.” It’s a beautiful sound — not harsh on the ears. “And they were singing a new song.”

This song is unprecedented and uncommon. It’s something different and special. And look at their location as they sing: they are, “before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders.” They’re singing the song before God and seem to be teaching it to the church, because, “No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.” This is a song for those whose souls have been bought by the blood of Christ. All God’s people – OC and NC, OT and NT, the whole church, the true Israel of God – singing.

Now, recall Revelation 13 again. Remember everything going on down on earth? Anti-Christian governments and religions, attacks on the people of God. Is it really a time for singing? Apparently so.

When you think about it, it’s really no different from what we do here every Lord’s Day. Life is hard and the world is dangerous. Is it a time for singing songs? Yes, it is. Not because everything is always going our way, not because Satan has been put down for good, not because there are no more hard times ahead, but because of who Jesus is and all He’s done.

Here is our reason to sing today: Christ has given us a song about Him. Now is a time of singing because we have a song to sing about Jesus.

There is peace that passes human understanding. There is calm in the eye of the hurricane, and it guards the hearts and minds of those who belong to Christ. And He opens the eyes of our hearts so we can sing about it – so we can sing about Him.

Now, in these last two verses we get some more details about the people of God. Four characteristics are given about our identity in Christ. Verse [4], they “have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins.” This should be read symbolically. It doesn’t refer only to those who are lifelong celibates.

In 2 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul says to the believers at the church he founded in Corinth, “I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.” The invisible church – the true church – is described as the bride of Christ. We will stumble at times, but in Him, we are pure. Hebrews 9 says that OT rituals had temporary value for cleansing the impure and defiled, but “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” This can be difficult to fathom or accept, because we know what we’ve done. But the blood of Jesus makes us immediately and permanently pure in the sight of God.

Look at the next characteristic of God’s people. They, “follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” The apostle Peter told the churches, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” Jesus is first and foremost our representative – our substitute, our stand-in for the atonement of our sins and the achievement of a righteous record – but secondarily, He is our example for obeying the moral law of God and for being led by the Holy Spirit in life.

True believers will struggle, but by His grace we will adjust course and follow Christ. “Follow” here doesn’t just mean “be a missionary somewhere,” though it could mean that. It means, “Live according to God’s ways and be guided by His Word and Spirit.”

Notice the next characteristic. “These have been redeemed from mankind.” Man’s natural state is slavery to sin. Man’s natural marking is 666 – failure, failure, failure. We fall short of God’s glory and standard. But Christ sets His people free from that slavery. And He redeemed us “as firstfruits for God and the Lamb.”

When the Israelites presented their offering to God, they were commanded to give the best of the harvest and to give it right away. Now, naturally, they might want to wait until the end of the harvest to see what they had and then give. But God instructed them to give by faith, trusting God and presenting the whole offering up front, depending on God to provide. Ultimately, it is God who provides the offering that we present to Him.

Look at the wording again. We are “redeemed…as firstfruits.” God’s people are the offering to God. Scholars debate the exact meaning of this, although the views aren’t that different. But basically, we should take this to mean that God knows and provides the full amount. In other words, He knows who will come to Him in faith. Revelation 13 said that God ordained the number before the foundation of the world.

And the fourth characteristic, verse [5], “and in their mouth no lie was found for they are blameless.” Who has never told a lie? It can’t be overstated that Christians should value
and uphold the truth. We’re all guilty. Colossians 1 says, “You, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [Jesus] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death,
in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before [God].” This is clearly not something we accomplish; it’s something Jesus gives.

What is “identity?” Well, we know about identity theft. That’s when someone takes the personal information or characteristics of another person and poses as that person. If your identity is stolen, someone else is pretending to be you.

There’s a sense in which Christ does the opposite for His people. Christ has given us an identity in Him, as if to say, “That’s me. See my characteristics.” He is the undefiled and pure one – we are pure and undefiled in Him. He was perfectly obedient to the will of God – we are seen as obedient in Him. We are counted among the redeemed in Him and our lives are perfect offerings in Him. And we are blameless, spotless, without a single blemish in Him.

If you are in Christ, to see yourself as having anything less than a glorious identity in Him is to diminish and devalue His great work in and for you.

We see all this and more when we see Jesus. Do you see Him today? Has your view been obstructed? There are a thousand things to look at each day other than Christ and His gospel.

Look to Christ today, and live.

Let’s bow in prayer.