(Gaining God's Approval) 10. the Company of God's Approved Ones

In Revelation 14:1-5, we read of a small company of disciples who followed the Lord wholeheartedly in their earthly lives. They stand with Jesus in the final day, as overcomers - for God was able to accomplish His full purpose in their lives.

Those whose sins are forgiven are a vast multitude whom no man can number, as we see in Revelation 7:9,10:

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

But the company of disciples mentioned in Revelation 14 is a much smaller one, that can be numbered - 144,000. Whether the number is literal or symbolic (as much of the book of Revelation is) is immaterial. The point is that it is a very small number when compared with the great multitude.

This is the remnant that was true and faithful to God on earth. They were tested and obtained God's certificate of approval. God Himself certifies concerning them that "they have kept themselves pure....they follow the Lamb wherever He goes .... no lie (or guile) was found in their mouth ..... they are blameless" (v. 4,5).

These are God's first fruits. They comprise the bride of Christ. On the day of the marriage of the Lamb, it will become clear to everyone that it was worth it all be utterly true and faithful to God in all things - both big and small.

In that day, the cry in heaven is, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."(Rev. 19:7).

Those who sought their own gain and honour on earth, will realise fully only in that day how great their loss really is. Those who loved father or mother, wife or children, or brothers or sisters or their own life, or material things, above the Lord, will discover their eternal loss in that day.

Then it will become evident that the wisest people on earth were those who obeyed the commands of Jesus totally and who sought with all their hearts to walk even as He walked. The empty honour of Christendom will then be seen clearly for the rubbish that it is. Money and material things we will then see, were only the means by which God tested us to see whether we qualified to be in the Bride of Christ.

Oh that our eyes might be opened even now to see something of the realities that we shall see clearly in that day!

The greatest honour that any human being can have is to find a place in the Bride of Christ in that day - as one who has been tested and approved by God Himself!

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Amen.