Who Are the 144,000?

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying,

“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

So, before the final cataclysmic judgments come, God has something to do. He has a group of his servants who are to be sealed on their foreheads. And you know what? They’re all Jews.

“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.”

And then it lists the tribes. Then it goes on,

“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, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

Then one of the elders—I’m going on verse 13—answered, saying to me,

“Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”

And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me,

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Now, I believe those two passages are joined in one chapter as cause and effect. I believe the harvest from all nations, peoples, tribes, and tongues will be gathered in by 144,000 Jewish believers.

So, Jesus said,

“The first will be last,”

and then,

“The last will be first.”

So, the Jews were the first, they became the last, but the last will be the first. They’ll conclude the task of evangelism. Think of 144,000 Spirit-filled, young Jewish men turned loose. We can't calculate what would happen.

Now, let's look at the end in Revelation 14.

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

Notice that was the seal. It wasn't revealed in chapter seven, but the seal was the name of Jesus and the Father. And you see, if you read the intervening chapters, the Antichrist also places a seal on the forehead of every person that will accept it. So, in the end, I think every human being will have one or other of two seals: the seal of the Antichrist or the seal of God.

“And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud peals of thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 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.”

They had their own song.

“Now these are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.”

But all the language is male. It's all talking about males.

“These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.”

What a testimony, to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

“These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.”

As I understand it, there must be young Jewish men, probably not more than 16 or 17 or 18 years old, never involved in sexual immorality, set aside by the choice of God for this specific task.

I don't know whether you've noticed, but more and more, evangelism is becoming the lot of young people. Have you seen that? See, young people don't have the inhibitions that we older people have. They just go out, tell it like it is. That's what God wants.

And listen, this is a beautiful testimony.

“In their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

What a picture! What a glorious picture! So, in the midst of all the turmoil and the confusion, the suffering, the slaughter, God has His positive side. But believe me, brothers and sisters, if you don't come to this with a vision of Jesus, the victor over sin, death, and the grave, as the Judge, as the only one competent to open the scroll, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, if you don't have a vision of the throne room of God and its power, and its complete control, I think you're going to be very fearful and disheartened, and discouraged in what lies ahead.