What is the Next
Prophetic Event?
Dear Mr.
Wilson:
I heard you say in
a seminar years ago that you believe
the selection and sealing of the
144,000 is the next prophetic event.
I have three questions about this.
First, how will the 144,000 know they
have been selected and sealed?
Second, will their selection and
sealing remain a secret until the
censer is cast down and the Great
Tribulation begins? Third, if someone
claims to be one of the 144,000, how
can we know he or she is speaking
truthfully?
Sincerely,
Sam
Dear Sam:
Thank you for your
questions. I will begin with your
third question: “If someone
claims to be one of the 144,000, how
can we know if he or she is speaking
truthfully?”
During the past
three-three years, I have received
many letters and emails from people
claiming (a) they are one of the
144,000, (b) they are one of the Two
Witnesses, (c) they have seen God or
received visions from Him, or (d)
they have received a message or a
prophecy from God. When we hear these
types of claims, it is best to
reserve judgment until we can test
them. The Bible tells us to test
“the spirits” because a
claimant can be delusional,
self-seeking, religiously
intoxicated, perhaps medicated, or in
need of medication. God knows that we
cannot read a claimant’s mind
and we cannot investigate an alleged
dream or vision. God knows that we
cannot tell if people are prophesying
out of their own imagination (in
which case, God will surely punish
them – see Ezekiel 13) or if
they are, in fact, telling the truth.
This is why John wrote, “Dear
friends, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether
they are from God, because many false
prophets have gone out into the
world.” (1 John 4:1)
Because God selects
ordinary people as messengers from
time to time, it is important that we
consider and test their testimony.
Here are three “tests” to
remember.
First, what is the
message? Does the message lead to a
better understanding of Scripture or
does it, instead, attempt to glorify
the messenger? Does the message rest
squarely on the five essential Bible
doctrines and does it align with the
valid rules of interpretation?
Second, is the message
specific? Does the message contain
definition, that is, does it pertain
to a specific event, person(s),
place(s), or an appointed time? Does
the revelation contain information
that can be tested and validated? God
is not trivial. When He speaks for
the benefit of His people, He does
not use vague concepts or weasel
words.
He declared the truth
forthrightly and reveals the unknown.
Consider the visions God gave to
Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, and
other prophets; they are loaded with
definition.
Third, what is
character of the person who claims to
speak for God? (Matthew 7:16-20) Are
they self-sustaining or do they seek
money? Are they on missions to gain
for themselves or give to others?
Jesus said, “Not everyone who
says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only he who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. May will say
to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in your name, and in
your name drive out demons and
perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly,
‘I never knew you. Away
from me, you evildoers!’”
(Matthew 7:21-23,
italics mine) When a person claims to
have received information from God,
it leaves us with only two options.
The people is either lying or God has
given a revelation that everyone
should thoughtfully consider. We
should be very cautious of anyone who
claims to have a message from God.
Jesus said, “If I testify
about myself, my testimony is not
valid.” (John 5:31) If
Jesus, the Son of God, said this
about Himself, what does this say
about human beings who claim to be a
prophet of God or a messenger from
God? Why would Jesus say that a
person’s testimony about himself
is not valid? The answer is simple: A
person can lie who would know? Maybe
a short illustration will help.
I hear people from
time to time that they are “born
again” Christians. This
testimony is not valid. Who
determines whether a person is truly
born again-God or man? The Lord looks
upon the heart and He alone knows
whether a person is truly born again.
Many “well-behaved people”
may think they are born-again, but
they are not. Remember this story? “[Jesus
said to the young man] ‘…
If you want to enter life, obey the
commandments.’ ‘Which
ones?’ the man inquired. Jesus
replied, ‘Do not murder, do not
commit adultery, do not steal, do not
give false testimony, honor your
father and mother, and love your
neighbor as yourself.’ ‘All
these I have kept,’ the young
man said. ‘What do I still
lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If
you want to be perfect, go, and sell
your possessions and give it to the
poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me.’
When the young man heard this, he
went away sad, because he had great
wealth.’” (Matthew
19:17-22)
The Lord carefully
showed the young man that his faith
was misplaced and love was
misdirected with three sentences!
Jesus knew this young man’s
heart. Knowing that he was
self-righteous, Jesus first
highlighted the importance of obeying
God’s law. The young man smugly
responded, “All these I have
kept.” Then Jesus said, “If
you want to be perfect…” I
am sure these words shocked the young
man. Do you mean that perfection does
not come through good behavior? Are
you telling me that I am not perfect?
Are you telling me that I have to
sell my possessions before I can
become perfect?
The young man had been
educated and trained well. Jesus
could see that he was well behaved,
but not born again. A born again
person understands that he is only a
trustee of whatever God has given him
to manage.
A born again person
understands that in terms of wealth,
God gives much to some people and
much less to most. A born again
person is not jealous of the person
having much because he is content
with what he had been given to
manage, and his focus is on pleasing
the Lord with whatever the Lord had
given him. Any self-proclamation of
being born again is meaningless
because Jesus, in three sentences or
less, can expose our imperfection.
Likewise, anyone claiming to have a
message from the Lord may be
boasting. So, listen and test.
Reserve judgment until you have
thoroughly tested the message and the
messenger. False preachers and false
prophets have misled many people
because they are unacquainted with
the Word of God.
Second Question
The second question
“Will the selection and sealing
of the 144,000 remain a secret until
the censer is cast down and the Great
Tribulation begins?”
Based on the examples
given in the Bible, I believe the
identity of the 144,000 will remain
unknown until the 1,260 days of their
empowerment begins. Maybe a few close
friends and relatives will know about
their election, but generally
speaking, I believe they will remain
unknown until the censer is cast down
and the global earthquake occurs.
(Revelation 8:5) I understand that
God typically prepares a person for
service in a private setting and the
Holy Spirit works through that person
in a dramatic way, that person
appears to be just like everyone
else. Many people thought Jesus was
an ordinary person until He performed
miracles. (John 6:42) Moses was out
in the desert when God called him.
(Exodus 3:1,2) God called Isaiah in a
vision. (Isaiah 6:8) Amos was picking
figs. (Amos 7:14) God gave Daniel a
vision in the night. (Daniel 2:19)
Saul was traveling with others to
Damascus, but no one else saw what he
experienced. (Acts 9:1-7) Nathaniel
was sitting under a tree. (John 1:48)
God called Jeremiah and Ezekiel as
very young men and as such, the
elders of Israel did not recognize or
respect them as prophets. (Jeremiah
1:6; Ezekiel 1:3)
First Question
“How will the
144,000 know they have been selected
and sealed?”
I believe Jesus will
meet with the 144,000 at the same
time. In other words, I believe Jesus
will select and seal the 144,000 on
the same day. Jesus’ ability to
meet with the 144,000 different
people at the same time is similar to
the scene that will occur at the end
of the 1,000 years. When the seventh
seal is broken, there will be silence
for about half an hour as each
created being meets with his Creator.
Everyone will meet with Jesus for
about half an hour. This is possible
because the Holy Spirit is
omnipresent (everywhere at once).
When Jesus appears to
the 144,000, the Bible says, “And
he gave a loud shout like the roar of
a lion…” (Revelation
10:3) I believe this shout will be
heard around the world. (See Acts
2:2; 9:7 for a parallel.) For the
144,000, this shout (a thunderous
declaration) will be overwhelming.
Everyone will hear heavy thunder
booming and rolling throughout Earth,
but nothing will be found in the
heavens or on Earth to produce such
an awesome sound! (See Job
36:26-37:5.) The 144,000 will
understand the words of this shout
and it will serve as a defining
signal. Jesus Christ has taken
control of Earth away from man. He
will exercise authority over Earth.
John does not reveal what is said in
the shout, but I like to think that
Jesus will shout and the 144,000 will
hear, “Prepare the world to meet
its Creator!” (Amos 4:12)
You may recall that
the Father spoke to Jesus a few times
when He was on Earth. Consider this
situation that occurred a few days
before Jesus was crucified: “Now
my heart is troubled, and what shall
I say? ‘Father, save me from
this hour? No, it is for this very
reason I came to this hour. Father,
glorify your name!’ Then a voice
came from heaven, ‘I have
glorified it, and will glorify it
again.’ The crowd that was there
and heard it [but did not
understand the words] said it had
thundered; others said an angel had
spoken to him. Jesus said, ‘This
voice was for our benefit, not mine.
Now is the time for judgment on this
world; now the prince of this world
will be driven out. But I, when I am
lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men to myself.’”
(John 12:27-32,
italics and insertions mine)
I believe very few, if
any, of the 144,000 will know one
another. In fact, they will scattered
all over Earth and come from
different religious backgrounds. They
will speak different languages and
understand different cultures. I
think it is so generous of God to
have brothers and sisters speaking to
their own brothers and sisters (their
own countrymen)! Amazingly, the
testimony of the 144,000 during the
Great Tribulation will be the same!
They will deliver four inflammatory
messages, and as needed, Jesus
Himself will speak through their
mouths (thus, the testimony of Jesus
will be heard). The Holy Spirit will
perform miracles through them as
needed to confirm the authenticity of
their message, and most, if not all,
of the 144,000 will die as martyrs.
The 144,000 will meet with Jesus and
the experience will be as real and
literal as Paul’s experience
with Jesus on the road to Damascus.
In summary, I believe
the selection and sealing of the
144,000 is the next prophetic event.
In general terms, the world will not
know who is the 144,000 are until the
censer is cast down and the global
earthquake occurs. One big clue
indicating the 144,000 have been
selected will be a phenomenal thunder
– the commission given to the
144,000 to prepare the arrival of
Jesus!
I hope this has been helpful!
Larry Wilson
