FOURTEENTH CHAPTER OF REV., FIRST TO FOURTEENTH VERSE

“And I looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand; having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. - And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters.” Please turn back now to the beginning of the subject 19th page, you will see it is the Father’s name written in their foreheads - i.e., they are now sealed - got through with their patient waiting time, and are marked with the name of God; see 3:10-12 In the 2nd verse is the voice; this I understand is God speaking after the saints are sealed, or Christ and the saints; see 1:15, and 19:6, as presented on the 96th page.SC3 217.1

“And they sung as it were a new song before the throne - no man could sing that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.” [Margin says, bought.] Now mark! these were bought from the earth, and they sung a song that no man could learn. This must have been one which they had learned in their united experience, something like the song of Moses on the banks of deliverance from the Egyptians. No other people could have sung the song because it was the song of their deliverance, for as I have stated these first five verses show this 144,000 in their immortal state, “redeemed from the earth,” (not out of it.) “These are they which were not defiled with women.” “The woman which thou sawest is the great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” - 17:18, called Babylon, (the nominal churches). These, then, were the same ones that had come out of the churches; see 8-11 verses, and 15:2 verse. If the other view is insisted upon, then all of this 144,000 must be men and the women would have no part in that number - no matter where they are said to come from - “for they are virgins.” Being clear of the harlot mother and her children; and of those in the parable of the ten virgins that went into the marriage of the Bridegroom makes them emphatically so. “These are they which follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth.” The above shows that they did follow him, and John shows that they do now in their glorified state; see 19 chapter, 14th verse “These WERE redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the lamb.” - 4th verse. Redeemed or bought from among men (not from among the dead) nor from out of the earth, but from “among men and from the earth.” The first fruits cannot be until the harvest, and that cannot be until Jesus comes to reap it with his sharp sickle, see 14th and 15th verses; remember too, that the description John is here giving, is the 144,000 with Jesus, after he has reaped the harvest of the earth.SC3 217.2

See how perfectly it harmonizes with the type of Jesus being the first fruits, to God, or handful of the first harvest of barley to represent his resurrection; since which time he has been laboring with his Father for this very harvest. To have the figure harmonize the fruit must come at the harvest time, not the seed time. This is the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb conjointly. The dead saints are no where that I know of represented as fruits, before the resurrection. This then is the harmonious view; but we will look at the view which the Bible Advocate and others, have shown, that the 144,000 shown here, were the saints that came out of their graves after the resurrection. - Matthew 27:52, 53; and we are told that “Ephesians 4:8, is to the point.” “When he ascended upon high he led captivity captive” - [Margin says, a multitude of captives,] but this marginal reading so much relied on for their proof by the mark thus (ll,) (two vertical lines) shows it to be the view of the bible translators. Now to get the clear view, turn to the 68th Psalm 18th verse, from where Paul quoted. Here the marginal reading marked thus [+ Heb.] shows it to be the original, the inspired word. Now let us read - “Thou hast led captivity captive - thou hast received gifts in the man, (in Jesus) yea, for the rebellious also.” This changes the meaning, and would make this multitude of captives rebellious saints. Surely Jesus took no such present as this to his Father; therefore there will be no more necessity for straining the plain text in 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23SC3 218.1

This text is clear, emphatic, and repeated; which distinctly teaches Christ the first fruits of them that slept; afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming, when both the dead and living will be the first fruits to God and the lamb conjointly. To harmonize the type, the saints at Christ’s second coming are the next or second fruits to God at the second or last harvest in the 7th month, the revolution, or ingathering of the year, the feast of Tabernacles. Another writer J.Porter, states, that Jesus took these saints that arose at Jerusalem right up to his Father, and then received his power, and returned the same day; and he might also have added, travelled with the two to Emmaus, seven and a half miles; and as others will have it, was back time enough to keep the whole day with his disciples, for the first Sabbath after his resurrection. If we really want the truth, God will give it to us, but not by rejecting other truths.SC3 219.1

Now let us see whether the description of character given in these five verses of the 144,000, will apply to the saints that arose in Jerusalem at the resurrection. In the first place, these were never numbered. Second - The record is entirely silent about their being united in their trials and experience, so sing a peculiar song of their own. Third - These were not redeemed form among men, on the earth, but out from among the dead. Fourth - They could not be the first fruit before the harvest, for Paul says, “Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ’s at his coming,” (second coming,) not them that were his at his going away at his first advent, - first harvest. That would be a clear perversion of the text; we must wait for the second harvest for the next fruit, 7th month. Fifth - To say that they were virgins, and not defiled with women, is only admitting what we know nothing about. Sixth - John saw the messenger that sealed, and says the number was 144,000; all this, was sixty years what transpired at Jerusalem. This is out of the limits of his vision; and what will, and does forever, destroy this erroneous view is, that the four winds are to be holden by the four Angel nations, until the whole number were sealed, and they have not let go yet; unless it can be proved that it was done 1800 years ago. That old Jerusalem was called a holy place; see Exodus 9:8; Acts 6:13; also the testimony of Jesus, Matthew 24:15SC3 219.2

Lastly - If it is objected that these are the living saints to be redeemed at the second advent, then we fail to find them described in this vision, which would destroy the chain of wonders which he saw respecting the living and the dead, with the varied and changing scenes through which they were continually passing. Now, how simple, plain, and harmonious these verses appear when we apply them down at the end of all things, where they were seen in this vision, and where they most certainly belong. The 5th verse shows them without fault before the throne, clearly in their redeemed and immortal state. Here then is the true description of their characters. In the next seven verses from 6 to 13, John describesSC3 220.1