Who are the 144,000?

[RLT63]

Who are the 144,000?​

The number 144,000 appears three times in the Book of Revelation:

• Revelation 7:3–8:

saying: "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads."
And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.[1]

• Revelation 14:1:

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zionstood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.[2]

• Revelation 14:3–5:

and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless

 

[keithr]

Chapters two and three of Revelation are the letters from Jesus to the seven churches. These letters are also prophetic of the church during the Gospel age. Then in Rev. 4:1 John describes a voice from heaven saying “Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter”, i.e. he was shown (symbolically) events that will happen at the end of the Gospel age, after the rapture (“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”, 1 Th. 4:17).

John is then shown a vision of the throne of God, and he sees that around the throne there were twenty-four seats, and “upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold” (Rev 4:4). These twenty-four elders represent a group, and we know that they cannot be tribulation believers because they are contrasted with them in Rev. 7:13-14. They are not angels because they are contrasted with them in Rev. 7:11 (“all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts”). They are not the nation of Israel because they’re distinct from them (Rev. 7 & 12).

Their distinguishing characteristics are that they are on thrones (“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne”, Rev. 3:21), they have white clothes (“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment”, Rev 3:5), they have gold crowns (“be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life”, Rev. 2:10), and they sing the song of the redeemed (“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”, Rev 5:9,10). Note that they’re made kings and priests (and they’re not from Israel only, but from every nation), and only three groups are kings and priests: Melchisidec, Jesus and the Church. John identifies himself and the Church with this group too (Rev. 1:4-6 “John to the seven churches which are in Asia”, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father”). These twenty-four elders clearly represent the resurrected Church.

Note that Rev. 4:5 says “there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne”, and Rev. 1:20 identifies these, “the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (NIV). So the churches that were on the earth in chapter one are in heaven in chapter four, which is in harmony with chapter four describing events after the rapture.

In the first three chapters of Revelation there are twenty-four titles of Jesus, which are all gentile or church type identifiers. From chapter four on (from the rapture on), the style is very Jewish, e.g. Rev. 5:5 “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof”, and Rev. 5:6 “stood a Lamb as it had been slain” – the titles in bold are Jewish titles of the Messiah.

Chapter five describes Jesus unsealing and opening the scroll. Note for later that verse 8 says that the twenty-four elders each had harps, not palms. Chapters 6 to 19 describes the events that will occur in the 7 year period after the rapture (the so-called seventieth week of Daniel, Dan. 9:24-27). Jesus described this period, the “Great Tribulation”, in Mat. 24:14-22, which ends with “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened”. This Great Tribulation affects the whole world, but particularly it affects Israel, hence in verse 16 He says, “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains”. This shall be worse for Israel than the Holocaust, during which one in three Jews were killed. According to Zechariah 13:8,9 two out of three shall be killed (“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein”).

The purpose of the Tribulation is part explained by Hosea 5:15: “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly” (ASV). It is the day of the wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:16,17), His wrath against them who rejected Him and had Him crucified. It is also described as the day of the LORD, “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the land” (Zep. 1:18, ASV). (John says in Rev. 1:10, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”, i.e. he was about to see things pertaining to this time of tribulation.)

Note that the Tribulation doesn’t begin until the Lamb opens the seal, and the Lamb doesn’t receive the scroll until after the 24 elders have cast their crowns before the throne (Rev. 4:10), so the Church has been raptured or resurrected before the Tribulation starts, and the Church does not go through the Tribulation.

Revelation chapter 6 ends with “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Then chapter 7 answers that question. It tells that there will be some special servants who will be sealed - “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads” (Rev. 7:3). It also tells us “the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (Rev. 7:4). It then goes on to detail that there will be 12,000 from 12 tribes of Israel (totalling 144,000). They are all Jews.

The work of the sealed servants then results in a lot of people being saved – “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” (Rev. 7:9). As mentioned above, the 24 elders, representing the Church from before the rapture, held harps in their hands (Rev. 5:8), whereas these saved people (now in heaven, before the throne) hold palms. These people are a different group (which is why John didn’t know who they were – Rev. 7:13,14); they are people who are saved out of the Tribulation as a result of the evangelising work of the 144,000 sealed servants from Israel, and they are before the throne of God “and serve him day and night” (Rev. 7:15).

Rev. 7:17 says that “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”. Why were they crying? Probably over lost opportunities. They may regret not having become Christians before the rapture and the Great Tribulation had started, so they missed out on becoming one of the elders, i.e. members of the body Christ and the bride of the Lamb. They missed out on the greater glory of sitting on thrones and reigning as kings and priests.

 

[MatthewG]

John Gill

Revelation 7:3-8

Revelation 7:3​

Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,.... That is, as yet, for their commission was not contradicted, nor taken away by Christ; and at the time appointed, at the blowing of the several trumpets, they let loose the winds, and let in the Goths, Hans, and Vandals, the Saracens and Turks into the empire, and after that poured out the vials of God's wrath upon the Romish antichrist: this retarding of them was but in appearance, that there might be an opportunity to show to John what care would be taken all along of the church of Christ, and true servants of the living God:

till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads; the servants of sin, Satan, and the beast of Rome, were took no notice nor care of; they were the persons to be hurt by the winds, signified by the earth, sea, and trees, even idolaters, small and great; but "the servants of our God", who serve him with grace in their hearts, from a principle of love, in the exercise of faith, without servile fear, and with reverence and godly fear, in righteousness and true holiness, and with a view to his glory; and are worshippers of him in spirit and in truth, being followers of the Lamb, whithersoever he goes; and so are the servants of his God, and their God; the sealing of them does not design the sealing of them with the seal of election, this was done in eternity; nor with the seal of the Spirit, which is common to all the saints in all ages; but it denotes the hiding and concealing, and so securing the saints amidst all the calamities of the empire, and throughout the whole time of the Romish apostasy, from first to last; and respects the time when the church fled into the wilderness, and was hid, and nourished with the hidden manna, for a time, and times, and half a time, Rev 12:14. Christ set a mark upon them, as was upon the houses of the Israelites, when the destroying angel passed through Egypt, and destroyed the firstborn in it; and as was upon the foreheads of those that sighed and cried in Jerusalem, when orders were given to slay young and old, Exo 12:23. Christ will have a people in the worst of times; he knows who are his, and he will take care of them; he has his chambers of protection to hide them in, till the indignation is over past: the sealers, "we", are either Father, Son, and Spirit, who are all jointly concerned for the welfare of the eject; or Christ and his ministering angels that attend him, whom he employs for the good and safety of the heirs of salvation: the seal with which these are sealed is the seal of the living God, the foreknowledge, love, care, and power of God; and the name of God, even Christ's Father's name, and their Father's name, in their foreheads; the new name of children of God, by and under which they are known and preserved by him: and this is said to be "in their foreheads", in allusion to servants, who used to be marked in their foreheads; hence they are called by Apuleius (c) "frontes literati"; and by Martial, a servant is called "fronte notatus" (d): but then these were such who had committed faults, and this was done by way of punishment (e); wherefore it can hardly be thought that the servants of God should be sealed, in allusion to them: but rather with reference to the mitre on the high priest's forehead, as some think; or it may be to Eze 9:4, and shows, that though these persons were hid and concealed from men, they were well known to God and Christ; nor were they ashamed to make a public and open confession of Christ before men, as did the true and faithful witnesses of Christ, the Waldenses and Albigenses, in the midst of the greatest darkness of Popery, and of danger from men; and who seem to be chiefly intended.

(c) Metamorph. l. 9. p. 130. (d) Epigr. l. 3. Ep. 20. (e) Vid. Popma de Operis Servorum, p. 170, &c.

Revelation 7:4​

And I heard the number of them which were sealed,.... And therefore could be sure of the exact number, which did not depend upon his sight, and telling them, in which some mistake might have been made, but he heard the number expressed:

and there were sealed an hundred and forty, and four thousand: which is a square number arising from twelve, the square root of it, being just twelve times twelve thousand; and may denote their being the true and genuine offspring of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, holding their doctrine, and being built on their foundation; see Rev 21:14; and these were

of all the tribes of the children of Israel; not that these were all Jews in a literal sense, for the time of their conversion in great numbers is not yet come. Dr. Goodwin thinks these sealed ones design the believers of the Greek and Armenian churches, and his reasons are not despicable; but this is to limit and restrain them to a particular part of the church of Christ; whereas they take in all the saints within this long tract of time, even all that are the true Israel of God, who are Jews inwardly, of what nation, kindred, tongue, and people soever; and is a certain and determinate number for an uncertain and indeterminate one; and only intends a large number of persons known to God and Christ; see the Apocrypha:

"Arise up and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lord;'' (2 Esdras 2:38)

Revelation 7:5​

Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand,.... Judah is mentioned first, because Christ sprung from that tribe, and the pure worship of God was preserved in it; and that itself was preserved a distinct tribe until the coming of Shiloh; its name signifies "praise God", Gen 29:35; and shows, that it becomes all the sealed ones, all true believers, and every member of the church of God, to praise him for all favours and blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternal.

Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand; Reuben was Jacob's firstborn, but by his sin he lost the honour and privilege of birthright, and therefore is mentioned after Judah, who prevailed above him and the rest of his brethren; his name signifies "see the Son", Gen 29:32; and shows that the Son of God is to be looked unto for righteousness, life, and salvation, by all that expect to be saved, and to him does the true church look for eternal life and happiness.

Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand; his name signifies a "troop", Gen 30:11, and may denote that there would be a numerous company of saints and faithful witnesses during the time of sealing, and amidst all the troubles and afflictions that would attend the church and people of God, and who in the issue would be conquerors, and more than conquerors, through Christ; see Gen 49:19.

Revelation 7:6​

Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand,.... "Asher", which the Septuagint pronounce "Aser", as here, signifies "blessed", Gen 30:13; as all the sealed ones are, blessed with all spiritual blessings, with grace here, and glory hereafter.

Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand; the name of this tribe signifies "wrestlings", Gen 30:8; and may design the wrestlings of saints, both with God in prayer, and with their enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, and also their strivings together for the faith of the Gospel.

Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand; this word signifies "forgetting", Gen 41:51; and shows that the followers of Christ should forget the things that are behind, their sinful lusts and pleasures, the onions and garlic in Egypt, and their former company and acquaintance, their own people, and their father's house, and all their labours and sufferings for the sake of Christ.

​

 

[MatthewG]

John Gill

Revelation 7:3-8

Revelation 7:7​

Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand,.... The name of this tribe signifies "hearing", Gen 29:33; and such an hearing as is attended with obedience; and denotes the spiritual and practical hearing of the Gospel by those who hear, and understand, and believe, and practise what they hear, and yield the obedience of faith unto it.

Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand; this name signifies "joined", Gen 29:34; and denotes, that these sealed ones were not only joined one to another in love and holy fellowship, but to Christ, and were one spirit with him, and were members of his body, flesh, and bones, and cleaved to him with full purpose of heart.

Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand; the interpretation of this name is "hire" or "reward", Gen 30:18; and may design those rewards of grace which God bestows upon his faithful servants, in times of tribulation.

Revelation 7:8​

Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand,.... Which signifies "dwelling", Gen 30:20; and was the tribe in which Christ had his dwelling, and where he much conversed; and may denote his gracious inhabitation, as well as that of God the Father, md of the Spirit, among the saints and sealed ones.

Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand; whose name signifies "adding", Gen 30:24; and may intend the additions both of numbers, and of gifts and graces to the churches of those times.

Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand; this word signifies "the Son of the right hand", Gen 35:18; showing, that these sealed ones are as a signet on God's right hand, and are as near and dear unto him as a man's right hand is to him; see Psa 80:17. Now twelve thousand out of each tribe make just the number of a hundred forty and four thousand, Rev 7:4; the tribe of Dan is not mentioned, it may be because of the apostasy of that tribe, one of Jeroboam's golden calves being set up there; showing that God had no sealed ones of that sort, and instead of him Levi is reckoned; though that tribe had no part in the division of the land of Israel, yet had a part in Christ, and is therefore mentioned in this mystical account. Nor is the name of Ephraim used, it may be for the same reason; there having been a great defection in that tribe from the pure worship of God, and instead of him the name of Joseph appears.

 

[bbyrd009]

Who are the 144,000?​

The number 144,000 appears three times in the Book of Revelation:

• Revelation 7:3–8:

• Revelation 14:1:

• Revelation 14:3–5:

i dont wanna get too engaged on what will likely become a misguided JW party here, but you might contemplate that “12” has an allegorical meaning, as does “1000”

 

[marks]

Who are the 144,000?​

The number 144,000 appears three times in the Book of Revelation:

They are a group of Jewish men who will be sealed with the "seal of the Living God" by an angel just after the rapture of the church.

Much love!

 

[Wrangler]

Who are the 144,000?

First, what is the argument the 3 verses are referencing the same group?

 

[marks]

First, what is the argument the 3 verses are referencing the same group?

What is the argument they are not?

Much love!

 

[Wrangler]

What is the argument they are not?

Much love!

I’m not looking to argue. Just trying to get the facts.

 

[marks]

First, what is the argument the 3 verses are referencing the same group?

I’m not looking to argue. Just trying to get the facts.

???

 

[bbyrd009]

They are a group of Jewish men who will be sealed with the "seal of the Living God" by an angel just after the rapture of the church.

Much love!

he said, with utter confidence

 

[marks]

he said, with utter confidence

It's an allegorical confidence. It means whatever you want it to mean.

Much love!

 

[RLT63]

First, what is the argument the 3 verses are referencing the same group?

I am not familiar with any point of view that there is more than one group of 144,000. There may be such a belief I just haven’t heard it.

 

[quietthinker]

Who are the 144,000?​

The number 144,000 appears three times in the Book of Revelation:

• Revelation 7:3–8:

• Revelation 14:1:

• Revelation 14:3–5:

Picking up on the words 'I heard' in Revelation 7:4 and few verses later in 7:9 'I looked', it becomes evident that the 144000 are the same crowd as the great multitude.

 

[Wrangler]

???

Not sure what is confusing. Try using your words.

I am not familiar with any point of view that there is more than one group of 144,000.

It is implied in the OP via the use of the definite article 'the.' So, I figured the first level of analysis is to determine whether or not this number refers to the same group. It is such a basic question, it left marks speechless.

Consider the 12. It could refer to:

1. Tribes of Israel
2. Apostles (12-1+1)
3. The Dirty Dozen
4. Eggs your wife just bought
5. Months of Year
6. Zodiac Signs
7. Inches in a foot

So, which group is the number referring to? If you are confident there is only one group of 144K, that's fine. I'm just not making that assumption - regardless of how many denominations take it as a given.

One thing I learned in college is that numbers are adjectives. People speak in short hand when ending a sentence with a number, e.g., I have 2. Two what? Children. Kidneys. Hands. Cars. Jobs. Dollars. Living grandparents. From the references in the OP, it appears the Revelation leaves the question ambiguous.

 

[RLT63]

Not sure what is confusing. Try using your words.



It is implied in the OP via the use of the definite article 'the.' So, I figured the first level of analysis is to determine whether or not this number refers to the same group. It is such a basic question, it left marks speechless.

Consider the 12. It could refer to:

1. Tribes of Israel
2. Apostles (12-1+1)
3. The Dirty Dozen
4. Eggs your wife just bought
5. Months of Year
6. Zodiac Signs
7. Inches in a foot

So, which group is the number referring to? If you are confident there is only one group of 144K, that's fine. I'm just not making that assumption - regardless of how many denominations take it as a given.

One thing I learned in college is that numbers are adjectives. People speak in short hand when ending a sentence with a number, e.g., I have 2. Two what? Children. Kidneys. Hands. Cars. Jobs. Dollars. Living grandparents. From the references in the OP, it appears the Revelation leaves the question ambiguous.

I think the 144,000 is more specific than the 12. I don’t find any reason to think these are different groups but you’re right it’s not specified.

 

[marks]

Eggs your wife just bought

This is to you a meaningful possibility?

See you 'round!

Much love!

 

[marks]

I am not familiar with any point of view that there is more than one group of 144,000. There may be such a belief I just haven’t heard it.

I'd agree with QT's word, it's evident.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Try using your words.

I thought I'd just use your words.

First, what is the argument the 3 verses are referencing the same group?

I’m not looking to argue. Just trying to get the facts.

So do you or don't you? Or you just want others to present the arguments? And not you? Is that the message?

My question to you was, what is the argument they are not? You decline to answer.

OK. Non-starter.

Much love!

 

[marks]

I think the 144,000 is more specific than the 12. I don’t find any reason to think these are different groups but you’re right it’s not specified.

I think "the 12" in Scripture is just as evident,

1 Corinthians 15:4-7 KJV
4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5) And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6) After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7) After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

Is there really any question that Paul is refering to Matthew and Thaddeus and Matthias and the others? I don't think so. I think the context really gives only one reasonable answer, and it's NOT a dozen eggs! LOL!!

Matthew 26:20 KJV
Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

Much love!