In Revelation 14:1-5  John saw the Bride and Groom standing around  the throne.    Ellen  White  said events in Revelation "have been  given  in  their order."  (8T 302)  In this text the 144,000  are seen around the throne harping and singing  a  new song,  and this takes place sequentially BEFORE  the  three angels'  messages are given in verses 6-12,  and well before John sees the Lord coming the second time in Revelation 19. 

     "AND I LOOKED, AND LO, A LAMB STOOD ON THE MOUNT ZION, AND WITH  HIM  A  HUNDRED FORTY AND FOUR  THOUSAND,   HAVING  HIS  FATHER'S NAME WRITTEN IN THEIR FOREHEADS. AND  I HEARD A VOICE FROM HEAVEN,  AS THE VOICE  OF  MANY WATERS AND AS THE VOICE OF A GREAT THUNDER:  AND I HEARD  THE VOICE OF HARPERS HARPING WITH THEIR HARPS: AND  THEY  SUNG AS IT WERE A NEW SONG BEFORE THE  THRONE, AND BEFORE THE FOUR BEASTS, AND THE ELDERS:  AND NO MAN COULD LEARN  THAT  SONG  BUT THE HUNDRED AND FORTY  FOUR  THOUSAND, WHICH WERE REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH. THESE  ARE  THEY WHICH WERE NOT DEFILED WITH WOMEN;   FOR THEY  ARE  VIRGINS.    THESE ARE THEY WHICH FOLLOW  THE  LAMB WHITHERSOEVER HE GOETH.   THESE WERE REDEEMED FROM AMONG MEN, BEING THE FIRST FRUITS UNTO GOD AND TO THE LAMB. AND  IN  THEIR MOUTH WAS FOUND NO GUILE:   FOR  THEY  ARE WITHOUT FAULT BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD." 

    John saw the 144,000  standing before the throne, before the angels and the twenty-four-elders (who are humans raised to life when Jesus died and who  were taken to heaven with Jesus when He ascended).   They reflect Christ's  likeness and are the first fruits.  They are described as being judged to be without sin before God. 

    The 144,000 are taught a new song that only they can learn.  They instantly know this song and are instant  harp players.   Inspiration has indicated their song is found in Isaiah 26: verses 17 and 18. 

    "LIKE  AS A WOMAN WITH CHILD THAT DRAWETH NEAR THE TIME OF HER DELIVERY,  IS IN PAIN,  AND CRIETH OUT IN HER PANGS;   SO HAVE WE BEEN IN THY SIGHT, O LORD. WE HAVE BEEN WITH CHILD, WE HAVE BEEN IN PAIN, WE HAVE AS IT  WERE  BROUGHT  FORTH  WIND;   WE  HAVE  NOT  WROUGHT  ANY DELIVERANCE IN THE EARTH." 

    In  the  time  of the loud cry it is only the Bride of Christ who  will  be spiritually child bearing.  In these verses she is referring to the time before the loud cry which will be just before her.   Until this time bearing spiritual babes  has  been an agonizing experience for her,  she has been in  pain.   The fruits of her labors have been as the wind,  for they cannot be seen.   It does
not appear to her as though she has wrought any deliverance in the earth. 

    The rest of the song is sung about those on earth who are about to  enter the time of trouble.   As a consequence this song is in part a song of mourning for the troubles that will soon come upon the earth, thus strengthening them so that they can face the time of trouble. 

     This  song is not the same as the one the numberless multitude  will  sing when they  stand around the sea of glass in a perfect square.   The  song  they will sing is the song of Moses and the Lamb,  because most of them, like Moses,
died and were resurrected. 

    Notice the parallelism here:  The Bride of Christ, because she is the first to  accept  the hand of the Lord in marriage,  experiences similar events  that will happen to the rest of the saints, but BEFORE they do. 

    Just as Revelation's events follow in order, so events shown to Ellen White usually  come the same way,  for was she not given her first vision before  the three angels'  messages were proclaimed?  Since she was one of the 144,000, she must  have been shown their actual experience as it will occur,  and in  proper sequence. 

    Supernatural  experiences will be given to the  Bride  for  the  very  same reason  they were given  to Ellen White--For the encouragement and assurance of those who are longing for their heavenly home,  as well as for their  spiritual edification.    Certainly the Bride will be expected to  share with others what she has seen, heard, and experienced, just as did Ellen. 

    The  enemy  has and is going to create all kinds of events to deceive,  but the  Lord is also going to provide first-hand witnesses to declare the  reality of His glory and  power.   The Lord did this for Moses  when  he  stood before Pharaoh,   and  He will do it again in our day.   His Bride will be a witness before men during the time Satan personates Jesus'  second  coming.    What an effective witness the Bride of Christ will be during this time,  for she knows her Husband intimately and will be a faithful witness that Satan, the impostor, IS NOT her husband.

    6)  One other honor is the ordination of the 144,000  as priests before the Lord.    By  virtue  of their marriage to Jesus the 144,000   are  given  their commission  as  Loudcriers.    Maybe  this  extra  meeting  includes  also  the ordination service of  the Bride,  and just maybe this will take place when she is  on tour as  seen  by Ellen.   Perhaps what was shown to John was this  very meeting or service.  We know they will be ordained,  probably by the Father, as was  Jesus  when He returned to heaven after His ascension.   This  will  be  a parallel of the ordination of Jesus.   Why are they ordained High Priests?   By
the very fact and merit of their marriage.   This ordination fits them to carry out  their  commission  as  Loudcriers  on earth.   But this is  a  short-lived commission and ordination.  Just as Jesus'  role as High Priest closes when His work in the Most Holy Place is finished,  just so will the role and work of the 144,000  Brides as priests close when the loud cry and gathering of the harvest is completed. 

    John in Revelation saw there was no more temple in heaven (Rev. 21:22), for it  was no longer  needed.   The plan of salvation and the work of judgment  in heaven  will  be completed.   No longer will man need an  intercessor  to  make
atonement before the Father. 

    The 144,000  will not only be High Priests,  for a time representing Jesus, they  will  also be kings and queens,  thus fulfilling the  prophecy  given  to Peter. 

    "BUT YE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION,  A  ROYAL PRIESTHOOD,  A HOLY NATION,  A PECULIAR PEOPLE;  THAT YE SHOULD SHOW  FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO HATH CALLED YOU  OUT OF DARKNESS INTO THIS MARVELOUS LIGHT."        1 Peter 2:9. 

     Peter indicates the Brides are not only priests but "Royal" priests.  When their work as priests is finished,  they along with the Groom, become His kings and queens.   Until that time they are a combination of royalty and priests, "A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD." 

     "He (Christ) carries sanctified humanity to heaven, there always to retain humanity as it would have been if  man  had  never  violated God's law.   The overcomers,  who  upon  the earth were partakers  of the divine nature,  He  makes kings and priests unto God."       Upward Look 313.

    By merit of  their marriage they  will have inherited all heaven and  earth from their Husband.   Being the Bride of Christ they will be ONE with Him,  and all that He is, they too will be.  They will reign as kings and queens for ever and ever.   All power will be given them,  even to do greater things than Jesus did  when  on earth.   This certainly has not happened since He  was  on earth. This has yet to be fulfilled.   Without question we will soon see this prophecy come to pass.

   7)   Possibly one other special honor may be given this Bride,  specifically those who are laid to rest  under  the third angel's message.   These  are  the sleeping  members of the 144,000.   It occurs at the time of  the  deliverance. The clue to this is found in Early Writings page 285: 

     "It was at midnight that God chose to deliver His people. As  the  wicked  were mocking around them,  suddenly the  sun appeared, shining in his strength,  and the moon stood still. The  wicked looked upon the scene with amazement,  while  the
saints   beheld   with  solemn  joy  the  tokens   of   their deliverance.  Signs and wonders followed in quick succession.
Everything seemed  turned out of its  natural  course.    The streams  ceased  to flow.   Dark,  heavy clouds came  up  and clashed against each other.  But there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters,
shaking the  heavens  and the earth.    There  was  a  mighty earthquake.   The graves were opened,  and those who had died
in  faith  under  the third  angel's  message,   keeping  the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds, GLORIFIED, to hear
the covenant of peace that God was to make with those who had kept His law." 

    When Ellen says:  "laid to rest under the third angel's message," she means those  who believed and accepted the message of Christ's Righteousness.   It is these who will be raised, not the Laodicean Adventists of the time. 

    Included  in this group will be Ellen White and all others who  were  ready and waiting for the Lord in the 1800's.  This event takes place some time after the  time of Jacob's Trouble,  and some time before the second coming,  for  it happens  before  the "commencement of Jubilee when the  land shall rest."    As discussed in Volume One, this could be a period of several months to a year. 

    Notice how these saints  are raised  from their  graves during this special resurrection.  They have GLORIFIED bodies, but then one wouldn't expect them to be raised with their old bodies.   They then are the first group of elect to be given glorified bodies.  If they are part of the 144,000  Brides, then it would seem  incongruent that  part of the Bride would be alive with  glorified bodies and part with old bodies.   If they are all the Bride of Christ,  then it would follow that they ALL at this time will receive this "special honor."   The rest of  the  living  saints will not receive their new  bodies  until  the  general resurrection when they are taken up into the air.   "Their countenances lighted up with the glory of God"  (EW 286)  may indicate they already have,   by  this time,   been given glorified bodies.   Having come through the time of  Jacob's trouble with their old bodies,  there will be no more need for them to have  to put up with them anymore. 

    My  brother,  my sister,  can we begin to imagine what all of this will  be like?   I think not.   Is it not worth our most strenuous effort to insure that we  will be among that number.   The servant of the Lord wrote these  words  in
1889: 

   " ...who is  a child of God will have His seal  placed upon him.   Oh that it may be placed upon our foreheads!   Who can
bear the  thought of being forever passed by  when the  angel goes forth to seal the servants of God in their foreheads?" 

    She also wrote these words  16 years later which we quoted at the beginning of this chapter: 

    "Let  us  strive with  all  the power God has given us to  be among the 144,000."   Review & Herald, March 9,1905. 

    To be the Bride of our Lord and Saviour, who can comprehend this? But if we have not been chosen to be the Bride, there is no reason to despair.  We can at least  be part of God's family and those who are in the bridal procession.   We can at least be saved and taken with the Bride to heaven. 

    Some have said they don't care if they are part of the 144,000;  their only concern  is  to  be saved.   This kind of  a  comment shows how  little  people understand  what it means to be a Bride  of the Creator of the Universe and  to inherit this  universe  as theirs.   They have not  taken  much  thought  about Isaiah.64:9: