The Army of Overcomers

The book of Revelation describes a very interesting group known as the 144,000. These are special people who have a special relationship with Christ and a special character. They follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, and in their mouth is found no guile. It is not without reason that the Lord set these people apart as a special group. It is commonly believed among us that these are people whose character will be so pure that they will meet Christ while still alive and pass through the time of trouble without a Heavenly Mediator.

This group is quite mysterious and enigmatic to people today. And if it is mysterious, you do not know what qualities of soul you must possess even to be a candidate for this number.

We can say with confidence that these people came out of Laodicea, that they were once lukewarm and sleeping Christians, but Jesus’ invitation to a personal relationship awakened them. Having set out to obtain the blessings of God described in Revelation 3:18, they became possessors of everything the Faithful Witness counseled them to obtain. We may safely assume that these people are filled with faith which worketh by love, that they are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and that Heavenly wisdom tells them what to do, how to do it, and in what time they are living. They learned to hear God’s voice even when He is silent and to distinguish it among the many voices of this world. They know the voice of their Heavenly Shepherd and do not follow another.

These people passed through every stage of spiritual growth. Having learned that the goal of growth is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, they reached this condition of soul and received special blessings in their love for one another.

Like the wise virgins in the parable of Matthew 25:1–12, they obtained Heavenly oil and knew the One Who sells this blessing.

These people were taken out of the world so that the Lord might be glorified through them and in them. They lived amid a sinful society and among brethren who had fallen away, but they chose the better path and responded to the invitation of the Faithful Witness to enter into an eternal trading relationship with Him. In this relationship, they became so closely acquainted with Christ that they walked with Him, ate with Him, fell asleep and awoke with Him, and shared these discoveries with others, inviting everyone who desired to taste personally and see that the Lord is good.

When God created man, He did not simply create some intelligent being that would merely occupy a place in the Universe, eat and drink, and live for itself. No. The Lord created man with a definite purpose: through these people, He would show the entire Universe the beauty of His Heavenly character. The first people possessed the potential to reflect God’s glory and to develop in this respect. No sin prevented them from visibly displaying the image and likeness of their Creator. But humanity fell, and the image of the Eternal God was buried beneath carnal attractions and desires. Yet God’s dream and plan remained unchanged—to restore His image and likeness in fallen people and reveal this image to the fallen world and the observing Universe.

When the Savior was born into our world, through His sinless life He showed the entire Universe what God is truly like. He revealed to the world the image of a loving God and overcame every sin in the same way that we can.

Christ had access to the same power of the Holy Spirit that is available to us. God will work in us and through us and accomplish what He accomplished through Jesus if we accept God’s plan and rely by faith upon the fulfillment of this plan in our lives, and if we follow everything He has provided for our salvation.

The group of 144,000 consists of those very overcomers who heard the message to Laodicea, followed Jesus’ counsel, were zealous and repented of their lukewarm condition, opened the doors of their hearts to Christ, and had a close daily relationship with Him. They did not consider themselves overcomers, but they advanced toward this victory by carrying out God’s plan in their choices and in their relationship with Christ. They allowed God to fulfill in them all the purposes He had for them. Being humble people, they held a humble opinion of themselves and did not display their good works for everyone to see. But because of God’s love, they had the most proper motive in everything they did.

They learned so thoroughly to seek God’s counsel, to trust Him, and to believe that He would certainly protect them and fulfill in their lives everything for which they asked and toward which they strove. God led these people through the fire of trials, through ridicule, and through the cleansing of their hearts from love for this world. For a time, they lived and grew with others in a lukewarm condition, but when they heard God’s counsel, they responded to it and put into practice everything to which the Faithful Witness called them. Although they knew how to overcome every temptation alone, they always strove for unity with their fellow believers and rejoiced over everyone they found for spiritual growth together.

Dwelling within these overcomers, Jesus revealed and showed them at the proper time where to take the next step, what to believe, and where to go. He was their constant Teacher and warned them of every danger that could slow their spiritual growth or lead them in another direction.

These people showed the whole world God’s perfection and how God can transform any sinful person when that sinner begins sincerely to trust and follow his Shepherd. These people allowed God to be love within them and to teach them to love their enemies, their neighbors, the members of their households, their brothers and sisters, and one another. Love became the breath of their lives and the chief motive of their relationships with one another. They spoke with love, thought with love, and acted with love, placing it into everything they touched.

They overcame this world just as Christ overcame. When mortal danger threatened them, they chose death and remained faithful to God. But death did not gain dominion over them, because God had another plan for their lives. They were to become living witnesses of God’s power and God’s perfection, showing the entire Universe and the whole world what complete obedience and the presence of God’s grace in a person’s life can produce. They endured every temptation and emerged from it as overcomers, just as Christ overcame while living in this world. They understand that none of the merit for this victory belongs to them, but that all of it is the privilege of the presence of God’s grace in their minds and hearts.

And the most interesting thing is that you, dear reader, can become one of these 144,000 right now by responding to God’s call and doing what He counsels you to do in Revelation 3:18. The Lord does not want you to be a spectator who applauds while watching others obtain these Heavenly blessings and grow in knowledge and in a personal relationship with Christ. The Lord desires you to become a direct participant in all these events and to overcome this world and all its temptations, to overcome all of Satan’s temptations, and to cleave so firmly to Christ that it would be easier for you to die than to sin. This plan can be fulfilled in your life because it was written specifically for you. The Lord is calling and drawing you in particular to Himself, but you decide what to do with this call.

1. Please read Revelation 7:14; 14:1–5; John 10:10, 27; 15:5; 16:33; 17:23–25; Romans 8:29; 12:2; 13:14; Galatians 2:20; 5:6; Ephesians 4:15.

2. What other Bible verses came to your mind?

3. What did you understand?

4. Who are the 144,000?

5. Is there a connection between this group and the message to Laodicea?

6. How seriously do I take the counsel of the Faithful Witness to Laodicea?

7. How can I learn to distinguish God’s voice daily among the many voices of this world?

8. Can I say that I have a close personal relationship with Christ?

9. Do the 144,000 understand what the Lord expects of them?

10. Will there be any accidental people among this number?

11. Why does the Bible give special prominence to this number?

12. Can the beauty of God’s character be seen in my life?

13. Should the beauty of God’s character be revealed in my love for friends and enemies?

14. Is love the chief motive of my actions?