Special Ops Force - Rumor notes 123

 Revelation 14

1 I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. 2 I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. 3 They sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth.

The pattern of this first section begins with seeing, followed by descriptions of what is heard and moving into details of perceiving the reasons for what is seen and heard. The verses 1-5 are an outline of a group of people that shows up repeatedly throughout this book as special forces agents who work intimately and closely with the Lamb. They become so closely allied with Him that in the next chapter they are described as being dressed pretty much identical to Him. That is the result of worship – identifying so closely with a hero that one desires to emulate them in every way possible from a spirit of admiration, affection, awe and intense loyalty.

with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand

Following are some additional details relating to these people who are closely allied with the Lamb.

The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. They also will overcome who are with him, called and chosen and faithful. (Revelation 17:12-14)

What does overcoming mean? It is mentioned at the end of every message to the assemblies in chapters 3 and 4 and is central to the identity of all who remain loyal to the very end. Like Jacob whose name was changed to Israel as overcomer, these overcome their false identity that inhibited them all their lives, overcoming the enemy's power of fear in their lives by embracing their true identity in Christ who becomes their superhero for all eternity. They choose to be aligned completely with the motives, methods and disposition of the Lamb who reflects the same things about His Father that He represents so perfectly. They overcome the world because He overcame the world.

I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Numbers and names convey key messages about identity, worth and motives and fighting.

and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six. (Revelation 13:17-18)

I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called "The Word of God." The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. (Revelation 19:11-14)

Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me." (Matthew 26:38)

He said to them, "The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called 'benefactors.' But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn't it he who sits at the table? But I am in the midst of you as one who serves. But you are those who have continued with me in my trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:25-30)

Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn't remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you. In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. (John 15:4-8)

When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27)

The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:22-24)

We need to reemphasize that this war is an identity war, not a war over who can crush their opponent through superior force, but rather whose version of what God is really like can be trusted as authentic.

I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; (Revelation 5:11)

I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: (Revelation 7:4)

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)

144,000

I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!" I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: (Revelation 7:2-4)

They sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth. These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. (Revelation 14:3-4)

The city lies foursquare, and its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed, Twelve thousand twelve stadia. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. (Revelation 21:16-17)

The significance of the dimensions of this city is lost when the numbers are converted into equivalent measurements. The symbolic meaning of the numbers themselves is what is important. These numbers link to the organizational design seen in the Israelite encampment in the wilderness. That was reflective of God's social design for all humanity in two dimensional format. Here the number 12 is linked up with the number 1000 (representing divinity – the cubic dimension of the Most Holy place) adding a third dimension. Thus 144,000 represents a fulfillment of God's original intent for humanity to mature into becoming reflectors having the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26; 1 John 3:2). This team of 144,000 people are the first fruits of this amazing project by God to salvage and redeem as much of humanity as are willing, back to their original design and purpose – to mature into the fulness of Christ, producing all the fruit of the Spirit of Christ that dwells in them.

He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-15)

All of this is what is meant by the word 'name' that shows up so much here.

having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads

They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. (Revelation 22:4)

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. (Revelation 3:12)

I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn't deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. (Revelation 2:13)

His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called "The Word of God." (Revelation 19:12-13)

Moses said to God, "Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you;' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM," and he said, "You shall tell the children of Israel this: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God said moreover to Moses, "You shall tell the children of Israel this, 'Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. (Exodus 3:13-15)

Yahweh descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Yahweh. Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, "Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children's children, on the third and on the fourth generation." (Exodus 34:5-7)

He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. (Revelation 13:6)

How is the name of God and His dwelling blasphemed? It is by distorting the truth about God's heart and defacing the reflection of His glory in those designed to reveal His glory in their lives and hearts.

It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth.

This is the work outlined by the prophet Isaiah in the words, "O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him." Isaiah 40:9,10.

Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, "Behold your God." The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them. {COL 415}

In contrast, we have just spent considerable time exploring what is involved in this blasphemy of God's reputation. The beast insists that it represents the truth about God, and the whole world wonders after it because they are duped into thinking God is like the beast rather than like the Lamb.

and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:17)

In Isaiah's day the spiritual understanding of mankind was dark through misapprehension of God. Long had Satan sought to lead men to look upon their Creator as the author of sin and suffering and death. Those whom he had thus deceived, imagined that God was hard and exacting. They regarded Him as watching to denounce and condemn, unwilling to receive the sinner so long as there was a legal excuse for not helping him. The law of love by which heaven is ruled had been misrepresented by the archdeceiver as a restriction upon men's happiness, a burdensome yoke from which they should be glad to escape. He declared that its precepts could not be obeyed and that the penalties of transgression were bestowed arbitrarily. {PK 311.1}

This is how the beast and all who side with it blaspheme the name of God. These views of God lie at the root of all sin and dysfunction, misery, violence and disharmony. This is what the Lamb hero of Revelation came to expose and dispel. He alone reveals the true heart of the Father as being love and only love, and that love will win over every lie the enemy uses to slander His reputation. This is the work these 144,000 join the Lamb to complete, to demonstrate in their lives a living reflection of the true nature of God's heart of compassionate love, care, humility and the kindness that alone leads to true repentance.

a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters

His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. (Revelation 1:15)

I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready." (Revelation 19:6-7)

Significantly, the wife for the Lamb is made up of these very agents who have come to know Him so intimately and thoroughly that they share all the same values and priorities and reflect the same likeness as does the Lamb of God. Their sin, their distrust, every last doubt about God's pure goodness has been eradicated from their hearts and thinking by the blood of the Lamb, so their voice now sounds just like the voice of God – like the voice of many waters and of mighty thunders.

Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array. Yahweh's voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters. Yahweh's voice is powerful. Yahweh's voice is full of majesty. (Psalms 29:1-4)

The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters: but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far off, and will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm. At evening, behold, terror! Before the morning, they are no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us. (Isaiah 17:13-14)

Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies. When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings. There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings. Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above. I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke. (Ezekiel 1:23-28)

Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory. (Ezekiel 43:2)

like the sound of a great thunder

I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, "Come and see!" (Revelation 6:1)

When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don't write them." (Revelation 10:4)

Yahweh's voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters. Yahweh's voice is powerful. Yahweh's voice is full of majesty. The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox. Yahweh's voice strikes with flashes of lightning. Yahweh's voice shakes the wilderness. Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. Yahweh's voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, "Glory!" Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, Yahweh sits as King forever. Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace. (Psalms 29:3-11)

Father, glorify your name!" Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." (John 12:28-29)

See that you don't refuse him who speaks. For if they didn't escape when they refused him who warned on the Earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven, whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens." This phrase, "Yet once more," signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can't be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:25-29)

like that of harpists playing on their harps

Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8)

I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)

David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. (1 Chronicles 13:8)

Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, To your tents. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God. (Psalms 43:3-4)

I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. (Psalms 71:22)

Sing praises to Yahweh with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody. (Psalms 98:5)

They sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth.

As David accurately indicates, harps and music are designed for praising and glorifying God. Since the whole war is over God's reputation, all the energies of these agents are focused on winning the war. And music is like a giant heart amplifier to accentuate and empower the truth about God's good character so wonderfully that it finally achieves what it was meant to do originally – drawing out the hearts of God's creatures in admiration, affection and loyalty to the One who not only created them but ever loves them with an unquenchable, everlasting love that cannot be restrained.

Next time we will focus on this powerful New Song music which is the secret weapon of power relied on exclusively by the Lamb's special ops forces. They have learned how to fight the way their leader fights – in righteousness alone. He never judges or wages war any other way, and if we want to follow the Lamb wherever He leads us we must accept His ways in place of our ways and be cleansed of all motives that do not resonate with the motives of heaven.