Revelation 14:4-5; God’s Remnant Witnesses
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, beingthe firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
God has His remnant witnesses. These 144,000 men were sexually chaste, followed the Lamb wholehearted, speak no lies in their mouth and are blameless. These had boldness to be God’s witness in an earth filled with immorality, apostasy, deception and defilement like the psalmist in Psalm 119.
Psalm 119:1-8 ALEPH. Blessed arethe undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed arethey that keep his testimonies, and thatseek him with the whole heart.They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded usto keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee withuprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
God has respect to such as will follow Him with a pure heart like Joseph and Daniel, like Paul and Silas. God blessed them with His presence and God used them to be His mighty witnesses!
We see here a contrast between the good and evil and the ultimate defeat of evil.
| Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 |
| lamb (v. 11) | Lamb (vv. 1, 4) |
| out of the earth (v. 11) | Mount Zion (v. 1) |
| worship of the beast (v. 12) | song of the 144,000 (v. 3) |
| beast’s number 666 (v. 18) | saints’ number 144,000 (v. 1) |
| everyone is enslaved (v. 16) | saints are redeemed (v. 3) |
| mark of the beast (vv. 16, 17) | name of Father and Lamb (v. 1) |
| deception of the beast (v. 14) | no lie in their mouth (v. 5) [1] |
In a world surrounded by deception and evil, there is a remnant of honest men, man of integrity, not double-tongued, living pure lives as a living proof of the power of the gospel, like a Daniel. We need such men and women in this generation to make a difference, be a part of the 7,000 who have not bowed their knee to Baal. If we have sin in our lives which has not been repented of, we cannot be a good witness for God. We need to make right with God. Then we can be a witness for Him.
One pastor asked well, “Do you keep yourself pure and above reproach in your relationship with others – especially those of the opposite sex? Or do you compromise, blurring the line between appropriate and inappropriate behavior and questionable speech? Do you practice immediate obedience to the statements of Scripture? Or do you delay, rationalize, and pick and choose what to obey? Do you measure your speech against the standard of absolute truth? Or do you serve up white lies, half-truths, and deceptions? Do you cultivate a blameless lifestyle that remains the same in private and in public? Or would the people who know you best testify to double standards and hypocrisy? Are you hiding secret sins? The most effective witnesses are those who are not only saved and sealed, but also walking in the light – set apart for God and willingly available to be sent as lights into a dark and corrupt world.”[2]
Amen.
[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation(Vol. 20, p. 400). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
[2] Charles R. Swindoll, Revelation, Tyndale House, 2014, 210.