In Revelation 14 John sees the whole company of God’s elect multitude, 144,000, gathered around the throne of God in glory. He describes them for us in verses 4 and 5. These are the characteristics of those men and women John saw around the throne of God. They describe all who are, or shall be, the heirs of eternal life. It is as though the apostle John, by inspiration, anticipates that glorious day when God will show to wondering worlds the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Here the Holy Spirit, by John’s pen, holds up all the hosts of God’s elect as they shall be in glory, and says, "Look what Christ has done!" In Heaven everybody ascribes the whole work of salvation to the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ. Nothing is said to the praise and honor of man, because no praise or honor is due to man. In these two verses, the apostle John describes five distinct works of grace experienced and enjoyed by all who are found in heaven’s glory and bliss around the throne.
THE ELECT MULTITUDE, STANDING BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD, STAND IN HIS PRESENCE AS CHASTE VIRGINS - "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins." This description of the Lord’s people reveals two things about the character of God’s saints in heaven. First, "they were not defiled with women." These words do not speak of sexual purity or celibacy, as opposed to impurity and marriage. John is describing the spiritual purity and chastity of God’s elect. Actually, he is telling us that all who enter heaven have been preserved by the grace of God from the damning corruptions of false religion. They have been preserved from defilement by the great whore and her daughters (Rev. 17:1). While the people of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of Babylon’s fornications, committing gross acts of idolatry, superstition, and will worship, God’s elect are not. Idolatry is spiritual fornication. But God’s elect are preserved from it by his grace (II Thess. 2:10-14; I John 2:19-20). Though persecuted by the beast and surrounded by the delusions of the false prophet, though all others embrace the religion of antichrist and persecute those who do not, these men and women remained faithful to Christ. They were not turned away from the simplicity that is in Christ (II Cor. 11:3). Being preserved by the grace of God, they would not drink of the wine of freewill, the liquor of works religion, or the champagne of ritualism. (Read Proverbs 7 and learn to avoid the strange woman.) God’s saints cannot and do not defile themselves with false religion (II Cor. 6:14-7:1; Rev. 18:4).
Second, "they are virgins." Grace has made them chaste, pure, and undefiled in the sight of God. They are naturally as vile and corrupt as any other children of Adam. But God has, by his free grace, through the sin-atoning blood of Christ, removed all their sins and all the consequences of sin from them, so that in Christ he looks upon them as chaste virgins (I Cor. 6:9-11; Hos. 2:18-20; Song of Sol. 2:10; 5:1-2; 6:4, 9; Ezek. 16:8-14). God’s church, all his saints, are compared to virgins (II Cor. 11:2) for many reasons. (1.) They are betrothed and espoused to Christ as their Husband by their own voluntary profession. (2.) Like chaste virgins, all believers love Christ and cleave only to him. (3.) Like virgins, adorned for their wedding, God’s saints are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. (4.) Like virgins, they are chaste and pure in character, in doctrine, and in worship. Grace has made them so.
ALL THOSE WHOM JOHN SAW IN HEAVEN ARE FOLLOWERS OF THE LAMB - "These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." It appears as if John saw in the glorified the character of God’s saints upon the earth. All Christ’s sheep "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth" (John 10:4, 5, 27). God’s elect are not followers of men, but followers of Christ. They do not follow their feelings, but follow Christ. Hearing his voice, they follow him. They follow the example of his life as the rule of their lives (John 13:15). They do not live under the yoke of Moses, which is hard and rigorous, but under the yoke of Christ, which is easy and light (Matt. 11:28-30; Eph. 4:32-5:1). They follow Christ in all the duties, privileges, and responsibilities of worship. With willing hearts and excited spirits, those who are born of God follow their Savior in the worship of God. We cannot follow him perfectly. But, with sincere hearts, we strive to worship God as he did while he lived on this earth as a man. Like their Redeemer, all God’s saints live by faith, call upon God in prayer, and find their place in the house of worship. Like Christ, they seek to glorify God in all things (Eph. 4:17-21). And like Christ, believers submit to the ordinances of God in public worship. In baptism, in the Supper, in songs of praise, in hearing the Word, in all matters of worship, those who know God, worship in the Spirit (John 4:24; Phil. 3:3). All who are born of God follow Christ, the Lamb of God, all the way to glory. Not one draws back to perdition. They all persevere to the end. Through water and through fire, through burning desert and freezing night, up the hill of difficulty and through the slough of despond, every believer follows Christ all the way home. We all went astray from the womb, speaking lies. All we, like sheep, wandered far, following our own wicked wills. But Christ bought us, Christ sought us, and caught us, and Christ will carry us home. Christ is the Way. Christ put us in the Way. And Christ will keep us in the Way (John 10:27-29; Phil. 3:13-14).
ALL WHO ARE IN HEAVEN ARE THERE BECAUSE THEY WERE REDEEM ED BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD - "These were redeemed (bought) from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." They were bought by an act of special, particular, effectual redemption. The text does not say, "These were redeemed along with those who are in hell. Of course not! That would be blasphemy! The text says, "These were redeemed (effectually bought) from among men." All who were redeemed are seen in heaven at last. None of those who are not with the Lamb in glory were bought by the blood of the Lamb at Calvary. Christ redeemed us by paying the price of our ransom from the hands of God’s offended justice. And that ransom price was his own precious blood (I Pet. 1:18-20; 3:18). His work of redemption effectually ransomed all for whom he died from the penalty of the law by the satisfaction of divine justice (Rom. 3:24-26; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12). And the ransom price was paid for a particular people (Rev: 5:9; Isa. 53:8). The matter of particular, effectual redemption is not a minor point of strict doctrine. It is a major issue, vital to the faith of the gospel. Universal redemption denies the power and efficacy of Christ’s blood. It is a doctrine that teaches that the Lord Jesus did not really accomplish anything by his death on the cross, but only made it possible for sinners to be redeemed, justified, and saved. Universal redemption makes the Son of God a failure, declaring that he tries to save all men, but in most cases fails (Isa. 42:4; Matt. 1:21). And it makes man his own savior, declaring that it is each man’s faith that makes the blood of Christ effectual for his own salvation. Blasphemy! John specifically tells us that this redeemed multitude in heaven was bought from among men because they are God’s elect - "Those were redeemed from among men, being (or because they were) the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." There was a separation made. The firstfruits were for the Lord. They were set apart from the rest. God chose the firstfruits for himself. These 144,000 are not the firstfruits as opposed to other believers, a group of special, supersaints. They are the firstfruits "redeemed from among men." In the Old Testament, Israel brought the firstfruits to the Lord. That belonged to him. He had no interest in the rest. The Jews could do what they pleased with that (Ex. 23:19; Num. 15:20; 18:12; Deut. 26:2; Neh. 10:35, 37). In this chapter God’s elect are the firstfruits. They are redeemed. They are called. They are gathered around the throne. The rest are cast into the winepress of the wrath of God as useless things (vv. 14-20) That which is not redeemed must be destroyed (Ex. 13:13).
NEXT, WE READ THAT ALL WHO ARE FOUND IN HEAVEN ARE WITHOUT GUILE - "And in their mouth was found no guile." God’s rich grace, freely bestowed upon them in Christ, has made them honest, sincere worshippers of God. They are not liars, deceivers, pretenders, hypocrites (Phil. 3:3). Among these saints was found no idolatry, superstition, false doctrine, or will worship (Jer. 16:19; Amos 2:4; Jonah 2:8; Rom. 1:25). They did not speak lies in hypocrisy, following antichrist, pretending to be what they were not. They were not given up with the reprobate to believe a lie (II Thess. 2:11). These words, "no guile," declare the openness, sincerity, and truthfulness of God’s saints. They are not pretentious deceivers. Like Nathaniel, they are Israelites indeed (John 1:47). Christ has made them so. They draw near to God, not in word only, but in sincerity and truth, with believing hearts.
ALL THE SAINTS OF GOD IN HEAVEN ARE WITHOUT FAULT BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD. In themselves by nature, God’s saints have many faults. They have nothing but faults, wrinkles, and blemishes! But "they are without fault before the throne of God." Not so much as one fault or blemish is found upon even one of God’s saints, not even by God! (Read Jeremiah 50:20.) We were chosen in eternal election that we might be holy and without blame before him (Eph. 1:3-4). We were redeemed by the blood of Christ so that all our guilt, sin, fault, and blame might be forever removed from us (Eph. 5:25-27). And we shall be presented at last by the Lord Jesus Christ as trophies of God’s almighty, saving grace, holy, unblamable, unreprovable, and without fault before the presence of God’s glory (Col. 1:22; Jude 24-25). If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are among these "firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb." What Christ has done for them he has done and shall do for you. Be sure you give him the glory for the great things he has done (I Cor. 1:26-31).