Light Begins to Dawn

As we open our study today into Chapter 14, we need to come to an understanding before reading this so it does not confuse you when you read it. This is going to be a sneak peek into heaven. Our spiritual life should be dominating our life that it impacts our physical world. To walk in the Spirit, we will not satisfy the flesh. To walk in the Spirit is to obey God. Stand up against the darkness of the world.

We are going to learn more about the 144,000 sealed men of God, think of 144,000 Billy Grahams or Paul the Apostles. In fact if you circle Chapter 14 from verses 1-5, this is another parenthetical pauses from God in the action of what we have just been reading. We left off with the Antichrist and the False Prophet in Chapter 13 and the receiving of the mark and now arrive at Chapter 14. It is not the chronological events in the order as they happen from verses 1-5. It is a highlight chapter or an insert to provide some detail from God on the events as they are on pause. These verses will deal the things that follow the Great Tribulation Period in verses 1-5.

We will come across 6 angels as we move forward in Chapter 14.

In verse 6, we come across another angel # 1.
In verse 8, we come across another angel # 2
In verse 9, we come across another angel # 3.
Then we have a break with the mention of Jesus Christ.
In verse 15, we come across another angel # 4.
In verse 17, we come across another angel # 5.
In verse 18, we come across another angel # 6.

There are three types of believers in the world when it comes to Bible Prophecy. You have the Pre-millennialists, A-millennialists or the Post-millennialists.

Pre-millennialists believe that Jesus Christ must return in the Second Coming before the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ can begin because He has never sat on the throne of David which the Bible says He must do.

A-millennialists fall into a lot of what the Catholics believe which is the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ is symbolic and it is not real. Christ will not return to the earth.

Post-millennialists - are of the dominion now theology and that Jesus won't come back until the church prepares the earth for His Coming. He needs to the church to get the world ready.

I'm a firm pre-millennialist because you really have to twist scripture any other way into order to get it to fit the logic of what they believe.

4 Things are apparent in this parenthetical pause in chapter 14. The first is the person of the vision - the Lamb of God.

Revelation 14:1 ~ "Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads."

In this chapter, God reveals how you want to be marked by Him. The 144,000 are marked with the name of God. "the Lamb" is Jesus Christ.

In verses 1-5, deal with John seeing those things that will happen after the Antichrist is defeated, after the false prophet is judged, and when the millennium age is about to begin just after the Tribulation.

Revelation 5:6 ~ "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it has been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders." 

Revelation 5:8 ~ "And when he had taken it, the four-living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

Revelation 5:12-13 ~ "In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealthy and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!"

Revelation 6:1 ~ "I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!:

Revelation 7:9-10 ~ "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb."

Revelation 7:14 ~ "I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

The Lamb, mentioned in all of these verses and in Chapter 14 is Jesus Christ! The person is Jesus!

The second thing we need to consider is the place of the vision. The Mountain of God in verse 1. Where is Mount Zion? If you said Heaven, you are correct. If you said, on earth. You are also correct, because one day the two will be in the same place as heaven and earth come together. Remember again this is a future vision or parenthetical pause.

A Lamb is Standing on Mount Zion.

Jesus is standing. There are only two times that Jesus stands in the Bible and we will look at that.....


...tomorrow!!!