Revelation 14

    • Revelation 14 Diaglott

The Book

of

Revelation

In Thirty-Five

Interesting

Lectures

by

C. AND J. LEE

"Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

20 The sealed on Mount Zion

"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." (Rev. 14: 1.)

John here saw the result brought about on the side of the children of God through the war with the beast. The pro­phetic word in the shape of the living Zion had first become personified in a solid but living mountain, thereafter those sealed by the seal of God had been elevated upon, or above this mountain — faith elevates them above the mass of people.

The prophecy spoken by the prophets Isaiah, Micah and Zechariah has in this strange shape become personified in and through flesh. The Son of man has unfolded Himself through the powerful movement of prophecy until He is repre­sented in a ruling power, which in solidity and vanquishing power excels the international might fighting against His kingdom and its erection on the earth. There we see His army, or defenders of His kingdom, standing as a living Zion — a castle of David — and above them the kings and priests of the new kingdom, sealed with the name of the Lamb and of His Father on their foreheads, against the kings and priests of the international might, carrying the name, or mark, of the beast on their foreheads — their understanding is controlled by names and titles acknowledged of the beast.

By quoting a few prophetic words which are to be realized in this singular movement, the meaning of this symbolic figure will be explained. We must, however, keep in mind that it is through the Son of man the prophetic word is realized in living movements and forms. "The Word was made flesh," is the principal means of explanation as prophecy continues to materialize. According to the prophetic designs, both good and evil will materialize. That which in itself is evil and has a tendency to lead to evil, will, by the work of the Son of man, be forced into the image, or the beastly form; and that which is good, on the other hand, and has a tendency, or inclination, for that which is good and true, will be joined to the opposite forms, representing the kingdom of heaven during its period of development, namely, Zion and Jerusalem.

The prophecy concerning the erection of the throne of David for the Son of man to be placed on, is here to be fulfilled. This will take place through the fact that the dispersed house of Jacob is gathered under the banner of the heavenly King, this in opposition to the power which seeks to prevent Him from taking over the earth as His lawful inheritance, afterwards to hand it over to the house of Jacob as their common property. The prophet alludes to this wonderful movement when he says:

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob ... And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid." (Micah 4:1 4.)

It is this prophetic prediction that is to be realized through the great harvest work of the Son of man. The movement will be similar to the one conducted by Zerubbabel, when the two tribes of the house of Judah marched up to Jerusalem out of Babylon. That movement constituted a shadow thrown from this terminating movement of the Son of man, which may also be seen by the following words of prophecy:

"This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it ... For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth," etc.

In following this prophecy further, it will be noticed that it centers, as it were, in "the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." (Zech. 4:6-14.)

The prophetic Zerubbabel-movement will be carried out in and through the two witnesses of Jesus, described in Rev. 11:3-8. They conduct the sanctuary with which they are con­nected, namely, the living tabernacle of Christ up on the liv­ing mount Zion. They gather around them the house of Jacob, therefore, the beast consolidates and rises against them. But the seven spirits of God, alluded to in Rev. 4:5, are linked to them, and they consolidate the house of Jacob into the living Zion, such as it is described in Zechariah the 2nd chapter, namely, into a great multitude of men and cattle in the wilderness, where they are without defense and walls. But the Lord will there be unto her a wall of fire round about, and just this will make of Zion a power of resistance on which the nations will wear themselves out, until at last their moun­tain power crumbles.

The Zion-mountain in the light of the New Testament, signifies, therefore, the movement of the people connected with the development of the new national assembly. It is in the struggle with the beast, touching the worshipping of the image, the 144,000 distinguish themselves. Instead of taking any church name as their defense, their intelligence (foreheads) is open for the truth, which is then materialized by the spirit of prophecy. This raises them above the great multitude of people assembled under the banner of the new governmental scepter. The latter are able to give their lives for the King, but the representatives of the kingdom are elevated by virtue of their faith and testimony concerning the prophetic truth, so that, on this road they conquer even death itself.

The Lamb standing with them on this mountain, indicates the object of slaughter at the time the new temple is to be dedicated. As Christ was slain at the opening of the living temple-movement, thus there is a corresponding slaughter tak­ing place at the termination of this divine work. That is indi­cated in the prophetic description touching the death of the two witnesses of Jesus, namely, that they are slain under conditions and circumstances similar to those existing "where also our Lord was crucified." The final temple-scene will be exactly the same as when Christ was crucified, and around this sacrificial lamb the 144,000 are assembled on mount Zion — Christ is crucified anew in His witnesses.

"And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts (living ones - see diaglott), and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." (Rev. 14:3.) SEE BELOW ON MORE OF THE LIVING ONES

In comparing with this Is. 52:1-12, it will be seen in what manner they are redeemed from the earth. They are spoken to by the names Zion and Jerusalem, and they are exhorted to stand up and loosen themselves from their bands, and to clothe themselves with the promises that God has given con­cerning the ultimate redemption of these objects—Zion and Jerusalem. "Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money."

They were taken into captivity by the heathen, and there they have, generation after generation, served wood and stone. They are now to be redeemed from it, and that in a manner which, with respect to the movement, will answer to the manner in which they were carried away by the heathen. They return by the power of their own King, a movement of redemption through which Zion and Jerusalem, belonging to the new kingdom, appear.

"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." Rev 14:4

They are not defiled with women. Women in this relation represent the churches, which, through their denominational names and human ordinances, are wedded to the secular power, like a married woman is united with her husband. The 144,000 are entirely severed from all parties. And all church corporations then bound to the world power by means of their sectarian names, constitute the speaking image which works in order to effect the death of the saints. From this power of death they are redeemed as a firstfruits — the first garnering of the great harvest of resurrection — to God and to the Lamb.

As the firstfruits of God and the Lamb they are kept alive, and are finally transformed into incorruptible beings, or immortal souls, like those who are born from the dead through the first resurrection.

"They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4 The Lamb proceeds towards His appointed object, namely, death. It is the Son of man in and through His special witnesses who is the object of slaughter, and in faith the sealed follow on the same road. But due to the interference of God, they cross unscathed the border of death, as a sheaf of firstfruits to be waved before the Lord.

21 The three special messages

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting (orig., agelasting) gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." (Rev. 14: 6.)

The age lasting gospel of the kingdom of which Christ, speaking of the end of the age and His second coming, says:

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. 24: 14.)

But this gospel of the kingdom, namely, that the kingdom under the whole heaven shall come into the hands of the saints, is connected with the great consummation movement. Jehovah promised the fathers that their seed should be as numerous as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and that they should ultimately be gathered under the Messianic scepter and take possession of the gates of their enemies. It is the gospel of this kingdom that is to be preached as a testimony to all nations, and this very movement is symbolically presented in and through the message of the first angel and is further followed up by the two succeeding angels.

"Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Rev. 14: 7 & 9

It may be inferred from the import of this message that it is linked to the drought, mentioned in the 11th chapter. The sins of the great Babylon have filled their measure and the judgment of God begins to smite it. The prophet Jeremiah foretold this calamity thus:

"A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up. . . Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy (Zion's) cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry." (Jer. 50:38; 51:36. Comp. with this Joel 1:15-20 and other passages.)

The prefiguring Babylon and its fate show in what manner the christened Babylon is being prepared for the day of distress and vengeance, also how the judgments of God will be visited upon it, and the consequences thereof. Terrible will be its destiny! Emperor Constantine opened the way for heathenism to be christened, and ever since the clergy has continued to preach a gospel favoring the heathen institutions; and "the gospel of the kingdom" — that the kingdom under the whole heaven belongs to and shall eventually come in possession of God's people — has been suppressed by the preachers of decep­tion. Hence this gospel will be proclaimed in connection with the great drought and as a judgment over the christened Baby­lon.

"And there followed another (the second) angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

The second angel — signifying the continuation of the move­ment — describes the result of the drought, affecting everything. Babylon is fallen! Babylon, or, as it was originally called by the Chaldeans, Babilu — the gates of Bel; the entrance to the kingdom of Baal — is disintegrating as a result of the persistent drought. All industry and commerce cease. Work, whether in city or country, can no longer be carried on for lack of means. Bread, yea, even water is wanting. Rebellions and insurrections result everywhere. The second successive message proclaims this.

All nations are drunk with Babylon's "wine of wrath of fornication." The fornication is noticed among high and low, worldly and spiritual. Water, for instance, has at present no value as a beverage. Beer and intoxicating drinks are consumed and demanded in the hut as well as in the palace. Festivals with accompanying drinking bouts are carried on without cessation by the worldly inside the Babylonian walls, and still more so among the spiritual in their temples. The free religious, especially, have made their temples common banqueting places and dens of robbery, the same as Jesus said of Jerusalem's temple, then controlled by the buyers and sellers.

"The wine of wrath" Rev 14:10 will be poured out by Babylon when her day of misfortune comes. When forced to cease the forni­cation, the wrath is called forth. Her priests will then do like the priests of Baal did when the typical Babylon was visited, put the blame on the proclaimers of righteousness and their followers for the disaster and vengeance of God. This calls forth the third movement in this succession. The movements pro­duced by the messages follow on one another like the plagues of Egypt.

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation: and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." Rev 14:9

Force is here met by force. Up to this time the beastly power under the influence and guidance of the image has been permitted to rage against the people of God, but now the servants of God begin to get the upper hand. Under these circum­stances, all the righteous are taken out from the speaking image, for the deeds of it are so bloody that the least conscientious can see that it battles against the righteous God and that it incurs terrible punishments.

Through the ordinance, that the mark of the beast must either be carried on the forehead or in the hand, the image, in conjunction with the beastly power, is carrying on its machina­tions(evil plot), and succeeds in effecting a law that all who do not have the mark shall be killed as criminals — as anarchists and the like.

"The mark."(Rev 14:9&11) All who adhere to a church, which, by virtue of its assumed name, is united with the power of state, have the mark already in their foreheads. Methodist, Adventist, Congre­gationalist, Salvation Army and other names is a mark, separat­ing both the spiritual groups and individuals. They have this already in their forehead, or intellect. The time of trial has not yet arrived. Then it will be an actuality that those who are not members of a known and acknowledged church, shall be classed as rebels, therefore subject to death, and no one can then remain in a strange community without proving to the authori­ties what protection he is under. The mark is then taken in the hand. The name of the church or sect written on the passport will be honored by the authorities in the country. The church name will then be a veritable name of defense.

As to party names, they have already received such a high value within the ecclesiastical sphere, that they constitute the criterion of faith. All that is required of the individual is to be presented under a known church or party name, and he is immediately acknowledged of the sect or church answering to that name, should he even be an adulterer or something similar. But if, on the other hand, he does not belong to a known church, he is right away out of touch with the whole religious mass. You are neither acknowledged nor honored as a Christian, no matter how honest and faithful towards Christ you may be. This surely proves that the church people already have the mark in their foreheads. And when the second advent movement of Christ affects Christendom, like it did the Jews, the result of the mark in the forehead — in the conception, or intellect — will be seen. Where the person is totally unknown he carries with him a written permit from the ecclesiastical or civil power under whose protection he stands.

It is at this juncture those who refuse to take any church or sectarian name follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, and as a result they will get the name of the Lamb and of the Father impressed on their minds.

God's object is to cleanse His people from the power of idolatry and bring them back to the position held by the apostles and the apostolic church towards Christ and the name of the Father. All denominational names were to them an abomina­tion, because they infringed on the demands of God's name and drew the disciples of Christ under alien authorities. Paul, in his days, attacked the tendency in that direction which already then manifested itself. (See 1 Cor. 1: 12, 13; 3: 3 5.)

In the coming great consummation movement, "the priests of God and of Christ" will be made so perfect that at last they will stand without fault before the holy throne of God. Before heaven it shall be said of them: "And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." Rev 14:5

22 The great harvest work

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle." (Rev. 14: 14.)

This symbol embraces the work carried out by the three special messages, presenting it in the form of a harvest work at the time the harvest of the age is to be reaped from off the the face of the earth, similarly to the consummation-act of the Jewish age. In order to grasp correctly the suggestion of the symbol, it is necessary to connect with it related testimonies, for the symbols are given for the purpose of illustrating the prophetic testimonies.

The last time the disciples were assembled with the Lord, He stood on the mount of Olives and spoke to them concerning the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. They wanted to know if it was to be restored at that time. He left them uncertain with respect to the time, but indicated that they had a mission ahead of them that would extend to the end of the earth. Under this impression He was taken from them, a cloud carrying Him away. While following His departure with their eyes, two white-clothed men appeared among them who asked: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?" This question called the attention of the apostles to what actually concerned them, namely, the words spoken by the Lord; therefore the question aroused them out of their ecstasy. And after they had come to themselves again, the two white-clothed men explained to them that, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1: 11.)

The import of this is: A cloud took Him away from the disciples, a cloud will escort Him back here again to the group of disciples, then existing on the earth. And the same as the first disciples took part with Him in the harvest then gathered, so also now, when the cloud carries Him back, there will be a group of disciples ready to take part in the harvest to be gathered from the field of Christendom at the consummation of this age.

The cloud that carried Him away, consisted, undoubtedly, of angels, and to them belonged the two white-clothed men. This is confirmed by Christ's own testimony in

Mat. 13: 41, for there He says: "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity."

He comes with a cloud of angels, and in conjunction with them and the company of disciples awaiting His return and standing ready to assist in the harvest work He begins to thrust in His sharp sickle.

John saw Him sitting upon the cloud — He holds the seat of command, and under Him the great host of reapers, visible and invisible, are working. That He has a golden crown upon His head, signifies that the movement proceeds from a king, is therefore also political in its action, preparing the way for a new governing throne to be erected on the earth.

He has in His hand a sharp sickle. A messenger connected with the temple cries with a loud voice: "Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe." The fact that this voice comes from the the temple, proves that the living temple at this time has begun to release itself from the Babylonian power as far as it has been able, but because of the ties still binding it to the works of men, it is unable to reach the exalted goal God has appointed for it until the sharp sickle is thrust into the ripe harvest field.

The voice from the temple is undoubtedly the voice of Elijah, at this time calling upon the Lord of heaven and earth that He withhold the rain during the time the harvest is gathered. The sharp sickle will have a tremendous power when it is thrust in. The grain reaped will constitute the temple and the worshippers therein.

Then, when the temple is loosened, so that it becomes a power on the earth, it, too, is connected with a sharp sickle. And a cry comes from the altar to this temple-representative, that he thrust in his sickle and gather the clusters of the vine.

Antichrist — the speaking image — rises up against the temple-movement, effecting the death of the temple-people. Due to this, the altar comes into existence—the innocent are murdered because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. This frightful act ripens the opponents of the work of Christ, so that, in their bitterness against God's people, they, like the grape, gradually ripen until their sins are blood red. Then their time to be harvested has arrived.

The drought, the sharp sickle of the Son of man, in connec­tion with the two witnesses of Jesus reap the grain — the Word of God in flesh. With their "power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will," Rev 11:6 the two witnesses gather the vine of the earth and "cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God." This gather­ing is carried out without the camp of the saints, symbolized by the city.

"And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." Rev 14:20

This will be the end of the antichristian mass, who, in their eagerness to defend their temples of stone and clay, oppose the living temple-movement of Christ and murder the representa­tives thereof.

6 The four living beings

"And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind."

(Rev. 4: 6.)

Symbolic language, such as the above, is very difficult to comprehend as long as one is unfamiliar with the whole connection of the prophecy. If controlled by the general concep­tion concerning a kingly throne, namely, such as the kings of the earth are connected with, one must imagine the four beasts to be nothing but ornaments, adorning the throne. This conception has caused the translators to render the Greek word "Soa," derived from "Soy" — life — beast, which is a very erroneous rendering. It should be living one, or living being, which latter we will use.

The heavenly throne consists of the Word of God in flesh, that is, Christ in the unfoldment of His kingly, or Messianic power. The prophetic word and movement form an animating center on the earth, to which the heavenly forces are linked. From this center emanates an influence, affecting all classes of society within Christendom. Due to religious influences, these classes of society have developed into four distinct groupings, namely, Catholics, Protestants, Reformed Protestants, or Separa­tists, and Adventists, or Apocalypts.

As to their religious schooling, they are in their respective moulds separated from one another. Within each of these moulds there is a living being — men, women and children who will be affected by the prophetic movement, and, as a result, drawn to its center — the heavenly throne. They are therefore signified as standing "in the midst, and round about the throne."

The fact that they have eyes before and behind signifies that they are actuated by the light proceeding from the throne, namely by the seven Spirits of God. While the prophetic movement proceeds and the throne is exposed to the martial fire of the nations, the power of God's Spirit, according to the opposition, increases. And while the four living beings — all who are inter­estedly connected with the prophetic movement — are pulled back and forth between the throne of God and the thrones of the world, they will, in these activities, be more and more fully controlled by the increasing power of the Spirit of God.

The contest between these thrones will last seven years, and during all of this time the great mass of people is subject to its advancing power, the object of which is to gather out as many as possibly can be united with the heavenly throne. The whole is like the sifting of wheat where the sieve is continuously shaken until all the kernels have been separated from chaff and straw.

The prophet Ezekiel saw the same living being as an object of such a sifting, and he describes his vision thus: "And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures," etc. (Ez. 1:4-5.)

The "whirlwind" has reference to the war between the power of the people and that of the world, which undoubtedly will have its beginning when the mighty nations declare war on one another and make part of the northern countries the field of battle. When the cannon fires from each side cross one another, this when there is a general famine on the earth, the common people will be forced into the midst of the fire, like the ore in the furnace. Out of this ore the four living beings develop.

Then the prophet describes the four living beings, such as he saw them separated from one another, which, of course, signi­fies their movements during the process of development. They had the appearance of the most conspicuous of nature's animal types, as the lion, the ox and the eagle. It is an undeniable fact that in man's nature enters a mixture of the respective attributes of these animals, and that one person has more similarity to this animal, another to that. Then, when the people are placed in such a position that the natural disposition in each individual is compelled to mould a complete impression, those who have received, for instance, the courageous nature of the lion within their organisms, will be attracted to one another. The others in a similar manner.

We understand the comparison of "man" with the natures of animals in this fiery trial, has reference to the object of his development. The attributes of man, when holding the right position to God and His Word, are controlled by his moral and enlightened mind. Therefore, whatever relationship there may be between man and the attributes of animals, it must, in this process of development, be subordinated to the nature of God, developed through the Word and the Spirit. For the fiery trial has for its object that man may become partaker of God's nature, so that he with God, or under His influence, will be able to rule over the world of nature forever.

The prophet describes this wonderful movement further, and says that, in connection with the four living creatures, he saw four wheels, and that these wheels appeared to enter into one another and within themselves to enclose the four living creatures. This shows that the spiritual motive power joins the whole into one movement, and develops the different natures for one and the same exalted goal, namely to be linked as kings and priests to the heavenly throne forever. The prophet Ezekiel had the vision while a captive in Babylon. To him was shown in details the great movement, when the dispersed Israel will be reunited with the God of their fathers and linked to the throne of David, upon which the Son of David, Christ, shall sit and rule over the house of Jacob forever.

The vision he has thus described in the first chapter, he continues in the tenth. There he describes the majestic throne and the cherubims connected with it. This proves that he saw the sanctuary movement, namely the bringing of Christ's temple out of Babylon and the great struggle between Christ and Anti­christ. This very scene appeared to John also, when, on the morn­ing of the great day, he beheld the wonderful fulfillment of the prophecy. While he saw the heavenly throne gain the victory, he heard the elders — the leaders on the side of heaven in the great movement—say: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. 4:11.)

The import is: Men have forsaken You, O God, and have gone their own way, but now You have commenced a work upon the earth, whereby You show, that You, as the Creator of all, are entitled to praise, honor and dominion, and that those who will not acknowledge You as Creator will come under Your right­eous judgment.