Revelation 14:1-5

The reader has learned that the thirteenth chapter is devoted to. description of two mighty powers of wickedness which, hand in hand, have waged war upon the Church of Christ. It is. gloomy picture, well calculated to fill the saints with fearful foreboding.. persecuted, suffering Church, beholding these mighty enemies, their terrible work, these fearful struggles of the future, these triumphs of the wicked, might almost be led to despair of the final victory of the Redeemer's cause. Hence, for the encouragement of the saints, their eyes are turned, in the fourteenth chapter, upon. brighter vision. The dark clouds are lifted off the future, and they are enabled to look beyond and to see the glorious fruition of all the tears and sorrow, the struggles and trials of the Church. The vision of this chapter cheers the saints and encourages them to press on in the hour of darkness, by leading the child of faith to the end of time. The prophet first describes. glorious revival of true religion upon the earth, next points to. triumphant proclamation of the everlasting gospel by this zealous, purified, Christlike church, then shows us the result of. conquering gospel in the fall of Babylon, the city of fornication, and the punishment of all who worship the beast or his image, and finally sweeps on beyond the mighty event to the last scenes of earthly history. The coming of the Son of Man, sitting upon the clouds of heaven, is then portrayed upon the great panorama that sweeps before his vision. The earth is reaped by the angels sent to gather the elect; after this the sickle is put forth again to cut off the clusters from the vine of the earth, and these are cast into the winepress of the wrath of God. The chapter closes with. delineation of the awful terrors of the great day when God shall forbear no longer, when he shall listen to prayers no more, but when the wicked shall be trodden in the winepress without the Holy City. The first thing that invites our attention is the

GLORIOUS REVIVAL.

"And. looked, and, lo,. Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him. hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And. heard. voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of. great thunder: and. heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sang as it were. 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. 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 first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."--14:1-5.

John beholds upon Mount Zion the Lamb of God, and with him 144,000 saints. Mount Zion, the city of the great King, the seat of the worship of God in Jerusalem, was. type, and is used as. symbol of the true Church. In Hebrews, chapter 12:22, the saints who have entered into the covenant of Christ are said to have come, not to the mount that could not be touched, but to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. It is there used for the church of saints, and such is its meaning in this passage. The number, 144,000, seen with the Lamb on Zion, has been used once before in portraying the grand triumph of Christianity after the seals of Persecution and Revolution.. do not suppose that it, is designed to represent ail exact number, but these stand forth as the representatives of. class. "They are first fruits unto God and the Lamb." As the first fruits, devoted to God, were representative of the whole harvest, so these stand forth as the representatives of the harvest of souls. We are to behold in them as they stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb in their midst,. picture of the Church in some age of the world. Let us observe the facts stated of them:

1. The Lamb is in their midst;. characteristic of the holy saints.

2. They are engaged in the praise of God.

3. They sing. song that none but the redeemed can sing. It is the song of redeeming grace.

4. They are pure, unspotted, undefiled, not fornicators, nor sullied with unholy desires.

5. They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes. They are sheep that hear the Shepherd's voice. They are obedient to all his commandments. They follow his example as well as his words. They live. Christlike life.

6. In their mouths was found no guile, and they were without fault before the throne of God.

Whenever the Church of God becomes purified, ceases unholy fornication with the world, these are the marks which it will exhibit, and. hold that this beautiful description of. pure, holy, devoted, Christlike band of worshipers, with the Lamb in the midst of them and following him whithersoever the goes, Is the picture of. day yet in the future, when Zion shall put off her soiled garments, adorn herself with the pure white robes of Christ's righteousness, and as the spotless bride of the Lamb follow him in holy obedience, to his will.

This is the first great step towards the redemption of the world and the triumph of Righteousness. Before that triumph comes there must be. revival of Zion,. purification of the Church,. self-sacrificing, devoted, earnest people. In the age that the apostle points out this grand consummation will have been attained. There follows the legitimate result, the second great step in the pathway of triumph, the proclamation by. holy, fervent, Christlike Church of. successful, triumphant gospel.