Revelation 14:3 “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.”
They came out of the earth, they came out of the great tribulation. That perfectly matches with Chapter 7 in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 14:4 “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.”
They are virgin males.
They follow the Lamb, like bridesmaids following the wedding procession ceremony.
Why do they go where the Lamb goes? Because the Lamb has the bride. So they’re following this procession with the bride and groom.
From the men of the world, they were redeemed from them. Why? Because the men of the world take the mark of the beast, so these are redeemed from them.
They are known as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
The firstfruits of the rapture are Jews
This becomes a doctrinal issue with dispensationalism. Some people who hate dispensationalism try to say that the firstfruits are Christians, not Jews.
1 Corinthians 15:20 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”
1 Corinthians 15:23-24 “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.”
In verse 23, dispensationalists argue that there is a pre-tribulation rapture for Christians in the church age and there is another rapture in the middle or the end of the tribulation for the tribulation Jews where eternal life is conditional based on faith and works.
How do you prove that? There is an order at verse 21, this is the rapture. Some people say that it’s just a general resurrection of dead believers, not a rapture. But if you keep reading from verse 35 to 56, you’ll know that’s a rapture. They’re going up at the sound of God’s trumpet voice.
Considering this is a rapture, ‘Christ the firstfruits’ at verse 23, we say these are the Old Testament saints. The second part of verse 23, we say that’s the Christian church because we are the body of Christ. Verse 24 that’s obviously tribulation because of the word ‘end’.
Now this is a problem, we can’t argue that the tribulation Jews are not the firstfruits of 1 Corinthians 15. Dispensationalists argue that the firstfruits are the Old Testament saints because of the order of rapture, after Christ the firstfruits then it’s the church. After the church, it’s tribulation saints.
How are the tribulation saints in Revelation 14 the firstfruits?
Firstfruits mean the primary, main, important fruits glean from the harvest. Because when they’re harvesting, they give the firstfruits to the Lord.
Now, all you have to look is at the context, where are they redeemed from? Notice the word ‘redeemed’, isn’t that a rapture word in Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, and the latter part of Romans 8? You’ll notice that when it talks about the rapture, it calls it ‘redemption’. Our redemption is based on no works, purely based on Christ’s works, Christ paid it all.
In Revelation 12:11 and Revelation 7, when they came out of great tribulation, it’s based on works here. Not only that, they’re redeemed from the earth, which is in tribulation.
1 Corinthians 15’s context is not about harvesting from the earth during the tribulation timeline, the context is all of God’s children in general, that’s why it says “his own order”. It doesn’t mention coming out of great tribulation.
The context of Revelation 14 is coming out of the tribulation that’s in the world. So there’s harvesting here, and before the main harvest, the firstfruits will be taken first which is the tribulation saints. They will be redeemed from the earth.
Later on, in Revelation 14:13-20, that harvesting has nothing to do with the Christian time period, it is the end times tribulation. God’s going to take these tribulation saints up to rescue them from what God’s going to pour out on Armageddon and judgment upon the world.
That’s why if you believe in two raptures and various forms of harvesting for the rapture, this is going to click and make sense.
The tribulation saints had no fault before the throne of God
Revelation 14:5 “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
These were considered as no guile in their mouth.
When they arrive at God’s throne at the rapture, they are without fault.
In Revelation 7, in order to maintain their salvation, they have to love not their lives to death with their testimony. That’s a lot of work. In Revelation 7, they have to wash their robes in the blood of Jesus Christ, they have to make the work effort.
Jesus did not die, bury and resurrect at Luke 1 but look at the Old Testament, to see what God considers righteous.
Luke 1:6 “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
Like Revelation 14, before the throne of God. They were righteous before God based on their works. This matches with Revelation 14. This is Jewish, not Christian, it’s based on their works.
For further reading,
– Biblical scenario of events in Revelation from pre-tribulation rapture (for the church), to the wedding feast of the lamb and seven-year period of tribulation, post-tribulation rapture of the tribulation Jews, the second Advent and the millennial reign (thousand-year period).
– Study from the verse by verse commentary on Revelation
– Convincing study on pre-tribulation view (for Christians)