THE 144,000
A) IDENTIFYING THE 144,000.
B) THE HOLINESS FACTOR.
C) THE NUMBER 144,000.
D) A LITTLE COMMON-SENSE.
E) WHAT ABOUT THE “GREAT MULTITUDE” COMPRISING THE 144,000.
A) IDENTIFYING THE 144,000
Identifying them on Earth only. Let’s be honest. When probation closes there will be a specific number of people who will be sealed and not sealed. Whatever you believe that number to be, “there will be a specific number.”
That number will be composed of those that “are not defiled with women,” Revelation 14:3; understanding that a “woman” in Biblical prophecy is identified as a “church,” either righteous or unrighteous (see Jer. 6:2; Rev. 2:20; 12:1; 12:4; 12:6; 12:13; 12:14; 12:15; 12:16; 12:17; 17:3; 17:4; 17:6; 17:7; 17:9; 17:18). Therefore, they either have “Come out of her,” Revelation 18:4, meaning, the false churches, or, they “are virgins,” Revelation 14:4, having never partaken or been a member of any of the false fallen churches. For they also are known as having “in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault,” Revelation 14:5, meaning, no false doctrines.
B) THE HOLINESS FACTOR
As expressed specifically in the Book of Revelation, Chapter Seven, the most important factor to consider whenever discussing the makeup or structure of the 144,000, is the Bible’s emphasis on the HOLY condition of this group. Any other deliberations are minuscule compared to this fact.
Also, we can notice just how important this Biblical figure is, in that the “walls” of the holy city of New Jerusalem are “an hundred and forty and four cubits,” Revelation 21:17. Thus the importance and holiness of this figure is well established.
C) THE NUMBER 144,000
Consider that it is estimated that there was about between two to four million people upon the earth when the Flood of Noah’s day occurred. Yet only 8 persons were saved from that deluge. Using the figure of two million, that would be .000004% of the population that were saved.
There is now about 7.7 billion people upon the earth as of April 2019 A.D. If we consider only 144,000 will go through the “Time Of Jacob’s Trouble,” then the figure works out to be .0000187%. That is actually a VERY EXCELLENT amount of “saved” individuals, if we consider humanities past efforts.
Thus, can we establish Biblically that the figure of 144,000 is a literal number? Perhaps I should answer that question with another question: Are the other numbers in Revelation literal or just spiritual? For instance, will there be 12 gates and 12 foundations? Are there really 12 different kinds of fruit on the Tree of Life? Therefore, of course! Most Bible commentators agree that all of our understandings about the dimensions of the New Jerusalem, and the fruits upon the Tree of Life are based on the assumption that these numbers have a real literal value.
There are many prophetic time periods given in the Book of Revelation, but the numbers are not just nebulas numerical symbols, they are precise measurements of time. The numbers would be useless for reckoning if they were merely symbolic; and much of the meanings in the Book would be lost. As an example, most Bible commentators agree that all of our understandings about the dimensions of the New Jerusalem are based on the assumption that these numbers have a real literal value. And that the time periods mentioned (1260; 42 months) are literal years.
D) A LITTLE COMMON-SENSE
In an interesting fact, Gothic Cathedrals are now known to have been built upon Biblical figures. For example, the “Amiens Cathedral,” just south of Paris, France, has its center columns 50 feet apart (the Bibles measurement for the width of Noah’s ark, Genesis 6:15), with every other pillar was placed around these four center columns for support. While the height of the “Amiens Cathedral” is 144,000 feet high (these are Roman Gothic measurements; modern measurements differ). In another fact, at the dedication of the opening of the “Amiens Cathedral,” the bishop read aloud Revelation 21:17, emphasizing the Divine height to which this Cathedral had attained (that of Heaven). As it follows, the “Cathedral of Saint Peter of Beauvais” has the same measurements, along with others. Also, some of the measurements were used from Solomon’s Temple. Thus, Biblical measurements were an intricate blueprint in the building of Gothic Cathedrals.
In a side note, the builders of the “Cathedral of Saint Peter of Beauvais,” used the “Royal Foot” instead of the “Gothic [Roman] Foot,” thus rendering their Cathedral the tallest on earth at that time.
Furthermore, the number 1,000 in the Old Testament (and it must be remembered that we are dealing with the New Testament and the Greek, not the Hebrew language), may have different meanings in regards to being literal, or approximate. Where it is used in the entire Bible as an approximate number, see Joshua 22:14 & 21; First Samuel 10:19; 23:23; Micah 5:2. However, whenever there is a military figure to be discerned or expressed, it is ALWAYS a literal number of 1,000. Examples are Exodus 18:21 & 25; Numbers 1:16; 10:4; 31:5; First Samuel 8:12; 18:13; 22:7; etcetera.
Israel was at all times organized administratively into tribal units. However, during times of war it was organized into military units of 1,000 each (see texts above). Thus, 1,000 was the basic military unit of Israel in ancient times. And therefore, the phrase, “thousands of Israel,” when used in a military expression, is used as a synonym for Israel’s army and was understood literally in thought as each division of its thousands. And it carried with it that connotation.
My point is, that the sealed 144,000 saints is/are made up of 144 military units, twelve from each tribe, signifying a totality of Israel with her twelve tribes. Moreover, John the Revelator is using battle imagery to portray the 144,000, since they are to pass through the great tribulation. It is therefore simply natural and appropriate to understand John to be speaking in military terms, organized into military units, as modeled after ancient Israel’s military system; thus, concluding that this 144,000 is a literal number.
Therefore, since we can establish Biblically that the figure of 144,000 is a literal number, we can also establish that the other numbers in Revelation are literal and not just spiritual; as mentioned above (12 gates and 12 foundations; 12 different kinds of fruit on the tree of life; 1260; 42 months; etcetera).
E) WHAT ABOUT THE “GREAT MULTITUDE” COMPRISING THE 144,000
That the 144,000 is a literal number should be clear (if we use common-sense). By contrast, the Bible clearly states in Revelation, Chapter Seven, that the “great multitude, which no man could number,” verse 9. Meaning you cannot “number” the “great multitude.” Whereas, the 144,000 is most definitely defined as having a literal number.
We must also consider that the “great multitude,” Revelation 7:9, can be substantiated as comprising a different group than the 144,000, in that they had their (the “great multitude” or righteous dead) robes “given unto” them, Revelation 6:11, while the 144,000 had to “have washed their robes,” Revelation 6:14, “and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” ibid., indicating they obtained perfection (through Christ), because (see Rev. 14:1-5) “in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault,” Revelation 6:5, equaling perfection. The “great multitude” did not achieve that distinction.
Also, since the 144,000 go through the tribulation (perfected), then this becomes a great possibility that the number is literal; just as when Noah and his family were the only ones (8) to enter into the ark. Also, according to Revelation 14:3, the 144,000 were the only ones who can sing “a new song before the throne,” which apparently the “great multitude” do not have access to. In the end, the 144,000 are “not defiled with women [false churches];” whereas the “great multitude” had to come out “of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” Revelation 7:9; equaling false (worship) churches.
Another way to differentiate the 144,000 from the “great multitude,” is that the 144,000 come to us as being from tribes (Revelation, Chapter 7), while the “great multitude” come to us as being from “every nation,” Revelation 7:9. Also, the 144,000 came out of the “great tribulation,” while the “great multitude” have no mention of that event attached to them (see Rev. 7:9).