THE 144,000

By

Lee

THE ONLY PLACE IN THE BIBLE THAT MENTIONS 144,000 IS REVELATION 7 AND 14.

ASV Revelation 7:3-4

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

 4.  And I heard the number of them that were sealed, a hundred and forty and four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:

ASV Revelation 14:1

 1.  And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads.

THE WORD "SEALED" IS A KEY WORD THAT PAUL EXPLAINS MEANS HAVING THE HOLY SPIRIT.

ASV 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

 21.  Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

 22.  who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

ASV Ephesians 1:13-14

 13.  in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,-- in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

 14.  which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory.

ASV Ephesians 4:30

 30.  And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.

TO BE SEALED IS TO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THIS WILL BE THOSE WHO ARE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION.

MOUNT ZION IS ANOTHER KEY WORD.

ASV Joel 2:32

 32.  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.

ASV Obadiah 1:21

 21.  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be Jehovah's.

ASV Hebrews 12:22-23

 22.  but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels,

 23.  to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

THE 144,000 ARE WITH JESUS AT HIS RETURN ON MOUNT ZION.  THE 144,000 ARE SAID TO BE THE REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH.

KJV Revelation 14:3

 3.  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

REDEEMED MEANS HAVING SALVATION AND THE 144,000 BY THIS TIME ARE SPIRIT BEINGS. PAUL SAID THAT HAVING THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WHAT SEALS US TO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION.  EVERYONE THAT HAS HAD THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM ADAM TILL THE RETURN OF CHRIST ARE RESURRECTED IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION AND STAND WITH JESUS ON MOUNT ZION AND HAVE BEEN REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH.  HEBREWS TELLS US THAT THE SAINTS BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER CHRIST ARE ALL RESURRECTED AT THE SAME TIME.

KJV Hebrews 11:39-40

 39.  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

 40.  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

THE "THESE ALL" ARE THE SAINTS OF THE TIME BEFORE CHRIST.  THESE SAINTS AND THOSE WHO CAME AFTER CHRIST WILL BE RESURRECTED TOGETHER.

KJV 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

 15.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

 16.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

 17.  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.

THOSE WHO ARE ASLEEP ARE THOSE WHO HAVE DIED LIKE MOSES FOR EXAMPLE.

KJV Hebrews 11:24-26

 24.  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

 25.  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

 26.  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

KJV Hebrews 11:35

 35.  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

ALL THE OLD COVENANT PEOPLE WHO HAD GOD'S SPIRIT WILL BE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION ALONG WITH THOSE OF NEW COVENANT TIMES, ALL AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE MADE PERFECT WITHOUT US.  THE 144,000 THEN ARE ALL THE SAINTS FROM THE TIME OF ADAM UNTIL THE DOORS ARE SHUT AT THE TRIBULATION BEFORE JESUS RETURNS. THE HOPE OF A SAINT TODAY IS THE SAME HOPE OF THOSE WHO LIVED LONG AGO. THE PASSAGE OF TIME DOES NOT CHANGE THE HOPE. THE SAME SPIRIT THAT IS IN US WAS IN THEM. THE SAINTS ARE TO RULE WITH CHRIST AND DAVID IS ONE OF THE SAINTS AS WELL AS ALL THE REST OF THE OLD COVENANT SAINTS.

KJV Revelation 20:5-6

 5.  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6.  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

 

KJV Psalms 16:1-3

 1.  Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

 2.  O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

 3.  But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

KJV Zechariah 14:5

5.  And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

KJV Matthew 27:52-53

 52.  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, (THESE ARE SAINTS THAT DIED BEFORE JESUS DID.)

 53.  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

KJV Ephesians 2:19-21

 19.  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

 20.  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21.   In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

THE ENTIRE BUILDING OF GOD IS THE PROPHETS AND APOSTLES REFERRING TO OLD AND NEW COVENANT SAINTS WITH CHRIST AS THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE OR THE ONE WHICH ALL HAD FAITH IN.

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF SOMEONE LOOKED FORWARD TO CHRIST AS THE OLD COVENANT SAINTS DID IN FAITH OR IF WE LOOK BACK AT CHRIST IN FAITH. TIME IS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE FAITH IS TIMELESS, BECAUSE GOD IS TIMELESS. 

THE 144,000 ARE THE REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH, SAINTS THAT ARE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WILL LIVE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST AT THE FIRST RESURRECTION ARE GATHERED FROM THE FOUR WINDS TO MOUNT ZION FROM ALL OF TIME SINCE CREATION TO HIS RETURN. 

AS INCREDIBLE AS IT MAY SOUND THERE ARE ONLY 144,000 PEOPLE OF ALL THE WORLD SINCE ADAM THAT  ARE ELECT SAINTS OF SPIRITUAL ISRAEL AND WILL TOGETHER BE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION AS THE ELECT OF GOD.

THERE WILL BE AN INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE THAT MUST GO THROUGH THE TRIBULATION AND BECOME SAINTS AT THAT TIME WHO MUST BE MARTYRS AND WILL ALSO BE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION BUT WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE ELECT. 

This multitude will be converted by the preaching of the two witnesses during the tribulation.

KJV Revelation 7:9-17

 9.  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;

 10.  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

 11.  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,

 12.  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

 13.  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14.  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.

 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.

 16.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

 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.

THESE PEOPLE ARE LAODICEANS WHO REPENT DURING THE TRIBULATION BECAUSE OF THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL BY THE TWO WITNESSES.

THEY WILL BE KILLED BY THE BEAST BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT HIS MARK BUT AFTER JESUS RETURNS THEY ARE RESURRECTED ALONG WITH THE 144,000. 

WHEN THE SCRIPTURE TALKS ABOUT A FUTURE MARTYRDOM OF THE SAINTS IT IS THESE PEOPLE AND NOT THE ELECT IT IS REFERRING TO.  THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN TILL JESUS RETURNS ARE PROTECTED BY GOD FROM THE TRIBULATION.

KJV Revelation 3:10

 10.  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

 The church today is scattered to the four winds and will be gathered from there when Jesus returns.  They are in small groups here and there but not having any power in the world because the power of the holy people was to be broken in the end times.

KJV Daniel 12:7

 7.  And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

KJV Daniel 7:25

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

The church is the Israel of God. There are two Israel’s, physical and spiritual, it is the spiritual that will be the saints of God.  Paul said this in Romans.

KJV Romans 9:6-8

 6.  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

 7.  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

8.  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

The church is and will be composed of people before and after Christ of all walks of life both Jew and Gentile but are not grafted into physical but spiritual Israel, the Israel of God.

KJV Galatians 6:15-16

 15.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

 16.  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

The 144,000 are not Jews from the current nation of Israel.  The Jews were only one tribe and the other tribes are not known today. Jews today are of physical Israel and are the elect under the law, the old covenant. Jews today do not believe Jesus is their Messiah. 

Abraham will be in the 144000 as will king David and all the prophets and there is no way to know exactly how many people before Jesus had the Holy Spirit.  Moses wanted a better resurrection, the first that contains the 144000 and the innumerable multitude. Since Moses will not go through the great tribulation, it follows that he will be one of the elect.

Having the Holy Spirit is what seals a person to the day they are redeemed.  It does not matter how long someone has been dead and God will add to the church daily such as should be saved so that means people can be added up to the time there is enough to finish the number of 144000.