IsiTyhilelo 14:4

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

4 Aba ngabo bangadyobhekanga ngabafazi, kuba benyulu. Aba ngabo bayilandelayo iMvana apho isukuba isiya khona. Aba bathengwa bephuma ebantwini, baziintlahlela kuye uThixo nakuyo iMvana.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for: Psalms 45:14, Song of Solomon 1:3, Song of Solomon 6:8, Matthew 25:1, 1 Corinthians 7:25, 1 Corinthians 7:26, 1 Corinthians 7:28, 2 Corinthians 11:2, 1 Timothy 4:3

which follow: Revelation 3:4, Revelation 7:15-17, Revelation 17:14, Matthew 8:19, Luke 9:57-62, John 8:12, John 10:27, John 12:26, John 13:37

These were: Revelation 5:9

redeemed: Gr. bought, Psalms 74:2, Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Ephesians 1:14, 1 Peter 2:9, *marg. the first fruits, Jeremiah 2:3, Amos 6:1, *marg. 1 Corinthians 16:15, James 1:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 13:13 - shalt thou Exodus 23:19 - first of the Leviticus 2:12 - the oblation Leviticus 2:14 - a meat offering Leviticus 21:13 - General Leviticus 23:10 - sheaf Leviticus 23:17 - the firstfruits Numbers 3:40 - General Numbers 15:20 - a cake Deuteronomy 4:4 - General Deuteronomy 26:2 - That thou shalt Joshua 3:3 - ye shall remove Joshua 14:8 - wholly Ruth 1:16 - whither 2 Chronicles 31:5 - came abroad Psalms 34:13 - speaking Song of Solomon 5:2 - my dove Ezekiel 9:6 - but Luke 12:37 - that John 1:29 - Behold Acts 1:9 - a cloud Romans 11:16 - if the firstfruit Romans 16:5 - who 1 Corinthians 1:30 - redemption Ephesians 1:7 - whom Colossians 1:14 - whom Hebrews 9:15 - for Hebrews 12:23 - the firstborn

Gill's Notes on the Bible

These are they which were not defiled with women,.... With the whore of Rome, and her harlots, she is the mother of; while the kings and inhabitants of the earth were drunk with the wine of their fornication, or committed idolatry with them, which is spiritual fornication, and is here meant by being defiled with them, these were free from such pollutions, or idolatrous practices:

for they are virgins; for their beauty and comeliness in Christ, chastity, sincerity of their love, uncorruptness in doctrine and worship, and for the uprightness of conversation; :-;

these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth; as the sheep follow the shepherd of the flock, and which is a character of Christ's sheep, John 10:4. These follow Christ in the exercise of the graces of humility, patience, and love; and in the performance of the several duties of religion, and subjection to ordinances, and in the path of sufferings; and in every way in which Christ the Lamb has gone before them, or in his word and providence leads and directs them to, whether it be grateful to the flesh or not; particularly they follow where he is preached, and his Word and ordinances are faithfully administered; and they follow him to heaven, where he is: it was part of the oath taken by the Roman soldiers, τοις στρατηγοις ακολουθειν οποι ποτ' αι αγωσι, "to follow the generals wherever they should lead" n, to which it is thought there is an allusion here; see 2 Samuel 15:21;

these were redeemed from among men; "by Jesus", as the Syriac and Arabic versions add, and so the Complutensian edition; by the blood of Christ, for all men are not redeemed by it; and in consequence of this they were called, and delivered from this present evil world, and the men of it, and from a vain, wicked, and idolatrous conversation with it:

[being] the firstfruits unto God, and to the Lamb; in allusion to the firstfruits under the law, which represented and sanctified the lump, and showed that harvest was coming; so these persons are called the firstfruits to God, and to the Lamb, being called by grace, and consecrated to their worship and service, with reference to the harvest of souls, or that large number of them which will be gathered in during the spiritual reign of Christ, which these persons will be at the beginning of; and as those who are first called and converted in a country or nation are said to be the firstfruits of it, Romans 16:5; so these being the first, in the period of time to which respect is had, bear this name; and as the converted Jews received the firstfruits of the Spirit, on the day of Pentecost, and at other times, so these will receive the firstfruits of the far greater pouring forth of the Spirit in the latter day, which will begin, and usher in the kingdom of Christ; see Romans 8:23.

n Vid. Lydii Dissert. de Jurament. c. 2. p. 258.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

These are they - In this verse, and in the following verse, the writer states the leading characteristics of those who are saved. The general idea is, that they are chaste; that they are the followers of the Lamb; that they are redeemed from among people; and that they are without guile.

Which were not defiled with women - Who were chaste. The word “defiled” here determines the meaning of the passage, as denoting that they were not guilty of illicit sexual intercourse with women. It is unnecessary to show that this is a virtue everywhere required in the Bible, and everywhere stated as among the characteristics of the redeemed. On no point are there more frequent exhortations in the Scriptures than on this; on no point is there more solicitude manifested that the professed friends of the Saviour should be without blame. Compare the Acts 15:20 note; Romans 1:24-32 notes; 1 Corinthians 6:18 note; Hebrews 13:4 note. See also 1Co 5:1; 1 Corinthians 6:13; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3. This passage cannot be adduced in favor of celibacy, whether among the clergy or laity, or in favor of monastic principles in any form; for the thing that is specified is, that they were not “defiled with women,” and a lawful connection of the sexes, such as marriage, is not defilement. See the notes on Hebrews 13:4. The word rendered here “defiled” - ἐμολύνθησαν emolunthēsan, from μολύνω molunō - is a word that cannot be applied to the marriage relation. It means properly to “soil, to stain, to defile.” 1 Corinthians 8:7; “their conscience being weak, is defiled.” Revelation 3:4; “which have not defiled their garments.” The word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament, except in the passage before us, and it will be seen at once that it cannot be applied to that which is lawful and proper, and consequently that it cannot be construed as an expression against marriage and in favor of celibacy. It is a word that is properly expressive of illicit sexual intercourse - of impurity and unchastity of life - and the statement is, that they who are saved are not impure and unchaste.

For they are virgins - παρθένοι parthenoi. This is the masculine form, but this form is found in the later Greek and in the Christian fathers. See Suidas and Suicer, Thes. The meaning of the word, when found in the feminine form, is well understood. It denotes a virgin, a maiden, and thence it is used to denote what is chaste and pure: virgin modesty; virgin gold; virgin soil; virgin blush; virgin shame. The word in the masculine form must have a similar meaning as applied to men, and may denote:

(a)Those who are unmarried;

(b)Those who are chaste and pure in general.

The word is applied by Suidas to Abel and Melchizedek. “The sense,” says DeWette, in loco, “cannot be that all these 144,000 had lived an unmarried life; for how could the apostle Peter, and others who were married, have been excluded? But the reference must be to those who held themselves from all impurity - “unkeuschheit und hurerei” - which, in the view of the apostles, was closely connected with idolatry.” Compare Bleek, Beitr. i. 185. Prof. Stuart supposes that the main reference here is to those who had kept themselves from idolatry, and who were thus pure. It seems to me, however, that the most obvious meaning is the correct one, that it refers to the redeemed as chaste, and thus brings into view one of the prominent things in which Christians are distinguished from the devotees of nearly every other form of religion, and, indeed, exclusively from the world at large. This passage, also, cannot be adduced in favor of the monastic system, because:

(a)Whatever may be said anywhere of the purity of virgins, there is no such commendation of it as to imply that the married life is impure;

(b)It cannot be supposed that God meant in any way to reflect on the married life as in itself impure or dishonorable;

(c)The language does not demand such an interpretation; and,

(d)The facts in regard to the monastic life have shown that it has had very little pretensions to a claim of virgin purity.

These are they which follow the Lamb - This is another characteristic of those who are redeemed - that they are followers of the Lamb of God. That is, they are his disciples; they imitate his example; they obey his instructions; they yield to his laws; they receive him as their counselor and their guide. See the notes on John 10:3, John 10:27.

Whithersoever he goeth - As sheep follow the shepherd. Compare Psalms 23:1-2. It is one characteristic of true Christians that they follow the Saviour wherever he leads them. Be it into trouble, into danger, into difficult duty; be it in Christian or pagan lands; be it in pleasant paths, or in roads rough and difficult, they commit themselves wholly to his guidance, and submit themselves wholly to his will.

These were redeemed from among men - This is another characteristic of those who are seen on Mount Zion. They are there because they are redeemed, and they have the character of the redeemed. They are not there in virtue of rank or blood John 1:13; not on the ground of their own works Titus 3:5; but because they are redeemed unto God by the blood of his Son. See the notes on Revelation 5:9-10. None will be there of whom it cannot be said that they are “redeemed”; none will be absent who have been truly redeemed from sin.

Being the first-fruits unto God - On the meaning of the word “first-fruits,” see the notes on 1 Corinthians 15:20. The meaning here would seem to be, that the hundred and forty-four thousand were not to be regarded as the whole of the number that was saved, but that they were representatives of the redeemed. They had the same characteristics which all the redeemed must have; they were a pledge that all the redeemed would be there. Prof. Stuart supposes that the sense is, that they were, as it were, “an offering especially acceptable to God.” The former explanation, however, meets all the circumstances of the case, and is more in accordance with the usual meaning of the word.

And to the Lamb - They stood there as redeemed by him, thus honoring him as their Redeemer, and showing forth his glory.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 14:4. These are they which were not defiled with women — They are pure from idolatry, and are presented as unspotted virgins to their Lord and Saviour Christ. See 2 Corinthians 11:2. There may be an allusion here to the Israelites committing idolatry, through the means of their criminal connection with the Midianitish women. See Numbers 25:1-4; Numbers 31:16.

Follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth — They go through good and through evil report, bear his reproach, and love not their lives even to the death.

The first fruits unto God — The reference appears to be to those Jews who were the first converts to Christianity.