Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14 refers to the seven sprinklings of blood in front of the Ark of Covenant. It refers to the suffering of the church of God with Jesus. It is the last purification up to the perfection, namely the quality of the bride.
Revelation 14:1-5 is about the church's following Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Revelation 14:1
14:1. Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads.
The church's following Jesus is the one that is signified by the sprinkling of blood, so we experience the increase of purification up to Mount Zion. It refers to the quality of being spotless as the heavenly bride.
One hundred and forty-four thousand men who follow Jesus up to mount Zion refer to the church of God from the Israelites, twelve thousand in a tribe. They are the core of the body of Christ or heavenly bride.
Isaiah 54:1-7
54:1. "Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman," says the LORD.
54:2. "Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.
54:3. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.
54:4. "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
54:5. For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
54:6. For the LORD has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused," Says your God.
54:7. "For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you.
Previously, God is called the Holy One of Israel, but later He is called the God of the whole earth, including the Gentiles.
Actually, Jesus as the Lamb of God just redeems the Israelites, but a part of them rejects it, so there is opportunity for the Gentiles to receive it.
So, Jesus, the Lamb of God who stands on Mount Zion [Revelation 14:1] is the Lamb of God who has been slain on the cross to redeem and purify the Israelites (the core of the bride) and the Gentiles (completing the bride) until they become His bride who is glorified on Mount Zion.
That is why we must experience the increase of purification and redemption through the sprinkling of blood up to perfection.
Isaiah 54:4
54:4. "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
The quality of perfection is that there is not the shame of youth and the reproach of widowhood anymore.
Mark 14:51
14:51. Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloththrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him,
The spiritual meanings of the shame of youth are as follows:
The spiritual meanings of the reproach of widowhood are as follows:
God wants to redeem us, His bride. His promise is so earnest. That is why we must be earnest in redemption.
Isaiah 54:10
54:10. For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
God's promise to redeem and purify the Israelites and Gentiles to become His bride who is perfect cannot be changed or failed by anything.
That is why our following and ministry to God must be sprinkled with blood. It means being signified by the purification, so we are not failed, but reaching Mount Zion or perfection. Do not be afraid of the cross or sprinkling of blood!
Revelation 14:2-3
14:2. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
14:3. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
The following in holiness is like the voice of many waters and the voice of loud thunder that cannot be stopped by any power.
It means that the holy men have the great ability to follow and minister to God. They can pass through all of hindrances in the world.
Do not be arrogant after becoming strong! We must remember others.
'the sound of harpists playing their harps' means that we cannot become perfect alone. A holy man must be able to work together with others. The big and small strings work together to strengthen and unify one another, so there is a new song. It refers to the renewal of life up to perfection like Jesus. We are shown on Mount Zion until we enter the New Jerusalem forever.
Acts 28:30-31
28:30. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him,
28:31. preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
Each of us has our own challenge and obstacle. It depends on us whether we want to be blocked or not.
A holy man cannot be blocked by anything.
Paul the apostle was put in the jail but he did not stop following and ministering to God, even he dwelt in his own rented house (sacrifice) and kept preaching the Word.
When we fall into sin, we must confess it quickly and return to the holiness.
2 Corinthians 10:1-6,10
10:1. Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
10:2. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
10:4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
10:5. casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
10:6. and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
10:10. "For his letters," they say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."
The testimony of Paul the apostle is that we are weak like water. But, if we are purified by God, we will become like many waters that no one can fight. We must keep our holiness no matter our weakness, so we can receive the strength from God. God will help all of us.
Matthew 8:23-27
8:23. Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
8:24. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
8:25. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
8:26. But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
8:27. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
Our following and ministry to God are like a boat that crosses the sea or the world towards the haven of peace or the New Jerusalem forever.
How great a boat is, it is too small in the sea. How great a servant of God is, he is small. Do not feel great! We must keep relying on God.
'suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea' means that Satan suddenly attacks us with the power of death, namely sins up to the peak, false teaching, and temptation in economy, disease, and future to destroy and drown us in the world.
Drowning means being desperate and disappointed as well as leaving God up to drowning in the lake of fire and brimstone, namely the hell forever.
The matter of our boat's drowning or not in the world does not depend on the waves, but whether Jesus is in our boat or not.
It means that we must keep ministering and worshiping faithfully, so Jesus is always in our boat. We will never drown but reach the New Jerusalem.
Why does God allow us to experience a great tempest in our following Him?
The true following and ministry to Jesus must be started with the cross and sprinkling of blood.
For example, Peter followed and knew Jesus as the Messiah, but he rejected the cross.
Matthew 16:15-18,21-23
16:15. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16:16. Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
16:17. Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
16:18. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
16:21. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
16:22. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
16:23. But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Peter knew Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the powerful God, but when he faced the cross, he rejected and denied Jesus, so he became the same as Satan.
Even though there may be power, without the cross, it is the power of Satan.
If our following God is started with the cross, we will receive the real power and glory.
The experience of the cross results in three things as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 14 refers to the seven sprinklings of blood in front of the Ark of Covenant. It refers to the suffering of the church of God with Jesus. It is the last purification up to the perfection, namely the quality of the bride.
Revelation 14:1-5 is about the church's following Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Revelation 14:1
14:1. Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads.
The church's following Jesus is the one that is signified by the sprinkling of blood, so we experience the increase of purification up to Mount Zion. It refers to the quality of being spotless as the heavenly bride.
One hundred and forty-four thousand men who follow Jesus up to mount Zion refer to the church of God from the Israelites, twelve thousand in a tribe. They are the core of the body of Christ or heavenly bride.
Isaiah 54:1-7
54:1. "Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman," says the LORD.
54:2. "Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.
54:3. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.
54:4. "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
54:5. For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
54:6. For the LORD has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused," Says your God.
54:7. "For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you.
Previously, God is called the Holy One of Israel, but later He is called the God of the whole earth, including the Gentiles.
Actually, Jesus as the Lamb of God just redeems the Israelites, but a part of them rejects it, so there is opportunity for the Gentiles to receive it.
So, Jesus, the Lamb of God who stands on Mount Zion [Revelation 14:1] is the Lamb of God who has been slain on the cross to redeem and purify the Israelites (the core of the bride) and the Gentiles (completing the bride) until they become His bride who is glorified on Mount Zion.
That is why we must experience the increase of purification and redemption through the sprinkling of blood up to perfection.
Isaiah 54:4
54:4. "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
The quality of perfection is that there is not the shame of youth and the reproach of widowhood anymore.
Mark 14:51
14:51. Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloththrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him,
The spiritual meanings of the shame of youth are as follows:
- There are many young men including those who are strong in the teaching Word who just have a linen cloth.
It refers to the purification and love which are minimal, so one's holiness is easily influenced; even he loses it.
Consequently, one becomes naked when facing shock, difficulty, sin, and false teaching. He is ashamed as well as embarrassing God and others.
He easily does the evil thing. He likes to quarrel, judge, and slander others. He also becomes unclean because of the sins of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage. - A linen cloth also refers to the purification and love which are only outside. He is just pretending to love and be holy, but not up to his heart.
For example, one is good to others who support him, but not to others who do not support him.
We ask God, so we have the clean, bright fine linen, namely earnest good deeds which are based on holiness up to our heart.
The spiritual meanings of the reproach of widowhood are as follows:
- A widow means having no relationship with her husband.
It means the spiritual dryness. One has no relationship with God. He does not worship God earnestly anymore; even he does not want to worship God. - Lying, slandering, gossiping, et ceterathat just harms others.
His deed is also unclean. It is the same as living in fornication.
I Timothy 5:13-15
5:13. And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.
5:14. Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
5:15. For some have already turned aside after Satan.
God wants to redeem us, His bride. His promise is so earnest. That is why we must be earnest in redemption.
Isaiah 54:10
54:10. For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
God's promise to redeem and purify the Israelites and Gentiles to become His bride who is perfect cannot be changed or failed by anything.
That is why our following and ministry to God must be sprinkled with blood. It means being signified by the purification, so we are not failed, but reaching Mount Zion or perfection. Do not be afraid of the cross or sprinkling of blood!
Revelation 14:2-3
14:2. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
14:3. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
The following in holiness is like the voice of many waters and the voice of loud thunder that cannot be stopped by any power.
It means that the holy men have the great ability to follow and minister to God. They can pass through all of hindrances in the world.
Do not be arrogant after becoming strong! We must remember others.
'the sound of harpists playing their harps' means that we cannot become perfect alone. A holy man must be able to work together with others. The big and small strings work together to strengthen and unify one another, so there is a new song. It refers to the renewal of life up to perfection like Jesus. We are shown on Mount Zion until we enter the New Jerusalem forever.
Acts 28:30-31
28:30. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him,
28:31. preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
Each of us has our own challenge and obstacle. It depends on us whether we want to be blocked or not.
A holy man cannot be blocked by anything.
Paul the apostle was put in the jail but he did not stop following and ministering to God, even he dwelt in his own rented house (sacrifice) and kept preaching the Word.
When we fall into sin, we must confess it quickly and return to the holiness.
2 Corinthians 10:1-6,10
10:1. Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
10:2. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
10:4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
10:5. casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
10:6. and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
10:10. "For his letters," they say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."
The testimony of Paul the apostle is that we are weak like water. But, if we are purified by God, we will become like many waters that no one can fight. We must keep our holiness no matter our weakness, so we can receive the strength from God. God will help all of us.
Matthew 8:23-27
8:23. Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
8:24. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
8:25. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
8:26. But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
8:27. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
Our following and ministry to God are like a boat that crosses the sea or the world towards the haven of peace or the New Jerusalem forever.
How great a boat is, it is too small in the sea. How great a servant of God is, he is small. Do not feel great! We must keep relying on God.
'suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea' means that Satan suddenly attacks us with the power of death, namely sins up to the peak, false teaching, and temptation in economy, disease, and future to destroy and drown us in the world.
Drowning means being desperate and disappointed as well as leaving God up to drowning in the lake of fire and brimstone, namely the hell forever.
The matter of our boat's drowning or not in the world does not depend on the waves, but whether Jesus is in our boat or not.
It means that we must keep ministering and worshiping faithfully, so Jesus is always in our boat. We will never drown but reach the New Jerusalem.
Why does God allow us to experience a great tempest in our following Him?
- We do not depend on our own strength, cleverness, and experience.
If we rely on ourselves, we will be surely defeated by Satan.
We cannot finish all of temptations with our own strength; even we drown.
We must totally depend on God. We realize that we are just a mortar no matter how great we are. We must always be in the merciful hands of God. - We see Jesus who sleeps and arises. It means experiencing the death and resurrection experience with Jesus until we arrive on Mount Zion to be glorified forever. We are glorified in the world up to Mount Zion or the New Jerusalem forever.
The true following and ministry to Jesus must be started with the cross and sprinkling of blood.
For example, Peter followed and knew Jesus as the Messiah, but he rejected the cross.
Matthew 16:15-18,21-23
16:15. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16:16. Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
16:17. Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
16:18. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
16:21. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
16:22. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
16:23. But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Peter knew Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the powerful God, but when he faced the cross, he rejected and denied Jesus, so he became the same as Satan.
Even though there may be power, without the cross, it is the power of Satan.
If our following God is started with the cross, we will receive the real power and glory.
The experience of the cross results in three things as follows:
- Matthew 8:27
8:27. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
Previously, they felt great. They relied on their experience and knowledge to face against the winds, but they could not.
In the experience of the cross, we can know Jesus and His power, so we do not doubt and underestimate the ministry to God.
We can admire and honor God as well as be obedient and faithful. As long as we become obedient and faithful, we will keep on being in the true following God, so the doors are opened; even the ones of heaven are too. God has the power to help, but He has the power to punish. We must keep being earnest. - Matthew 8:26
8:26. But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
We experience the renewal of life to become like Jesus, so we can enter the New Jerusalem.
We die to fleshly men and live for a new life. It starts from the eight sins that must be renewed.
Revelation21:8
21:8. "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
'the cowardly' means that one is afraid of something until having no trust and fear of God; even he is against the Word.
It includes the fear of own family, being bashful, et cetera.
The cowardly will be ended with liar.
Such life must be renewed up to perfection. He does not stumble in words anymore.
The cowardly must be renewed to have the fear of God, namely the fear of doing sin.
A liar must be changed to become honest. It is the same as becoming the house of prayer.
If the spiritual miracle happens, the physical one will happen too. - We imitate Jesus who sleeps and arises, namely Jesus who dies, rises, and ascends to the heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father God. He becomes the High Priest who monitors every movement of our boat or every step of our life in the midst of the tempest of the world.
God will never forget us. He is ready to stretch out His merciful hands to us.
The facts found in imitating Jesus who dies and rises are as follows:- We must die to sins.
- We must have the tested faith, so we always live in peace. We can pray to God. Do not doubt!
I Peter 5:7
5:7. casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
We totally surrender ourselves to God. We stretch out our hands to God, and He will stretch out His merciful hands to us. We live in the merciful hands of the High Priest.
I Peter 5:5-6
5:5. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
5:6. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
God's hand is able to calm all wind and waves. It means that He finishes all of problems, so we feel easy and light.
God's hand lifts us up in time of need. He is able to lift and help us in time of need from all of drownings because of sin, failure, and fall. We are also used by God in the revival of the building of the perfect body of Christ until we are truly glorified on the glorious clouds when Jesus comes a second time.
Jonah could be lifted up from the bottom of the sea.
God's mercy defeats the punishment and death. God is able to lift and help us. - We must die to sins.
God blesses us.