Shabbat shalom kol beit Yisra'el and Mishpachah and welcome back to our study of the Book of Revelation and to Part LIII (53). Last week our text reconnected us to Yahweh's elect 144,000 spiritual warriors of the Chavurat Bekorot or Assembly of the Firstborn (Heb.12:23), the bikkurim or firstfruits of the first resurrection-to-come (Col.1:18), whom we first met in chapter 7.

Let's first recall last week's segment and then pick up from where we left off last time:

"1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb (Rev.5:6) standing on Mount ('the mountain of' - HRV) Tsiyon (Zion) (Jerusalem) (Ps.2:6; Heb.12:22), and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand (144,000) (Rev.7:4;), having ['His name and' - NLT, JB, NEB, NRSV, ESV, ISRV, KNT, AENT] His Father's name (Rev.3:12; 22:4) written ('inscribed' - Barclay) on their foreheads ('between their eyes' - HRV) (Ex.13:9,16; Dt.6:8; 11:18; Ezek.9:4; Rev.7:3). 2 And I heard a voice ('sound' - NIV) from heaven ('the sky' - JB), like the voice ('sound' - HRV) of many waters (Rev.1:15) ('waves' - Moff.; 'the ocean' - JB; 'rushing water' - NEB) (Dan.10.6; Ezek.1:24; 43:2), and like the voice ('sound' - NRSV; 'roar' - JB) of loud ('pealing' - JNT; 'the deep roar of' - NEB) thunder (Rev.6:1) ('like the roar of a great waterfall and the heavy rolling of thunder' - JBP; 'like the sound of cataracts of water and like a crashing peal of thunder' - Barclay). And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps (Rev.5:8; 15:2). 3 They sang ('are singing' - JBP) as it were a new ('renewed' - ISRV) song ['of praise' - JBP] ('new hymn' - JB, RNAB) (Ps.33:3; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Rev.5:9) before ('in front of' - JB) the throne, before the four Zoa (living creatures; 'living beings' - LB) (Rev.4:6), and the [24] elders ('Presbyters' - Moff.) (Rev.4:4); and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand (144,000) who were redeemed from the earth ('world' - NEB). 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women ('those who have not committed idolatry with the harlot (Rev.17:5) and her daughters' - AENT) (Rev.2:14-15,20-22; 17:21-6; cp. Ezek.16:1-58; 23:1-49) ('spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins' - NLT), for they are [spiritual] virgins ('celibate' - JBP, KNT; 'kept themselves chaste' - NEB, NASB) (2 Cor.11:2; Rev.3:4). These are the ones who follow ('followed' - HRV) the Lamb wherever He goes ('would go' - HRV) (Rev.7:17). These were redeemed ('ransomed' - JNT, RNAB; 'purchased' - NIV) from among men ('from the earth' - RNAB) (Rev.5:9), being bikkurim (firstfruits) ('a special offering' - NLT; 'consecrated offering' - LB) to Elohim (God) and to the Lamb (Jer.2:2-3; Jas.1:18). 5 And in their mouth was not found the Lie (Bullinger; cp. 2 Thess.2:11) (found no deceit) (Ps.32:2; Zeph.3:13; Jn.1:47; 1 Pet.2:22) ('without defect' - JNT; 'without blemish' - KNT) ('never allowed a lie to pass their lips' - JB), for they are without fault before the throne of Elohim (God) ('no falsehood can be charged against them; they are blameless' - NLT, LB) (Eph.5:27)" (Rev.14:1-5, NKJV).

Here then, our text speaks of a small body of believers, the bikkurim or firstfruits to Elohim (God) and the Lamb; and the 'firstfruits' are necessarily a small portion compared with the harvest of souls as a whlole. There are millions upon millions of true believers but only a fraction of these are sufficiently devoted as to become the true overcomers. The vision is a heavenly one since most of those John sees have not yet been born on the earth. This is the first view of the 144,000 of twenty centuries to come. The singers stand before the Throne, and they are with the Lamb. Yah'shua (Jesus) has not yet descended back to earth. So this is the heavely Tsiyon (Zion); and, appropriate to the symbolism, the temple on earth was close to Mount Zion. Thus the Temple in heaven is correspondingly near the heavenly Tsiyon (Zion).

This is what we saw in Chapter 7 of Revelation, in the first 8 verses; and now, here, in chapter 14, we have the 'firstfruits'; and then, directly paralleling these two mentionings, we have the whole harvest, or the 'larger' number of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) in Revelation 7:9-19 and chapter 15 (which we're soon coming so), respectively. So there is a big harvest that follows a small 'firstfruits' harvest...and it's always in that order. First Yah'shua's (Jesus) called the apostles and those of the 'inner circle' - the elect, men and women, the 'called', the 'firstfruits' of the First Coming, the firstborn - and then He went out and witnessed to all the rest. The smaller harvest is the trusting, Torah- or commandment-obedient overcomers; the larger harvest is all the rest. This is how it is always done, and is being done, today. You need a strong, core leadership, trained and disciplined by the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), before you can start gathering the masses. They have to be spiritually strong and well informed so that they can strengthen their brethren-yet-to-come.

Usually, at least in our time, since Christ is not physically present now to instruct them as He was the first time, the first generation must be raised through considerable hardship - like Moses, they will first have their 40-year 'Midianite' trial and only then will they be called to lead the masses through a second 40-year purging and cleansing for the rest of Messianic Israel. The key word is overcomer and to be an overcomer you have to have something to 'overcome'...which there is no shortage of in the devil's world where lies are believed, wrong choices are made, and sin grips you by the throat. This is why 'overcomers' and 'overcoming' are words that appear frequently in the Book of Revelation. The 'firstfruits' are the small, initial harvest of leaders who have been through fire; the 'secondfruits' are the greater harvest, numerically speaking, of those who must be carefully shepherded and discipled through the wilderness by the 'firstfruits'. That is why you will find, in most cases, that the first generation have been through unspeakable hardship, because they are the pioneers and must therefore be equipped to give the second and last generation a 'crash course', as it were. They have the fullness in them, the reason why the Names of both the Father and the Son are written on their foreheads: they have proven themselves to be truly submitted sons and are now themselves fathers and leaders in their own right...the patriarchs of Messianic Israel.

One of our callings here is to train up the Remnant of the 144,000 alive in this and the last generation. To sing this New Song, they, and their wives, must, in addition to overcoming through passing through tribulation and the vicissitudes of life, know, understand, and participate in the 'Throne Room world', if I can call it that, of our Father. And by 'Throne Room world' I do not mean some charismatic getting emotionally psyched-up and assuming that he is in the Throne Room of El Elyon, the Most High. This is usually pure fantasy on their part. You can't just sing, praise and pray your way into it, or worship your way into it 'any old how'. You have to be schooled as Moses was by Yahweh, as Joshua was by Moses, and so on. You have to spiritually inhabit it 24/7. And it's not simply about 'acquiring knowledge' or going to some messianic Yeshiva to learn Hebrew in order to properly understand the Torah. Your whole soul must be tuned into it at all times. All of the 144,000 - including, by covenant extension, their wives - are prophets, seers and revelators in their own right. Their 'natural' state is the supernatural.

Key to the firstborn work is first, and foremost, about establishing a deep and abiding relationship with Yahweh, communing with Him face-to-face as Abraham and Moses did, and learning directly from Father of His ways. It is a living experience, not merely a collection of propositional doctrines. So many messianics think that it's just about Torah education, a concept adopted from the Jews who lay great emphasis on a good education. There's nothing wrong with education at all, of course - far from it - and we as Messianic Israel lay great stress on it. Education is important, and principally education in the Davar (Word) but that's only the beginning. And we have plenty of 'davar' in the Chavurat Bekorot or Holy Order of Melchizedek, including the milky Olive Branch and the meaty "'Firstborn Seal' or the 'Sealed New Covenants & Commandments'" (OB 370:113). This includes learning about Holy Echad Marriage, which is the Way of the Ancients, because the 144,000 are all married, not as the world, but after the pattern of the Throne Room. The 'New Song' is also a way of life, a way of being, a holy lifestyle which you cannot learn in the world, let alone the churches.

So in verse 2 of today's text we are shown the heavenly voices and the singers which again shows, like the first verse, that what John is seeing is in heaven, not on earth. None of these heavenly visions are without the utterances of Heavenly voices. That's the context out of which we must derive our understandings.

Now I think it is significant that this is the only instance where the actual words of the song are not given. It's simply called the "New Song" which tells us that it has never been sung before. And a reason for that is that this song has a new subject or theme. No one can learn or sing this 'song' except the 144,000 themselves. So what is this 'new song'? Is it simply a set of lyrics? No, anybody can sing some lyrics. We sing the lyrics of hymns and sacred songs every time we assemble, but an unbeliever could do the same, so obviously this isn't simply a set of words. There's something more here.

The 'song' here cannot simply be read from a musical score and any old voice summonsed to sing it. Those who sing the song must also be the song. It's their story, and their story alone. No one else can possibly sing it because they have not themselves lived it. Yes, the song will include an account of the wonderful miracles that Yahweh has wrought in saving them from, and through, and out of, the great and awful temptations and dangers hinted at the concluding description in the 4th and 5th verses. Yes, it will be an account of the experiences of those who embarked on the Second, Last and Greater Exodus. Yes, it will be an account of the experiences of those who participated in the Final Gathering prior to their descent as the 12 Tribes of Messianic Israel to the Promised Land. Yes, it includes an account of their epic journeyings through the Great Tribulation and of their astonishing deliverances. It includes all these, absolutely. It is the testament of what they have seen and experienced Yahweh do and how they have participated, as leaders, in the Great Story of Redemption.

This is also a collective, a communal, or national song consisting of 144,000+ voices that to those on the earth, - because they are filled with the Ruach Elohim (Spirit of God) - will sound like Elohim (God) Himself. To use the words of William Barclay in his New Testament paraphrase, their united, Ruach (Spirit)-filled voices will be "like the sound of cataracts of water and like a crashing peal of thunder". This is powerfull stuff! This is a sound that makes the ground shake as Yahweh's own Voice made the ground shake in the First Exodus at Mount Sinai! This is a lot of Moses's, Joshua's and Caleb's...144,000 of them! And those three will be among them, along with Abraham, David, John the Baptist, the 12 Apostles, all the nevi'im (prophets) and all the great ones of the past, present and future, not forgetting their wives - the women - like Rebekah, Asenath, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, Zilpah, Zipporah, Tharbis, Rahab, Ruth, Naomi, Judith, Deborah, Abigail, the several Miriyam's/Mary's and Anna of both Covenants.

This is very hard to express. I have barely scratched the surface of what the substance of the New Song of the 144,000 is all about. The Olive Branch revelations tell us more and our part in singing it. Here is one of them:

"Behold, I am calling the children of Israel (Torah-obedient believers) unto the Firstborn (Christ), to be firstborn progenitors of Light, to be especial witnesses of Me in the world. For all who are of the Firstborn (Christ) are the firstborn (144,000); all are equal before the Father of Lights (Jas.1:17), and all are called into lives of service. These are the Servants of Heaven, even they who sow and reap, returning unto Me their harvest that the Father might be glorified. Therefore the firstborn (144,000) shall not boast but shall be the servants and wash the feet of their brothers and sisters, girding themselves with charity (love, ahavah, chesed, agapé) and mercy, for the sake of the Son of Man. Amen" (Olive Branch/OB 49:17-20).

For most of my adult life I have been doing something whom most, when they learn about it, find either amusing or bewildering. I call it one of my 'quirks' or unusual habits. For most of my adult life I have been collecting the seeds of nearly every single apple I have ever eaten, and I eat one a day 'to keep the doctor away'. Given, when properly fertilised, an apple can have up to as many as 10 seeds, it should come as no surprise to you to learn that I have bottles jammed full of thousands of them. One day I hope someone will plant them and create some orchards. I do this to remind me how vitally important it is to share everything Yahweh shows and gives me. That's one reason I have such a vast website. It's the record of my life and my way of thanking Yahweh for giving me all He does so that those who receive it will pass what they learn onto others. The truth sets you free and we should share it as far and wide as possible. The Firstborn servants of Yahweh sow and reap, ever multiplying the Light of Christ in themselves and in the world. We are not only to bear fruit but plant seeds for those coming after us. I thought you might find that motivational.

So let's now understand where this New Song is sung! It is not sung in your local congregation! You will not hear it sung in some Messianic assembly or in some Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal or Eastern Orthodox Church. So where is it sung? It is sung:

• 1. Before the Throne (where Yahweh-Elohim sits);
• 2. Before the 4 Zoa or Living Creatures; and
• 3. Before the 24 Elders.

The firstborn understand the length and breadth, the height and the depth, of the whole Way of Yahweh, which is Ahavah-Chesed-Agapé Love that includes the unpleasant, but necessary, business of Divine Judgment and Separation. Are not true believes called, in Scripture, the 'separated ones'? Is that not what the word qodeshim or 'saints' means? The true believers are separate from the word, and set-apart to Yahweh, and therefore "peculiar" in the eyes of the world (Ex.19:5; Dt.14:2; 26:18; Tim.2:14; 1 Pet.2:9, KJV). This is the definition of biblical holiness, of Yahweh's "treasure" (Ps.135:4; Eccl.2:8, KJV), not some state of detatched and disembodied bliss such as you will find taught in some other religions like the mythical 'Nirvana' of Buddhism. From the Throne Room to fingers-in-the-dirt (earth) - planting, watering and harvesting - or doing the dishes in the kitchen or changing babies' nappies/diapers...in love - there, holiness, is to be found. That is holiness: totally set-apart to Yahweh and His resurrection Way, and 'peculiar' - weird or strange - to everyone outside the Throne Room.

Which brings us to the last and frequently misinterpreted final part of today's segment that I am going to first read as literally written and then I will read it the way it was meant to be understood, and explain to you why. So let's go to verses 4 & 5 and read the Kingdom New Testament (KNT) version:

"These (the 144,000) are the ones who have never polluted (defiled) themselves with women; they are celibate. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from the human race as the first fruits for Elohim (God) and the Lamb, and no lie has been found in their mouths. They are without blemish" (Rev.14:4-5, KNT).

That's N.T.Wright's 'take' on these two verses and most English translations are just like it. The worst translation of all, in my opinion, is that of the respected theologian of his day, Dr.James Moffatt (the father-in-law of David Livingstone), who reflected a Victorian bias that is itself Catholic in origin and which still prevails today when matters of sex are raised. See how he has added two words not in the original text to confuse the actual meaning:

"They (the 144,000) have not been defiled by intercourse with women - they are celibates" (v.4, Moff.)

Do you see the bias here? Nowhere does Scripture teach that all intercourse is 'defiling' (a pretty strong word meaning to 'make dirty', 'befoul', 'pollute', 'corrupt') unless it is outside the covenant of life-long marriage. If it happens within marriage (as defined by Scripture), then it is pure, as scripture confirms:

"Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers Elohim (God) will judge" (Heb.13:4, NKJV).

Moffatt was strongly influenced by the mid-19th century Victorian prudery of his day just as some modern translations are influenced by the liberalism of our own. So be careful to read the Bible text as it stands and make an effort to understand the mind-set of the time in which it was written, in this case, Palestine of the 1st century AD. Use the tools of critical realism to accurately frame a Scripture in its own time. As a footnote may I add that I think the Moffatt translation is otherwise a really good translation from which I quote occasionally.

There are two issues with these translations - understanding who these 'virgins' or 'maidens' are and correcting the 'no lie' mistranslation. We'll take each in turn but first let me give you a translation that combines the best scholarship there is which is found scattered through a number of very excellent translations and paraphrases - they are included separately as alternative readings on the Revelation 14:1-4 segment quoted at the beginnng of this sermon and last week's which you'll find on the website. So regard what follows, then, as my personal Amplified Version, the actual Bible version of which, in my view, doesn't go nearly far enough in getting across the original sense of this passage. I am going to use the New King James Version (NKJV) as my ground text as this is one of the versions we use in worship and study and is most familiar to everyone here:

"These are the ones who have not committed idolatry with the harlot (whore, prostitute, hooker) (Rev.17:5) and her daughters; they are spiritually undefiled and pure like virgins keeping themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Rev.7:17). These were redeemed (purchased, ransomed) from among men, being a special, consecrated bikkurim or 'firstfruits' (firstfruits) offering to Elohim (God) and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was not found The Lie - no falsehood can therefore be charged against them; they are blameless" (Rev.14:4-5, CCMW - author's 'amplified' version or Targum).

That, in my estimation, conveys the complete sense of these two verses and I will now explain why. On a first reading of a typical translation like, for example, the English Standard Version (ESV), verse 4 is both shocking and easily misunderstood by someone not fully immersed in the language of Scripture:

"It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins" (v.4, ESV)

To their credit, some liberal versions like the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) don't attempt to fudge the text as some paraphrases like the New Living Translation (NLT) and the Living Bible (LB) do [1]. So what does John mean when he says the 144,000 have 'not defiled themselves with women'? which gives the impression that woman are somehow unkosher, cursed and inferior to men when read literally? Well, for a start, human women are not here in view. This is purely symbolic language. It's the same with the 'dogs' in Revelation 22:15 which some wrongly conclude means we have no pet dogs or other animals in heaven or on the Millennial earth! (If they would only read on they would see that the 'dogs' are symbolic of "those [humans] who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood" - NIV).

I think most scholars and informed Bible teachers understand the peculiar symbolism here, remembering as we always must, that the Book of Revelation is saturated with symbolism and (at first sight) obscure and incomprehensible turns of phrase. These are not male celibates, despite the explicit mention of the absense of women. Rather, they are men (and, viâ marriage, the Isaiah-4:1-women too) who are faithful to Yahweh and to His Son, as the rest of verses 4-5, which is the context, makes clear. How do we know this? Because fornication and adultery are common biblical metaphors for idolatry as we have already seen in our studies of the Book of Revelation thus far. If you would like two well-known biblical examples, read Ezekiel, chapters 16 & 23, and the first five chapters of Hosea where the symbolism is explicit. Very clearly in the Book of Revelation, you'll find, misdirected, idolatrous worship is explicity called whoring as it is in verse 8 of chapter 14 (which we'll be looking at next week) as well as Revelation 17:2,4, 18:3,9 and 19:2. So the symbolism is interpreted for us elsewhere in the Book of Revelation - we know exactly what it means. And it doesn't mean literal women.

So these 144,000 men are not unmarried celibates - quite the opposite, they are very much married and it is marriage that is the entré for the women believers into the 144,000. Indeed, these are the men and women prophesied in the first two verses of Isaiah 4 and they will outnumber the men, on average, 7-to-1 meaning there will be upwards of a million of them making a total company of at least 1,150,000 souls:

"Seven women shall take hold of one man on that [last] day, saying, 'We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes; just let us be called by your [good] name; take away our disgrace. On that day the branch of Yahweh shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel" (Is.4:1-2, NRSV)

Now I accept that number-crunching can be a risky business when using symbolic texts such as this. There are those who believe that 144,000 represents a type of people rather than a numerical sum. That may be true. The argument that such as Andrew Gabriel Roth advance is that the number 10 represents testimony and 12 the Israel of Yahweh; 10x10x10 (1,000) is a threefold testimony representing Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh Echad as He is described in the Sh'ma (Dt.6:4); 12x12 (144) is the Israel of Elohim (God) who are spiritually born-again in Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Personally, I believe both interpretations are true - that the 144,000 are both a literal (perhaps rounded-off) number and a symbolic description of who they are, so that there are literally 144,000 men plus their 1,008,000 wives, making a total of 1,152,000 men and women, but that they are also those who have this end-time testimony who are spiritually-regenerated Messianic Israel, the firstborn, the elect, anointed as special witnesses, the faithful Remnant, the children of the first resurrection.

Noah and his family of 8 souls - Mr. & Mrs. Noah and their three sons and their wives - re-seeded or repopulated the earth after the flooding by water; the 144,000 and their families will re-seed the earth after the burning by fire and over the 1,000 years period, repopulate the earth. Yah'shua (Jesus) said that the end-times would be exactly the same as in days of Noah where little faith would be found on earth:

"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:26-27, NIV).

"...when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8, NIV).

The answer to that question is, no, there won't be faith on the earth, or precious little of it. It will be all but destroyed except within the Remnant where it will ripen in perfection. And if lawlessness and faithlessness in general don't sort out the millions of professing Christians, then plural marriage definitely will, however much they rage against it right now. Read the whole of the 4th chapter of the Book of Isaiah again and you will see that this is clearly a description of the very days being covered in this portion of the Book of Revelation, with a smokey cloud by day and a fiery pillar by night (vv.5-6) leading Israel in the Second Exodus as in the First Exodus under Moses and Joshua. You see, the Remnant is not troubled by the fullness of Yahweh's Ways as the lawless believers are, because the lawless believers are more troubled about not being accepted by their own lawless kind and losing their temporal security: they don't want to be 'cast out of the synagogues' (their local churches or denominations), they don't want to be a sharing people where the United Order of all things being held in common prevails either. And by their unwillingness not to share, they exclude themselves from the first resurrection and must await the second, because love is the ultimate sharing. And, I know, this is offensive to so many professing Christians and Messianics, and a reason they will not come up to the firstborn, but I make no apology for it however much people hate me saying so. It's the truth, two of the many 'apple seeds' that I have collected and taught about on our website and in my preaching.

So once again I am called to serve everyone hot potatoes. Now this does not mean that you should immediately rush out and place all your worldly goods at the feet of any old self-professing 'apostle' as in New Testament times when there were real ones (Ac.4:35-37; 5:2) or rush to presumptuously expand your families as many did in the 1990's and early 2000's when these things started being taught again and with disasterous consequences. Absolutely not! There are many polygamy cults out there that are harmful, many mssianic '12 Tribes' cults out there that are dangerous, and many false apostles claiming to represent the 'one-and-only-true-group or church' like the Mormons and their many splinter groups, and the New Apostolic Church, not to mention the thousands of Pentecostal 'apostles'. So be aware. Do not get ahead of Yahweh and risk His wrath. There are prophetic times and seasons for all things. This is not the season for doing any of these things, save for a very few in leading ministerial positions who must teach these truths by example and by precept...because, I repeat, this is not yet the season - all the end-time 12 Apostles have not yet been called or gathered [2].

Don't do what the rebellious Israelites did after they were condemned by Yahweh through Moses to wander for 40 years in the desert to get the old leaven of sin purged out of them before they would be allowed to enter the Promised Land. For you will remember they had tried to enter the land in their own strength and timing and many of them were destroyed at Kadesh-barnea! (Num.32:8) For then, as today, "not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun...followed Yahweh wholeheartedly" (Num.32:12, NIV). So do not, I repeat, do NOT rush headlong into doing these things or you will suffer great loss and come under judgment for rebellion also. I know many who have been badly burned by them. There are many, many other things you must do first in getting the pagan ways and thinking, that the spiritually weak imbibe in the world, out of your lives. Stay as you are, observing the preparatory Law of Tithing and being faithful to your current spouses. If not, I prophesy, great trouble will follow you! Yahweh has His timing and His nevi'im (prophets) to lead the last Exodus, so find them and listen to them. How will you know them? They preach both the milk and the meaty 'hot potatoes'. My purpose today is simply to wake you up to the truth, not to get you to follow anyone until the tribal heads and apostles are revealed following the correct divine tavnith (pattern).

Let's return to the 'celibate men' as the 144,000 are wrongly understood to be by the literalists. We must interpret correctly and therefore do our homework properly. Such passages as this and Matthew 19:12 (which talks of 'eunuchs' in our terrible English translations - the Aramaic makes clear they are believers, not castrated males...castration is forbidden in the Torah)...the Ethiopian convert made by the apostle Philip was a believer and not a 'eunuch', else he would not have been allowed to worship in Jerusalem. Please see our Celibacy website for a full explanation on what the Bible clearly teaches on this subject. As C.H.Charles, the famous theologian writes:

"The superiority of the celibate life, though un-Jewish and un-Christian, was early adopted from the Gnostics and other Christian heretics..." (Revelation, volume 2, p.9).

One of the best known of these celibacy-promoting heretics was Marcion. The exaltation of celibacy was part and parcel of the pagan religions of Isis and Mithra and the Vestal Virgins in Rome. Life-long celibacy is only ever enjoined if it is an exceptional calling, like that of the navi (prophet) Jeremiah and for the same reason that Paul advised the Corinthians not to marry in times of great persecution (1 Cor.7:1-9) because of the impossibility of raising children in such an environment. Celibacy will again be enjoined for many, if not most, of those who are not part of the Final Gathering because it just won't be safe to raise children when the things described in the Book of Revelation start happening on a larger scale than now.

So, let me summarise the elements of this issue: the words "[they] were not defiled with women" (KJV) is clearly to be taken figuratively. It's important to know that figures of speech in the Bible are clearly understood and can be named and defined, belonging to their own special genre of Scripture. This is one such example. What that means is that the words are to be read symbolically or as meaning something different from what is said, a not uncommon linguistic device. Marriage, whether plural or singular, along with child-bearing, is Qadosh la Yahweh - set-apart to Yahweh or holy, and anyone who says otherwise, says Paul, is teaching a "doctrine of demons" (1 Tim.4:1, NKJV) when they "forbid marriage" of whatever from marrying more than one or from marrying at all (v.2). The only way to misread this passage in Revelation 14:4 (particularly if you have a preconceived doctrine that you wish to promote, like Catholicism's requirement that all priests be celibate, or Eastern Orthodoxy's that all those holding the office of Bishop and higher must be celibate), is by insisting that this passage be read literally. It's not supposed to be. The point being made is this: the 144,000 are to be spiritually beautiful and pure in the same way that physical virginity before marriage is spiritually beautiful and pure. Period.

We now come to the last point I wish to make today in the last verse of the segment and then we will close this teaching. Verse 5, my paraphrase, interpretation or Targum, is as follows:

"And in their mouth was not found the Lie - no falsehood can therefore be charged against them; they are blameless" (Rev.14:5, CCMW 'Amplified').

That does not mean you cannot be celibate if you wish, that you cannot be a polygamist, or that you cannot be a vegetarian or a vegan. Understand that you are free to be all of these things provided you don't try and force them on others, or to guilt them for not doing as you do. Instead, love them, accept they have chosen a lawful alternative way to your own calling. If you deny any of these things for religious reasons, then you are an apostate and need to repent because you are nullifying the Davar Elohim (Word of God). That's all the Scriptures are saying. And this is what John is saying is the 'Big Lie' in Revelation 14:5. So 1 Timothy 4:3 goes much deeper than Popish celibacy of the clergy and compulsory fasting days apart from at Yom haKippurim. This "forbidding to marry" comes right from the Abyss, right from the Pit and those who promote this 'forbidding' are risking the wrath of Elohim (God). Why is forced vegetarianism and veganism, like forced celibacy or monogamy-only, so potentially dangerous? Because such weakens people's will-power and makes them more susceptible to the influences of these evil fallen malakim (angels), the demons who are most keen to propagate these lies. If the demons are that interested, you then have to ask youself the question, 'Why?' And the reason is that these matters are important to our Heavenly Father, and whatever is important to Him, these, by satanic default, the demons, and those they influence, hate [3].

Finally, this 'Big Lie' truth in no way negates the traditional translations of this verse as, for example, the Jewish New Testament (JNT) which says:

"On their lips no lie was found - they are without defect" (Rev.14:5, JNT).

We have covered a lot of important material today and last week. Who knew so much could be found in 5 verses! When I first sat down to prepare a single sermon to cover all 5 verses, I said to myself, 'This is going to be easy - I'll be able to do a full exegesis in 40 minutes'. How wrong I was! Anyway, I hope you have been blessed and will chew over what I have said; and if I have ruffled any feathers, I hope you don't go off in a huff or go ballistic, close down or walk away, but, please, honestly confront the truth and be prepared to change your views about certain matters. That's how all Yahweh's talmidim (dsiciples) are supposed to live. I'm changing my mind about things every year. The point is this: you cannot remain right with Yahweh indefinitely and deny the truth that's been plainly revealed to you. It may be a matter of spiritual life and death for many. Yahweh does not compell anyone to do anything lawful they don't want to (like eat meat) but He does hold accountable those who twist the Scriptures to make them mean what they want them to mean because of prejudice, fear or tradition. The important thing is we do not oppose the Davar (Word) or those obeying their callings in line with the Davar (Word), but support them and agree with the Davar (Word), even if we do not yet fully understand it. Rememebr Israel's Shavu'ot Oath to Yahweh:

"We will do everything Yahweh has said; we will obey!" (Ex.24:7, NIV)

Next week we'll be looking at the rest of chapter 14, verses 6-13, and so conclude the third Interlude. So until then, may the Elohim (God) of shalom (peace) and ahavah (love) go with you this week, and may you be inspired to dig ever deeper into His Davar (Word), believe it, and obey it, is my prayer in Yah'shua's (Jesus') Name. Amen.

Endnotes

[1] Though to be fair, they each include a footnote containing the original text
[2] See End-Time Gathering of New Covenant Apostles
[3] If you want to learn more about the biblical basis of polygamy, please read this ministry's book on the topic, The Truth About Biblical Marriage

Acknowledgements

[1] Tom Wright, Revelation for Everyone - The New Testament for Everyone Commentary Series, Vol.19 (SPCK, London: 2011)
[2] E.W.Bullinger*, Commentary on Revelation (Kregel Classics, Grand Rapids, Michihan: 1984)
[3] David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary (JNT Publications, Clarksville, Maryland: 1992)
[4] ESV Study Bible (Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois: 2011)
[5] The NIV Study Bible (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1995)
[6] Ed. J.R.Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (MacMillan, London: 1909)
[7] David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible (Collins, London: 2007)
[8] The Moffatt Translation of the Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments (Hodder & Stoughton, London: 1972)

*E.W.Bullinger was a brilliant Anglican clergyman and scholar whose works merit careful study by serious students of the Bible. He was, however, seriously in error in at least three main areas, namely, (1) he believed the 'Church' has been raptured before the Book of Revelation opens, (2) he believed that the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3 are 7, literal Jewish churches or assemblies yet to come, and (3) he believed in a pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture.

• 1. White horse - military aggression
• 2. Red horse - bloodshed
• 3. Black horse - famine
• 4. Pale Green/Blanched/Pallid/Sickly-looking horse - disease, epidemics

  ---

• 5. Persecution & prayer
• 6. Tremour & terror

  ---

  INTERLUDE I (Ch.7)
  (The 144,000 Redeemed)

  ---

• 7. Silence in heaven, listening to prayers which are then answered in a final catastrophe: a severe earthquake I

• 1. Scorched earth
• 2. Polluted sea
• 3. Contaminated water
• 4. Reduced sunlight

  ---

• 5. Insects and plague (for five months) (1st Woe)
• 6. Oriental invasion (200 million army) (2nd Woe)

  ---

  INTERLUDE II (Ch.10-11)
  (The Malak with the Little Scroll)
  (The Two Witnesses)

  ---

• 7. The Kingdom comes, the world is taken over by Yahweh & Yah'shua (Jesus) after a severe earthquake II (3rd Woe)

  ---

  INTERLUDE III (Ch.13-14)
  (The First & Second Beasts)
  (The Lamb & the 144,000)
  (The Messages of the Three Malakim)

  ---

• 1. Boils on the skin
• 2. Blood in the sea
• 3. Blood from the springs
• 4. Burning by the sun

  ---

• 5. Darkness
• 6. Armageddon

  ---

• 7. Hailstorm (OB 368:11-12) and severe earthquake III, leading to international collapse