The Mysterious 144,000
Who are the 144,000 in Revelation and what is their
purpose?
There is probably no part of Revelation that has been more abused than the
first half of chapter 7 which tells about 144,000 Jews being "sealed" as "bond-servants" of God. The Jehovah's
Witnesses claim that a group of their founders and pioneers constitute this group. Other cults claim they are the 144,000.
Most mainline Christian commentators argue that this group is symbolic of the Church.
How
144,000 Jews could be symbolic of the Church is beyond my comprehension. This interpretation is a good example of the fanciful
ideas that people seem to delight in pulling out of Revelation. What would God have to do to convince us that He is speaking
about 144,000 Jews? He says they are Jews. Specifically, He calls them, "the sons of Israel" (Revelation 7:4). He even enumerates them by their tribes, stating that 12,000 will come from each tribe. Does He need to put a flashing
neon sign in the sky that says, "I'm talking about Jews!"?
Why are some Jewish tribes excluded from the 144,000?
This is an
intriguing question. The list of tribes is certainly unusual. The original twelve tribes included both Levi and Joseph. But
normally, when the twelve tribes are listed in the Bible, Levi — the priestly tribe — is not mentioned because
its inheritance was the Lord Himself (Deuteronomy 10:9). And Joseph's name is usually dropped and then replaced by his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh who were adopted by Jacob
(Genesis 48:8-22). So, Levi and Joseph are usually replaced by Ephraim and Manasseh, keeping the list at twelve.
In
the listing in Revelation 7, the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are dropped and replaced by Levi and Joseph to keep the list at
twelve. Why? Well, no one knows for sure. My guess is that Dan and Ephraim were dropped because they were the ones that led
the children of Israel into idolatry (Deuteronomy 29:18-21 and 1 Kings 12:25ff). It thus appears that the two tribes responsible for luring others into idolatry will not be entrusted with sharing the
Gospel with others during the Tribulation.
But God's grace in this matter is reflected
at the end of Revelation when the description of the new Jerusalem is given. Revelation 21:12 says the city will have twelve gates and that each gate will be named after one of "the twelve tribes of the sons of
Israel." In Ezekiel 48:30-34 we are told which tribes will be included in this significant recognition. They are the original twelve, including Levi and
Joseph. That means one of the gates will be named for the errant tribe of Dan, and both Manessah and Ephraim will be included
under Joseph's name.
Are the 144,000 of Revelation 7 the same as
the 144,000 portrayed in Revelation 14?
I believe they are.
Why would the book introduce us to a totally different group of 144,000 people without telling us so?
In
his book, Revelation Illustrated and Made Plain, Tim LaHaye argues that the 144,000 in Revelation 14 are a group
of Gentile Christians who have been converted during the Tribulation and who have served the Lord with distinction before
experiencing martyrdom. He admits that this is interpretation puts him "in the minority among commentators."
The scene in Revelation 14 portrays 144,000 men standing on Mt. Zion with Jesus. LaHaye contends
that since this scene takes place in the middle of the Tribulation, and since Jesus would not be standing on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem
at that time, the reference to Mt. Zion must be a symbolic reference to Heaven. So, he concludes that these are Gentiles who
have died for their faith and who are now in Heaven with Jesus.
I don't think
so. The first point I would make is that this scene is not in the middle of the Tribulation. All of chapter 14 is a flash
forward to the end of the Tribulation, giving the reader a preview of what lies ahead, assuring him that Jesus will ultimately
triumph. The second point I would make is that the group is not in Heaven. They are on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem where Jesus has
returned to reign as King of kings. He has preserved them through the Tribulation, and He is celebrating His victory with
them. They are singing a song heard from Heaven, a song which only they can sing (Revelation 14:2-3). Again, if this were a different 144,000 from the 144,000 Jews mentioned in Revelation 7, I think the text would tell us
so.
What is the Purpose of the 144,000?
What is the role of these 144,000 Jews during the Tribulation? What is their purpose? All
the text says is that they will be "bond-servants of God" (Revelation 7:3).
But the context indicates that they will serve the Lord as evangelists. I say this
because their description is followed immediately by the description of "a great multitude which no one can count, from
every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues" (Revelation 7:9). John sees this great host of people in Heaven standing before the throne of God, and he asks "Who are they, and from
where have they come?" (Revelation 7:13). He is told that they are people who have come out of the Great Tribulation who "have washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).
In other words, this multitude of Gentiles are those who accept Jesus after the
Rapture and who are martyred for their faith during the Tribulation.
Because they
are placed adjacent to the 144,000 believing Jews, the implication is that they are converted by the Jews during the Tribulation.
I once called Zola Levitt and asked his opinion on this matter. Zola is a Messianic Jew who
has a Bible prophecy ministry. When I asked if he believed that the 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7 would serve as evangelists
trying to convert the world to Jesus, he said, "Of course! Why do you think the Lord has given us the kind of personality
that we have?"
I wasn't about to touch that question with a ten foot pole,
so I played dumb. "What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Haven't
you ever noticed," asked Zola, "that Jews are very pushy people?"
"Well
yes," I responded, "now that you mention it, I must say that I have."
"Well,"
said Zola, "God has given us that kind of personality so that we can be the world's greatest salesmen. And one day,
during the Tribulation, 144,000 believing Jews are going to use those skills to convert a great host of Gentiles to Jesus.
We are going to push people up against the wall and hold them by the throat until they say, 'Jesus!' Before the Tribulation
is over, we are going to convert more people to Jesus than you Gentiles have done in the past 2,000 years."
All I could say was, "I hope you are right."
