Real Faith… Real Fast
Who Are The 144,000 in Revelation 7?
On Sunday nights at Scott Lake Baptist Church as we have been walking through the book of Revelation together and last Sunday night we arrived at Revelation 7 and asked the question “Who are the 144,000”?
With the Book of Revelation there are many symbolic images that most people recognize, the 4 horsemen, The 7 Seals, The Mark of the Beast, The Great Dragon, and this group The 144,000.
If you’ve done any investigation into Revelation it won’t surprise you there are many different opinions as to who this group represents.
Those who interpret Revelation from a “Historicist” perspective see the 144,000 as symbolic of the church of all time throughout the past 2,000 years. The “Israel of God” so to speak.
Futurists tend to see this group as godly Jews who are sealed and protected from the later plagues that are to come. Others see them as Jewish Christians who endure the Great Tribulation.
Those who see Revelation from a Spiritual perspective take the 144,000 to be a symbolic picture of the church in any given age protected by God through persecution.
I think there’s an element of truth in each of these ideas, generally speaking, yet they all fall short when you get into the details. Christians have been debating the identity of the 144,000 for over 2,000 years, so I don’t expect to answer all our questions about them.
In fact, I think that’s mostly the point here. This book is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ” so it’s more important what Revelation 7 tells us about who Jesus is rather than the identity of this specific group of people.
As with most of the images in Revelation, when you think it was written is going to have a major effect on your understanding of the meaning of these visions.
The majority believe Revelation was written around AD95 under Emperor Dominion’s reign. The strongest evidence for this is a quotation of Irenaeus (who studied under Polycarp, who was a disciple of John the Apostle) all recorded by Eusebius in his book of Church History.
It seems to be all those who are quoted as following this “Later date” in AD95 rely on this quotation as their primary evidence. While internal evidence such as the identity of the Beast from His Mark and the historical circumstances surrounding the successive “kings” (or Emperors) of Rome strongly favor an earlier date under Nero, the evidence external to the Bible it’s, the quotation of Irenaeus, is given more weight by most scholars.
That being the case, Eusebius is writing in Latin some 140 years after Irenaeus who wrote in Greek himself about 100 years after the book of revelation was written (give or take 10 years or so).
The fact is, it’s not actually clear if Irenaeus said John saw the Revelation under Domition (meaning it was written around AD95) or that John was still alive under Domition and so he had plenty of time to explain aspects of his book he had written some 30 years prior.
Irenaeus is somewhat known for getting the dates and times of biblical events wrong anyway. He famously taught Jesus was close to 50 years old when he died and thus had a 10-15 year ministry with his Apostles before his crucifixion and resurrection. He’s off by over a decade from what almost all scholars believe.
Add to that, Eusebius does not believe the Book of Revelation should be considered Scripture. He is the first one to describe the author of Revelation as “John the Elder” rather than John the Apostle. He is seeking to cast doubt on the fact this book is Apostolic in origin.
It is a long held tradition of more liberal scholars to try to push the date of authorship of New Testament books later and later so as to indicate that someone other than an Apostle had written them, therefore making us doubt their authenticity as God’s Word.
I’m not so quick to accept this evidence for the later date of Revelation and reject all the internal evidence which strongly favors a time of writing prior to the Temple’s destruction in AD70, most likely just prior to the Jewish war some time around AD64.
This evidence is so foundational to the late date advocates, once it becomes dubious, the earlier date becomes not only much more attractive but far more likely.
This has major implications for how we understand all the imagery and meaning of the Book of Revelation.
If you take, for example, the 7 Seals that are broken by the Lamb. If Revelation was written in AD64 one could not miss the parallel language from Josephus’ account of the Destruction of Jerusalem written just 5-10 after those events.
If Revelation was written around AD95, it may even seem like whoever wrote it, if it is even John the Apostle or indeed someone else like Eusebius’ “John the Elder” perhaps they were simply copying Josephus and we shouldn’t consider Revelation part of scripture?
I believe Revelation belongs in the Bible because it is written by John the Apostle and I trust the evidence from within the Book itself rather than historians with agendas some 250 years after the fact, so I tend to lean towards the earlier date.
So back to Revelation 7 and “Who are the 144,000” described there?
When you compare Revelation 7 to Ezekiel’s account of the Temple in 586BC in Ezekiel 4-9 you can see several parallels. For example, in Ezekiel 8:3 he is taken up between heaven and earth and taken to see a vision of Jerusalem’s destruction. Just like the 144,000 in Revelation 7, there’s a group who are “SEALED” and protected in Ezekiel 9:4. and there are even angelic beings at the “FOUR CORNERS” in Ezekiel 7:2 just like in Revelation 7.
If Revelation is indeed intending to show a vision of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 it makes sense there would be parallels with the biblical account of the Temple’s prior destruction in 586BC.
So let’s read what it says in Revelation 7:1-3.
After this I SAW four angels standing at the FOUR CORNERS of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. Then I SAW another angel rising up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He cried out in a LOUD VOICE to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea, “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we SEAL the SERVANTS of our God on their foreheads.”
The sealing of the forehead is the opposite of the “Mark of the Beast” in Revelation 13.
It speaks to God’s protection and ownership of these servants. It is the “mark of the Lamb” in Revelation 14, and here in Revelation 7 is in-between the Lamb breaking the 6th and 7th seals of the scroll only he is worthy to read.
The sealing of the 144,000 is mentioned not only here in Revelation 7, but also in Revelation 14:1 and Revelation 22:4
I think this is a good point in the passage to depart from the details of identifying the meaning of this 144,000 and focus on the reason we see them. This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Here in the midst of the Lamb breaking the seals, what does this group say about Jesus?
Well, in Ephesians 1:13 Paul says if you have believed the gospel of Jesus, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
A little later in Ephesians 4:30 it says you were sealed by “him” (the Holy Spirit, not “it” but “him) for the day of redemption.
And 2Corinthians 1:22 says “he has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment”
Just as you might finance a car or put something on layaway, not only do we have the Holy Spirit to help us now, but as a guarantee of protection and salvation against the day of judgment which will be our day of redemption.
So too in Revelation 7. Whoever the 144,000 are, they are sealed and protected against judgment. Just as the passover lamb was slaughtered and its blood was used to mark an protect Israel’s first born children, the mark of the lamb in Revelation is a promise to protect the ones who belong to Jesus.
So who do these 144,000 represent?
Some see these as 144,000 and no more not 144,001, not 143,999.
In the late 19th century people like Charles Russell took the 144,000 literally and believed they were the faithful of the “last days” – they became known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses who now hold that these 144,000 are a fixed number of saints who function as kings and priests and have been resurrected to heaven as spirit creatures to rule with Christ.
The New Apostolic church sees this group as “apostles” and “prophets” chosen to spread the gospel in the end times as part of the new restored apostleship.
Mormons, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, believe the 144,000 are Latter-Day missionaries who gather Israel and build temples before Christ’s return.
When you view it as a group of people in our future, things can get very speculative.
So let’s see what Revelation 7 says.
There are 12,000 listed from each of these tribes.
Judah is mentioned first. This tribe is never listed first in any list of the 12 tribes anywhere else in the Bible. It is the tribe from which Jesus comes, and is the namesake of the Southern kingdom after the nation of Israel was divided in two.
Then Ruben, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.
After that we hear Manasseh listed. This is Joseph’s son, the half-tribe of Manasseh sometimes listed with his brother Ephraim.
Ephraim is considered one of the leading tribes of the Northern Kingdom and in places like Hosea is indicative of the Northern Kingdom’s spiritual condition, full of idolatry.
Ephraim is omitted from the list in Revelation 7
Then we have the tribe of Simeon (which is omitted in Deuteronomy 33’s 12 Tribes)
After which is Levi (who is not mentioned among the 12 Tribes in Numbers 1 or Joshua 13-21) because of their role as spiritual leaders throughout Israel without land of their own.
then Issachar and Zebulun
Followed by Joseph.
It’s interesting that Joseph is listed along with his son Manasseh, that never happens anywhere else in the Bible. Typically in places like Numbers 1 and Joshua 13-21 Ephraim and Manasseh are listed when Levi and Joseph are absent, but in Revelation 7 both Joseph and Levi are listed, as well as Manasseh, but not Ephraim.
And finally Revelation lists Benjamin, who is always present and as the youngest always last in every list of the 12 Tribes.
Notably the Tribe of Dan is absent from Revelation 7’s listing. Dan is never omitted in any tribal listing, except here.
So what is happening here?
It seems to be that this is a symbolic listing of Israel. It is certainly not a literal listing of the 12 Tribes.
I think what’s going on is this shows the fulfillment of the promises of protection for Israel’s remnant. The Southern tribes are all that really remain, so we have Judah listed first and Benjamin listed last to represent that all of Israel is encapsulated within the remnant of the Southern Kingdom who remained faithful.
Levi is also listed, and a portion of that tribe did remain in the South after Israel’s division.
The omission of both Ephram and Dan give us even more clues that this is a faithful remnant, not simply the 12 Tribes of Israel generally.
Ephram lead the way as the leading tribe in the north and it was in the city of Dan that Jeroboam I set up a golden calf for idol worship and instituted a priesthood outside the covenant with God.
Because Revelation 14:4 calls this 144,000 the “First Fruits of the Lamb” I think it makes perfect sense that these are in fact Jewish believers in Jesus, the Lamb, who were saved during the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70.
The first Christians were overwhelmingly Jewish and not historically we know the Believers in Jerusalem were saved by heeding Jesus’ words to “flee to the hills” in Matthew 24:16; Mark 13:14; and Luke 21:21 relating to Jerusalem’s destruction that would happen before that generation passed away.
There is an informative pattern in Revelation where John HEARS something, but when he turns to LOOK at it, he SEES something different that gives a fuller Revelation of that thing.
For example, John heard about the Lion of the Tribe of Judah in Revelation 5:5, he did not see it. But in the very next verse, in Revelation 5:6 he turns to not see a Lion but a slaughtered Lamb. We know that both these symbols represent Jesus, not only with authority as the Lion, but even more so because he was slain for the sin of the world… that’s what makes him worthy to break the seals.
Here in Revelation 7 starting in verse 2 John first HEARS “a loud voice…’Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads’ And I HEARD the number of the sealed…” and goes on to list the unique listing of these 12 Tribes, the 144,000. That’s what he HEARD…
Then starting in verse 9
After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from EVERY nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, saying,
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
What he heard was the 144,000 Sealed and saved from the destruction of Jerusalem because they are believers in Jesus Christ, the first fruits of the Christian church… the remnant of Israel.
But when he looks, he sees the results of this faithful remnant who survived this judgment and destruction, it’s all the Christians who will trust in Jesus.
Verse 13 goes on…
Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “Sir, you know.”I think this is a little wink and a nod to us that this is not easy to understand. John doesn’t understand and this angelic being is acknowledging there really isn’t enough information to work it out. You may think you fully understand, but God has left it sufficiently vague so that you get the basic idea, but like the detail for specifics.
Then the angle explains starting back in verse 14…
Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night in his temple.
The one seated on the throne will shelter[b] them:
16 They will no longer hunger;
they will no longer thirst;
the sun will no longer strike them,
nor will any scorching heat.
For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne
will shepherd them;
he will guide them to springs of the waters of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
This “coming out of the great tribulation” can mean they were killed during this time, they were taken out of it or before it, or it can also mean they survived it.
I think the best way to understand this 144,000 is of those first Christians, who were Jewish, who survived the lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70. These are the remnant of Israel who remained faithful by believing in Jesus, the Lamb of God who’s blood is the basis of the New Covenant. All the Christians who come after them would be from every tribe, tongue, and nation but owe their start to this faithful group.
144,000 is a big round number of 12 x 12 x 1,000 representing the whole of those who remained faithful in Israel, that’s why Ephraim and Dan are excluded as well. It’s not exactly 144,000 actual people, the real number may have been close to this, but that’s not the point.
The point is, Jesus saves his faithful people. This is God’s promise for all who believe in Jesus.
We are sealed by the Holy Spirit and bought by the blood of the Lamb.
I pray that you will give your life to Jesus and thus be saved from the ultimate judgment day when Jesus returns.
I hope this has been helpful and perhaps gave you some new things to think about.
May God bless you.
John Harris
