Question
The 144,000 in the Book of Revelation, are they Jews who finally accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Or are they just Christians going through the great tribulation? There seems to be many different views about this, so what is the true position?
Answer
The hundred and forty-four thousand is mentioned only three times in the Bible, in Revelation chapters 7 and 14.
Revelation 7 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
The first clue that something is not normal, is the names in the list of the tribes of Israel. In the other lists of the tribes, they are usually given in order of birth, with Reuben first and Benjamin last, but this one is totally random. Also, the name of Joseph does not normally appear, but both of his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh do appear. In this list both Joseph and one of his sons, Manasseh, appear, but not the other son, Ephraim. Also, the tribe of Dan does not appear in this list, but the tribe of Levi does appear. In the other lists, the tribe of Levi never appears, as God kept them separate from the other tribes to serve Him in the tabernacle and the temple. So the fact that this is not at all like the normal lists of the tribes of the children of Israel, tells us that it is likely to be symbolic.
But there is more. When the Assyrians took the ten northern tribes of Israel captive (Reuben, Gad, Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, Simeon, Naphtali and Zebulun), they were scattered among the nations and never returned to Palestine as tribes, only as a few scattered families. All records of them disappeared. Later the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (and also the remaining Levites) were taken into captivity by the Babylonians, but after 70 years were allowed back to Palestine. So, at present there is no record of the ten tribes which were lost, so how could there possibly be 12,000 of each of them sealed?
The final proof that we are not talking about the literal Jews here, but a symbolic group, is a number of passages that explain who the Israel is that is spoken about in the New Testament:
Romans 2 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Romans 9 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;
6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,
8 That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
Galatians 3 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We know that Israel as a nation rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and crucified Him. Because of that, they lost their status as a special missionary nation to God, and that was given to the Christian church which Jesus established. We see that when we are followers of Jesus, we are reckoned as descendants of Abraham, and that Israel after Jesus returned to heaven, is seen as the church, not physical Israel. It therefore seems much more likely that the children of Israel mentioned, represents God’s people of all nations, tribes and languages, and that the 144,000 is a symbolic number, signifying the entirety of God’s saved people through all the ages. This is an exclusive group, not because they are literal Jews, but because they are completely surrendered to God, following Him wherever He leads, and are therefore sealed in their foreheads, having God’s character in their minds.
Revelation 7 9 After 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, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 14 Then 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. 2 And 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. 3 They 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. 4 These 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. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
So, the 144,000 is not a specific number, but a symbolic number of the total saved population of the earth, from Adam to the very end. And as we see if we read a little further in Revelation 7, the saved in heaven is a great multitude, not a relatively small number.
