The 144,000 Revealed: Are They The Jews?

There are many interpretations, ideas and theories floating around in regards to Revelation 7 and the 144,000 who are sealed. I think it's time to address this issue and bring a clear, fresh perspective. Revelation is full of mystery and symbolism. We must apply the same logic to this chapter as we do the others.

The first question I want to ask when someone tells me their interpretation:

Is God a respecter of persons?

Acts 10:34-35 God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Now we can go ahead a rule out the theory that the 144,000 refers only to the Jews. After all, when we are born again, we experience an inward circumcision.

Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Let's go ahead and look at the scriptures and break it down. Open this link in another tab and follow along with me: Revelation 7

Just so you know where I stand, I believe in a post-tribulation rapture. Growing up I was taught a pre-trib rapture. A little over a year ago my eyes were opened to the truth. It wasn't easy coming to grips with it. But God's word is true, without flaw, doesn't contradict itself. I will save this topic for another day and time. Now that you know where I stand, go ahead and put yourself in that mindset too. It will help you understand the scriptures I'm about to give you. Ready? Ok, here we go...

Look at the link I just shared with you, start at V3:

"Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."

• First, let me point out that John said he "heard" the number of them. Second, they were "sealed servants". If we look back to other scriptures in the New Testament, you will notice we are sealed when we are saved. This when we are born again.
• Here are references that speak of being "sealed" when we're saved: John 6:26-27, Romans 15:28-29, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:12-14, Ephesians 4:29-30. My favorite is the last scripture, "ye are sealed unto the day of redemption". It's so fitting for this topic.
• How can the 144,000 sealed servants be the Jews? The Jews do not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They have not accepted this plan of salvation, therefore, they are not sealed with HIS NAME in their foreheads. His name is Jesus, the name they have rejected for over 2,000 years.
• The 144,000 are also mentioned in Revelation 14. The 144,000 are depicted as being virgins, which pertains to the church, being a faithful bride. Here are a couple more references made about the 144,000 from chapter 14:

1. They stand on Mount Zion with Jesus (14:1)
2. They sing a new song that no man could learn (14:3)
3. They were redeemed from mankind and offered as firstfruits to God (14:4)

In order to be redeemed you must be redeemed by the blood of the lamb, purchased through salvation. That salvation was paid in full by Jesus Christ, the one they've rejected. When Jesus comes back and stands on the Mount of Olives the 144,000 come down with Him. How can the Jews descend with Jesus if they are fighting in the battle of Armageddon? It isn't until Jesus stands on the mount that the Jews realize who He is and begin to weep and mourn. Then they call upon the name of the Lord and He will save them. All of these references in chapter 14 clearly do not pertain to the Jews.

John goes on to list the 12 tribes of Judah, saying 12,000 of the "sealed" came from each tribe. Then in V9 he says:

"A great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues"

John just said no man could number them. So where did he get the number 144,000?

Here's your first clue, the big sign with flashing lights! Since John stated no man could number them, we can confirm the 144,000 is not a head count. He didn't go down the line and count them. Let's look at the second clue, the great multitude he saw. If you were under the assumption the 144,000 only consisted of the Jews, this should be your "ah-ha" moment.

The multitude he saw consisted of:

1. All nations - territory or country
2. All kindreds - a group of persons related to another; family, tribe, or race
3. All people - persons, whether men, women, or children, considered as numerable individuals forming a group
4. All tongues - the language or dialect used by a particular people

We can safely say, and this isn't an assumption, this multitude he saw consisted of different types and varieties of people from all around the world.

Another observation John made in V9 was:

They "stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes."

Let's go back through Revelation and see if we can make some sort of connection to the "144,000" he saw clothed in white robes.

• Johns sees those who have been killed in Rev 6:9-11
  I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

• John's message to the church in Rev 3:4-5
  They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.

• John gives an account of the second coming of Jesus Christ in Rev 19:7-9
  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

I'm sure we could expand our search and use references from other New Testament scriptures, but I don't think we need to. These three examples give us plenty of information.

1. White robes are given to those who have already died.
2. Those who receive a white robe have their name written in the book of life.
3. The bride of Christ is clothed in fine white linen because they were righteous and overcame.

Whether we have already passed from this world, or if we are still living in it, those who have their name written in the book of life will clothe their immortal bodies with white fine linen.

Let's go back to Revelation 7. Further down in V14-17, John is speaking with one of the twenty four elders. John didn't know who the 144,000 were, the ones who wore the white robes. Here's what the elder told him:

"These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

• Here's another "ah-ha" moment. The elder told John they came out of the great tribulation. This is a very broad description. As a matter of fact, the word 'rapture' is a broad description also. However, they both define the process that occurs at the second coming of Jesus Christ. It doesn't apply to one specific group of people. In this case, the living and/or the deceased.
• According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the dead in Christ will rise along with those who are alive and remain. This puts to rest any confusion over who will be raptured, who came out, from the great tribulation.

I have saved the best for last...

The number...

144,000

Why this number? This six digit number has caused so much confusing among people. I'm about to reveal the mystery behind the curtain. Are you ready? Ok, here goes... Refer back to Revelation 7, when John said he "heard" the number of them. Now let's skip on over to Revelation 21. If you read your Bible regularly, you will notice repetitions in numbers. This is not coincidence. God is a spectacular mathematician! Let's examine the things John "heard". Here are some snippets from chapter 21:

"There came unto me one of the seven angels saying, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and shewed me the holy Jerusalem. He that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates, and the wall thereof."

• Let me stop here to point out: The angel is talking to John, he takes him to see the holy city (the bride of Christ) and the angel has a reed to measure the holy city.

Starting at V16, let's see what the angel measured:

"The city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth." - This means the city was laid out like a square, the shape of a cube.
"He measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal." - It's as wide and high as it is long. All sides are equal, a perfect cube.

I'm not going lie, I said my goodbyes to algebra back in high school. I searched the web on "how to measure a cube". Every website I visited gave me instructions on how to measure a cube to equal the volume (the mass inside the square). The equation is H x L x W = V. No matter how hard I tried, nothing was working. I couldn't figure out how to get these measurements to add up to the number I knew they should equal. I kept getting the same answer, 36,000. 12,000 x 3 = 36,000 - the volume! I finally gave up in the wee hours of the morning. I prayed about it and went to bed.

When I woke up it dawned on me. Why didn't I see it before? I've spent all this time crunching numbers and the answer was right in front of me, in the Bible. You don't have to know trigonometry to produce the correct answer to this equation. After all, these scriptures are meant to be understood. Nowhere does it state the angel measured the volume/mass of the foursquare cube. John said the city laid foursquare. So why was I trying to find the volume?

Instead of trying to unfold this mystery piece by piece, I have put together a visual diagram.

12,000 Furlongs = 144,000

Obviously, 12,000 furlongs in height, length and width would be astronomical. It estimates about 1,500 miles long. Also, 12,000 furlongs contradicts the next measurement that is given when the angel measures the wall.

"Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst."

I know I'm not an expert in math, but if the height of the "cube" is 12,000 furlongs, why does the angel say the wall is 144 cubits? A cubit is about the length of a person's forearm, around 18 inches. These two numbers do not add up, not even close!!! Every verse in this chapter is a gift from God. Divine revelation! I put together another visual aid to show you how the angel came up with 144 cubits, "according to the measure of a man".

Wall = 144 Cubits

What have we learned so far?

1. 12,000 furlongs = 144,000
2. The foundation built upon the 12 apostles with 12 precious stones = 144

We have one more problem to solve! In Revelation 7, John says 12,000 come from each of the 12 tribes of Judah. Remember, when we are born again we are inwardly circumcised and God is NOT a respecter of persons. So the 144,000 does not pertain only to the Jews. He cannot go against His own word. The 12 gates that surround the holy city have the names of the 12 tribes of Judah on them. 3 gates on each side of the city: north, south, east and west. When the angel took the measurements of the holy city all 3 measurements were equal. The height, length and width measured 12,000 furlongs each. I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain this one any further; you probably know where I'm headed.

• 3 measurements on one side, measuring 12,000 each, equaling 36,000.
• 3 gates on one side, 12,000 from each tribe, equaling 36,000.

This lines up perfectly with the number John heard - 144,000.

• 3 measurements with a total of 36,000 x 4 walls = 144,000
• 3 gates on one wall with a total of 36,000 x 4 walls = 144,000

12 Apostles (walls/foundation) = 12,000 x 12 gates with the names of the tribes of Judah = 144,000

There's so much more that I'd love to write about, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone. The math alone was enough to send me through a loop for a few days. Coming to the realization that WE, the church, are the New Jerusalem... Well... It takes more than a few days for that one to digest. Wait, did I just say WE are the New Jerusalem? Why yes, yes I did. The holy city is not actually a dwelling place. Remember, God no longer dwells in a temple. Jesus Christ changed all that when He gave His life for our salvation. When we are born again He dwells in us. Our body is a temple. Jesus even taught, using a parable, how the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man. He speaks in parables for those who long to know the mysteries. Just like the mystery of Godliness. Mysteries are not meant to be unknown. Mysteries are meant to be found. They are hidden in God's word, the only way to find them is to seek them out. I urge everyone reading this to seek it out. Find the connections. Find keywords and compare them with other scriptures.

For those who want to seek it out further, I will give you a starting point. When I study/read, I use two versions parallel with each other. With the KJV on one side and the NIV on the other. Then, when I search out keywords it will search both versions for those words. Taking Rev 7, 14 & 21, pick out a few words that will help make the connections. Here are a few search results with keywords, using parallel versions from BibleGateway, it takes some "weeding out" in order to find those gold nuggets:

• Cornerstone/Corner Stone
• Foundation (I bypassed the OT and read from the NT scriptures)
• Gate (What you're looking for can be found in the NT scriptures)
• Bride (Again, look in the NT)
• Redeemed
• Seal/Sealed
• Firstfruits
• Romans 8:22-24, 1 Corinthians 15:22-24, 2 Thessalonians 2:12-14, James 1:17-19

Other little hints:

• Gates of pearl - "The pearl is the oldest known gem, and for centuries it was considered the most valuable. Pearls have been considered ideal wedding gifts because they symbolize purity and innocence."
  
  (See meaning/symbolism of gold here)

1. 1. Pearls are symbolic for purity, perfect for a virgin bride.

2 Corinthians 11:1-3 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

2. Is there a connection to be made between gold, pearls, precious stones and fine linen when it speaks of the harlot in Revelation?

Rev 17: 17:4, 6 "And the woman was decked with gold and precious stones and pearls. I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus."

Revelation 18:4 "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins." Then pay VERY close attention to V12-14! Followed by V24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."

• 12 angels at each of the 12 gates = gatekeepers??? (Look in the OT)

• The church is depicted as a virgin, the bride of Christ. We are to remain pure and faithful to Him. With that said, would God be unfaithful to His church? Would He have two brides? I doubt that.

Rev 21:2-3, 22 I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

• How does the foundation, with the 12 Apostles names and 12 precious stones that equal 144 cubits, play into the 12,000 measurement? I left that one for you to discover on your own. Hint: Divide 144 from the GRAND TOTAL. Now think for just a moment, if we are the temple, the New Jerusalem, how does that number fit into the scriptures? Please comment and let me know what you come up with!