What is the purpose of the 144,000? Like what are they called to do and why are they chosen as such important people that they are mentioned in the scriptures?
Hello Blain,
Just like any Biblical topic, all we can learn about the 144,000 is restricted to what scripture has to say about them. As I have continued to proclaim, the woman of Revelation 12 is identified in Gen.37:9-10 as representing the nation Israel, utilizing the same symbols of the sun, moon and twelve stars. Israel did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah in the day of their visitation. The phase "gives birth to" is referring to the male child as the 144,000 who come out of the twelve tribes of Israel as those who will believe that Jesus is in fact their Messiah (gives birth to). The male child is a collective name representing the 144,000 who come out of Israel.
That said, the male child is "caught up" to God and His throne in the middle of the seven years. The words "caught up" are translated from the Greek "Harpazo," which is defined as "to seize by force;
snatch up, suddenly and decisively, force suddenly exercised." Though it is not stated, because this male child/144,000 are being caught up in the same manner as the living church at the time of the resurrection, I believe that when they are caught up, they will be changed into their immortal and glorified bodies just as the living church will be.
That the male child is caught up, by the definition of the word, Jesus could not be the male child and that because Jesus was not snatched up, but was crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended. Though it is not mentioned in the context, the male child is caught up before the dragon can devout/kill it. In opposition to this, Jesus was crucified.
In Rev.14, it is stated that the 144,000 will not have defiled themselves with women, which would infer that they are all males, ergo, male child.
Also, the woman giving birth to the male child, Satan and his angels being cast out of heaven and restricted to the earth and the woman/Israel fleeing into the desert where she is cared for 1260 days, are all events that will take place during the middle of that seven years. Regarding them, we know the following:
* Their number is 144,000
* The come out of the twelve tribes of Israel, 12,000 per tribe
* they are called servants of our God
* They have been redeemed from the earth
* They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb
* They will have not defiled themselves with women, which infers they are all males
* No lie is found in their mouths
Since they are sealed during the first 3 1/2 years, though not mentioned, they may be the churches replacement for spreading the gospel during that time. For as we know, following the introduction of the 144,ooo is another group which no man can count from every tribe, nation, people and language, which means that they are Gentile believers. Also known as the great tribulation saints. It may be that these come to Christ in part as a result of the preaching of the 144,000.
Think of them as possibly being 144,000 apostle Paul's