Who Really Are The 144,000?

[Earburner]

The 144,000 represent sealed Israelites of the 'seed' of Israel. The tribes Dan and Ephraim are not mentioned because of prophecy about their falling away at the end. That is yet another pointer that those 144,00 do literally represent the seed of Israel, and not Gentiles.

The "great multitude" of Rev.7:9 forward represents sealed Gentiles in Christ. BOTH groups represent Christ's Church.

The idea of the 'sealing' with God's seal is in prep to go through the future "great tribulation". That seal is the sealing of The Holy Spirit, which is another way we 'know', for certain, the 144,000 is about sealed Israelites in Christ's Church.

Why would the Israelites and Gentiles in Rev.7 be mentioned separately, one might ask? The Old Testament Books of God's prophets does that too, while maintaining Christ's Salvation for both together (see Isaiah 54 for one example).

God's Promises to the seed of Israel is not going to go away. Those in Christ simply become joint-heirs with the believers of the seed of Israel. Doesn't anyone recall that Apostle Paul applied the "commonwealth of Israel" label to believing Gentiles in Ephesians 2? and that Christ chose His 12 Apostles of the seed of Israel to sit upon 12 thrones in His future Kingdom over the 12 tribes of Israel? God's ordaining of election did not disappear with The New Covenant Jesus Christ.

No Israelite, whether under the OC or the NC can be saved without faith in the shed blood of Christ. So also the Gift of God, the receiving of God's Holy Spirit, could not be permanently given to anyone, until the glorification of Jesus through His resurrection. John 7:39.

Are you saying that God forgot Abraham, Moses etc., and all the prophets??
He absolutely did not. Malachi 3:16. They are shown receiving the Holy Spirit after Christ's resurrection in Rev. 6:9-11.
So now, they are written in the Lamb's book of Life, which is Jesus Himself, and are resting (asleep) in Jesus.

 

[rebuilder 454]

You can go to ten different Churches and you may hear ten different interpretations of just who the 144,000 of Revelation 7 are. For some reason, those who don't actually know, because they don't heed what is written there in Rev.7 as being literal, come up with all sorts of wild concoctions for who it means. But stick to God's Word as written, and it becomes revealed in simplicity.

Rev 7:1-4
7 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

That above description is about the very end of this present world. That is what those above symbols point to, the destruction of 2 Peter 3:10 on the "day of the Lord", which is the LAST DAY of this present world. Those 4 angels represent the power to go forth on that last day.

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

That is revealing a hold on those 4 angels letting the destruction on the last day loose. Before any of that, God has decreed that HIS servants be SEALED with HIS SEAL in their foreheads.


When you get to Revelation 9, you should then understand more about this specific 'sealing' of those with God's Seal...

Rev 9:3-4
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
KJV

Those locusts are allowed to sting ONLY those NOT SEALED with God's SEAL.

That means the 144,000 that are SEALED with GOD's Seal in their foreheads CANNOT be stung by those locusts.

What is that locust sting? Well, since they cannot hurt any green thing, nor kill, and later Rev.9 shows their power is in their MOUTHS, that means the 'sting' is pointing to WORDS OF DECEPTION out of their mouths. And the ONLY ones that will not be subject to that stinging are Christ's faithful elect, His faithful CHURCH.


Thus the 144,000 represent SEALED Israelites of 12,000 from each of those 12 tribes mentioned there in Revelation 7. They are SEALED with GOD's Seal in prep for the great tribulation. They are part of Christ's Church, prior to the "great tribulation", and through the "great tribulation", and all the way up to Christ's coming to gather His faithful Church on the last day of this world.

Rev 7:4 And I heard 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.
KJV


Then at Revelation 7:9, John is shown a "great multitude" that came out of "great tribulation". That DOES NOT MEAN A PRE-TRIB RAPTURE. John is shown those having gone through... the great tribulation also, like those 144,000 of the tribes of Israel. And that is why the "great multitude" is shown to John after the fact, their standing before the throne of God and Jesus AFTER He has returned, a reference to the Eternity. That means, that "great multitude" is SEALED with GOD'S SEAL also, in prep to go through the "great tribulation" and be overcomers in Christ Jesus.


Another Biblical FACT:
ONLY the 3 tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi represent the JEWS of the "house of Judah". The remaining Israelite tribes (10 of them), represent the "house of Israel". All 12 tribes of Israel were scattered by God because of their rebellion against Him. But it was to the "house of Israel" (10 tribes) that Jesus said He was specifically sent to, and they would believe The Gospel. Only a remnant of JEWS believed on Lord Jesus Christ. The largest majority of today's JEWS are still blinded away from The Gospel (Romans 11).

Therefore, those 144,000 are NOT all Jewish Israelites. The majority of them represent lost ten tribes which were scattered among the Gentiles first per 2 Kings 17. And descendants of those ten lost tribe Israelites make up a HUGE portion of Christ's Church today! Thus no man can rightly try to separate those 144,000 Israelites from Christ's Church. ONLY those Sealed with God's Seal in their foreheads represent Christ's Church in Revelation.

Nobody will say in those churches you mention that they are anything but what the bible says.

 

[rebuilder 454]

Getting back to the title of this thread, I shall continue to emphasize that the 144,000 are already redeemed from the earth, of which took place after Jesus' resurrection and/or on Pentecost. But, as it was said to them, they "must rest yet for a little season" Rev. 6:11. Therefore, though they are still waiting to be resurrected into immortality, they NOW have "the seal of God", and are asleep (at rest) in Jesus.

Those who were of faith in the "Promised one" to come, are of the 12 tribes of OC Israel who were under the altar of the OC. They are the symbolic 144,000 in Rev. Though they had died long ago, they were not forgotten by God. Malachi 3:16.
We can see them "under the altar" of the OC, crying to God for vengeance. Rev. 6:9-11.

Because Jesus did come and was glorified (John 7:39) , by their faith in waiting for the coming of Jesus in His first appearance in the flesh, they were found to be worthy to receive the Gift of God's Holy Spirit, symbolized as "white robes".
John 7
[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
In other words, everyone of faith in Israel of the Messiah who was to come, being under the OC, were not allowed to have the permanency of the Gift of God's Holy Spirit until AFTER Jesus' resurrection into New Life.


All and anyone who are of Israel living, that comes to God through faith in Jesus, ever since after Pentecost, ARE OF "the Great Multitude".
Rom. 10
[12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

No
They were sealed in the gt, or trib or whatever the modern view is.
They were SPECIFICALLY sealed against the flying scorpions.
You are incorrect in those jumps you made.

 

[rebuilder 454]

NOPE!

The 144,000 prophecy of Revelation 7 is LINKED TO PROPHETIC EVENTS ABOUT THE END OF THIS WORLD, not back in past history.

Rev 7:1-4
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

4 And I heard 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.
KJV

The above in red is about the subject of the destruction of this present world on the last day. The four angels are given power to bring that future destruction forth, but... are told to WAIT... until the servants of God have been SEALED in their foreheads.

The SEALING of Christ's servants didn't even begin until The Gospel Faith came and The Holy Spirit Comforter. That means IMPOSSIBLE for the SEALING of Rev.7 being about anytime PRIOR to beginning of Christ's Church with the preaching of The Gospel.

2 Cor 1:21-22
21 Now He Which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
KJV


Eph 1:13
13 In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
KJV


Eph 4:30
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
KJV


Rev 9:3-5
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
KJV

Thus The New Testament time is the first time when being SEALED by The Holy Spirit is even mentioned. And those in Christ didn't receive the gift of The Holy Spirit until AFTER... Christ's death and resurrection.

So the idea that the 'souls under the Altar' of the 5th Seal are told to WAIT... until their fellowservants are killed as they were, is POINTING TO THE GREAT TRIBULATION time at the very end of this world, and thus that 144,000 of Rev.7, and the "great multitude" of Rev.7:9.

early in the trib the martyrs are mow allowed into the general population, no longer confined under the altar.
Which points to a pretrib rapture.
The innumerable number martyred by the ac and now in heaven, are those left behind.
Millions or billions martyred early on in the trib.
No believers are going through Jacobs trouble.
The trib is for israel.