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Who are the 144,000 people mentioned in the book of Revelation found in chapters 7 and in chapters 14?
Your Thoughts?????
Jewish people (12000 chosen from each tribe) who will show or tell Israel that there IS a loving God fighthing for them. Also they will make the people of Israel understand that Jesus IS the Messiah and he's coming back soon. They will start their ministry after the church has been raptured.
The two witnesses (Elijah and Enoch OR Moses) will also start their ministry after the church has been raptured. they will also preach the word and make people come to their sense...
144,000 is symbolic and is based on smaller symbolic numbers.
Explanation from an appendix from the NET: [in part]
In Rev smaller numbers in and of themselves have symbolic meanings...
Rev has multiple sentence structures:
two part structures (e.g., Rev 1:11) speak how God's word is sent, communicated, confessed, witnessed ect...
three part structures (e.g., Rev 1:8) speak about God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Responses to God (cursing or praises) and responses from God (such as warning, curses and blessings) come in three-part entities
... and so on till we get to ten part structures
ten part structures (e.g., Rev 2:2-3) speak about completion and comprise a complete list/description or the full scope
the 10 part structure (complete list of the church of Ephesus) of Rev 2:2-3
[1] I know your deeds,
[2] .. your hard work
[3] .. and your perseverance.
[4] I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men,
[5] .. that you have tested those who claim to be apostles, -
[6] .. but are not -
[7] .. and have found them false.
[8] You have persevered
[9] .. and have endured hardships for my name,
[10] .. and have not grown weary.
twelve part structures speak about the church, the Lord's believing people. Rev speaks of twelve (12) stars, gates, angels, foundation stones, names, apostals, stones, pearls, kinds of fruit, even 24 elders (two sets of 12).
So with the structure concept as the reference 144,000 can be understood in this manner:
.. 12 [twelve tribes]
x 10 [the complete list of OT believers]
x 12 [twelve apostles]
x 10 [the complete list of NT believers]
x 10 [the complete list of NT/OT believers]
_________
Who are the 144,000 people mentioned in the book of Revelation found in chapters 7 and in chapters 14?
Your Thoughts?????
The JW believe that only 144,000 are saved comes from this passage:
Revelation 14:3-5 – and they sing, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousands, who have been bought from the earth; these are they who with women were not defiled, for they are virgin; these are they who are following the Lamb whithersoever he may go; these were bought from among men – a first-fruit to God and to the Lamb – and in their mouth there was not found guile, for unblemished are they before the throne of God. (YLT)
The Jehovah's Witnesses believe is this group called the "little flock" that consists of 144,000 people that get to go to heaven. This is their attempt to explain the God's elect overcomers. However, this is inconsistent with the rest of God's word. The 144,000 is actually a group that will take part in the first resurrection and rule with Christ for 1,000 years as seen in Revelation 20:
Revelation 20:6 – Happy and hold [is] he who is having part in the first rising again; over these the second death hath not authority, but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (YLT)
There is much more Biblical proof for this. For more details, see my article on the Barley Overcomers here: Overcomers God Bless.
I believe (from numerous studies) that these 144K are either literal or figurative Jews/Believers. Their role is to act as 'super evangelists' during the 7-year Great Tribulation on earth. They will lead the great multitude saved/martyred out of the Tribulation (Rev. 7:14) to Christ and eternal life.
Wow - what a drastic swath of viewpoints we have here.
The 144,000 literally are people that are not identified today. It's one of a handful of prophecies that has not been fulfilled yet, so we can't just point them out. We have to wait and see.
One thing is for sure, these people know God is real and are willing to talk about it even at the risk of their lives. Revelations makes it clear the whole world knows God is involved with events unfolding in that generation. It also makes it clear that people like these 144,000 are not going to be very liked in many parts of the world, but rather hunted down by the devil himself in various ways. So while there starts to become a power struggle via a political icon trying to take over as the spiritual king of the world (the antichrist)- and everyone's questions get mucked up even more by bunk like new age mysticism, demonology, occult, and religions that are just plain wrong- these 144,000 people are going to be appointed voices of clarity for this time of confusion.
God always prepares a voice, but more importantly, an eye-witness for everything he does. Keep in mind the roles of the 144,000 are not purely to evangelize, but they are sealed. Protected. Witnesses of God's perfect judgements.
Personally, I don't think what they help others to understand will be very public in all cases, but much more private and personal. I don't think many of them will show up on CNN or be identified on a public listing. it's not like the world will necessarily know "Hey, you're one of the 144,000!" They also will not be spreading a perspective of Jewish clarity for Jews to live like better Jews, but rather a Christian clarity perhaps with a great deal of Jewish understanding/background.
My final comment (and perhaps the most contested) is that it makes perfect sense to have these appointed people come from the Jewish people but it may not be required. Remember Christian's have been "grafted" into the covenant with Israel. Christians share in the same blessed hope as all old testament believers, waiting for their King Christ Jesus, the messiah, to return and set up his millenial reign. So these 144,000 may not be related through genes to the tribes of Israel, but may be partially composed of representatives for each of them, linked by the spirit of the tribe, the characteristic of it, if you will. There's a multitude of verses to support how circumcision doesn't matter anymore to be a part of God's kingdom, and the point is, it's not about the body anymore, it's about the heart and soul. Therefore these chosen one's could be anyone who knows Christ is the true king.
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