25-Revelation-14:

144,000...these represent all of the redeemed (Rev. 21:17) and not a special, sealed to remain on earth, for a special mission, type of group. This group is not, at this time completed (verse 13). This group of the total and completed body of Christ is also given in chapter seven.

Forehead...means in the mind as 'in the hand' means by the 'deed'. In visions, numbers and names are seen upon the forehead, but upon Earth, they are in the mind and in Heaven they are in the Spirit. Have you taken the mark of the beast?

Smoke...Beloved,see if you can possibly picture Jesus (that innocent slain Lamb of God...who drew the line in the dust at the adultress' feet) and myriads of Holy Angels and, perhaps, Stephen (having fully forgiven those that stoned him in God's name), all standing in a circle beholding the men that took the mark...the full wrath of God being poured upon them...tormenting them with fire and brimstone...forever and ever and ever and ever (Rev. 14:9-11). Is this necessary, or desirable, or true? Frankly, if you can truly picture this...you had the assistance of Satan. For this is the picture that he would foist upon us, and thus besmirch the Holy character of God. O Righteous Father...you have no torture chambers...only courts of justice and a final lake of firey death. Take your Strong's Concordance and search the Scriptures to see if these things are true. Look up every reference to the grave, and to hell, and to fire, and to torment, and to torture, and to burning, and to pain, and to every word remotely associated with fire and brimstone and judgment......and all that will remain in your hands is this book of Revelation which speaks of smoke and a parable about a certain rich man in Luke. Praise God...how blessed we will be when all evil is forever gone...when forever becomes never-more to mind...when all our tears are gone...and all reason for crying is ceased....as when the terminally ill die...and there is a great peace...O Father, forgive us humankind who have listened to that deceptive evil one...that 'liar' and 'accuser' who dares to accuse even yourself of the evil to which he is addicted...that you could be unrighteous and unjust, by punishing, too severely, those who didn't even ask to be born (and would be truly better-off unborn). "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:( for anyone ...Praise God ) for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new..."(Rev. 21:4,5). The Devil himself shall be cast into the 'lake of fire' and be destroyed (Praise God!)...that liar and father of lies...standing erectly in pulpits, and preaching damnation, and hell-fire and brimstone, and pounding his fist and pointing with his other hand at a God-made torture chamber...instead of God's righteousness and great mercy and grace...the true fire of His righteous judgment which fell from Heaven upon His Only Begotten Son Jesus....which would truly lead the unsaved to Christ. O Thou Righteous Judge and Wisdom and Everlasting Love and Beauty...praise be, that our ways are not your ways. Revelation comes with Love. Those who receive the beast (and Satan) can have no peace or rest, knowing that judgment is pending, but the saints of God have great hope. One day the wicked will be cast into the 'lake of fire' and the smoke will rise...and they will die and cease to be...and forever will end... and time will be no more...and the smoke will continue to rise...that spiritual smoke, will rise and rise...spiritual, symbolic.......invisible....smoke. (Revelation 19:3)

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