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The 144,000 – Parts 7-8

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I’m going to do a quick review on the specifications of the 144,000 that we discussed last time:

1.   The number 144,000 is literal and the 12 tribes of Israel are literal.

There is a great misunderstanding about the 12 tribes of Israel. The problem stems from the fact that many Christians aren’t aware that God redefined Israel at the cross. According to the New Covenant, the Israel of God is now made up of believers in Jesus Christ – these are the heirs of Abraham! (Galatians 3:28,29) As far as God is concerned, the 12 tribes consist of people who have circumcised hearts. Physical circumcision means nothing after the cross. (Romans 2:29,29)

 

2.   Shortly before the commencement of the Great Tribulation, God will thoroughly test and choose 144,000 people from all over the world to be His prophets.

3.   These prophets will come from every language, religion, culture and nation. Jesus will handpick 144,000 faith-full-honest-hearted people from every walk of life to be His spokespersons during the Great Tribulation.

 4.   The sudden transformation of the 144,000 faith-full-honest-hearted people into “believers in Christ” is necessary so that Jesus will have“converted brothers and sisters” speaking to their own “brothers and sisters.” This simple arrangement will help to overcome the world’s greatest problem: Religious arrogance and ignorance.

5.   The 144,000 will be both men and women. The book of Revelation also says they will not be “defiled by women.” The idea here is not of virginity or celibacy. This language comes from the book of Ezra. Many of the Levites priests married “foreign” women during the Babylonian captivity. This union with non-believers defiled the priests because the laws of Moses commanded them to choose a wife from Israel. When the temple services began functioning after the Babylonian captivity, this violation was discovered and the Levites were told they could not serve the Lord as priests unless they first abandoned their foreign wives. These priests were “defiled by women.” The parallel is simple. When God selects the 144,000 to serve Him, their marriage (their spouse’s views and attitudes) will not hold them back from the calling of the Lord. As necessary, they will abandon their spouse to serve the Lord.

6.   For the most part, the 144,000 will be lowly people, humble people, and not highly educated – just ordinary people – upon whom the extraordinary power and authority of the Holy Spirit will rest.

7.   Few, if any, of the 144,000 will know each other, yet they will all say and do the same things.

8.   Most, if not all of the 144,000 will die as martyrs during the Great Tribulation.

9.   Recognizing the 144,000:

a.   Because the 144,000 will be widely scattered and have diverse religious backgrounds,

b.   Because the 144,000 will be very ordinary people,

c.   Because the 144,000 will not be part of an organized religious body, a serious problem will arise:

How will billions of people be able to determine whether the 144,000 truly speak for God or whether they are just crazy people, perhaps demon possessed?

 

How does Jesus prove to a diverse world of many religions and cultures that the 144,000 really are His prophets, speaking His Words? The authenticity of God’s servants will be affirmed by God’s two faithful infallible witnesses: The Bible will support everything they say and theHoly Spirit will give their words usual authority and power.

 

For the honest and heart, God’s two witnesses will be sufficient. For the wicked, no evidence will be sufficient. Remember Pharaoh? He could not believe that Moses and Aaron spoke for God even after nine devastating plagues! The Bible and the power of the Holy Spirit will validate the message and the messengers. People with honest hearts will realize that the 144,000 speak for Jesus.

10.   As first fruits of the end-time harvest, the 144,000 will be the first to have their carnal natures removed. They will also be the first to be taken to Heaven. After the 144,000 receive the seal of God, they will have no predisposition or proclivity for sin as human beings currently do. After they are sealed, the 144,000 will be like Adam and Eve before the fall.

Thus, the 144,000 will be living examples of God’s promise to deliver anyone and everyone from the power and the penalty of sin during the Great Tribulation. Their selfless behavior and love for God and man will be a powerful influence upon those who listen to them.

 

11.   The 144,000 will present the gospel of Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation. They will accomplish in a mere 1,260 days, more than all the Christian missionaries have been able to accomplish in the past 2,000 years.

12.   The 144,000 are not self-appointed. They will be called and “chosen” by Jesus. The conversion of the 144,000 will be similar to that of the apostle Paul. Jesus will reveal Himself to the people He chooses. He will speak to them and He will give them the words to speak and miracle working powers to that their words will have weight.

13.   The 144,000 will be resurrected and taken to Heaven on the 1,265th day of the Great Tribulation (a Sunday?). They will be presented to God as first fruits (a sample) of the coming harvest of souls.

14.   Why did God limit the number of “last day” prophets to a mere 144,000 people? World population: 7,000,000,000 God’s servants: 144,000

 

That’s 1 prophet per 48,611 people. There’s an important object lesson in this number. It’s another “Gideon’s army.”

 

Judges 7:12   The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no be counted than the sand on the seashore.

 

You know the story…. A great victory followed Gideon’s attack and 120,000 of Israel’s enemies perished. But, the point here is that Gideon and his 300 men did not receive glory for this great victory over the Midianites. Everyone knew the odds. This victory belonged to God.

 

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty!”

 

So it will be. God will accomplish the gospel commission because it is humanly impossible. Jesus is going to “leapfrog” all Christian organizations by doing something very simple. He will choose ordinary people from every religion to be His prophets – His spokespersons for the end-time.

 

This simple plan of converted brothers and sisters speaking to their fellow brothers and sisters will produce a great harvest. God shows His love and compassion for us by selecting 144,000 ordinary men and women and empowering them to do the impossible…

 

He converts them,

He seals them,

He gives them words,

He gives them power,

To save a numberless multitude.

 

Thus, God circumvents some of the stubbornness and diversity of mankind for the sake of the honest-in-heart in every nation. 144,000 people will speak to their own people during a period of 1,260 days. When the dust finally settles, the harvest resulting from the work of the 144,000 will be a numberless multitude that comes from every nation, kindred, tongue and people.

 

Using a minimum number of people, God will save a maximum number of people during the Great Tribulation!

 

What a merciful God!

What a God of love!

 

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