“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.”
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 first fruits unto God and to the Lamb,” Rev. 14:1-5.

In Ezek. 16:8+, we are told how God saw that the time for Israel to fall in love had come. Therefore, He took her, covenanted with her in marriage, dressed her up to cover her nakedness with jewels, embroidered materials, a beautiful nose ring and ear rings and put a crown on her head. Thereby bringing Israel to the place of being the pride of God. Even as Paul declared that the Church in Thessalonia was to be his pride, crown, and joy (1Thes. 2:19-20). See Prov. 6:31.

So you see, we are being washed, cleansed out, clothed by Christ’ nature to the point where we become the pride and glory of God on earth. Hence we are told that the heavenly Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, is adorned or decorated with the glory of God (Rev. 21:1-12, 10-11).

Oh! What a glory we will share with Him as we become His true lover, separated, washed and appearing blameless in His presence. He will certainly restore His glory to His wife as His bride even as we follow Him to the wilderness.

So what are we saying? To say that the 144,000 followed the Lamb withersoever He goeth is to have a single eye unto the Lord. It is to allow God’s mind and will alone to dictate the pace and decisions of our life. It is to allow Him the preeminence in our lives to the point of losing focus of our environment and its influence in our lives.

It is as we begin to enthrone the Christ in our daily decisions and activities. When we truly say Thou art the Lord, my King and my Lover, of thy desire shall I continually commit myself daily that I may please thee. Then He will in turn endow us with Himself that we may become glorious to behold even on earth.

THE REDEEMED, THE FIRST FRUITS UNTO GOD

“These are they which follow the lamb withersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, BEING THE FIRST FRUITS UNTO GOD AND TO THE LAMB,” Rev. 14:4.
We appreciate the Father of glory for granting to some of us for now the privilege to be aware of His glorious light, love and plans for the ages.That through the indwelling light of life in them (John 1:4, 9) they must follow Him withersoever He goeth.

And of course, this is a realm where there is no choice of ours anymore. By choice here I do not mean what men call ‘free will,’ for of a truth there is no free will or man being a ‘free moral agent.’ For he who is a free moral agent will choose not to be a slave to the devil – sin (Rom. 6:16; Eph. 2:2, 4:17-19).

So what I mean by no choice is simply that our will has been broken as a result of the life of God already imparted in us. Here, our old man has loosen his grip on us. So our desire is not to please self any more but our lover – Christ (the anointing within). No desire to seek our own estimation or commend ourselves to men, but He alone is become our standard. Oh! What a joy and the state of freedom to be called his own, and that we truly know and experience that within us. For the wife of the Lamb is all glorious within (Ps. 45:8-14; 1 1Pet. 1:4).

To follow wherever He goeth is to be led by the voice of the Master within (2Cor. 13:5), not by any system or systems or that which is glamorous or “that which is highly esteemed among men…” (Luke. 16:15) but that still small voice communicated to us by the spirit. “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me,” John 10:27.

For “everyone moved by the Spirit is a Son of God” (Rom. 8:14) JB. To be ‘led’ of the Spirit goes beyond merely being directed or admonished inwardly by the Spirit. It is the principle of life, because “…if you are led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Gal. 5:18).

To be continued…