“And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 bond-servants…” (Revelation 14:1-5, NASB)

We will see some great men and women, bond-servants of God, in heaven. I cannot wait to see who they will be, and I desire to be numbered with them. As believers, we should all strive to be numbered among God’s servants and pursue greatness in His kingdom. These are the thoughts that I had as I read today’s passage. It says,

“And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.”

There will be some great servants of God in heaven! James and John once asked Jesus if they could sit at his right and left when he comes in glory. The Lord answered them, “To sit on my right and on my left, this is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Mt.20:23). Since then, many have wondered who those two might be and who will be considered great in the kingdom of God.

In addition to these and the twenty-four elders around the throne of God, there will also be the 144,000 bond-servants who will follow Christ wherever he goes. John saw a vision of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with his 144,000 bond-servants. Just who are these guys, and what do they do? First, they are the sealed bond-servants of God representing “the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel” (Rev.7:4-8). Second, they are men who have not “been defiled with women” (virgin men), and they have been “purchased from among men” (saved). Therefore, in order to be numbered with the 144,000, you must be a born-again, virgin, Israelite man. Do you fit the profile? Whether you interpret these qualifications as literal or symbolic, it is clear that they are special and sacred servants of God. As for their responsibilities, it says they “follow the Lamb wherever he goes,” which to me sounds like they are some kind of bodyguard-like, mighty men of Christ. How cool would it be to be included in that number?

Whether you will be sitting at Jesus’ right or left, or one of the 144,000, or one of the twenty-four elders, one thing is for sure. There will be some sort of hierarchy of greatness in the kingdom of God! Jesus’ teaching about the rewards, the parable of the talents, and the crowns also seem to indicate this. However, we must also remember that the greatness in the kingdom is nothing like the way people see greatness on earth. Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Mt.20:26-27).

But you might say, “I don’t really care about being great in the kingdom of God. I’m just happy that God loves me and that I will be in heaven.” This sounds like a very humble thing to say, but that is false humility. Our desire should be to become great servants of God and do our best to live like one. You may not end up sitting at Jesus’ right or left. You may not stand with the 144,000. You may not even be called an elder in heaven. However, if you are a believer, you are already a servant of God, whether you like it or not. What you do with that title is up to you. It’s up to you to make it a “great” servant, a “good” servant, a “average” servant, or a “wicked” servant. By saying, “I don’t care about being great. I’m just happy that I will be in heaven,” you are saying, “I don’t care about the grade. I’m just happy that I’m getting any grade, even if it’s D or F.” Does that sound like a servant who loves God and seeks to serve Him? Do you think God will be pleased with such words? Don’t settle for being numbered with the average servants of God, but strive to be numbered with the servants of God who are great.

• Who or what do you think these 144,000 bond-servants represent?
• What is your ambition as a servant of God—to be great, average, or just happy to be in heaven?