Re: Start studying...
The 144,000 represents spiritual Israel, as dictated by the text.
Not a literal number, but a symbolic, spiritual number for the ones taking The Son as God, as thus...
Rev 7.4 - 9
And I heard the number of those having been sealed: one hundred forty four thousands, having been sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: Out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand having been sealed. Out of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand having been sealed. After these things I saw, and behold, a great crowd which no one was able to number them, out of every nation, even tribes and peoples and tongues, standing in front of the throne, and before the Lamb, having been clothed with white robes, and in their hands palm branches.
Observe that John first 'hears' their number....then He 'sees' their number....and their number was innumerable...
Not a literal 144,000.
Not Jews.
But representing ALL believers in the Triune God.
Deal with it....
You are totally wrong about that, they are LITERALLY 144,000 with the correct birthrights to their tribes of Israel, sealed from harm during the great Tribulation. THUS they are the MORTALS that continue
the everlasting Covenant with ISRAEL into the Thousand Year Kingdom as HE reigns from the THRONE OF DAVID.
WE will be the immortals resurrected or caught up to go to Wedding of the Lamb, just before the Great Tribulation.
Revelation 14:3 (NASB)
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3 [/SUP] And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and
the elders {Representing the raptured CHURCH.} ; and
no one could learn the song exceptthe one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.
GOD CLEARLY differentiates between the 144,000 and CHURCH.
IF you read this carefully you will see that this is not talking about ONE group, but THREE separate groups:
Revelation 7:1-15 (NASB)
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1 [/SUP] After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.
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2 [/SUP] And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
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3 [/SUP] saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees
until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
{ CLUE one that this is NOT the Church, He is talking about MORTALS on the Earth not YET SEALED and we are already sealed with the Holy Spirit in us. 2 Cor. 1:22 }
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4 [/SUP] And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed
from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
{ CLUE two that this is NOT the Church, this clearly refers to descendants of Israel. }
{ CLUE three that this is NOT the Church, GOD specifically NAMES that they will be 12,000 from each Tribe of Israel. }
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5 [/SUP] from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand
were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
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6 [/SUP] from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
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7 [/SUP] from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
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8 [/SUP] from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand
were sealed.
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9 [/SUP]
After these things I looked, and behold {HE is done talking about the 144,000 and moves on to the SECOND Group, the Bride of Christ made up of OT and NT Saints.}, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and
all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and
palm branches were in their hands;
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10 [/SUP] and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
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11 [/SUP] And all the angels were standing around the throne and
around the elders {Representing the raptured CHURCH.} and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
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12 [/SUP] saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
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13 [/SUP] Then one of the elders answered, saying to me,
"These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?"
{Clearly this is a THIRD group that is not the raptured CHURCH, THESE are the beheaded Saints that were first seen under the altar, who had refused the mark of the Beast, Rev. 6:9-11 & Rev. 2:4 .}
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14 [/SUP] I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me,
"These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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15 [/SUP] "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
Revelation 20:4 (NASB)
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4 [/SUP]
Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them {That is clearly the Church-Age Saints, 1 Cor. 2:15-16; and NOTICE GOD just as CLEARLY differentiates between the CHURCH-age Saints and the Tribulation Saints.}. And I
saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.