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Prophecy 7

The 144,000 – Revelation 7:1-8:1
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Beginning Point in Time: 1994 (See Appendix A for a discussion on 1994
Ending Point in Time: End of the 1,000 years

Summary:
This prophecy introduces the selection and empowerment of 144,000 prophets. Jesus will speak to the world through the lips of His servants during the Great Tribulation. Empowered by the Holy Spirit and validated with Bible truth, the 144,000 will proclaim four profound messages that will separate sheep from goats. A numberless multitude, coming from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, will embrace the gospel proclaimed by the 144,000 and gather around God’s throne after the Second Coming. A thousand years later, Jesus will break the seventh seal on the Book of Life and the revelation of Jesus will be complete. At that time, the contents of The Book of Life will also be exposed.

Introduction:
This prophecy consists of three chronological events even though there are gaps of time between the three events. The first event occurs just before the Great Tribulation begins.
[1] The second event occurs after the Second Coming,[2] and the third event occurs at the end of the 1,000 years.[3] These events may appear to be disconnected, but they are intimately related.

The selection and ministry of the 144,000 (12,000 from each of the tribes) produces the numberless multitude (who come from every nation, tribe, language, and people) that are gathered around God’s throne. Notice that the numberless multitude described in Revelation 7 is limited to those who “came out of” the Great Tribulation.[4] Going forward, the numberless multitude who gather around God’s throne contributes to our understanding of the seventh seal in an interesting way. Rule One forces the seventh seal to be broken after the sixth seal (the Second Coming). So, the seventh seal must be broken after the numberless multitude are taken to Heaven. This fact is affirmed in Revelation 20:12 because according to Scripture, The Book of Life is opened after the one thousand years have ended.

This prophecy begins with four angels standing at the four corners of Earth (east, west, north, and south). These angels had been given power to hurt the Earth. Before the angels can begin their destruction another angel comes from the east. He tells the four angels to wait until the 144,000 are selected and sealed. After the 144,000 are selected and sealed, the four angels then proceed to hurt the Earth. This destruction (the first four trumpets described in the next prophecy) will initiate the Great Tribulation. More than 1.75 billion people will perish. The breaking of the fourth seal on The Book of Life aligns with the release of these four angels. Needless to say, apocalyptic upheaval is approaching and God’s coming judgments will overwhelm and subdue the whole world.

God’s wrath will change life on Earth for everyone in a single day. Shock and awe will subdue the arrogance of mankind and enable the 144,000 to proclaim a gospel that would be declared outrageous today. Jesus has a gospel which the world will hear and currently, religious diversity prevents His gospel from being heard. For example, if God chooses a Muslim to speak for Him, what Christian would listen? Conversely, if God chooses a Christian to speak for Him, what Muslim would listen? Religious paradigms are deeply intertwined with some of the most powerful emotions known to man. (A paradigm is a series of intricate concepts that seem to be right and true to the owner of the paradigm. A religious paradigm is a particular view of God and His will.) Religious paradigms are so powerful that one religious body cannot convince another religious body that it has superior knowledge about God and His will. God understands the gridlock and He has a solution. Jesus will humble the world with shock and awe so the world will listen to His servants and the Bible declares that a numberless multitude will embrace the gospel presented by the 144,000. Honest-hearted people in every religious body will abandon their religious paradigms when the time comes because honest-hearted people love truth, no matter what truth may be.

God has linked certain events in Heaven with identifiable events on Earth. I like to call this linkage the “Heaven-Earth-Linkage-Law.” This law is very useful. For example, when the fourth seal is broken in Heaven, great harm will occur on Earth. When twenty-five percent of Earth’s population is suddenly destroyed, people can know by events on Earth that the fourth seal has been broken on The Book of Life in Heaven.

To make sense of Revelation 7, a little background information may be helpful. For now, please consider the following explanation which will be presented in much more detail in Prophecy 8. The Bible tells us that seven high ranking angels stand before God. These mighty angels are His servants, sent on errands and missions as He directs. In 1994 (see Appendix A), each of these angels was given a trumpet and four of them were told to wait for the appointed time. Prophecy 8 is an excellent example of the Heaven-Earth-Linkage-Law. When each of the seven trumpets sound, a divine judgment will occur on Earth. The seven trumpets will produce an unbelievable amount of death and destruction. The seven trumpets will begin when the fourth seal is broken. (Please examine this alignment on the chart at pages 4 and 5.)

During the past six thousand years, God has used His four deadly judgments when necessary. Sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts are judgments which God uses to punish evil doers.[5] When a majority of people in any nation becomes wicked and violent, God sends warnings and redemptive judgments so that if possible, people might repent and future generations can flourish. If a nation refuses to repent of greed, idolatry, and sexual immorality, God ultimately sends total destruction.[6] God uses sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts in two different ways – redemptive and destructive.

Soon, Jesus will punish the world with His four deadly judgments. The seven trumpets will produce sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. These judgments will be redemptive in the sense that the doorway to redemption will remain open. Everyone willing to put their faith in Jesus will be saved. When the seven trumpets are finished, seven bowls will be poured out on the wicked. These judgments will be totally destructive. Jesus will deal with the defiance of the wicked and avenge the suffering which the wicked unjustly imposed on His saints during the Great Tribulation.

When the fourth seal on The Book of Life is broken, the seven trumpets will begin. I believe God’s forbearance with Earth (corporately speaking) ended in 1994. (See Appendix A.) At that time, the seven angels who stand before God were given seven trumpets. Four of the seven angels were sent to Earth on a mission to deliver God’s devastating judgments. Before God gave the signal for the four angels to proceed with their assigned judgments, He told them to wait until the 144,000 were sealed.


The Sequence:


Revelation 7:1

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.{1} I saw Earth laid out like a giant map and four angels, having four trumpets, took their place at each corner of the world. These angels had been given power to hurt the land, the sea, and the trees, but they were commanded to wait for Jesus to break the fourth seal on The Book of Life.

When the fourth seal is broken, God’s wrath begins. God’s wrath will be horrible, but it will accomplish a wonderful objective. God’s wrath will shatter the religious paradigms of seven billion people. The honest in heart will thoughtfully and intelligently consider the testimony of Jesus which will come through the mouths of the 144,000. Currently, there are billions of honest-hearted people who cannot hear the gospel of Jesus because of their religious paradigms and culture, but God’s judgments will tear down these walls and a numberless multitude will hear and embrace the gospel of Jesus.


Revelation 7:2-3

And 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 given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.{2} I saw a mighty angel approach from the east. He was carrying the seal of the living God. He shouted to the four angels who had been given authority and power to harm the land and the sea saying:
{3} “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until I seal the servants of our God.”

Shortly before God’s wrath is released, Jesus will select 12,000 people from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The “Israel” of God today is not a biological Israel. (See Appendix B.) According to the New Covenant, the Israel of God consists of people who love Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and their neighbor as themselves.[7] God redefined Abraham’s heirs,[8] a new Israel of God, at the cross.[9] The Bible indicates that God will select 12,000 from each tribe[10] to be part of the 144,000. This means that each tribe is larger than 12,000 people. In other words, God will only use a portion of each tribe.


Revelation 7:4

And 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.{4} I heard the number, 144,000 people were selected, sealed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.[11]

There are no symbolic numbers in apocalyptic prophecy. According to Rule Three, a symbol requires a relevant text to define the symbol. The math in Revelation 7 is literal and straightforward – 12,000 people are taken from twelve tribes and the total equals 144,000 people. The 144,000 (a definite number of people) are not to be confused with the numberless multitude (an indefinite number of people). The 144,000 are called firstfruits[12] because they will be sealed first. The 144,000 will have their carnal natures removed and Christ will seal them against the corruptive power of sin. During the Great Tribulation, everyone who embraces the gospel of Jesus and passes the test of faith will also be sealed. The 144,000 are described as belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel because believers in Christ are counted as the heirs of the promises given to Abraham. Like Abraham, the 144,000 know how to live by faith. The 144,000 will also demonstrate the gift of sanctification that comes through faith (see Appendix B). Jesus wants the world to see living examples of what any sinner can become. So, the gospel of Jesus will come with a demonstration as well as a proclamation of God’s truth and love!


 

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