Song of the 144,000
Rev 14:3
Composers/Singers: Voice of the harpers; the 144,000 redeemed
The one hundred and forty and four thousand (144,000) redeemed persons first appeared in Revelation 7:3,4. They were described as servants of God who were to be sealed on their foreheads by the angel of God before the four angels holding the four winds of the earth began to execute their decree- to hurt the earth and sea. These were drawn from the twelve tribes of Israel being twelve thousand from each. In Revelation 14, we are given more description of these redeemed persons. Here are some quick descriptions:
- They are Virgins- not defiled with women. If this is not figurative, we can confidently say that these redeemed persons are of the men gender.
- They are followers of the Lamb
- They are redeemed among men
- They represent the first fruit of redeemed persons
- There was no guile in them
- They are faultless before the throne
There seems to be a similarity between these 144, 000 and the twelve apostles who were mainly from the Jewish nation as the first fruit among Christ disciples. The 144,000 are 12,000 more than each of the apostles from among the twelve tribes of Israel.
Let us note that this particular song is the song of the 144,000 redeemed men. Only they can learn and sing this song. The focus of instruction and insight therefore is not the song but something else.
First fruit
First fruit (usually spelled firstfruit) always indicates that there is something more that is yet to come- the final harvest. It is a small proportion compared to what is yet to be harvested. The passage in Rev 7 gave a good picture of this when it followed the sealing of the 144,000 redeemed men with Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and 14 These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. If these innumerable and uncountable are redeemed persons from the tribulation period, you can only imagine the number of redeemed that would be in Heaven from all generations.
First fruit is related to harvest Ex 23:16. Abel’s offering was of the order of first fruit. There is something precious about it as the LORD requires it of the children of Israel. It is something that honours the LORD to offer him of the first of the reward of one’s labour Prov 3:9. The idea of honouring God by putting Him first was demonstrated in the Old Testament in what is most valued by man- his reward, harvest, wage, even the fruit of his body etc. But these were mere shadows of what God really is pointing at. The Lord Jesus made that clear when He commanded, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness… Mt 6:33. For man, God requires that He be in the front of his heart’s desires, aspirations and pursuits. The rule of God must be fervently sought and totally submitted to. His righteousness must govern all of man’s affairs and practices. Every believer and follower of Christ must be intentional about advancing His Kingdom using every means and resources at his or her disposal. This is what the first fruit signified in the Old Testament. Are you honouring God by seeking His rule first in all you do?
The first fruit was also a reminder to the children of Israel of the mission of God and their involvement in it. While the children of Israel themselves are the first fruit among the nations that God would redeem, there are hundreds and thousands of other nations that are yet to become part of the family of God. So, as long as the first fruit offerings are presented in the temple before God, the children of Israel were reminded of the unfinished task. Today, the church is also reminded of the unfinished task of bringing in the remaining lost sheep into the fold. This is the mission of every church that truly belongs to Christ. The Revelation 7 passage made it clear that the multitude who would be redeemed are from all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. The Kingdom of God will consist of multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural people. To make this happen, each one of God’s people must labour in partnership with Him. How are you ensuring that the final harvest is fulfilled? What active role are you playing to make this happen?
Even though we do not know the song of the first fruit of redeemed 144,000 men, they remind us that there is a final harvest that is far greater. To see this harvest, we must co-labour with God in the spread of the Gospel and the discipling of nations. This is the task that the LORD left for us as His church to do. This is the mission of the Church.