The Lamb on Mt. Zion, engraving from Mortier’s Bible. Amsterdam, 1700
We continue reading Revelation. Let’s move on to the first verse of chapter 14: And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads (Rev. 14:1). Up to this point, we had a very sad picture before us: frightening beasts, terrible things, the name of the antichrist. All of this causes us to reflect and leads to spiritual dejection, but at the same time, the Apostle John shows us another picture: the Lamb, that is Christ, standing on Mt. Zion, and with Him—the 144,000 who have the name of His Father written on their foreheads. But this is a symbolic number, not an exact one. These are people who have devoted themselves entirely to God.
In the previous chapter, it said that satan will put his mark on people’s forehead and right hand.
When we receive Holy Baptism and we’re anointed with holy Chrism, we hear: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Chrismation is a lay ordination—the Holy Spirit is given to every one of us, making us members of the Church, people of Christ, with the name of God the Father and His Son on our foreheads. The newly elected soldier of Christ who has received Holy Baptism is marked with a seal: A seal of holy Chrism is placed on the forehead, chest, eyes—everywhere. We always make the sign of the Cross on our foreheads. The forehead is considered the sovereign place of our mind, which governs our life and personality. We make the sign of the precious Cross over ourselves that we might remain faithful servants of Christ, that the grace of God might preserve us, that we might not renounce our faith and remain loyal to the Holy Church and our Lord Jesus Christ. So, the name of God is written on our foreheads. These words mean that we’re sealed, dedicated, and devoted to God.
And I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps (Rev. 14:2). You can see how violent and terrifying the picture was before this, and how harmonious, calm, and joyful is the picture of God’s presence and blessing.
And they sung as it were a 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 (Rev. 14:3). These 144,000 sang a new song before the throne and before the four beasts. Do you remember this image? The throne of God, four beasts symbolizing the four Evangelists, and the elders? They sing a new song that no one can learn save these 144,000 who have been redeemed from the earth. They were delivered from sin. This is about redemption from the earthly way of thinking, carnal thinking, which keeps us enslaved to sin.
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 (Rev. 14:4). These 144,000 haven’t been defiled or lost their virginity. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed from among the people and offered to God and the Lamb as a gift. Some Fathers say this is about the monastic order, which is offered to God as a gift from mankind, about those who dedicated themselves to God and didn’t get married.
However, we can’t say that marriage defiles us. After all, the Church blesses marriage. But the Church doesn’t bless filth. The Church itself, in Ecumenical Council, classified as heretics and anathematized those who consider marriage to be defiled, who speak of it as something unclean. Anyone who believes that a man is defiled in marriage is excommunicated from the Church.
This isn’t about physical virginity, but spiritual. And this is about both men and women. There are many nuns. Won’t they be with the Lamb? Will it really be only men with Him? This is about people who haven’t defiled their souls with sin. It’s sin that defiles us, not marriage. Of course, virginity is a path taken by those who so desire. Virginity isn’t just a physical virtue, because there are many people who are virgins physically but whose souls are defiled, with 1,000 passions living in them. And there are people who haven’t preserved their bodily virginity but who entered the Church, were sanctified and reached a high level, surpassing those who were physical virgins. St. Mary of Egypt achieved a high level of sanctity although she wasn’t a virgin. She was even a harlot and sinned hundreds and thousands of times. But despite that, through repentance, being within the Church, she reached a high level of holiness. And St. Mary of Egypt is with the Lamb, with Christ.
Marcantonio Franceschini, The Last Communion of St. Mary of Egypt, 1690
This is about all those who haven’t been defiled by sin. It’s said of men to show us that those who follow Christ have not a cowardly but a courageous mindset. Such people must possess courage and valor, not fear, not thinking in a feminine way (in the sense of fearfulness), but must have a masculine mind. Not fear struggle, deprivation, and suffering, not be afraid of confessing Christ. The true virgins are those who are holy, who are betrothed to Christ; those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They’re offered to God as a gift from mankind.
To glorify the true God
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God (Rev. 14:5). There was no falsehood in their mouths because they were spotless; there was no vice, reproach, or fault in them. These are holy people who have been sanctified within the Church, following the path of the ascetic formation of the Church: through repentance, through participation in the Holy Sacraments—through all that our holy Church offers us that we might follow God.
They sing a hymn; they’re together with the Lamb; they know the new song. The name of God is written on their foreheads; there’s no guile in them and they’re blameless. Continuing, the Apostle John the Theologian says in the sixth verse: And I saw another angel fly in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (Rev. 14:6). Another angel was flying across the heavens, proclaiming the good news—the eternal Gospel, proclaiming it to all people, to every nation, tongue, and tribe. Before the eyes of all, in the midst of Heaven, without a single shadow, without anything that could hide the angel, he proclaimed the joyous news to the world.
The angel with the eternal Gospel, c. 1330
And this news speaks of the following: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made Heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters (Rev. 14:7). This bright angel proclaiming the good news, says: “Fear God.” Fear doesn’t mean you should be overcome by psychological fear, remaining in fear and horror. The fear of God is the love of God. The fear of God includes love, awe, reverence, a sense of the greatness of God’s holiness and at the same time, the presence of God within us and around us, and, of course, a sense of our own weakness and defilement.
Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship the Creator of all. Remember the previous picture, when they worshiped the dragon, a terrible beast, when a huge part of the people worshiped it. But here’s a different message from the angel of God who calls us to worship and glorify the true God Who created everything.
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication (Rev. 14:8). Great Babylon has fallen, which has intoxicated all the nations with the wine of its fornication. He speaks enigmatically of the great Babylon, which is explained as a city, as a country, as an autocracy, as an ideology. It succeeded in making the nations drunk with the wine of fornication and the filth that was committed there. The Holy Fathers have interpreted this in different ways: Some considered this to be Rome, and others that its various temporal kingdoms. In any case, it’s some kind of strong force, some kind of influential position that managed to make a large part of the people drink impurity.
Adam and Eve, 16th C. A third angel appears. The first proclaims the Gospel and calls for the worship of God, the second proclaims the fall of Babylon, the great city. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb (Rev. 14:9–10). He’ll be tormented in hell. Someone might say here: “Does God really punish the world? Will He really throw people into fire and brimstone?”
We’ve said that these are images that show the great, unbearable, indescribable pain that the souls of unfortunate people will experience if they make the tragic mistake of worshiping the beast and accepting its mark on their forehead or right hand. Everything that follows will be the result of their deeds. It’s not God Who will punish them, but they prepare these consequences for themselves, just as it was at the fall of man. God told the first-created man: “If you don’t keep the commandments and eat of the fruit, you will die” (cf. Gen. 2:17). God didn’t punish them with death, but told them what they’d face, what would happen if they severed their connection with Life.
For example, you warn someone: “If you drink this poison, you’ll die.” But he drinks it and dies. It doesn’t mean you killed him by warning him. You told him not to drink, so he wouldn’t die. You showed him the consequences—death. That’s what you did. And if he drinks the poison and dies, he bears responsibility for his death, not you for telling him about it. On the contrary, you absolved yourself of responsibility by informing him of the results of such behavior, of drinking poison. Those who live carelessly and inattentively to their lives, who are driven by greed and fear, who live for the sake of temporary gain, perhaps reject God, then as a result they’re separated from God and will suffer unbearable pain as a consequence of separation from the love of Christ.
The Kingdom of God is eternal and all who
enter therein are blessed and thrice blessed
In verse 11, the Apostle John the Theologian says: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name (Rev. 14:11). These torments, sufferings, and pain will be endless, extending unto the ages of ages. Those who worship the beast and his image, who take upon themselves the mark of his death, will find no solace day or night. The Apostle describes the sufferings of people who will have no rest in eternity. Christ also speaks of this in the Gospels.
This is a response to some theories that have been condemned by the Church in council—the transmigration of souls, reincarnation. These theories say that after death, the soul of a man passes first into one body, then another, and the man lives anew. But man doesn’t return and isn’t repeated—he lives once and dies once and then goes either to the eternal Kingdom of God or eternal separation from God.
There’s another heresy that claims that the torments will eventually end. We’ll suffer for several years in proportion to our sins and then we’ll move into a new state. The is also stated by the Papist church, which believes there’s a purifying fire—Purgatory. You’ll sit in this fire for several years, depending on how much you sinned, and then you’ll leave. It’s like a frying pan—you fry something, and once it’s ready you remove it from the heat. The image of a purifying fire is like you get fried and move on. But it’s ridiculous—an invention of Catholics to lead many into delusion. Unfortunately, the torment is eternal. But the Kingdom of God is also eternal and everyone who enters it is blessed and thrice-blessed. But unfortunate are those who are separated from God, for they will have no opportunity to change their tormented condition.
To be continued…