- First thing first, this might be a shocker even a heresy to a lot of y'all folks here, but these 144,000 are the TRUE Bride of Christ, the saints of all saints, not the "Universal Church throughout all ages" as most Christians believe. They'll be SEALED with the Seal of God on their forehead - during the Great Tribulation at Seal 6, not before or after.
- The good news is, "Universal Church" is not out of the picture. Right after the announcement of the 144,000 John saw a "Great Multitude" of all tribes, tongues and nations in Rev. 7:9. That's us. We're the wedding guests from the byways and highways, the ten virgins, the three servants and the laborers in the vineyard. In Zechariah 8:23 it says, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you!" Whereas 144,000 is a definitive number, that "ten" is a figurative one for the innumerable Great Multitude. Ten is the lowest legitimate number of righteous men in Abraham's negotiation with God for some mercy on Sodom.
- 12,000 from each tribe of the 144,000 is NOT pointing to just literal, ethnic Jews. By the Bible's own historic record, the definition of Jew is a citizen of the southern kingdom of Judah, which was consisted of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin plus a few Levites. That's just two tribes, not 12. And since 70AD, they were dispersed into all nations on earth, and Judaism became a religion that went far beyond pedigree, anybody of any ancestry converted into Judaism is considered a Jew. Former first daughter Ivanka and her children are considered Jews through her marriage with Jared. There're also a lot of fake Jews like comrade Bernie Sanders from the synagogue of Satan whom Jesus specifically warned about, they claim to be Jews only to play identity politics. Those name tags of the 12 tribes may be indicators of characters based on Jacob’s last words for his sons in Gen. 49, and at least 12,000 men among the 144,000 could be real ethnical Jews with verifiable genetic records, but by no means will all of them be pious Jewish saints as many pastors and theologians assumed.
- So who exactly are they, what do they do and why are they singled out? The answer is back in the Torah. Those 144,000 as a whole are the Levites of God's people. Not just the 12,000 Levites, but all 144,000. Levi was the tribe of Moses and Aaron, they were separated from the rest of the camp of Israel, set apart to do a holy work for the Lord in the tabernacle. Each of the other eleven tribes received a piece of land as their territory, but not Levi, for God was their portion. Levites were scattered in all those territories as priests. That's the antetype of the 144,000.
- In the last days, these 144,000 will rise up and proclaim the kingdom of God, and all the rest of the church will heed their call and follow their lead, including many who have "fallen away" in 2 Thess. 2:3. They as the first fruit will be presented before God. Interestingly, John heard about them in Seal 6, but he didn't see them, until later in chapter 14:
Revelation 14:1-5 ...'And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit: for they are without fault before the throne of God'
By then they're not in earthly Jerusalem, but HEAVENLY Jerusalem. And here're some other key verses about them:
Hebrews 12:22-24 ...'But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.'
Zephaniah 3:13 ...'The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.' -
Notice they have two critical qualifications: They were virgin not defiled by women; In their mouth was found no deceit. To understand this, you must purge the social stigma wrapped around the words "virgin" and "deceit" from your mind and cling to their biblical definitions, because both are spiritual conditions. "Women" are not literal women, but false religions, those are the offsprings of Babylon the Great Harlot; "Deceit" is not any kind of lies, not even gaslighting from the fake news, but false doctrines from any demonic sources like Jesuit. In the midst of all rising false prophets, when the entire world is deceived and worshiping the Beast, they’re the ones who’ll hold and preach the truth!
- And last, don’t expect them to rise among the pastors, rabbis, experts or any celebrities. When that day comes, they’ll be like Peter denying the Lord three times with no remorse. God will pour out His Spirit on a bunch of nobodies out of nowhere to accomplish His holy purpose. Those who are exalted will be humbled, those who are humbled will be exalted. The first will be last, and the last will be first.