Who Are The 144,000 of REVELATION?
Eschatology Deep Dive - Sub #39
There are many ideas about who the 144,000 in Revelation actually refer to. Cults have been created throughout modern history, such as the “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” which centers around the 144,000 of Revelation instead of Jesus and his death, burial, and resurrection. The Bible is very clear on who these people are. We will also discover what exactly this seal is, the timing of the emergence of the sealed 144,000, and the significance this carries prophetically for all Christians.
1And 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. 2And 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, 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.4And 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. Revelation 7:1-4 KJV
This tells us that the last thing that happens before God pours out his wrath is that he seals the 144,000. Everyone who has given their lives to Christ up until this time, along with these 144,000, will be protected from God’s wrath.
1Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. Revelation 14:1-4 NKJV
First, we see they are with Jesus on Mount Zion. We will follow up on the significance of that alone in a bit. From this passage, we can gather some other clues about these 144,000:
Father’s name written on the forehead
They Sing a New Song
Virgins (Spiritually speaking)
They are redeemed (saved)
Firstfruits
Often, you hear that the final seven years are only for the Jews and that the Church will be raptured before the final seven years begin. They would argue that these 144,000 are the ones to evangelize the world after the Church has departed. They place these Messianic Jews in a special box of their own. Though they would disagree, it sounds like a type of replacement theology. Let’s pause and take a look at the Church now.
27But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 21:27 NKJV
4They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4 NKJV
When our name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, God’s name is also written on our foreheads.
9And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10 NKJV
The Church sings a new song and is redeemed. This isn’t the 144,000; this is from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.
2For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2 NKJV
The church is referred to as a spiritual virgin. Once you have given your life to Christ, it's his blood that is continuously purifying you.
18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. James 1:18 NKJV
The church is made up of God’s first fruits.
Alright! Both groups here have:
Father’s name on their foreheads
Sing a New Song
Spiritual Virgins
Redeemed
First Fruits unto God
From this, we know that the 144,000 make up a portion of the Church, and that God has brought them back into the fold of the Church. The 144,000 carry the same exact attributes as the Church holds.
The Rapture of the Church will not happen until the Jews are brought back into the fold of the Church, according to the Bible. Jesus will return for a Jewish/Gentile Church mix just like it was 2,000 years ago. Jesus will return for a complete, beautiful bride, not a partial bride. We as Gentiles serve the God of the Jews, and we will be here right along with them until God finishes the final work of bringing them back into the fold of the Church. How arrogant and unbiblical to say we serve the same God, the Jewish God of the Bible, but that final seven-year thing is only for you Jews for not believing sooner; we as Gentiles will be leaving early. If that doesn’t sound like a type of replacement theology that most Christian Churches are teaching right now, then I don’t know what is. So, how can I prove this Biblically that both Jews and Gentiles will be here right alongside each other until the literal end?
There is no separation between a Jewish believer and the Church. There is only one plan of salvation and redemption, and the Jews and Gentiles are not in separate boxes in this regard. I submit that the Jews were, in fact, the first members of God’s Church, before even the Gentiles. Because the Jews later rejected Jesus, God still has to deal with his chosen people before the millennium kingdom is set up. God will simultaneously deal with the Jewish people and the lukewarm Gentile Church during the final seven years.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16 NKJV
25For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:“The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; Romans 11:25-26 NKJV
This verse perfectly describes God simultaneously dealing with the Jews and the Gentiles (you and me) during the tribulation. Some Jews will continue to reject Jesus until what the Bible says, "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." When this happens, those Jews still alive during the tribulation (the time of Jacob's trouble, final 3 1/2 years) will be saved. What does it mean by "until the fullness of the Gentiles come in?" Answer: It's when the last Gentile accepts Christ, who is a part of the rapture. The problem with those saying the Gentiles will be raptured before the final seven is that they must explain why Gentiles will still be saved during the final seven years. We know Christians are here during this time because Revelation refers to them repeatedly throughout as Saints. The fullness of the Gentiles only happens once; God doesn’t rapture only Gentile Christians before the final seven years and then say Uh oh, I forgot a few, I need to save a few during the final seven years. NO!
Let’s circle back to Revelation chapter 14, which we looked at earlier.
1Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. Revelation 14:1
These 144,000 are with Jesus, standing on Mount Zion. This would be impossible unless they were raptured first. Remember, they carry the same attributes as the Church, and only those with God’s name written on their foreheads can be raptured. How do we know they were raptured? Because they are standing on Mount Zion with Jesus.
Mount Zion refers to the new Jerusalem where Christ will reign on earth after he returns. For example:
23Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously. Isaiah 24:23
Also:
So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever. Micah 4:7
This new Jerusalem will come down from heaven to earth.
….I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. Revelation 3:12
2Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2
The 144,000 can’t be standing with Jesus on Mount Zion, as Revelation Chapter 14 suggests, unless they were raptured. Revelation 21:2 is the drop-the-mike moment. The 144,000 are a part of the bride of Christ adorned for her husband.
9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10 NKJV
This is a picture of all people from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues that no man could number. Who are they?
13Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:13-14 NKJV
They are the ones who came out of the Great Tribulation. THE CHURCH! There will be the greatest revival this world has ever seen coming shortly, and with an urgency, we need not live by fear but instead play our role in this very prophetic time.
Revelation chapter 7 shows us the Jewish church and the Gentile church, out of every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, together right between the 6th and 7th Seals. The timing of the 144,000's revealing is near the end of the tribulation period. The 7th Seal, 7th Trumpet, and 7th Bowl are all the same event—the rapture. Just like the Jews and the Gentiles were together in the early church age. We have found out that both of these groups are sealed. They are both sealed for the one and only day of redemption, the Rapture.
13In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV
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