144000 – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

We saw in chapter seven, 144,000 of God’s people being sealed in preparation for the judgment to fall on unbelievers.

Then in chapter 13, we saw the people of the beast receiving their own mark. And whoever did not receive that mark was persecuted.

So on one hand, those who were received the seal of God were protected from God’s wrath, but on the other hand, they received the wrath of the beast for refusing his mark.

And the question becomes, is it worth it? Is it worth it to go through that persecution? For many people, they find it hard to say yes. No one likes to go through persecution.

But if you remain faithful and endure, what will happen? We find the answer in chapter 14.

The 144,000 reappear in this chapter. Again, I believe these people are the entirety of the redeemed of God, not just a certain select. And according to chapters 7 and 14, they are sealed with the Father’s name and the Lamb’s name written on their foreheads.

But whereas in chapter 7 we see them preparing for the trials to come, it seems that we see them here having come out of the fire. What are they doing?

Complaining about all the persecution they had endured? Questioning God about why they had to suffer for his sake? No.

Rather, they were singing a new song. A song that no one else could truly learn.

Why not? Because while the angels, four living creatures, and the elders can probably technically learn and sing this song, they didn’t experience all that these 144,000 did: all the suffering, all the trials.

And because they didn’t go through the fire of these things, they can’t truly understand the joy of deliverance. But these people of God can.

“They did not defile themselves with women for they kept themselves pure,” it says in verse 4.

Does this mean then they were all men who were literally virgins? No. I believe this is symbolic of all believers who remain faithful to Christ.

We are called the bride of Christ, and by not joining ourselves to the Beast and all he represents, but remaining faithful to Christ despite persecution, we remain pure before Him.

And John says that as his faithful bride, we follow him wherever he goes. For we were purchased by his blood and are now offered as an offering to God and the Lamb.

So again we are encouraged,

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus…”Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor for their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:12-13)

How about you? Can you see beyond our present sufferings to the glory that awaits us? If you can’t do that, it will be difficult to stand, both now through whatever you’re going through, and later when we face the antichrist.

So as I said a couple of days ago, fix your eyes on Jesus. He knows what it means to set his eyes on the joy set before him in the face of suffering. And he can show you how to do it too.

Remember too the words of Paul who said,

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:18, 26-28)

Those who will stand on the day of wrath

At the end of chapter 6, in looking at the events coming with the sixth seal, the great and small of the earth cry out to the mountains and the rocks,

Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? (Revelation 6:16-17)

Who can stand? The answer is found in chapter 7. Here John sees four angels, ready to release the winds of judgment upon the earth. But another angel comes, and says,

Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the forehead of the servant of our God. (Revelation 7:3)

This is very reminiscent of another time when God sealed his own people to protect them from the judgment that was coming in the book of Ezekiel. (Ezekiel 9:3-7)

And here we see God sealing 144,000 people from the tribes of Israel.

This is one of those things that people argue endlessly about. Who are the 144,000? I think the number is symbolic of all the redeemed.

You see 12 (tribes of Israel) times 12 (apostles) times 1000 (a number signifying completeness). These compose the new Israel that is in Jesus Christ.

Why wouldn’t they be literal Jews?

First, it’s not the original 12 sons of Jacob (Dan is omitted and Manasseh, Joseph’ son is included), nor is it the 12 tribes that inherited the promised land (Dan is omitted, Levi is included, and Joseph is listed instead of Ephraim).

Add to to the fact that all the tribal lines are now completely mixed, and it seems unlikely they are talking about literal Jews.

And just as you see a mixing of metaphors concerning Jesus where he is the Lion and the Lamb in chapter 5, it seems likely to me that there’s another mixing of metaphors where the 144,000 are the great multitude seen in Revelation 7:9; a people from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne of God and the Lamb.

And they cry out,

Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. (7:10)

The elder then explains to John,

These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe every tear from their eye.” (7:14-17)

What is he saying?

Times of trouble are to come. When antichrist comes, there will be persecution, and many will die for the sake of Christ. But as Jesus told the church of Smyrna (2:8-10), it is only for a time.

Though we may face the wrath of the Satan and his antichrist, we will be sealed and protected from the wrath of God and his Christ.

And in the end, we will stand before God, and serve and worship him forever. Never again will we have to suffer as we do on earth.

On that day, we will see Jesus face to face. He will give us life eternal. And every tear we’ve cried while here on earth will be wiped away. That is the hope for all who put their faith in Christ.

So we have a choice. Do we take the seal of God and face the wrath of Satan? Or do we take Satan’s mark and face the wrath of God. There is no other option.

What will you choose?