Rev.14: 1 “ 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….. 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”

The definition of the 144,000 is clear from this verse, they are the people redeemed from among men, not just the twelve tribes of Israel. Besides, it says there are virgins. Are we imagining that this should be talking about literal virgins in Israel like Marry was? So are they just women or they are men as well. You see, beloved, these are spiritual languages, nothing to do with literal men or women living or walking in the street of Jerusalem.

THE 144,000 ARE VIRGINS – PURE BEFORE GOD

“These are they (144,000) which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins…” Rev. 14:4.

Here in verse 4 ,two words are very important to us in our meditation, and they are “Women” and “Virgins”. Firstly, we are told that these 144,000 are ‘virgins’ and that they were not defiled with ‘women’.

 

So what can we make of this statement? Do we have only women defiling men or can we also have men defiling women? Are the 144,000 strictly men such that women only could possibly have defiled them? May God give us understanding. Other translations of the above passage reads

 

“These are the ones who kept their virginity and not been defiled with women…” JB. The Living Bible says “For they are spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins”.

 

And of course, this is clear enough that what we are dealing with is a spiritual matter. So we are not just talking of literal girls in the street defiling boys, but of course that in itself has a very serious consequence, for that is joining the body of Christ which you are with another. We are told to “flee youthful lust” (2 Tim. 2:22) and also to “flee fornication” (1 Cor. 6:18) because it is a sin against the body – the very temple of God. So it is not something to toy with, neither should we be deceived into thinking that God only seeth the heart , so He is not bothered about our ways of life. That will amount to religion and not Christianity.

 

The Greek word used here for ‘defiled’ means – ‘to soil’. In other words, the 144,000 did not have their character in the light of God’s word in them soiled by women. Now, what women are we talking about? Spiritually speaking, in the Bible, women speak of “Churches”, That is why we read of “MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT – THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS… Sitted upon many waters” (Rev. 17:5, 1, 15) which is the spirit of religious confusion controlling all mankind outside of Christ.

 

Now, ‘Babylon’ which means ‘confusion’ is prophetically used in the Bible. In the book of Revelation, we have two Babylon which, are religious – Ecclesiastical Babylon – the apostate Christendom and Political Babylon.

Religious Babylon actually embodies all forms of religious organizations without the leadership of the Christ Spirit, the man made religious system. Her sitting upon many waters (Rev. 17:15) means ‘she is in control of many people’. But the point I am driving at is, this is not a literal being, yet she is defiling thousands of people, by her religious system, (from the simplicity that is in Christ), through forms, rituals, titles etc.

 

Again in Rev. 2; we read of another woman called JEZEBEL, a self-styled prophetess who was teaching and seducing the saints in the Church in Thyatira to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols’ (V. 20-23). Talking of ‘her children’ in verse 23 means those who followed her teachings. She is so named Jezebel even as the wife of Ahab through her wickedness, brought idolatry into Israel (1 Kgs. 16:31, 2 Kgs. 9:22, 30) indicating to us that the spirit of Jezebel surfaces in a system of worship that reduces the glory and worship of God to that of forms and rituals – idolatry, which actually is the spirit of a false prophet.

 

We are told the power of this system (Jezebel) was “to teach and seduce my servants (Christians)” (V. 20) which actually is the medium Balaam employed in his effort to corrupt the Children of Israel so that the wrath of God will come upon them when he could not curse them. He knew what God hates, so he taught Balak to corrupt (defile) the people who could not be cursed (Nub.31: 15-16, 22:5; 23 :8) by tempting them to marry the women of Moab, thereby defiling their separation – consecration – unto God as a holy nation. And with that, they can abandon their perfect character and holy walk with God.

 

So the true meaning of defilement is the union of the Church with the world. Therefore when we begin to bring in pagan ceremonies and belief system into the Church, we should be reassured that the spirit of Jezebel and the doctrine of Balaam have already taken root in our Churches. And of course what we see today in our so-called Pentecostal and Apostolic Churches is not far from this, with all the ceremonies, numerous titles and dance steps that have no foundation in Christ. And now an ‘ambient-ized’ fellowship without bright lights on, where-in people can no longer read their Bibles with clear lights as if we are in a cinema hall, in the name of excellent. This is nothing but the world invading the Church period!

 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in excellent, but let us be honest, does these things really add or bring in more of the spirit of Christ to the worshipper. Where be the days of the men of old when after service, you see people literally weeping because of the presence of God. Now am not saying people must weep to express their experience of God. But the point is the people we are ministering to, are they better off after each service spiritually or we are just ministering to their flesh with our lightenings.

 

Men, I don’t see these ‘disco DJ patterns’ in service today to be what brings down God’s glory. What we need is his Glory to fill the tabernacle of worship. The glory that filled the temple so much so the priest could not ministered in the old testament was not colourd ambient lights as good as they may be.

What are we saying, the 144000 were not defiled with women, and they were not corrupted by human wisdom of todays’ church system outside of Christ. They lived for him and him alone. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God.

 

To be continued…

 

© 2016 – Dr. David O. Ogaga