The Great Multitude
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
“And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” Rev 7:9-12
Now we have covered the famous number of 144,000 we see another number even more impressive. In fact, the number is so great that “no man could number” it. That’s a pretty good-sized number.
Now it would make more sense if John had said that no one could number the sinners because they are so numerous, but he did not. Instead, these are those who came out of great tribulation and are made clean through the blood of the Lamb. You’d think we’d be lucky to find 144,000 of these types of saints let alone a number so big that they cannot be numbered.
So, who are these people as it relates to the unveiling of the Christ within?
Here is an answer you have not heard before, at least not in connection with this scripture.
After the disciple masters the sixth seal, and the center between the eyebrows is active, a doorway is open to the 1000 energies of the crown center. Then we have an interplay of energies between the lower the higher creating as many as 144,000 variations of spiritual sound or 144,000 notes in the great symphony which is you.
When the disciple learns to recognize the sounds of the higher self, an amazing thing happens. The door to the Oneness Principle opens to him as never before and he becomes in touch with a spiritual internet composed of a great number of others who have opened the sixth seal achieved the Christ consciousness in times past. The number is so great because these include not only perfected beings on the current earth system, but from the ancient past as well as other planets.
The scriptures hint at this contact:
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” Heb 12:22-23
Now, Jesus was called the firstborn, yet here we read about an assembly of firstborns, or Christed ones. The reason is that the Oneness Principle brings us in touch with all great lives within a great spiritual ring-pass-not.
Before the disciple achieves this great communion, he goes through what is commonly called the “dark night of the soul,” and experiences extreme loneliness to the extent he is likely to believe he is going through difficult experiences had by none one else besides himself. But if he perseveres in season and out of season with an eye single to the glory of God, he will eventually open the sixth seal and commune with great spiritual lives in a way that he never before dreamed possible.
In earthly communication we communicate on a one-to-one basis, but through the Oneness Principle the disciple can open a door and sense the presence of an innumerable number of great lives that went on before him. When this communion occurs, he will not be lonely again.
These “firstborns,” or Christed ones, have white robes symbolizing their purity and palms in their hands symbolizing their joy in spiritual achievement.
All these great lives fall down on their faces and give praise and glory to God. One cannot achieve what they have by glorifying the ego or lower self, but must recognize intelligence higher than the separate self and give due praise and recognition to the throne of God.
Spiritual Food and Drink
Next verses to consider:
“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest.
“And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Rev 7:13-17
Verse 13: “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?”
When the disciple’s consciousness moves away from the isolation of the dark night of the soul into the great communion with master souls who have overcome he is amazed and in a state of wonder and deep within himself a voice seems to ask:
“Who are these souls with whom I am in communion and whence came they?”
Verse 14: “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of (the) great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Note: Scholars say the word “the” belongs before “great tribulation.” Most newer translations have added this correction. This changes the meaning away from the idea of coming through tribulation in general to a specific tribulation. The question is, what is that specific tribulation?
The orthodox interpretation is that it will be the tribulation at the end of the world. Actually, the correct physical interpretation refers to tribulation at the end of one age and the beginning of the new as there is always a point of tension during the transition from one age to the next.
Correspondingly as we examine the spiritual interpretation, we find there is a similar interpretation as the disciple passes from his old consciousness into the new.
After the disciple hears the question from within, his outer consciousness replies to the inner: “I sense that you can tell me who they are.”
After sending this message through his soul he silently listens and hears this response:
These are they who also passed through the great period of turmoil, the dark night of the soul, just as you did. They have washed their robes, or made the outer personality clean and useful in the service of the great Lord. This was accomplished through yielding the outer garment, or self, to the will of God and submerging that self in the life (blood) of the spirit, or Christ consciousness (Lamb). This has made your outer personality (robes) clean and white as the driven snow. Now you can shift your consciousness away from the concern for purity of the outer garment and away from guilt to communion through the soul.
Verse 15: “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”
Because the disciple’s consciousness is shifted from the outer to the inner he is no longer plagued by guilt by reason of the imperfections of the outer. His intent is pure so his outer garment is also pure despite the fact that others may see differently because they are centered in the personality.
The overcoming of guilt allows him to bask before the divine presence within him continually, or to be “before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple.”
What is his temple?
The scriptures give the answer:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” I Cor 3:16-17
Many have studied this scripture and concluded the temple spoken of is our physical bodies, but that is only a part of the answer. The complete temple is constructed of all the ingredients of our lower self which is:
(1) Our physical/etheric bodies.
(2) Our astral/emotional selves.
(3) Our minds
Within this temple of God, in which those who come out of the dark night dwell, we see they will serve their God and fellowmen ceaselessly (day and night).
“and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”
“When the disciple communes with the saints, or the church of the firstborn, he will feel the presence of God dwelling with them all as if they composed one great life.
Verse 16: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.”
During the dark night they hungered for spiritual knowledge and barely received enough to keep them going on the path. They thirsted for spiritual life and only received a trickle to keep their spirits from giving up. The outward light and heat of strong personalities, preachers and teachers (the sun) was overbearing and made them feel they would burn (the heat) for their sins.
Now the disciple joins those who have overcome and washed the outer garment of the personality in the spirit within. He now receives knowledge and spiritual life in abundance and no longer leans on the beast of outward authority nor is he burned by its threats. He unites with the spiritual sun within and basks in the flame but feels joy instead of the discomfort of heat.
Verse 17: “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
By following the inner Christ rather than the outer he is continually fed with the hidden manna and is lead to “living fountains of waters.”
Instead of going from false teacher to false teacher and receiving only a trickle of food to keep him going he is now lead by the inner spirit and this leads him away from the false to the good the beautiful and the true. The living fountains of truth have always been available, but before he knew not where to find them. Now he does.
Now he can recognize true teachers with pure hearts and soul contact.
Now he can recognize the best books containing true eternal words and inspiration.
Now he can see organizations for what they truly are and can sort the ones that render real service from those that glorify illusion.
“Now he knows who are his true friends for he can see into their hearts.
Now his outer self is infused with his own soul and unlimited vistas of spiritual progress lie before him.
“God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
Even though the disciple is in the world and subject to the same problems as anyone else he is so thrilled at the inner world he has discovered that all outer happenings which used to bring him sorrow now pale into insignificance to the extent that all tears are wiped away from his eyes.
A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five. Groucho Marx (1890 – 1977)
May 3, 2005
Copyright by J J Dewey
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