144,000 First Fruits ...

 

John has described many visions thus far that contain a sequence of seven things, or events.  All of them are relevant in a particular time span, and what follows seems to again continue that pattern.  The preceding vision of the three beasts and battle plan of the enemy of souls revealed a three pronged attack upon God and men.  The final assault would be waged using finances to control the hearts and minds of men.  Those who would not submit to the Beast and receive his mark through a simple acknowledgement of his power, were to be forbidden to buy or sell.  Without the ability to conduct commerce in our modern world, starvation and death are soon to follow.  The final assault on our conscience was to challenge our identity as followers of Christ.  If our words were not to be consistent with our hearts, we might find ourselves bearing the mark of the last beast, and otherwise counted in his kingdom.  To avoid this fate, we must remain steadfast in our submission to Jesus Christ, following only His leadership; not the dictates of men in power, or in the church, or in the mirror.  Jesus Christ alone is to be our savior.  It is He alone who will save us from ourselves and the evil within us.  It is this gift He brings, as we allow Him to place our names in His book of life.

As John begins this next vision of seven angels who play a key role in the unfolding of events, and messages to our world, it is with the knowledge of what it means to have been marked by the third and final beast.  This indicator places the timeframe of relevance in our day, in the last days, when the United States is reaching its pinnacle of power, its ability to exert control over the finances around the world.  In short, as we look around us, we find ourselves in the very midst of the prophecy John is about to reveal.  He begins in verse one of chapter 14 of his book of Revelations of Jesus Christ saying … “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 passage could be interpreted in 2 ways with respect to the location of this event.  First, it could be concluded that the Lamb (Jesus Christ) is standing with the 144,000 especially redeemed first fruits on “the mount Sion” meaning in heaven.  If heaven is the location of this revelation then it stands to reason that the 144,000 were a selection of those who had died in the hope of the Messiah, and were raised at his first coming, ascending with Him to heaven as the first fruits of the mission of our redemption.  However if this location is the correct interpretation it tends to negate the special mission in the last days of this number of saints that appeared to be indicated earlier in his book.

The second interpretation for the location associated with “the mount Sion” is the symbolic center of the church, where the true followers of Christ assemble.  In this context, and you will note, there are no other indicators in the texts that follow of scenes with “heavenly” characteristics regarding location, Christ is seen “standing” with His people.  The followers of Christ have never been deserted through all of time and history in this world.  No matter what the severity of the attacks of His enemy, Jesus remains standing with those who seek Him out.  It is His divine power that thwarts the plans of the enemy and sees good come from all things.  It is no different in our day, than it has been when those who followed Christ faced danger in any age.  From Adam, to Noah. to Jacob, to Moses, to David, to Daniel, to the Disciples, to the Church fleeing in the wilderness, to us in our modern age; Jesus Christ has always stood with His followers, and His church.  As we enter these final days John sees Him yet again affirm His closeness to those who seek to follow Him alone.

Then John contrasts those in the previous chapter who had received the mark of the final beast, with these who Jesus is standing with.  As opposed to those who have received the mark of the beast in their hands or foreheads, these group of followers have … “his Father's name written in their foreheads”.  It is the very name of God the Father whose mark we bear.  Instead of the “666” numerical symbolism of those who would compel the conscience of men to forever be slaves; we have chosen to receive the Name of His Father God into our minds and hearts freely, to forever be made free from the slavery of self-service.  This is about as stark a contrast as is possible to make.  It compares those who are truly free in Jesus Christ (free from the evil within themselves), with those who are forever marked with the chains of slavery (powerless to follow any course but that of pure self-service).  This contrast also supports the time element of this vision.  The relevance of the third beast and his forced mark are more aligned with events that occur in the last days.  While this could have been a symbolic battle between good and evil in any age, it has more relevance in the days of the third beast, when his power and the conflict he presents to the world are at their highest.

John continues in verse 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: [verse 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.”  John’s attention is now drawn from mount Sion, to heaven where he hears a voice that carries the sound of many waters.  The heavenly courts begin playing their harps as the 144,000 begin to sing a new song of praise.  This song is unique.  This song is singular in nature.  It is not impossible to learn, or so musically complex that only Andrea Bocelli could pull it off.  However the words of this song have a meaning only the 144,000 can truly identify with.  The connection between singer and lyric can only be fully appreciated by those who have had this experience.  Those who have been “redeemed from the earth” are the only ones who “get it”.  During the time of greatest conflict, when man is forced to choose between the bonds of slavery to self, under the pressure of the edicts of men, or the freedom that comes from choosing to follow Christ alone – it is only then when this level of redemption is fully understood.  To be made free from the evil within us, by the power and love of the Lamb, is something only few have had happen while still living in this world of sin.  Enoch discovered it.  And now the 144,000 know what this freedom is like.  The redemption they have experienced is so full and so unique, only they can sing about it.

Notice the 4 beasts in front of the throne of God are named specifically, the 24 elders are again named specifically.  While other sentient life forms and representatives of our own species have a special place and mission in our redemption, while they serve God in places of honor, and are before Him day and night – they remain unable to make the special connection with this particular song of redemption the 144,000 are able to sing.  No one, no man or woman, who has not personally experienced the freedom from evil that Jesus Christ alone can offer will ever be able to sing this song.  It has a special poignancy in the age in which it appears.  Our worship and gratitude for the gift of freedom from self, begins immediately upon experiencing it.  We cannot remain silent when this transformation occurs because it is so life altering.  The special experience of being made free from self is unique.  It is what drives the meaning of this song, and what makes it so special even when the courts of heaven can only accompany its melody.

John continues in verse 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. [verse 5] And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”  The characteristics of the 144,000 continue to be revealed.  John describes them as those who were not defiled with women, or as being virgins.  These people did not attempt to find God by pursuing alternate ideas, or paths to God, but instead through Jesus Christ alone.  They did not rely upon themselves for salvation.  They did not look to eastern philosophies, or new age mantras, cult leaders, or even the head of their local churches.  Instead they looked only to Jesus Christ for their redemption and salvation.  The followers of Christ were once symbolically represented as a woman in vision, so too, the followers of the dragon are represented by an evil woman akin to Jezebel the mother of harlots.  As opposed to Jezebel’s pursuit of any ideas of God mixed with self-service, the virgin church follows only one leader, and one idea.  Jesus Christ is at its head, and love for others is its guiding principle. 

The 144,000 have experienced redemption from sin and self as first fruits, or ahead of the remainder of humanity.  Many fall asleep in Christ having not quite reached the fruition of the freedom from self He began in them.  When they awake in the resurrection of the righteous they will be instantly fully transformed from who they were, not just physically, but spiritually, and emotionally as well.  As those who slept in Christ arise, they arise as new creatures, or new creations.  It is then when their minds finally experience the freedom from sin, the destination their journey was headed towards while they yet walked this earth.  Only then do they know what it is like to be completely free from self. 

The 144,000 however are the first fruits.  They experience this phenomenon prior to death, and if this timeframe holds true, they experience it prior to His second coming.  They stand as those proclaimed to be “Holy still”.  They do not lie, and are without fault, before the throne of God.  It is not a false proclamation they make of serving Christ, but a genuine transformation they have experienced through Him.  To be without fault before God, after having been translated to heaven seems like a more “normal” condition.  After all, no one with sin, could stand in His presence to begin with.  The whole point of our redemption is to rid us of sin, so that we can stand before Him without fault or guile.  But to stand before Him ahead of time, while still located in a world of sin, but without participation in that sin, is truly an accomplishment.  It can only be conceived of through the transforming power and love of Jesus Christ alone.  These first fruits are able to stand before God, not just forgiven, but reformed.  They are able to stand in His presence because they have been transformed by the power of His Son.  They represent the countless millions who will soon join them in this place and in this condition of freedom from self.

The beauty of the message of this revelation of Jesus Christ, is that we, you and I, can be a part of this number.  You and I can find ourselves fully transformed by the love and power of Jesus Christ.  We can submit the whole of who we are to Him, and find ourselves part of the perfection of the 144,000 first fruits before God.  We need NOT wait until after the grave.  We need NOT wait until some magical time in the future.  We already live in the last days.  We already live under the threat of the third and final beast, and the forced mark he is soon to put upon the world.  We have a unique opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit ahead of that day, and find ourselves fully transformed to stand before God and His throne without fault.  More than just forgiveness.  More than just a desire to be like Christ.  Instead the full on transformation of every thought, motive, and action to be in harmony with His will and His law.  This is the promise He offers.  This is the revelation John was revealing, the offering of perfection wrought by Christ within us and to the entire world.  How sad only 144,000 were willing to be fully set free.  Will you be one of them? Will I?

And more revelations were quick to follow …

 

Revelations: The Nature of God Revealed ...

Jesus was known of His disciples as the man they had spent three and a half years with while He ministered here on earth.  This was the only context they had known Him in.  They saw glimpses of His divinity, but never the full picture of it.  John was now to reveal Jesus Christ to the masses, out of the context of the friend he knew, and in the role of the God we worship.  John begins with his introduction in verse 9 of his book Revelations in chapter one saying … “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. [verse 10] I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,”  John begins by identifying himself as our brother, not as our leader, or our prophet, or as the bishop of the church, or as any other hierarchical figure in Christianity, but merely as our brother.  He further states that he too suffers in tribulation (both physical and spiritual) in the waiting for Jesus Christ.  He was in the Roman prison colony of Patmos because of his preaching of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ.  John witnessed to what he saw of the life of Jesus, but he also used scripture to illuminate the truth of Jesus Christ.

John then goes on, and says that he was “in the Spirit”; given the prophecy that follows, this is likely to be interpreted as being touched by the Holy Spirit, or filled with the Holy Spirit.  It happened on “the Lord’s Day”.  The only day throughout all of scripture to be directly associated with God was the Sabbath set at creation, verified in the law, and rested upon by Christ even during His sleep of death while in His work to redeem us.  Nowhere in scripture is found any directives to change this day, or discontinue its observance.  And so, both the early Christian church, as well as the traditional Jewish faith continued to observe the Sabbath to try to keep it Holy.  Though the Christian church had a bit different perspective on what that meant in terms of service to others.  John continues that behind him he hears a great voice, as of a trumpet.  Trumpets are loud.  They are clear.  They are musical.  It is not just a large crash, or big bang of something falling that grabs John’s attention – instead he refers to it as a voice.  A voice has purpose, and clarity.  But in this instance, the voice is loud, and requires attention.  The voice has structure and meaning and will continue to reveal to John a deeper of picture of Jesus Christ.

John repeats what the voice states in verse 11 … “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”  The voice is that of Jesus Christ already identified as the Alpha and Omega, the first and last of our salvation, and of existence.  John is directed to write what is revealed in a book.  A book implies that this will not fit in a traditional letter, it is going to be more content that a letter would usually contain.  And it’s audience would be the seven churches, or the Christian church of his time.  Now the key centers of Christianity in that day that comprise the church of Christ are revealed by name.  All seven were in reasonably close proximity in the Roman province referred to as Asia, sometimes called Asia minor.  On a recent map all of them would be located within the country of Turkey.  What is most interesting personally about the designation of these seven churches to me, is that none of them were tied to any political centers of power, either historical, current or emerging.  Jerusalem was once the capital of Israel and housed the Ark of the Covenant within the temple Solomon built.  The actual Mercy Seat where the physical presence of God dwelt with His people was there for years.  But no more.  Regardless of where God had been, or who comprised His church before, His current church was now only to be made up of those who follow Christ.

Rome was the current political power of the day, Athens and Babylon preceded it.  No churches of Christ were identified in any of these political capitals as being part of the seven.  Instead, seven cities, of no special significance, located in a province of no special significance, but each containing followers of Jesus Christ made up the representation of His church.  The marriage modern Christianity would appear to love to nourish between the power of the state and the morality and values of Christianity does not reflect what the leader Christ revealed about Himself or His church.  Christ was never interested in politics, or the power of the state.  He was however always interested in people and whether they would allow Him to give them the gifts of perfection through the submission of their will to Him.  Following Christ, not leading Him, or attempting to compel others to join with Him, or attempting to mandate the morality of others in His name – no, Following Him implies submission.  It is in our submission we find salvation, not in our vain attempts at control or power.  Christ built His church under the pagan power of the Roman empire.  Politics were not in support of His church, and rather were determined to see it ended.  Yet Christ did nothing to overturn Roman rule while here on earth or after His ascension.  Instead He did what really matters, He focused on turning only the hearts of His followers.  This would one day change the entire world.

John now knows who will be the immediate audience for book he is to write.  But as this voice was coming from behind him, he wishes to see who is speaking and turns around.  He continues to pen what he sees in verse 12 … “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;”  There is often a distinction made between the Old and New Testaments regarding the covenant between God and His people.  But it is interesting that the symbolism used in the Old Testament sanctuary finds new purpose in the New Testament revelation of Christ.  John sees seven golden candlesticks, it is easy to picture a Menorah in this instance in some variation.  For one just like it is described in the original sanctuary worship service of the Old Testament days of Moses and what would follow. 

Having seen the candlesticks, John turns his attention to Christ in verse 13 he continues … “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.”  John identifies the person in the midst or middle of the candlestick as “like” the Son of Man.  He resembles Jesus that John knows, and uses language that was used by the King of Babylon in the days of Daniel’s three friends who were cast into the fiery furnace; one who is like unto the Son of Man.  Nebuchadnezzar recognized Christ, even without ever having met Him that we know of, and John recognizes Him as well.  Next John sets about describing the attire he sees, eerily similar to that of a traditional temple priest.   Clothed with garment down to the foot, and wearing about the waist and thighs a “golden girdle”.  It was not long ago that Christ had girded himself with a simple towel to wash the feet of his disciples, now that same implement seems to show He is still working in service to His church, and for their salvation.

John then sets about to describe Jesus the Man he knows as God continuing in verse 14 … “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; [verse 15] And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.”  The purity of God is reflected in his head and hair as they are white as snow.  This is not to designate Christ as being of Arian decent, nor to decry his Palestinian heritage or perhaps previously olive complexion.  It is instead to remind us, that our God is not bound by our divisions or national ideas, or heritage of ethnicity.  Instead He bears characteristics that we do not find in ourselves.  He has a head and hair, though white as snow.  But his eyes are neither brown, green, nor blue; they are instead as a flame of fire.  John cannot see much of His skin due to the full length garment, but His feet are as fine brass, still burning in a furnace.  In our day the CGI effects in movies like the Terminator where seemingly liquid metal gels into the appearance of a man might be a good allegory.  And again John reminds us that His voice, is not merely the voice of a man, but as the sound of many waters.

John then describes items Jesus is carrying in verse 16 … “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”  In the right hand of Christ are seven stars, John does not know what this means at first, nor does he fully understand the imagery of the candlesticks as yet.  But out of His mouth went a two-edged sword.  Coming from the mouth of Christ are the words and teachings of Christ.  I AM that I AM had given His laws once to His people.  But in the life of Christ, was revealed the motives behind the laws, and the lesson of what it means to love and serve others, even to the point of offering His life for them and us.  Those words of Christ and teachings of Christ were a TWO edged sword.  Or in other words, they CUT both ways.  They both liberate and condemn.  They both save and judge.  Those who will hear the word of Christ, will be saved by His power to cut the evil out of the minds and hearts.  Those who will refuse to hear the words of Christ, are cutting themselves off from the only source of their salvation and are dooming themselves to be cut off from His presence forever.  The teaching of Christ, the fulfillment of the mission of Messiah, is that we ALL need a savior.  We are NOT to save ourselves.  This is a lesson even modern Christianity could stand to re-learn.  Those who put self at the center of their religion find no room for Christ there, and thus find only the doom of isolation from Christ.

The sun is difficult to stare at when it shines without clouds at noon day.  If you attempt it, you will likely lose your sight altogether.  The countenance of Christ is so bright, John can only describe it in that way.  His purity, His love is so intense, that as you gaze upon it, it is too bright for the selfishness still within us to stand.  Our evil compels us to recoil or withdraw from the presence of such purity.  As such John falls prostrate as he describes in verse 17 … “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:”  John sees in himself the unworthiness of standing in the presence of perfect love and purity, and falls before God expecting to be dead.  Instead, the familiar hand of the one he loves placed upon him, perhaps helping him up, and the familiar greeting … “Fear not”.  How often John has heard those words from the voice of God, and how often they were needed.  Even before the message is delivered to John, Christ pays attention to the needs of John, and FIRST assuages his fears.  Then He continues saying again He is the first and the last, the beginning and ending of our salvation, of our transformation, of our perfection, and of our existence.

Christ continues in verse 18 … “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”  Christ identifies himself as the man they knew and the life he spent with them.  He reminds them that He died for us, and is now risen for us.  He also states that He will be alive forevermore, there will be no future death for Him again.  And in addition He holds the keys of “hell” and of “death”.  “Keys” are needed to open prison doors.  They are needed for our freedom.  Hell is the condition of life while separated from God.  Any existence cut off from the presence and author of love, is ALREADY hell.  You do not need fire and flames to torture the flesh, if you are unable to love and be loved, and know only the pain of self-love and the slavery it causes.  You are already alive in hell.  You are already the prisoner of hell.  And no prisoner ever frees himself from this condition or state of existence.  However, Christ holds the keys to freedom from it.  Death, or the sleep of non-existence, is also something that Christ can free us from.  He can raise us from the dead, both our minds and bodies, but also from the death of our spiritual condition of self-focus.  He can raise us from the death we have embraced of our spiritual nature, and put life in its place, life that is found, rooted, and grounded in Christ alone.

Notice Christ does not hand John the keys.  No angel holds the keys.  We are not to be partners with Christ in freeing ourselves from our conditions of hell or of death.  We are to be freed BY Christ from these conditions and from Him alone.  Buddha, and Mohammed, and Moses, do not carry these keys.  There is no path to self-enlightenment.  There is no level of self-denial that will result in freedom from hell or death.  There is only Christ.  The two-edged sword has the power to cure us, or if we reject it, the inevitable result of seeing us trapped where we are, cut off from His presence.  The whole goal of our salvation was to bring us home to Him, to restore us into the presence of that kind of purity, without the stain of self to cause us to wither away and recoil. 

Christ then gives John his mission in verse 19 … “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;”  John is to record everything that has just transpired.  The timeframe for relevance will be … “things which are” … or messages that are needed today in the present timeframe of the audience of John.  But also they are “things which shall be hereafter”, or messages that are intended for those who will live beyond the immediacy of the audience of John’s readers.  Again the messages of these revelations have meaning in more than one timeframe, but key to any interpretation is the central premise of revealing Jesus Christ.  Outside of Jesus Christ, there can be no proper interpretation of scripture, the law, or the prophecies contained here. 

Christ then reveals the meaning of the symbolism John has just witnessed to him as He continues in verse 20 … “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”  The seven stars represent seven angels that work and minister to each of the seven churches, one a piece.  The seven candlesticks that Christ was walking amidst are His churches that he has just listed before.  Christ is establishing that these churches belong to Him.  He has assigned angels to minister to those churches.  He does not designate that each church belongs to its current pastor, or evangelist, or its founder, or committee of church board members, or elders, or deacons, or even its members.  Each church belongs to Christ.  Each member, or leader, all belong equally to Christ, to be led by Christ, and taught by Christ, and saved by Christ.  It is not the structure of the governance of the church that saves us, but the only real leader, Christ.  It is not our position of service that makes us any more or less important than other members of the church, our value is found in the love of our leader, Christ.  We belong only to Him.  We are His.  It is that which gives us value.

And the revelations of Christ had only just started …

 

The 144,000 ...

There is a final prophecy that occurs at the end of time that sparks much interest and debate. It is a description of precisely 144,000 of God’s servants who are special in some way. Given the cryptic nature of this prophesy much discussion, study, and theorizing has occurred as to what its fulfillment might look like. Ever wonder if you could be a part of this special group of God’s servants? What would it take? In times past in the Bible, the biggest criterion for selection by God, was willingness to be selected. I wonder if it will be so again, or if this special reward will be granted based on another type of criterion.

References to the 144,000 can be found in Revelations chapter 7 and again in chapter 14. In both instances the 144,000 are seen in heaven surrounding the throne of God. Some of the verses describe their work as never ceasing, always close to God, able to sing a song only they are allowed to learn. The composition of the 144,000 includes 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We might have interpreted from this that they were 144,000 literal Jews who served God throughout Old Testament times, but later verses describe them as have had victory over the beast, faith in Jesus, and commandment keepers. They are further described as “virgins” having not been defiled with “other women”. Perhaps this means they were born into serving Christ, and have never served any other God than He in their entire lives (this view based on women often representing a church in the book of Revelations). There is no guile in them and they walk blameless before God. As all of us have sinned, perhaps this might refer more to our teachings about God being more accurate and less mixed with error than those we find around us.

The first references to the 144,000 is made as God tells the 4 angels holding back the winds of strife to hold on a bit longer until the 144,000 can be sealed. This would imply they are alive and well at the end of time, waiting to be permanently marked of God for His service. If so, I hope to be among them. But perhaps I have not thought that through completely  I base my desire to be in that number on a singular belief I hold; proximity is everything. Remember when you were a small child and were uncertain of the world around you. At times like those if you could see your parents around you, perhaps down the hall, or in the next room, your comfort level increased. You knew that even if they were not immediately at your side, they could be in seconds should the need arise. That made you feel good. Now take that feeling and amplify it a trillion times. Imagine what it would have been like to hear the words of Christ from His own mouth while He was here on earth. This is why the disciples argued over who would be closest to Him (apart from their own pride), being close to Christ was always the most enviable position.

Mary Magdalene had no issue hanging out at His feet. Let’s face it Christ was in human form, and human feet that walk long distances over rough terrain in nothing but leather sandals are not going to look or smell too good. This is why the practice of washing feet is still considered an ordinance of humility. One must humble themselves, to take on the service of such a dirty job for someone else they know. But in Mary’s world, Christ’s feet were more than enough – anything to be close to the Savior, even the less savory parts. Another woman who suffered of a lifelong disease felt the same way, she did not dare to even speak to ask for healing believing she need only touch the hem of His garment and she would be healed; and so she was. Being close to Jesus was life altering.

Now here we have a picture of the very throne of God Himself, where 144,000 people are selected and sealed to serve Him throughout all eternity, ever at His throne. They do not need sleep. They do not need food or water. They exist on serving Him, and doing as He asks. This is the highest ambition of any citizen of Heaven is to be able to do the will of God as He requests. To be useful in His purposes, to be needed, to be asked; this is the highest hallmark of service everyone there can ascribe to. And for 144,000 blessed individuals this is their life’s calling. I wonder if any of us can truly grasp the significance of this opportunity while still living under the curse of sin, in our current gloomy, self-centered world?

In heaven this kind of proximity to God on a full time basis is like icing on the cake. But in our world, we still pause to consider what full-time service to God might deny us from experiencing on our own. Being honest, we think about flying from world to world, talking with past Patriarchs like Moses and Noah, and Abraham. We think about eating fantastic fruit from the tree of life, and swimming or skiing in the river of life. We dream of petting animals that on earth would easily eat us, and wonder what our homes or mansions will be like. We fantasize about romantic relationships with a spouse from earth that can now be lived in the perfection of heaven. If we served God full time, would we still get to experience all that, or would it go away. More to the point, would we value in heaven what we think we value while still here in this condition. Or like the gold that is used as concrete in heaven, would all our earthly aspirations of heaven fade away in 10 minutes when placed against the prospect of being close to God forever.

Perhaps our minds are still clouded by the fog of our sin. Perhaps we have yet to learn that doing the will of God is the ultimate prize in any life including this one. This world does not make it easy to know what God’s will is for us while here on earth. It is clouded in the ambiguity of our iniquity, the fog of our sin, our selfish nature at war with His will. At least in heaven we can ask Him that question directly. But for me, I am taken back to when I was very very young, and quite content to play with my toys under the chair of my mother. I was fine and happy there knowing she was sitting directly above me. If I am so blessed, I hope to play with my toys under the throne of God Himself, fully contented to know He is sitting directly above me. Hoping to get some snuggle time in His lap if that is not asking too much. For despite being an adult, I recognize my infancy when confronted with the awe and majesty of the creator of ALL worlds. In the presence of the Father God, I am taken back to being two years old, hoping for His affection, and content to be close to Him in the same room, under His chair if needs-be. After all, I know He will be busy working above me, and I can’t figure to interrupt Him too often with my demands for attention.

I think we underestimate what being close to the source of ALL love might do to us. We have experienced love here only in such a limited capacity, sometimes afraid to embrace it fully for fear that an imperfect world will wound us greatly for showing a vulnerable side to another person. But when risk is gone and when perfection reigns, will our freedom to love without hesitation or limitation bring our entire existence to a new plain of consciousness? What will it do to the human mind and soul to be only feet away from the source of infinite love? Will it be like standing near the reverse of a black-hole instead of pulling light in, it shines light and love outward with equal force, or perhaps even greater force. Could our transient frames even expect to hold up in such close proximity to the source of all power, all love, and all grace?

The texts describe God as wiping away the tears of their eyes. I will need this. My unworthiness to even be saved is beyond comprehension. But to be rewarded as one of the 144,000 is a reward well above my pay-grade. I should be content to live in a rat hole along the south wall of heaven itself, locked in isolation after the life and deeds I have done. But to stand with the select few, is too great a reward for me. The level of love that would even consider this is too much for even a perfect being to comprehend. It would break me. It would break the perfect heart He created in me, even in the perfection of heaven. To be so undeserving and yet so rewarded would require constant wiping away of tears from my eyes. To daily witness the Lord and my God His Father, and to know the pain I caused them from my selfishness while in this life – this would cause me immense embarrassment, shame, and pain in my now perfected heart. An addict may not be fully accountable for the nature of his disease, but he remains fully aware of his actions while under its influence. My sin would haunt me for eternity, if God did not remove it from my memory. I believe this final gift of healing will be required to maintain sanity in the face of such love.

Then there is the work to consider. What will the 144,000 do that keeps them so busy? Will it require travel away from the immediate presence of God? Will we assist in the creation of new worlds and new life? Will we be a part of some sort of governmental or bureaucratic committee to take care of the ins and outs of running a multidimensional set of universes? I believe our minds are presently too limited to begin to guess at what He would have us to do. But to do the work of service will remain our reward for eternity. In this I am confident.

For those of us who do not merit inclusion in the 144,000 – God’s love for us will be no less. I imagine we will all find work, purpose, and fulfillment in our existence in the perfection of heaven. To simply experience fully the relief from slavery to sin will be reward enough for me. To be saved, once and for all time, to be made perfect by His grace – this is my highest ambition. Should I be fortunate enough to be selected to be within the 144,000 I will magnify His name for yet another of His gifts. But should I not merit inclusion in this number, I have equal confidence in His love and ability to save me, from me. And for this alone I can be eternally grateful.