Catching away of saints. Study 21.

Revelation  4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.  4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.  4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.  4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

  Beloved,  chapter fourteen of the book of Revelation, exposes you to a group of people to emulate, even though, they went through the great tribulation too. 

  This chapter is a total departure from all that were  seen in chapter thirteen.

  As you contrast the two chapters.

The previous reveals the activities of  satan,  Antichrist, false prophet, the deceptive lamb,  and unrepentant hardened inhabitants of the earth.

   While this chapter reveals God, Christ, the true Lamb of God.and triumphant obedient saints.

  They lived a lifestyle of righteousness, and then, offered  true and glorious  worship to the Lord.

  In addition, even though,  these group of people were part of the great tribulation, yet they lived

 triumphant lifestyle.

  It then follows that if this could happen to them, during the great tribulation, believers today and you in particular, have no excuse, why you can not live triumphant lifestyle.

If these people can be righteous during the great tribulation. Then you  don’t have excuse why you can not be righteous today.

  They were sealed and enjoy uncommon protection from the Lord.. 

  Today, there is no reason to be afraid, because uncommon protection are available for the saints of God and you in particular.

  These redeemed people lived like 

Enoch, walking with God, when the whole world were living in wantom disobedience.

Genesis 5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

  They lived like Noah , found to be righteous by God in a complete corrupt society.

Genesis 7:1  And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

These redeemed people lived like Daniel found to be faithful among the perverted Babylonians.

Daniel 6:4  Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

 Beloved while the majority of the inhabitants of the earth during the great tribulation are sinful  these people are righteous like Lily  in the mud. 

   No wonder, you are called to emulate their exemplary lifestyle.

Listen to it.

Revelation  14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.  14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:  14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  14:4 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, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Beloved, you discover from the verses above, separated sealed people with the Redeemer.

Revelation 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

Our Lord is seen here as the true Lamb of God, standing with full authority.

The scriptures revealed our Lord severally as the gracious glorious Lamb of God. Listen to some of them.

Revelation  5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.  5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation  7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;  7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.  7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,  7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.  7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?  7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation  15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.  15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Our Lord is the slain, resurrected Lamb whose blood redeemed the entire saints of God.

1 Peter  1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 Now these group of people during the great tribulation are separated and sealed with the Lamb of God.

Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

This is a revelation of their future glory when our Lord, the Lamb shall literally stand upon Mount Zion towards the end of the great tribulation.

   Numerous scriptures affirmed this, because Mount Zion shall ultimately be the sit of authority.

Psalms  2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.  2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Psalms 9:11  Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion:

declare among the people his doings.

Psalms  48:1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.  48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Psalms  76:1 In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.  76:2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

Psalms  99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.  99:2 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.  99:3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

Our Lord shall literally stand on Mount Zion before the end of the great tribulation, when the Jews shall be mourning and desiring their  rejected Messiah.

Joel  3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.  3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.  3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Romans 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Zechariah 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,

and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son,

and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

  Beloved, these sealed people are revealed as the first fruits.

Revelation 14:4 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, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Romans 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Romans 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 

  They were sealed and set apart prior to this time.

Revelation  7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,  7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.  7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.  7:5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.  7:6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.  7:7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.  7:8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.  7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

  These redeemed people are seen singing a special song  of praise, that no other person can sing apart from them alone.

Revelation  14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:  14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

  Like these redeemed people, other scriptures reveals the song of saints to God and the Lamb.

Revelation  5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation  15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.  15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

 Beloved, I pray you shall be part of the raptured saints, because you shall sing different songs of praise at eternity. It shall be so in Jesus name.

Psalms 32:7  Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Psalms  33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.  33:2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.  33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.  33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.  33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.  33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.  33:7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.  33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.  33:10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.  33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.  33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.  33:13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.  33:14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

Psalms  40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Isaiah  35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.  35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:  35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 51:11  Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return,

and come with singing unto Zion;

and everlasting joy shall be upon their head:  they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

Lastly you discover virtues you should emulate  now, from the exemplary lifestyle of these redeemed people to help you to be part of the dawning rapture.

    It shall be so in Jesus name. See them yourself.

Revelation  14:4 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, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

1. Not defiled with women. 

Listen to what defiles a person that must be purged out  of your life now.

Mark  7:14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:  7:15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.  7:16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.  7:17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.  7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;  7:19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?  7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

This becomes necessary because no defile person shall enter heaven.

Revelation 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

2. They are spiritual virgins.

2 Corinthians 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3. They are true disciples who faithfully followed the Lord at all times and in all places. 

They followed His example and willingly followed Him through thick and thin.

Revelation 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

John 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

4.  They are redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus.

1 Peter  1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.  1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:  1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

5, They are first fruits.

Romans 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

6.  No guile in their mouth.

1 Peter 3:10  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

Remember,  all liars have no place in heaven.

Revelation 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

Psalms 101:7  He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

 Beloved, the Bible assures you of the willingness of the Lord to keep even you from falling, like these redeemed people.

Jude  1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 Emulating  now, and living the exemplary lifestyle discovered in the lives of these redeemed people during the great tribulation, shall help you in particular to partake in the dawning rapture. 

  In addition, this shall help you avert the  calamities, those that shall miss the imminent rapture shall go through, during the great tribulation.

 Listen to the promise of our Lord to you in particular.

Revelation  3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

 And then as you avert the great tribulation by the special grace of God, you shall be part of the twenty four elders apostle John saw in the revelations, Jesus showed him. It shall be so for you in particular in Jesus name.

Revelation  4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.  4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.  4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.  4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

See you at the top in Jesus name.

Let us pray.