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.
Before we go on any further, I want to explain some of the key imagery in this text. Revelation is an apocalyptic letter, and must be interpreted as such.
Imagery to be explained:
The Lamb standing on Mount Zion: This is a reference to the heavenly Zion in which the Lamb rules and to which the people of God have come. There is also a connection with Psalm 2, in which the rulers of the earth kick and rebel against God, yet God laughs at their efforts to unseat Him of his sovereign position. God tells them, “Yet I have set My King on My holy Hill of Zion.” Thus, despite the attempts of the Great Dragon and the beast to eliminate the church, they stand secure with the triumphant Lord on the Hill of Zion.
144,000 with the Fathers name: This is a mystical number of the fullness of the redeemed people of God. The fact that the number of those redeemed is the same as the number in chapter 7 serves to assure that all those on whom God has placed His seal will ultimately be saved. He will not lose one of His elect saints. In contrast to those who bore the mark of the best, these have the Father’s name, signifying their allegiance to God alone. When we look at verse 4, we see a description of these 144,000 and the proof of their being sealed of God. The proof of their election is in their lifestyle. The state of virginity talked about here is meant in a spiritual since. They, as the chosen ones who were redeemed among men, have not participated in the idolatry of the rest of the nations as depicted in verse 8. They are pure and chaste and lacking deceit. And their lives are depicted as a firstfruits offering to God.
Thus, what we have here is a vision of all the redeemed of the earth, standing in victory around the throne, praising God. Now that we have established this, let us turn our attention to the worship that transpires in this heavenly scene.
V2. We notice here that John hears a vibrant commotion in heaven, which is mainly a voice. He describes this voice as vast, and of an innumerable multitude- the sound of many waters. The voice is loud, like a great thunder, which is meant to describe the extraordinary fervency of the praise. It was also a melodious sound (harps). Thus, what John hears was so inexpressible that he could find nothing in which he could compare so great a sight of worship as this. It was a song of the redeemed. A song that only the 144,000 could proclaim. A sweetness that only they could know, a praise that only their lips could bring forth. A joy that only their hearts could experience.
I find this scene in heaven very telling. It gives us a glimpse into what heaven will be like and what we will be doing. What we see is that one of the chief activities that we will be undertaking is praising God. Therefore, what I would like to talk to you about today is what Jonathan Edwards referred to as one of our chief employments of heaven. I want to expand on two basic truths, and then give some application.
1. In heaven, our work consists in praising God: The saints in heaven are not idle. There is much to do. The rest of heaven does not consist in the cessation of all action. Rather, it is a rest from all the trouble and toil that was a result of the curse upon our work. Work is a glorious thing instituted by God. The saints here are full of action, yet this activity has no weariness attached to it; no grief or anxiety or burden. This is because, as we read in Rev. 22:3, God has removed the curse, and therefore we shall serve God day and night, without ceasing.” One of these great works is praise.
2. Why our work consists in praising God: If some of you are like me, you may wonder, why praise? Why is this one of the chief activities that we will undertake when we get to heaven? I would like to give you three reasons.
A. There we will see the fullness of God- This vision of God was a promise to all the pure in heart (Matt. 5:8). Thus, we see that the elect of God had indeed kept themselves pure. Their reward now reaches its highest estate. They are now able to see God unhindered. Those that see God cannot help but praise Him. He is a being of such infinite glory and exasperating excellency, that the sight of such a One will awake and arouse the entire being of the saint and will irresistibly draw them into expressions of praise. Now, we only see through a glass darkly, so our praise, just like our vision, has not reached its pinnacle. However, when that day comes that we behold the infinitely pure and holy God, our heart will be exalted and overflow the banks of our mouth and bring out a flood of praises to this being of eternal grace.
B. Because of the final victory: At the beginning of this vision we see that it is the victorious Lamb of God who is standing upon mount Zion, who is receiving the praise of His redeemed people. This praise is inspired by the sight and the completion of the victory of the Lamb of God over the nations, and the retaining of His sovereign control over all things. In this life, we have not yet seen the completion of victory. We only wait for it with confidence. Now, we have not yet seen the full manifestation of the sovereignty of God in His final overthrow of the nations. But we soon will. Right now, we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet there is a day coming when our faith shall be sight. There is a day coming when we will see Sovereign Triumph and our victory brought to completion. On that day, our praise to God will sound out with shouts of triumph to the one who has redeemed us.
C. We will experience the fullness of our Redemption: As of now, we have received the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of the rest of our inheritance. In other words, there is much more to come. For example, think of some of your sweetest times of praise in the presence of God. This is only a small taste of what is to come. There is an experience of praise awaiting the people of God that will surpass, both in kind and degree, anything that we have encountered this side of eternity. Upon our state of glorification, our love for God will be perfected. And it is love that is at the heart of thanksgiving. All sincere thankfulness is the outcome of a heart bubbling over with love for God. Listen to the way Augustine describes his love for God and his supremacy over all things,
But what do I love when I love my God? Not the sweet melody of harmony and song; not the fragrance of flowers, perfumes, and spices; not manna or honey; not limbs such as the body delights to embrace. It is not these that I love when I love my God. And yet, when I love him, it is true that I love a light of a certain kind, a voice, a perfume, a food, an embrace; but they are of the kind that I love in my inner self, when my soul is bathed in light that is not bound by space; when it listens to sound that never dies away; when it breathes fragrance that is not borne away on the wind, when it taste food that is never consumed by the eating; when it clings to an embrace from which it is not severed by fulfillment of desire. This is what I love when I love my God.
Let's now look at how we can apply truths of this heavenly scene.
1. We need to learn to be like the saints in heaven: That praise is one of the chief works of heaven means that it is one of the most honorable works that man can engage in. It is an amazing thing, that through redemption, the nature of man is altered and he goes from being a blasphemer of God to a worshiper of God. One who hates God to one who adores Him. Indeed, it is our peculiar dignity to engage in such an event as praise. So, we see that this work of praise is a noble work
2. The church on earth and the church in heaven are one in the same: Though we may be dwelling in two different places for the time being, those who have fallen asleep in Christ and those who are presently alive are all part of the people of God; they are all God’s elect. This being the case, we who are still here on earth should be engaged in the same work as our brothers and sisters who are in heaven. We have one Father, one inheritance, and one work The church on earth should join the church in heaven in this noble work of praise. For if we are praising God in this world, it is a sure sign that we are really one of those who will praise him in heaven.
3. We must praise him fervently: The saints in heaven’s praise was of such a manner that John could hardly describe the exuberance and loudness of it. Therefore, we should, in preparation for eternity, strive to praise God with the utmost fervency, sincerity, and joy that His grace supplies. About his life, Reformer John Calvin said that the prime motivation for his existence was “zeal to illustrate the glory of God.” This should be our passion also, to illustrate the glory of God-to talk about it, unfold it, and live for it. One of the ways we do this is through praise.
With so much to thank God for, we should never run short of praise.