“And I looked, and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Zion and with Him an hundred and forty and four thousand having His Father’s name written in their foreheads”…“These are they which were not DEFILED WITH WOMEN; for they are virgins…,” Rev. 14:1-5.

THE CHECKLIST OF FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD

The understanding is that these 144,000 are not defiled by women, religious systems of this world, but rather are single eyed unto the Lord. Matt.6:22,

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Let us quickly consider a checklist of what happens when the spirit of the world is at work in you without being single eyed unto the Lord.

“…When you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is encouraging the activity of demons) hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger. Constant efforts to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone is wrong … and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you … that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God,” Gal. 5:19-21 TLB.

What are we saying? The virgins of the Lord have no trace of these elements in them. For they are totally under the influence of the Spirit of Christ. So you see that these things defile, as they are from the world.

Therefore “…strengthen yourselves so that you will live here on earth doing what God wants, not evil things people want. In the past you wasted too much time doing what non-believers enjoy … sexual sins, evil desires, drunkenness, wild parties and the hateful idol worship,” 1Pet. 4:2-4 NCV.

May God deliver us from being spotted with the spirit of this world that we may retain our purity for Christ alone both in thoughts and deeds. Amen.

” … FOLLOW THE LAMB WITHERSOEVER HE GOETH

“…These are they (144,000) which follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth…,” Rev. 14:4.

This same group of people, whom we are told are not defiled with women, is herein again described as

“they that follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” So what do we mean by this? What does it mean to follow the Lamb anywhere He goes?

THE DESERT-LOVE RELATIONSHIP

In Jer. 2:2-3 we read, “Go and shout this in Jerusalem’s streets: The Lord says, I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago and how you loved me and followed me even through the barren deserts,” TLB.

This is the expression of God as touching the love relationship between Him and the old Israel as found in the old covenant. The followership had to do with the Exodus of Israel from Egypt into the desert to be married by God.

The crossing of the Red Sea through the desert into the Promised Land by the Israelites is seen as the first days of God’s marriage with His people. Therefore, Isaiah in prophesying to Israel said,

“…Fear not… for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth (when you were in the world – a type of Egypt), and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood (when your real husband was dead as a result of the cares of life) anymore … FOR THY MAKER IS THINE HUSBAND; the Lord of host is His name and thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall He be called,” Isa. 54:4-5.

So when the Spirit says to the Church, “…thou hast left thy first love,” it is that initial zeal and commitment that we had and showed towards the Word and work of God, which is borne out of our true love for Christ as we come unto Him, being separated from the world (Gal. 1:4).

It is that state wherein we desired by all means to please our husband – Christ, as we become one with Him in Spirit (1Cor. 6:17).

But can you assess the degree of love that you still have for Christ today? Are you still hot or have you become lukewarm? Where is your desire for reaching out as you did when you newly came to the Lord?

To be continued…