REVELATION 7:1-8
Read Revelation 7:1-8.
Following the opening of the sixth seal and the retreat of the world’s people from God’s wrath, John now picks up a scene in heaven. Four angels appear holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent the destruction of land and sea. Their intervention temporarily halts the devastation occurring on earth in order to gather up the 144,000 saints of God from the tribes of Israel (v. 4). This interruption of events continues to follow along Matthew’s record of the end in Matt. 24 (cf. 24:31) – signs leading to the advent of Christ. So who are these 144,000 people?
When I was in college, we would occasionally have Jehovah’s Witnesses come to our door. Being more curious at the time, I would sometimes invite them in and chat about their beliefs. One conversation I recall relates to these 144,000 people in heaven. I remember the JW’s sharing that they were not going to be one of the 144,000. No, these were special people. My sense was that these were of a higher spiritual caliber than those at my door. The courageous individuals sharing with me were happy enough to be members of God’s Kingdom on earth rather than of those in heaven. I suspected they wanted me to know that I did not have to live up to the standards of these 144,000 in heaven, but that it was okay to live on the lower plain of earth. But it always bothered me that they didn’t aspire to reach the highest plain of heaven. It also bothered me that only 144,000 would go to heaven and the rest would remain on earth. I don’t know, I guess not going to heaven somehow seemed less than what I had always believed.
So who are these 144,000 people? If we are to take the passage literally (and I do), then these are representatives of the nation of Israel – 12,000 from 12 tribes ushered into heaven through the events of this great tribulation period. It would appear the nation of Israel will finally see Jesus as the Messiah during this time of great distress. Now some people see the 144,000 as more symbolic of all faithful believers who live during the tribulation period. This is explained by seeing in v. 4 the announcement of the number of saints, and then beginning v. 9 the presentation of the tribulation saints. My only difficulty with this perspective is that 144,000 saints cannot compare to the description of the multitudes in v. 9 described as being so great that “no one could count”.
If these, then, are representatives of the nation of Israel, it is interesting to note that today we do not know where most of those tribes are. At least ten of those tribes has been consider lost for several millennia when the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 B.C., her inhabitants scattered throughout Asia Minor and beyond. Considering that although today most people see the tribes of Israel as “lost” according to John’s revelation, we see that what we think lost is never lost with God. He is going to bring them back one day, and what a reunion that will be! I am reminded that despite how lost I may think someone is in my life, they are never lost with God. He knows the whereabouts of everyone, and He is able to bring them back. I know some who have lost track of close friends or even a son or daughter. They may not know what is happening in their lives, but God does, and He is able to work without our knowledge. One day in heaven, we may see “lost” people in our lives. And like the nation of Israel, that is going to be a great reunion!
