The 144,000 Overcomers — Stephen Kaung

The Lamb and the 144,000 Overcomers on Mount Zion

Will you please turn to the last book of the Bible, Revelation. Revelation chapter 14. We will read from verse one through verse five. Revelation chapter 14, verse one. And I saw and behold the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion and with Him 144 ,000, having His name and the name of His Father written upon their foreheads.

And I heard a voice out of the heaven as the voice of many waters and as the voice of great thunder. And the voice which I heard was the harp singers harping with their harps. And they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.

And no one can learn this song, save the 144 ,000 who were brought from the earth. These are they who have not been defiled with women for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wheresoever it goes.

These have been bought from men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was no lie found for they are blameless. May we have with you a prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for giving us another opportunity that we may come together in Your presence to hear Your Word and allow Your Holy Spirit to reveal My heart, Thy heart to us.

Oh, dear Lord, our prayer is that we may respond to Thee. We may be those who will follow Thee wheresoever You go. We commit this time into Your hand. We look Thee to speak and to bring us all into the very good of Thy Word that Thou may be glorified, Thy purpose may be fulfilled.

We ask in Thy name, Amen. Dear brothers and sisters, we have just read one of the most beautiful scenes in the Scripture. We saw the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion. Now, this Mount Zion is not the Mount Zion on earth.

Instead, it is the Mount Zion in heaven. Our Lord is there because He has overcome while He was on this earth. But thank God, standing with Him will be 144 ,000 people. Who are they? They are the overcomers throughout the ages from the beginning of the first century to the coming of our Lord Jesus.

Even though we realize that few have been the numbers of overcomers, and yet thank God, there will be a fullness of overcomers. So the 144 ,000 represent the overcomers throughout the ages. From the first century to the coming of the Lord, century after century, God has His overcomers.

Those by the grace of God, they overcome the world, they overcome Satan, they overcome themselves. And they are faithful to the Lord. It is sad to say that few have been overcomers. Most of God's people have been overcome by the world, overcome by Satan, instead of being overcome by the promise of the Lord.

But thank God, even so, throughout the centuries, God had His overcomers. Here we find a number, 144 ,000. Brothers and sisters, I believe this is not a complete number. In other words, it doesn't mean there will be only 144 ,000 overcomers throughout the centuries.

I believe it is a perfect number. It is a multiple of 12. That is to say, throughout the centuries, in every century, thank God, God has His overcomers. And we who are living at the end of the 20th centuries, there will also be those by the grace of God overcome.

Overcome. So I believe the 144 ,000 is not a complete number. It is a perfect number. It means that throughout the centuries, difficult as it has been, God has finally got His overcomers. And that includes us here.

The Lord’s Return and the Need for Readiness

We are living at the end of the 20th centuries. Most likely, the Lord will come very soon. He has waited long. You remember when our Lord left His disciples. He told them, I will come back to receive you to myself.

Where I am, there you will be. This promise of our Lord Jesus had been for 20 centuries. And in a sense, He is still waiting. The question is, is the Lord waiting for us? Are we waiting for the Lord? Why is it that the Lord has delayed His return?

I believe when the Lord said, I will come back to receive you to myself, His heart is so anxious to return, to receive them. But unfortunately, 20 centuries have passed. And the Lord has not yet come.

So the question is, why is it that the Lord has delayed His return? Is it because He does not want to return? I believe we all know He is most anxious to return, most anxious to come back, to receive His own, to Himself, to be with Him forever.

That is the heart of our Lord Jesus. The reason why He has not yet returned is not in Him. It is in us. It is because His people have not been ready. Oh, brothers and sisters, if we try to see the heart of our Lord Jesus, when He say, I will come back to receive you to myself, how anxious must be His heart?

How anxious must He want to come back as soon as possible to receive His people to Himself? That is the very heart of our Lord Jesus. But brothers and sisters, unfortunately, He could not. Not that He would not, but He could not.

It is because His people has not been ready. His people has delayed Him. Not that the Lord has delayed His return. It is His people who have delayed His return. But dear brothers and sisters, do you have the sense that after 20 centuries, come to our time, do you have a sense that very likely the Lord will come in our time?

Deep in my heart, there is a cry, come, Lord Jesus, come. I believe this is the prayer of the saints in our days. The Lord is coming. He may come at any moment because all the prophecies that precede the coming of the Lord have been fulfilled.

The next prophecy to be fulfilled is the coming of the Lord. So I have a deep sense that our Lord Jesus may come back in our time. Because of this, I feel we are living at a very crucial, exciting time.

Time. We find here in the vision, the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion. As I have said, this is not Mount Zion on earth, but it is Mount Zion in heaven. It represents the place of victory. Our Lord Jesus has come into this world, gave himself for the sins of this world.

He has overcome Satan, the world, and death. He is now in Mount Zion in heaven. He is worthy to be there. But thank God, by his grace, there will be 144 ,000 worthy to stand with him on Mount Zion. Now who are these 144 ,000?

As I have said, I do not believe it is a complete number, but it is a perfect number. It is the multiple of 12. That is to say, throughout the centuries, God is looking for overcomers. In one sense, he is disappointed because few have been the number of overcomers.

But in another sense, what he expects will be done. So throughout the 20 centuries, we find that there have been overcomers. Those who, by the grace of God, have followed the Lord Jesus faithfully, by overcoming the world, overcoming Satan, overcoming sin, and glorify God in their lives.

So we have this 144 ,000 with the Lamb on Mount Zion. As again I say, this is not a complete number. This is a perfect number. It is a multiple of 12. It means completion. Century after century, by the grace of God, he has obtained overcomers.

Those who are faithful to him, those who overcome the world, Satan and death, and they shall stand with the Lord on Mount Zion in heaven. Hopefully, by the grace of God, we are among the rank. The Bible tells us the 144 ,000 having his name and the name of his father written upon their foreheads.

Openly Confessing Jesus Christ

These are not secret Christians. You know, even at the time when our Lord was on earth, they were secret Christians. They were people who believed in the Lord Jesus, but because they are afraid of the Pharisees, they are afraid of the Sadducees, they are afraid of the judgment from the world, so they did not confess openly the Lord Jesus, and yet they believed secretly in their hearts.

But this is not the Lord's design. He wants us to be open Christians. If we believe in the Lord Jesus, we need to confess his name. So here you'll find the 144 ,000. They have the name of God and of Christ written upon their foreheads.

Now, when anything is written upon your forehead, it means that it can be seen by everybody. It is a public confession. Thank God, throughout the centuries, there have been people who openly confess the Lord Jesus, having his name and his Father's name written upon their foreheads.

They are not hidden Christians. They are not those who are afraid to be known as Christians. They stand up, stand out as Christians for the testimony of God and of Jesus Christ. How I hope by the grace of God, we are among the ranks.

There have been secret Christians throughout all centuries. Even at the time when our Lord was on earth. You remember there were even priests who had believed in the Lord Jesus, but they keep secret. They are afraid to lose their position.

They are afraid to lose the pleasure of the world, but these 144 ,000 are different. They openly confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Now, brothers and sisters, if you want to openly confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you're exposed to the attack of Satan, to the attack of the world, to the displeasure of this world, who is under the rule of Satan.

Therefore, throughout the centuries, those who had openly confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, they have suffered. Many became martyrs for the Lord. If you have read the book of Martyrdom, you find how men and women and even children who dare to confess the Lord Jesus in the face of great opposition and death, but by the grace of God, they have overcome.

Hopefully, brothers and sisters, we all who are at the end of the 20th century, we are in the beginning of the 21st century, we are those who have the name of the Lord Jesus and of God written upon our foreheads.

We are not hidden Christians. We are open Christians. We openly declare that Jesus is our Lord and our Savior. And sure enough, in this wicked world, under the domain of Satan, we will suffer even unto death.

But they live not their life even unto death. When you read the book of Martyrs, it touch you deeply, how men and women and even children dare to confess the name of the Lord and be put into all kinds of sufferings, dying for Christ, how glorious it is.

You cannot read the book of Martyrs with a cry, but the Lord is worthy. He is worthy to be openly confessed. Even it should mean death, sufferings, yet he is worthy. So the 144 ,000 represents God's people throughout the centuries who have openly confessed the Lord Jesus.

They have his name and the name of his Father upon their foreheads. Then John said, I heard a great voice. It is like the voice of harp singers, harping with their harps. Now we all know harp is a musical instrument of the heart.

The New Song and the Virgin Heart

When you're playing with the harp, you play it with your heart. And these harpers, they were also singing. They sang a song that nobody, nobody could learn except themselves because they learned it through their experience.

They learned it by living in it. Harp playing is the playing of the heart. From the very bottom of heart, they play out what is inside. And they openly declare Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.

And no one could learn this song, save the 144 ,000 who were brought from the earth. This is a song from the heart. They sing from their hearts. They sing from their experience so nobody can learn it.

They learn it by bearing the cross. They learn it by openly confess the Lord Jesus. They learn it through all kinds of troubles and difficulties, even unto death. But thank God, these have been the overcomers throughout the ages.

The Bible says, these are people who had not been defiled with woman. Now in 2 Corinthians, Paul tells us that he has presented the Corinthian believers as virgins to the Lord. It means that we who were once adulterous, adulterous in sin with the world, under the dominion of Satan, by the grace of God, we are able to sing a new song.

It is a song not learned by anybody, but it is a song that is learned from their sufferings. It is a song from the heart. It is harp singing, and they are the only one who is able to sing this song. Nobody can learn it except those who have gone through for the Lord's glory.

They have not been defiled with woman. As I have said, Paul has offered the Corinthian believers as virgins to God, pure, holy for the Lord. And this is what we ought to be. We who were once adulterous, adulterous in sin and transgressions in the world.

Under the domain of Satan, by the grace of God, he has delivered us, enable us to be as virgins unto God. To a virgin, her heart is only to us, the one who she is to be married. She has no other desire.

She is preparing herself just for that fact. And this is what we ought to be. Dear brothers and sisters, in the sight of God, we ought to be virgins. We ought to give ourselves so totally over to him.

We must be those who are preparing ourselves for the Lord Jesus. That is the heart of the virgin. Do we have a virgin heart? The Lord is looking for such people, and they are the only one who learned the song that they were singing.

Because this is a song that they learned through their life experience. By the grace of God, they had gone through a lot. They suffered a lot. They gave up a lot. They yielded to the Lord in all their lives, and out of such a devoted life, they learned a new song.

They are the only one who could sing such a song. The Bible said there are virgins. They are completely given to the Lord. In the heart of a virgin, there is only the Lord. And no one else. Do we have such a virgin heart?

Are we still secretly want to have something in this world? Is there such a wicked heart in us? We haven't seen the world yet. We haven't knew all the things in the world yet. Let us enjoy it. Until we have done it, then we will repent and turn to the Lord.

Outer Darkness and the Ten Virgins

Brothers and sisters, it seems to be a wise thinking, but do you have the time? What if the Lord shall return now, and you are still enjoying yourself in the world? What will happen to you? The Bible tells us you will be cast into outer darkness.

You will not be qualified to enter into the marriage land, feast of the lamb. You will not be qualified to partake with the Lord in his millennium kingdom, to rule and reign for a thousand years. You will be cast into outer darkness.

Now, what is outer darkness? Wherever I go, I have people asking me, what is outer darkness? But I never try to tell them what I know about outer darkness. But the very term outer darkness should tell us of something.

As the Bible says, in Matthew 25, there were 10 virgins. They all had their torch with them. They went out to meet the Lord. For the Lord can return at any moment. But because the Lord has been delayed, they all fell asleep.

And according to the right interpretation, these 10 virgins represents the saints throughout the century who have died because the Lord has not yet returned. But suddenly, a voice came. The Lord cometh, and they all rose up.

That's resurrection. All who believe in the Lord Jesus will be resurrected. But when they are raised from sleep, they began to trim their torch. Those who are wise, they have extra oil in the vessel. So they just pour the oil into the torch.

But those who seem to be wise in themselves, somehow they have other things in the vessel. Thinking that these are more important than oil. So when they woke up and they find that their torch is going out, they ask those who have to share with them.

Now, it is not because those who have are stingy and didn't want to share, but it is impossible because the extra oil is only enough for those who are ready. So unfortunately, they have to tell those to go and buy it.

Brothers and sisters, this is the time we are buying extra oil. This is the time that we are paying extra charge. This is the time to take up our cross and follow the Lord. But if you don't do it now, when you go to buy the oil, the Lord cometh.

So the five wise virgins went into the kingdom and the door was closed. When the five foolish virgins came back, I wonder if they had got the extra oil. Most likely not, the door was closed. And the word to them was, I do not know you.

That means I do not approve of you. What you have done is what ought not to be. So they were shut out of the kingdom. They were cast into outer darkness. You know, people are curious about the outer darkness.

I wonder why we are always curious about something negative than curious about something positive. I have been asked by many people, especially young people, what is the outer darkness? Where is it? What does it represent?

I often tell them, I will not tell you. You have to find out yourself. In all the books that I have read, I find there's only one book that tries to explain the outer darkness. It is by Robert Govett.

You know he is a literal person. Everything to him is literal. So he tries to explain what outer darkness is. He says when the Lord is traveling, he has darkness outside of him. Within is the glory of God, but outside is darkness.

So he says the outer darkness is the darkness that he shed away, and it becomes the outer darkness. Now that's Robert Govett's explanation. Whether it is correct or not, I don't know. But anyway, what is outer darkness?

Outer darkness represents the place where you are shut off from the kingdom, the millennium kingdom, to reign with Christ for a thousand years. And they are outside of the kingdom. In outer darkness, where you gnash your teeth, repent that you have not been faithful to the Lord while you are living.

But even so, thank God, in outer darkness, through repenting, the Lord is able to restore all that we may all be kings in the eternal kingdom. That is the mercy of God. Whom he has foreknown, he has chosen.

Whom he has chosen, he has called. Whom he has called, he has saved. Whom he has saved, he has sanctified. So eventually, only by the grace of God, all will be completed. Once God's grace come upon you, you may give up, he will never give up.

He will continue to work, even in outer darkness. Through repentance, you will be completed. So eternally, all who believe in the Lord Jesus will be there. Now you will say, if that is the case, I will be content to be in outer darkness.

But think of that, it's a thousand years. So brothers and sisters, here you find these 144 ,000, the overcomers throughout the ages. They follow the Lord wheresoever he goes. Our Lord Jesus, when he was on earth, he goes to Calvary, he goes to the cross.

Following the Lamb and Bearing the Cross

He died for our sins. This is where he goes. So those overcomers will be those who will follow the Lord. Those who want to be faithful to the Lord will not find it easy to live in this wretched world.

Because this is a world under the domain of the enemy. He's ruling over it. And if you want to follow the Lord, you will meet all kinds of oppositions, all kinds of difficulties. You have to pay a lot of cost.

Are you willing? Are you willing to bear the cross and follow the Lord wherever he goes? If you are among those, you are the overcomers. So they have been the first fruits to God and to the lamb. Now, first fruits always are the best fruits.

When the sun shine upon a field, those first fruits are those who are able to receive all the heat of the sun. So they are ripened first. And the first fruits are always the best of the field. So the overcomers are the best among the Christians because they are willing to bear the cross, suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus.

In their mouth, there was no lie found. They are truthful to the Lord. In the sight of God, they are blameless. Brothers and sisters, these will be the 144 ,000 reigning with Christ through millennium until eternity.

The 144,000 and the Error of Jehovah Witness Teaching

Now, if you are familiar with Jehovah Witness, what is the teaching of Jehovah Witness? Jehovah Witness teaches that 144 ,000 have already been fulfilled. So if you today believe in Jehovah Witness, you will be a second-class citizen because that number has been fulfilled.

Now, that is the teaching of Jehovah Witness. It's a false teaching. The Bible teaches that before the Lord's return, the door is wide open for you to be an overcomer. So by the grace of God, brothers and sisters, we who are here this morning, we have the blessed hope we have the hope that by the grace of God, we be among the rank of the overcomers.

When he shall come, we will respond and we will reign in him, not only through the millennium kingdom, but even for eternity. That is the glorious plan of God. So may the Lord have mercy upon every one of us here this morning, shall we pray?

Dear Lord, we want to thank thee because all is grace, all is mercy. We thank thee, it is not because we are better than other people, it is because thou has provided salvation to all who repent and believe in thee.

So dear brothers and sisters, we who are here this morning, having heard this message from the word of God, let us repent, let us return to thee, willing to take up the cross and follow thee. So when thou shall return, oh dear Lord, we may be among the rank of those who rule with thee for eternity.

We ask in thy precious name, amen.