Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
There is a strange group of people brought to view in Revelation 7 and 14. They "follow the Lamb wherever He goes" and they "are without fault" before the throne of God (Rev. 14:4, 5). A special angel places "the seal of God" upon them while four other angels perform the difficult task of holding back the horrible hurricane winds of human passion that threaten to involve the world in the end-time war of wars (Rev. 7:2, 3).
This is the only group of people in the Bible to be designated as "without fault." The placing of the seal of God on them while earth's final war threatens, makes clear their appearance is near the end of time.
For sure, they are not legalists. Their being "without fault" is not a self-help kind of egocentric righteousness; what they do is totally unique. They have learned how to "follow the Lamb," the crucified Christ. In other words, it is clear that their being "without fault" implies that like all humans they are sinners by nature. In following the crucified Christ means that they have had the same battle with temptation that all humans have. What sets them aside as special is that they have "overcome ... as [Christ] also overcame" (Rev. 3:20).
They will be the first to acknowledge that they are "the chief of sinners," "less than the least of all saints." They will be praying the constant prayer, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (1 Tim. 1:15, Eph. 3:8, Luke 18:13). Not the slightest whisper of a claim to holiness will be heard escaping their lips.
They share a special relationship to that one person of all time who enjoyed the highest praise Jesus ever bestowed on anyone--Mary Magdalene. He defended her against the religious leaders of the day (the Twelve apostles!), and said she "has done [all] she could" (Mark 14:8). Jesus died our death--the second; but before He drew His last breath, He could behold by faith that Mary's prototype demonstration of righteousness by faith would be duplicated in those "144,000" people at the end of time.
In her humility of soul Mary probably thought that she was useless. But in truth she was very important! So are you. You have an important place in God's last work.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 12, 2004.
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