The Firstfruits...

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The idea of a firstfruits occurs many times in the Bible. For example, The Lord Jesus Christ is the Firstfruits of the saints who will be raised from the dead.

(5/15/2011). Anyone who does farm work understands what "firstfruits" are. They are the first reaping from the vine, for example, and they are the best of the fruit and vegetables. Subsequent reaping are good but not as tasty as the first. Also, as in the case of a grain offering, God expects to receive some of what is reaped before the remainder of the harvest is put to our use.

God always requires the firstfruits of that which we are to offer to Him. Sometimes Christians give God what is left over of their time and money, after they have taken care of their own needs and pleasures.

In the case of the Christian Church, there is a firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. They are the first reaping of the earth. They are the finest, most faithful, most obedient of the believers. God places them ahead of the remainder of those who are saved of earth's people.

I do not believe our democratic ideas welcome the idea of a part of the Christian Church who are closer to God and Christ than is true of other believers. Also, the current teaching of grace militates against the concept of people whose devotion has earned them a special place with God.

It is true nevertheless. There are those whom God regards as a firstfruits of the earth.

Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1—NASB)

The hundred and forty-four thousand are not the entire Church, the entire Body of Christ. They have been chosen to stand with the Lamb on the holy mountain of God's Presence. The Father's name is written on their foreheads, meaning they always do God's will. The Lamb's name written on their foreheads signifies that they belong to the Lamb.

They are the special possession of God and the Lamb.

I don't know about you, but when I found out one could aspire to a special place with God and the Lamb, that became the goal of my life. The idea is not to be some great one, rather it is to be pleasing to God and Christ. The idea of 144 thousand may be symbolic, since it is a multiple of twelve. Or, it may be a literal number of people. My guess would be that it is symbolic.

Mount Zion is the city of God.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24)

The fact that the 144 thousand are standing with the Lamb tells me they are ready to move with Him wherever He leads. How many Christian believers are ready to move instantly with Christ without having to go through numerous complications first? That is, if they are willing to move at all!

It appears to me in the present hour that a good part of the churches in America are sitting on Mount Zion rather than standing with the Lamb. I hope I am not correct in this.

I believe difficult times are coming to America as well as to the rest of the world. If we have had trouble running with the footmen, how are we going to be able to compete with the horses?

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. (Revelation 14:2,3—NASB)

Could you imagine a voice sounding like a grand symphony? This is the voice of the 144 thousand. Those on the Throne of God could hear them.

The four Cherubim of Glory could hear them. These cherubim are exalted beings who reveal in themselves the Personality of the Lord God of Heaven.

The 24 elders could hear them. These are God's rulers who always are casting down their crown, saying, "Not my will but Yours be done."

Those on the Throne, the four Cherubim of Glory, and the 24 elders, these all being the highest Personages of Heaven, could not learn the song sung by the 144 thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.

Why is this? It is because each member of the 144 thousand has overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb; has overcome Satan by his testimony of the faithfulness of God; and has overcome Satan by dying to his own will and embracing in its place the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

They are the only one of their mother, the Church. While there have been multitudes of fine Christian people, the 144 thousand have been the "cream of the crop," one might say. The love God and Christ has for these goes far, far beyond any love we could imagine.

Why could no one else learn the great symphonic song? It is because the song comes straight from the Heart of God and of the Lamb. It is not a song that can be learned by listening. It can be learned only by the very sternest and complete obedience and devotion to God.

The whole earth is a field. God found a treasure in the field. The treasure is the 144 thousand who love God above all else. The Lord Jesus Christ purchased these with His blood. No other purchase price was adequate for this greatest of all transactions.

These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. (Revelation 14:4—NASB)

Since the Scripture tells us that marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled, we understand that the above verse is not referring to relations with a human woman. Rather the reference is to those relationships, circumstances, and things we idolize.

We cannot bring a loved one, a friend, a talent, money, or anything else when we come to the Lord. He wants our undistracted attention. Until He gets that, we cannot be of help to our loved ones and friends. We have to keep ourselves pure, in the sense that there is no relationship, circumstance, or thing that we would not give to Christ the moment He asks for it.

We are to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. This means we must be living in His Presence at all times so we always know His will for us. This is not as difficult as some might think who never have lived this way.

It appears that at times the churches take the attitude that they should go forth, and Christ should follow them and bless whatever they are doing. It does not work that way, no matter how worthy our intentions may be. We are to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. He is not bound to follow us wherever we decide to go.

They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. (Revelation 14:5—NASB)

The 144 thousand are the first and best of the crop. They have presented their bodies as a living sacrifice that they might prove God's will in every thought, every word, and every action.

"No lie was found in their mouths." This condition is of utmost importance. The Antichrist world spirit is one huge lie. The media keep presenting to us one lie after another. It requires a long, painful discipleship for most of us before all lies are burnt out of us.

God does not lie. The Lamb does not lie. We are not in God's image when we lie. The first act of Satan in the Garden of Eden was to lie. As Jesus stated, "Satan is a liar and the father of lies."

What a wonderful state we are in when we speak truth from our inner nature. If we find that we tend to exaggerate, or to continually be attempting to sell our point of view, or to gossip about others in order to make ourselves look good, or to cheat in business transactions, or to modify the truth, even a little, in order to get out of a difficult situation, just remember that the Lamb would not do this. His Father would not do this. We cannot lie and at the same time follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

The 144 thousand will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord, and work with Him at the task of installing the Kingdom of God on the earth. The remainder of the Church will not be raised until the conclusion of the thousand-year Kingdom Age. This is the first resurrection. It is worth every effort we can put into it, every denial of self, every painful struggle, just as was true of the Apostle Paul, to attain to the early resurrection from the dead.

Let us make attaining to the first resurrection our highest priority, our supreme goal, while America and the rest of the world descend into the moral filth and chaotic environment of the Antichrist world government.

These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. (Revelation 14:4.5—NIV)

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