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#42.
The 144,000 and THE LIE (14: 1-8).
pp. 160 - 163
In immediate succession, and as we have seen in designed contrast, to the reference to
the enforcing under penalty of death of the mark of the beast comes the vision of the
144,000, having the name of the Lamb and of His Father in their foreheads. In
chapter 7: we have the sealing of the number; in chapter 14: the relation between the
two companies is shown. The 144,000 are "firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb"; the
great multitude is the harvest that follows.
The elect company are seen standing upon mount Zion. Zion, or Sion, means a
stronghold; upon Zion God will yet set His King (Psa. 2:); "out of Zion" shall come the
Salvation of Israel (Psa. 14: 7), strengthening (20: 2), the shining of God (50: 2), the rod
of Messiah's strength (110: 2), blessing to, and from, the Lord (128: 5, 135: 21),
and the law (Isa. 2: 3). It is evidently central, a place of administration and of strength.
The epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 12: speaks of two companies which bear a
relation to each other very parallel with that of the firstfruits and harvest here. The first
part of Heb. 12: speaks of sons, the second of the first-born, introduced by the reference
to Esau and his birthright. One of the statements made concerning their position is that
they had "come unto Mount Sion". In both places mount Sion is connected with the
overcomers, and their victory is the theme of the new song (which none could learn by
rote, but only through experience) before the throne.
Singing is with understanding, and the nature of their victory is explained in
Rev. 14: 4, 5, "they are virgins". In our English language a virgin always means a
female, but in the Greek it is not necessarily so. Here in Rev. 14: 4 it cannot be so, for
the passage reads, "these are they who were not defiled with women, for they are
virgins". We do not wish to enlarge upon this, but feel we must warn our readers against
spiritualizing the passage away. Rom. 1: 18-32, the history of Israel from Balaam's
stumbling-block to Solomon's shame, the prophetic utterances of Paul, Peter, and Jude
concerning the character of the end, and the testimony of the Revelation itself, all go to
show that moral uncleanness, Satanic religion, doctrines of demons, and idolatry go hand
in hand.
The transition from the truth to the lie is strongly marked in Rom. 1: 18-32, "the lie"
being the one great covering title of the whole Satanic programme, which includes
uncleanness and a reprobate mind. One need have but the slightest acquaintance with the
undercurrent of life in great cities to know that should immorality ever receive the
sanction of religion, devotees would flock in their millions to its shrine.
These 144,000 sealed ones have been preserved from the doctrines of Balaam or
Jezebel; "they are virgins"; "in their mouth was not found (the) LIE, for they are
blameless". All the best texts read lie instead of "guile", they are blameless with regard
to the LIE. The lie is believed as a result of not receiving the love of the truth