October 8: WRITTEN BY THE FINGER OF GOD!
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. Revelation 14:1
In the Old Testament, Mount Zion is the location of God’s rule in the Messianic Kingdom (Psalm 2:6; 48:1-2; Isaiah 24:23b; Micah 4:7). It is also referred to as the place of deliverance and final victory for God’s people (Isaiah 59:20; Joel 2:32; Obadiah 17). In the New Testament, it is called the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, with an innumerable company of angels (Hebrews 12:22). The context is very important here, as God’s people are already recognized as heavenly citizens, for they have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13), the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Chapter 13 provided a view of Satan’s allies in the last days. All of us—without exception—have grown up among one or both of these allies. As we race toward the end of earth’s history, chapter 14:1-5 provides an encouraging glimpse into the near future—beyond earth’s end—with an insightful description of the saved. Our loving Savior is all about keeping the vision of an endless future with Him alive, for without it, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18, KJV)!
These one hundred and forty-four thousand, symbolizing spiritual Jews (see Romans 2:29 & Galatians 3:29) in the context of Jesus’s return, have not received the mark (13:16) so widely accepted in the world. But how did they manage to avoid the mark? Only by receiving the seal of God on their foreheads (7:3), a reference to the mindset given by God. It is a gift! This seal is directly linked to the Holy Spirit who never misleads or contradicts the written word (John 16:13). In today’s verse, we see the 144,000 with the Father’s name written on their foreheads. According to this verse, the seal of God is His name (meaning His character), which is the very goal of salvation: taking away the sinful nature (justification) and replacing it with His own character (sanctification), leading to glorification, which is yet future. Today’s verse is a glimpse of that glorified state. Wow! What an upward boost for our morale, especially now—in the face of this “downer” of the end times. And it’s only getting worse! But even this is a blessing in disguise: an opportunity to compare a world overrun by lawlessness (Satan’s governing) with God’s beautiful law, which He empowers those who love Him to keep. Imagine a world where everyone voluntarily honors the perfect law of God. That will be heaven! We are taught to actively press onward (Philippians 3:12,14), beyond the point of justification, lest our latter state be rendered worse than the former (see Matthew 12:43-45). Jesus is the Creator and Redeemer with the power to write upon our hearts – if we will allow it.
[Jesus] … took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:20
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Hebrews 8:10 (see also Jeremiah 31:31-33; Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10; Luke 11:20)