60.0 The 144,000 of Revelation Seven
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.144000.cc, October 2009
Topics:
144,000
Four Angels Holding Four Winds
The Seal of the Living God
Hurt not the Earth
144,000 of all the Tribes of Israel
Are they Jews?
144,000
The 144,000 are described in these verses:
1 "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" (Revelation 7:1-4, KJV).
There is a lot said in these four verses. From these verses and Revelation 14:1-5 we know that this is a special group. Are these the sum total of all that are saved? NO! In this same chapter there is another verse that makes this clear. There is another group, a great multitude without number, standing before the throne of God.
"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" (Revelation 7:9, KJV);
To know that there is a "great multitude" who are saved is an encouragement for each of us. Yet there is still the 144,000. What is this group, and what does it mean?
Four Angels Holding Four Winds
This is symbolic language. Four winds indicate winds coming from every direction. In Revelation waters are a symbol for peoples and nations (Jeremiah 51:13, 55(NIV); Ezekiel 26:19; 27:34; Revelation 17:1, 15). The four winds that stir up the waters describe trouble and war that stirs up the people and the nations. The four angels are holding back the time of trouble.
The Seal of the Living God
God has a seal. In ancient times this was a lump of clay or of wax imprinted with the signet ring of the sender to indicate that it was authentic. Today we use embossed seals, and more often a hand written signature.
A seal typically states the name of the person, his authority, and his jurisdiction. God has placed His seal in the middle of the Ten Commandments. In the Sabbath command is given the name, "Lord thy God," His authority as Creator, and His jurisdiction over heaven and earth.
"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:10-11, KJV).
There are some who will object to this, claiming that we are "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). And this is true. It is necessary to get technical here: To be "sealed" by the Holy Spirit is to use "seal" as a verb. To use the "seal" of God, the Sabbath, is to use "seal" as a noun. When the Holy Spirit seals you He is putting the principle of Sabbath into your soul, a commitment and a relationship with God, Creator of heaven and earth.
A person who is sealed with the Sabbath, has chosen to make God first in his life, and to choose His will above all other influences and above his own opinion.
Hurt not the Earth
The four angels are pictured here as holding back the time of trouble until all God’s people are sealed in their foreheads. God is patient, and is giving time for everyone to make a decision as to whether he will serve God or not. When the final issue is presented to mankind, and God’s people have made a "final decision" to serve Him, the winds of trouble will be let loose.
That final decision is described as the "close of probation." See this verse:
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still" (Revelation 22:11, KJV).
When probation has closed, then it is too late to choose God. The time to learn faith and accept grace is NOW. Ever since Adam’s sin in Eden, we humans have been given our "second chance" to choose Christ. There will come a time when the issue, will you serve God or not, will be clearly stated and understood by every living person on earth. When that final decision is made, there is no second chance. While this can be a terror to the wicked, it is a comfort to the righteous. For then they are sealed, have chosen Christ, and nothing on earth or below the earth will change his mind.
That decision may be soon. What will you choose? Christ or no?
144,000 of all the tribes of Israel
The number 144,000 is stated in clear unequivocal terms. The number is emphasized in describing 12,000 of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This raises two questions?
144,000 is a small number compared to all the known Christians on earth today. We know that many so-called Christians are such in name only, and do not have a real faith in Jesus. But only 144,000? Is this number real or is it symbolic? No one has the answer to that. We do know that it is a special group. See these verses:
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:1-3, KJV).
When Michael stands up, He has finished His priestly ministry in heaven. He stands up in judgment. Probation has closed. It is time for Him to return to earth to claim His people. There will be a time of trouble, during which His people will be protected (Psalm 91).
When He comes, the righteous dead will be resurrected! That is the hope of every Christian. Then it speaks of "they that be wise." Could this be speaking of a special group – the 144,000? I believe so. These are those who are now actively witnessing for Christ, urging people to choose Christ now while they have time.
Revelation 7:9 speaks of the great multitude which no man could number. There will be many thousands, even millions or billions who will be saved, who are not part of the 144,000. But the 144,000 have a special focus in their lives. They will love God supremely. They will be a demonstration to men and to angels that Jesus sacrifice on Calvary was effective, that His grace has changed their lives.
If you love Jesus, and if you choose to honor His name, you will do all you can to be a member of the 144,000. It is your greatest gift to Him!
Are they Jews?
This is the other question
I do not think the 144,000 will be just Jews. Israel was given a probation in Daniel 9:24, allowing 490 years to complete the work that God had given them to do. At the end of that time, when Messiah came as prophesied, the Jewish nation rejected their Messiah.
Please remember that the early church was a Jewish church. Without the Jews there would be no Christian church. While they turned away from Jesus as their Messiah, there were thousands of individuals who chose FOR Him and began a strong work in witnessing for Him and spreading the Gospel to the Roman Empire and beyond.
Will they have a part in hastening the coming of our Lord? And will they be part of the 144,000? YES! Without a doubt. God has not forgotten His people. He is willing to graft back into the tree – all who will choose Christ as their Messiah. Will a large number of Jews be converted and make up the entire number of the 144,000? No, I do not believe so. This is just my belief, but I believe it is risky to think that God is waiting for the return of the Jews as a people. It is risky because we must come to Christ NOW! Now is the time of salvation. Now is the time to choose Him. And now is the time to develop a faith that will be strong in spite of weariness, hunger, and delay.
The significance of the 144,000 is that God will have a special large group of people who have committed their lives 100% to Jesus. They will demonstrate to men and to angels that grace is sufficient to save! And I believe, that there is room for you to honor Christ in choosing Him.