The Little Book of the Revelation - Eighteenth in a series

In this penultimate post, we will consider some Scriptures that confirm the Lord’s people are safe with him before the bowl judgments begin.

Paul explained to the Corinthians God’s order in the resurrection of souls and bodies:

• For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (I Cor 15:23)

He made clear that if the dead were not to be raised, then Christ was not either, so that those now dead have perished.

• Indeed, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, then we are miserable in our faith. (1 Cor 15:18-19)

He wrote to the Thessalonians:

• For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thess. 4:16-17)

Paul taught the Romans that God gave the Jews a spirit of slumber (Rom 11:8) yet they did not stumble to eternally fall, but rather through their fall, salvation came to the Gentiles, provoking the Jews to jealousy, and as ‘the diminishing’ of the Jews meant riches for the Gentiles, so their salvation will mean ‘life from the dead’. (Rom 11:15)

In this perspective, the change of heart described in the previous post— in Revelation 11:13, may be viewed as the salvation of the 144,000 whom we first met in Revelation 7:4. These come into view again in Chapter 14.

• And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads…
and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth. ((Rev 14:1, 3)

In contrast, in Chapter 15 those who ‘had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name,’ stood on the sea of glass where the Lord was, and sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. (Rev 15:2-3). They loved both Old and New Testaments. They, too, were introduced in Revelation 7, as the ones who had come out of the great tribulation.

Why was the song of the 144,000— one that only they could learn— a different one from the larger group’s? This is something to reflect upon as we see both groups in the safe surroundings of God’s home before the ‘bowl’ judgments of Revelation 16 are poured out.

It would seem that the two witnesses obtained a measure of success by God’s plan and grace. Their testimony helped to achieve the change of heart in the remnant of Jews who were marked for security before the seventh seal was opened. (Rev 8:1)

God alone

‘God is doing many things at one time.’ In revealing to John the events of the end, he has a pattern of assuring him that all will be well before he shows him the destruction of the earth.

We saw the saints in heaven having come out of the great tribulation before we were told what they must endure in Chapter 13. Likewise we were told the marked Jews will be with the Lord in heaven before the ‘bowl’ judgments of God’s wrath.

John tasted the prophecy that the Lord’s witnesses must be despised and die before they are raised to life, and it was bittersweet. We, too, are happy that a resurrection awaits the faithful and those who are beloved for the fathers' sakes. (Rom 11:28), the 144,000, but we are grieved that the day of grace must end.

“Multitudes in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:14) —or, more accurately, The harvest is past, the summer is ended, … (Jer 8:20)

Salvation is no longer possible. The second woe is ended. Perhaps it is this horrifying truth that required a book within a book to lift it to clear view.

Let’s pray more than ever for loved ones and all who do not know the Lord.

In the next and final post we will wrap up any loose ends of this series.

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