The
144,000 – Parts 7-8
Begin Text:
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 the Holy 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!
With these 14
specifications in mind, there are some “adjacent
issues” concerning the 144,000 that we need
to address today:
1. If you have
studied earlier seminar segments, you will know
why I say “The seven angels that stand
before God (Revelation 8:2) were given the seven
trumpets in the Spring of 1994.” During the
Spring of 1994, four of the seven angels those
having the first four trumpets) left God’s
throne room with power to hurt the Earth, the sea
and the trees. Before they could execute the
intended harm, they were told to wait until the
144,000 were sealed. (Revelation 7:1-4)
We are currently living in
this delay.
As you might expect, this delay
will come to an end. This is declared in …
Revelation 10:6
“And he (the angel) swore by him who lives
for ever and ever, who created the heavens and
all that is in them, the earth and all that is in
it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “there
will be no more delay!”
Right now, Jesus is
waiting for the appointed time to arrive to
select and seal the 144,000. When the appointed
hour arrives and the 144,000 are sealed, Jesus
will release the four angels. God’s wrath
against this world will begin. Life as we know it
will suddenly change.
2. The 144,000
will not speak their won words. They will be
given words to speak. This fact explains
something that bothers some people. They ask,
“How can God use people that aren’t
Christians and well studied in the Bible to speak
for Him during the Great Tribulation?”
First, we know that there are “sheep”
and “goats” in every religion. In other
words, there are sincere, faithful,
honest-hearted people in every religious system.
Jesus told His disciples
in John 10:16: “I have other sheep that are
not of this sheep pen [religious body]. I must
bring them [into my fold] also. They will listen
to my voice, and there will be one flock and one
shepherd.”
Second, Jesus knows
everyone of us very well. When Jesus presents
Himself to those whom He has chosen, they will
become “believers” in Jesus on that
same day! [Just like the apostle Paul!]
Third, the 144,000 won’t
be theologians. They won’t be eloquent
preachers or savvy businessmen and women. They
will be common people, just like the uneducated
fishermen that Jesus chose to be His apostles
when He was on Earth.
Here’s the point: The
144,000 do not need to be scholars or
theologians. God knows there are enough of these
people speaking their own minds already. What
Jesus needs are “mouthpieces.” People
who will speak the words they are given to speak
without regard to the consequences. Look at this
text:
Revelation 14:5
No lie was found in their mouths; they are
blameless.
Think about this: The
144,000 will not deviate from the words given
them – even though it will eventually cost
them their lives. This is a crucial point because
the 144,000 will speak the testimony of Jesus. Those
who receive the testimony of Jesus will also
suffer persecution:
Revelation 12:17
When the dragon was enraged at the woman and went
off to make war against the rest [last] of her
offspring – those who obey God’s
commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
The selection and
empowerment of the 144,000 was presented to John
as though he would be one of them. Notice how
this prophecy unfolds in Revelation 10:
Revelation 10:1
Then I saw another mighty angel [representing
Jesus] coming down from heaven. He was robbed in
a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face
was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery
pillars.
Revelation 10:2
He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in
his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea
and his left foot on the land[denoting a position
of authority over land and sea],
Revelation 10:3
and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a loin.
When he had shouted, the voices of the seven
thunders spoke.
Revelation 10:4
And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to
write [down the things I heard]; but I heard a
voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the
seven thunders have said and do not write it
down.”
Note: We
know that John understood the seven thunderous
voices because He was about to write down what he
had heard but he was told not to. What are these
seven thunderous voices?
They are seven
announcements. Jesus will speak from Heaven
seven times during the Great tribulation. John
was not permitted to write down each announcement
because Jesus wants each saint to hear His voice
with his or her own ears and understand each
announcement as it occurs. Can you imagine
actually hearing the voice of Jesus??? What joy
for those who receive the testimony of Jesus!
Think of it this way. If
you hear a thunderous voice from Heaven and
understand the words spoken, you have been
sealed! The seven thunders are seven messages of
assurance; hope and encouragement which sealed
saints will hear and rejoice! These seven
thunders are for the benefit of those who have
been thoroughly tested and proven faith-full. All
who pass the test of faith will receive the seal
of God just like the 144,000 received the seal of
God.
Spiritually speaking, hearing
is man’s first obligation toward God:
Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches.
Jesus often told His
disciples “….. ‘He who has an ears
to hear, let him hear.’” (Mark 4:9)
On another occasion, Jesus
said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the
kingdom of God has been given to you [my
disciples], but to others I speak in parables, so
that, “’though seeing, they may not
see; though hearing, they may not understand.’”
(Luke 8:10)
So, those who have ears to
hear will hear and understand theseven thunders.
Jesus will speak and His children will be
encouraged to faithfully press on. Remember this
incident in the temple?
John 12:26 “whoever
serves me must follow me; and where I am, my
servant also will be. My Father will honor the
one who serves me.
John 12:27 “Now
my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’? No,
it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
John 12:28 Father,
glorify your name!” Then a voice came from
heaven, “I have glorified it, and will
glorify it again.”
John 12:29 The
crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered;
others said an angel had spoken to him.
John 12:30 Jesus
said, ‘This voice was for your benefit,
not mine.”
John 10:16 “I
have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.
I must bring them [into my pen] also. They too
will listen to my voice, and there will be one
flock and one shepherd.”
One of God’s purposes
for the Great Tribulation is the separation of
sheep from goats. Sheep listen. Goats don’t.
The seven thunders will be a source of great
encouragement to the saints. The seven thunders
also reveal who has been sealed and who has not!
I believe the seven
thunders will occur at seven crucial stages
during the Great Tribulation. I cannot say with a
high degree of certainty when Jesus will speak
these announcements because the Bible doesn’t
reveal the timing of the seven thunders. So, here’s
my best guess on the timing of the seven
thunders:
Thunder #1. “No
more delay” Censer cast down.
The 144,000 hear and understand this one….
Thunder #2. During
the first angel’s message (during
the first four trumpets?)
Thunder #3. During
the second angel’s message (sometime
between 4th and 5th trumpet
--- 890 days?)
Thunder #4. During
third angel’s message (fifth
trumpet?)
Thunder #5. During
the martyrdom of the saints (fifth
seal/sixth trumpet?)
Thunder #6. At
the close of mercy (7th
trumpet?)
Thunder #7. Just
before the Second Coming (7th
bowl?)
The seven thunders will be
heard simultaneously all over the world – so
keep your ears open!
3. So what is
the essential purpose of the 144,000? The
revealing of Jesus. Will they be successful? Yes!
The Bible indicates the 144,000 will gather up a
numberless multitude of people:
Revelation 7:9
“After this I looked and there before me was
a great multitude that no one could count, from every
nation, tribe, people and language, standing
before the throne and in front of the Lamb…
Revelation 7:13
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in
white robes – who are they, and where did
they come from?”
Revelation 7:14
I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he
said, “These are they who have come out
of the great tribulation;they have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb.”
This numberless multitude
will be made up of people who lived during the
great tribulation. In other words, Revelation 7:9
is not concerned with the redeemed of all ages.
Rather, this verse is focused on the numberless
multitude who are saved during Earth’s last
days.
The numberless multitude
in Revelation 7 stands in contrast with the numbered
multitude, that is, the 144,000. Notice these
contrasts:
Small
Big
Numbered -----------
Numberless
144,000 ---------------
Hundreds of millions
Uniform ---------------
Diverse
In message ------------ in
religion
3. Now, let’s
examine the experience that each of the 144,000
will have when they are selected and sealed.
Revelation 10:5
Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and
on the land raised his right hand to heaven.
Revelation 10:6
And he swore [he made a solemn promise before
God] by him who lives for ever and ever [the
Father], who [commissioned] created the heavens
and all that is in them, the earth and all that
is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and
said, “There will be no more delay…
Revelation 10:7
But in the days when the seventh angel is about
to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God [the
sealing] will be accomplished, just as he
announced to his [144,000] servants the prophets.”
Why do these words
require a solemn oath? With these words Jesus
makes a solemn promise to faithfully carry out
the plans of the Father. What are the plans of
the Father? Jesus promises to faithfully
administer God’s wrath upon the Earth and
accomplish the sealing of the faithful without
any deviation from the plan. In other words, when
Jesus declares there is no more delay, He is then
required to impose the sequence of seven
trumpets and seven bowls upon mankind.
This is not a pleasant
task for our Creator. It crushes the heart of
Jesus to do what He has to do. Imposing
God’s wrath upon Earth will be difficult for
Jesus as going to Calvary. Why does Jesus
make a solemn promise to do everything that the
Father demands?
Consider this parallel:
When our newly elected
president raises his right hand and takes “the
oath of office” on inauguration day, the
president promises at any and all costs to uphold
and defend the constitution of the United States
– our highest law.
This oath is given at a
public gathering. The citizens of the United
States, including those who have elected him and
those who voted against him, are assured by the
president’s oath that he will uphold the law
of the land and govern honorably. This mean, the
president solemnly promises before God and
citizens that he will not deviate from the
constitution no matter what!
With this oath, every
president confesses that (a) the law is supreme
(b) the law has greater authority than he does
and (c) he agrees to uphold the intent and
demands of the law at all costs.
In a similar way, Jesus
raises His right hand and makes an oath to the
Father and the angelic host including the 24
elders. He makes a promise to fulfill the will
of the Father – regardless of the horrors
that will follow.
4. Now, we
want to consider the authority given the 144,000:
Revelation 10:8
Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to
me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies
open in the hand of the angel who is standing on
the sea and on the land.”
Revelation 10:9
So I went to the angel and asked him to give me
the little scroll. He said to me, “Take
it and eat it. It will turn your stomach
sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as
honey.”
Revelation 10:10
I took the small scroll from the angel’s
hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in
my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach
turned sour.
Revelation 10:11
Then I was told, “You must prophesy againabout
[before] many peoples, nations, languages and
kings.”
Look at Ezekiel parallel
experience:
When God called Ezekiel to
speak for Him, Ezekiel didn’t have anything
to say, He didn’t know what to say. In fact,
we know that Ezekiel was very timid. He didn’t
find speaking easy or desirable.
Ezekiel 2:7 You
must speak my words to them, whether they listen
or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.
Ezekiel 2:8 But
you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do
not rebel like that rebellious house; open your
mouth and eat what I give you.”
Ezekiel 2:9 Then
I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me.
In it was a scroll.
Ezekiel 2:10 which
he unrolled before me, on both sides of it were written
words of lament and mourning and woe.
Ezekiel 3:1 And
he said to me, “Son of man, eat what I have
before you, eat this scroll [digest these
words], then go and speakto the house of Israel.”
Ezekiel 3:2 So
I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to
eat.
Ezekiel 3:3 Then
he said unto me, “Son of man, eat this
scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach
with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet
as honey in my mouth [the Word of God is
wonderful to understand!].
Ezekiel 3:4 He
said unto me: “Son of man, go now to the
house of Israel and speak my words to them.
Ezekiel 3:5 You
are not being sent to a people of obscure speech
and different language, but to the house of
Israel—
Ezekiel 3:6 not
too many peoples of obscure speech and different
language, whose words you cannot understand.
Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have
listened to you.
Ezekiel 3:7 But
the house of Israel is not willing to listen to
you because they are not willing to listen to me,
for the whole house of Israel is hardened and
obstinate.
Ezekiel 3:8 But
I will make you as unyielding and hardened as
they are.
Ezekiel 3:9 I
will make your forehead like the hardest stone,
harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or
terrified of them, though they are a rebellious
house.”
Ezekiel 3:14 The
Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I
went in bitterness [sour stomach] and in the
anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the
Lord upon me.
The “eat and speak”
parallel is easy to understand!
We often associate the
expression of eating and books as it is used in
Ezekiel and Revelation. If we say, “Bill
eats up everything he can find on fishing…”
You know what that means… So, the 144,000
will be given words of Jesus to speak.
Revelation 10:11
then I said, “You must prophesy again
about [or before, KJV] many peoples, nations,
languages and kings.”
This command is given to
the 144,000 for a simple reason This
command gives the 144,000 the authority to speak
on God’s behalf. “You must
prophesy again about [or before, KJV] many
peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
The idea of prophesying
(or preaching) “again presumes an
earlier installment or authority. This is the
case:
Matthew 28:18 Then
Jesus came to them and said, “All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:20 and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age.”
The gospel commission
given in Revelation 10:11 redefines the gospel
commission given in Matthew 28:19,20. In
other words, none but the 144,000 are
speaking for God during the Great Tribulation.
Theologian’s
scholars, pastors, teachers, etc. will not be
speaking for God. None have the testimony of
Jesus but the 144,000!
Revelation 11:1
I was given a reed like a measuring rod [a
yardstick] and was told, “Go and measure the
temple of God and the altar, and count the
worshipers there. [In other words, speak the
words I have given you. I will see who measures
up. I will measure the hearts of those who claim
to love God.]
Revelation 11:2
But exclude the outer court; do not measure it [Do
not count those who do not measure up], because
it has been given to the Gentiles [those who do
not know me]. They will trample on the holy city [my
people] for 42 months.
Revelation 11:3
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and
they will prophesy [through you] for 1,260 days,
clothed in sackcloth (a time of distress].”
Let’s examine these
three verses more closely:
First, notice that the
temple is divided…. There is an “inner
court and altar” and there is an “outer
court.”
Two facts: This vision was
given to John around A.D. 95. Second, Jerusalem
and the temple had been destroyed in A.D. 70.
So, John received this
vision about 25 years after Jerusalem and the
temple were burned to the ground. Prior to A.D.
70, when John lived in Jerusalem, the temple had
two courts. “Pure Jews” could enter the
inner court and the Gentile converts “impure
Jews” had to stay in the outer court.”
This practice arose
from the distorted ideas that God wanted a pure
race [instead of pure hearts]. The laws of
Moses were maligned to justify this practice:
Deuteronomy 23:7
Do not abhor an Edomite [the descendants of
Esau], for he is your brother. Do not abhor an
Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his
country.
Deuteronomy 23:8
The third generation of children born to them may
enter the assembly of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 23:2
No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of
the descendants may enter the assembly of the
Lord, even down to the tenth generation.
Deuteronomy 23:3
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants
may enter the assembly of the Lord, even down to
the tenth generation.
In other words, ancient
Jews, and some orthodox Jews today, take these
and other Scriptures from the Law of Moses to
separate themselves from pagan “Gentiles”
so they will not be contaminated by them. Some
orthodox Jews will not speak to a Gentile for
fear of contamination!
Leviticus 15:31
“’You must keep the Israelites separate
from things that make them unclean, so they will
not die in their uncleanness for defiling my
dwelling place, which is among them.’”
So, the temple in John’s day was divided
into two courts.
John was given a “yard
stick” and was told to count the inner
court, but he is to exclude the outer court. The
profound point here is that outer court is never
counted!
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