Eyes to See
Well-Known Member
Greets Religious Forums. There was an extensive discussion taking place about who the 144,000 are and where they will be. Decided it would be nice to condense it down to a few key points and scriptures and thus this thread.
The 144,000 are mentioned in prophecy in Revelation 7 and in Revelation 14.
Revelation 7 gives a listing of the 12 tribes of Israel, 12,000 out of each tribe. That makes up 144,000. This is a definite number of people. Revelation 14 tells us more about this select group of people. It tells us they are on Mount Zion with Jesus. That they have the name of Jehovah and Jesus on their foreheads, that they sing a new song no one else is able to master. That they follow Jesus wherever he may go. That they are "bought from earth" and they are the firstfruits and they are virgins.
Let us start with Revelation 7. Is this referring to the natural fleshly nation of 12 tribes of Israel? No.
Notice the listing of the 12 tribes in Revelation 7:
Let us take a look now at the natural nation of Isreal and the tribal listings. If you turn to Numbers 1 you will have them. If you read through Numbers 1 you will notice that there are actually 13 tribes listed. And if you made a comparison of the tribes of Israel in Numbers 1 and Revelation 7 you will notice they are not the same tribal listings for the 12 tribes in each:
If you notice at the end of the listings the Tribe of Levi is not counted in among the other 12. That is because they were the priestly tribe and did not receive a land inheritance.
In Revelation 7 Levi is mentioned among the 12 tribes along with Joseph. In Numbers 1 Joseph's 2 children are mentioned (as Joseph received a double inheritance) but Joseph is not listed as a tribe of Israel.
Why the difference in the tribal listing between the fleshly nation of Israel in Numbers 1 and tribes in Revelation 7?
The tribes of Israel in Revelation 7 are referring to the "Israel of God" that is the anointed Christian congregation. Those who have been baptized with holy spirit, and sealed with the token that they will go to heaven and rule with Christ as kings and priests.
In the fleshly nation of Israel the tribe of Levi did not receive a land inheritance, and thusly were not listed in among the 12 tribes of Israel. This is symbolic of the fact that the 144,000 anointed members of the Israel of God do not have an inheritance on earth. Revelation 14 tells us they are bought from earth as firstfruits.
There are 2 resurrections. The first resurrection is to heavenly spirit life. Those who have an inheritance in heaven are raised from the dead first. They are the firstfruits. They are bought from earth and reign in heaven with Christ.
Do other scriptures refer to the 12 tribes of Israel as being the anointed Christian congregation? Yes. For example James writes his letter thusly:
James writes to the "12 tribes." Was his letter only to Jews? No. Rather he addresses his letter to his "brothers" in relation to Christ Jesus. - see James 1:2, 2:1, 7; 5:7.
This is in accord with what Paul wrote when he says:
So we see in the Israel of God he makes no distinction between Jew or Greek, slave or freeman. If you have been brought into the new covenant, belonging to the Christ, these are really Abraham's offspring, heirs with reference to a promise.
That the anointed Christian congregation is the "Israel of God" is shown here. These are the 12 tribes of Israel mentioned in Revelation 7. Scripture tells us that the circumcision of Israel is not anything to God anymore. When the natural nation of Israel rejected Jesus, the Messiah, and Savior of the world, Jehovah God cast them off as his people. They no longer represented Jehovah. And that is why Jehovah does not allow them to use his name anymore.
But the "new creation" is the "Israel of God." All who are called to heavenly spirit life will be given new spirit bodies, immortal, incorruptible, patterned after the image of Jesus Christ, the firstborn among many brothers.
Revelation 14:1 says:
Notice that the 144,000 are standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus Christ. Mount Zion in ancient times was where King David built Jerusalem and his son Solomon dedicated the temple to Jehovah.
Is Jesus Christ on earth in this vision? No. Scripture tells us that the temple and all things pertaining to the priesthood were types of the realities in the heaven. And it tells us that Jesus Christ is reigning from Jerusalem in Mount Zion in the heavens. And that the entire congregation of those called to heaven are enrolled there:
In "heavenly Jerusalem" is the real Mount Zion. There Jesus resides sitting as Jehovah's right hand, along with myriads of angels in general assembly. Who else? Yes "The congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens."
Jesus' adopted brothers, who are "bought from earth" and standing on Mount Zion are in heaven!
The 144,000 "Israel of God" are "bought from among mankind." They are resurrected to heaven. And are standing on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ. And they will rule as kings and priests for the 1,000 year reign of Christ over the earth:
Revelation 14:3 tells us the 144,000 are the "firstfuits," yes Revelation 20:6 tells us they partake in the first resurrection over which death has no hold. All the 144,000 are in heaven on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ they are immortal, incorruptible spirit sons of God, the "second death has no authority" over them. "And they will rule as kings" and priests of God for the 1,000 years.
The second resurrection is another subject. This is the resurrection of the rest of humankind, both worshipers of Jehovah and those who did not to life on earth. During the 1,000 years under Christ's rule along with the 144,000 they will be taught the truth of who Jehovah God is, the role Jesus Christ plays in Jehovah's purposes for mankind, and they will be brought back to perfection. After the 1,000 years all humankind being perfect will be put to a final test and those who fail will be put to death. So those who partake of the 2nd resurrection can still die again. And they are on earth as humans. Not in heaven as spirit sons of God, bought from the earth as firstfruits from among the dead, who are no long humans, but spirits as Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ.
The 144,000 are mentioned in prophecy in Revelation 7 and in Revelation 14.
Revelation 7 gives a listing of the 12 tribes of Israel, 12,000 out of each tribe. That makes up 144,000. This is a definite number of people. Revelation 14 tells us more about this select group of people. It tells us they are on Mount Zion with Jesus. That they have the name of Jehovah and Jesus on their foreheads, that they sing a new song no one else is able to master. That they follow Jesus wherever he may go. That they are "bought from earth" and they are the firstfruits and they are virgins.
Let us start with Revelation 7. Is this referring to the natural fleshly nation of 12 tribes of Israel? No.
Notice the listing of the 12 tribes in Revelation 7:
Let us take a look now at the natural nation of Isreal and the tribal listings. If you turn to Numbers 1 you will have them. If you read through Numbers 1 you will notice that there are actually 13 tribes listed. And if you made a comparison of the tribes of Israel in Numbers 1 and Revelation 7 you will notice they are not the same tribal listings for the 12 tribes in each:
If you notice at the end of the listings the Tribe of Levi is not counted in among the other 12. That is because they were the priestly tribe and did not receive a land inheritance.
In Revelation 7 Levi is mentioned among the 12 tribes along with Joseph. In Numbers 1 Joseph's 2 children are mentioned (as Joseph received a double inheritance) but Joseph is not listed as a tribe of Israel.
Why the difference in the tribal listing between the fleshly nation of Israel in Numbers 1 and tribes in Revelation 7?
The tribes of Israel in Revelation 7 are referring to the "Israel of God" that is the anointed Christian congregation. Those who have been baptized with holy spirit, and sealed with the token that they will go to heaven and rule with Christ as kings and priests.
In the fleshly nation of Israel the tribe of Levi did not receive a land inheritance, and thusly were not listed in among the 12 tribes of Israel. This is symbolic of the fact that the 144,000 anointed members of the Israel of God do not have an inheritance on earth. Revelation 14 tells us they are bought from earth as firstfruits.
There are 2 resurrections. The first resurrection is to heavenly spirit life. Those who have an inheritance in heaven are raised from the dead first. They are the firstfruits. They are bought from earth and reign in heaven with Christ.
Do other scriptures refer to the 12 tribes of Israel as being the anointed Christian congregation? Yes. For example James writes his letter thusly:
James writes to the "12 tribes." Was his letter only to Jews? No. Rather he addresses his letter to his "brothers" in relation to Christ Jesus. - see James 1:2, 2:1, 7; 5:7.
This is in accord with what Paul wrote when he says:
So we see in the Israel of God he makes no distinction between Jew or Greek, slave or freeman. If you have been brought into the new covenant, belonging to the Christ, these are really Abraham's offspring, heirs with reference to a promise.
That the anointed Christian congregation is the "Israel of God" is shown here. These are the 12 tribes of Israel mentioned in Revelation 7. Scripture tells us that the circumcision of Israel is not anything to God anymore. When the natural nation of Israel rejected Jesus, the Messiah, and Savior of the world, Jehovah God cast them off as his people. They no longer represented Jehovah. And that is why Jehovah does not allow them to use his name anymore.
But the "new creation" is the "Israel of God." All who are called to heavenly spirit life will be given new spirit bodies, immortal, incorruptible, patterned after the image of Jesus Christ, the firstborn among many brothers.
Revelation 14:1 says:
Notice that the 144,000 are standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus Christ. Mount Zion in ancient times was where King David built Jerusalem and his son Solomon dedicated the temple to Jehovah.
Is Jesus Christ on earth in this vision? No. Scripture tells us that the temple and all things pertaining to the priesthood were types of the realities in the heaven. And it tells us that Jesus Christ is reigning from Jerusalem in Mount Zion in the heavens. And that the entire congregation of those called to heaven are enrolled there:
In "heavenly Jerusalem" is the real Mount Zion. There Jesus resides sitting as Jehovah's right hand, along with myriads of angels in general assembly. Who else? Yes "The congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens."
Jesus' adopted brothers, who are "bought from earth" and standing on Mount Zion are in heaven!
The 144,000 "Israel of God" are "bought from among mankind." They are resurrected to heaven. And are standing on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ. And they will rule as kings and priests for the 1,000 year reign of Christ over the earth:
Revelation 14:3 tells us the 144,000 are the "firstfuits," yes Revelation 20:6 tells us they partake in the first resurrection over which death has no hold. All the 144,000 are in heaven on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ they are immortal, incorruptible spirit sons of God, the "second death has no authority" over them. "And they will rule as kings" and priests of God for the 1,000 years.
The second resurrection is another subject. This is the resurrection of the rest of humankind, both worshipers of Jehovah and those who did not to life on earth. During the 1,000 years under Christ's rule along with the 144,000 they will be taught the truth of who Jehovah God is, the role Jesus Christ plays in Jehovah's purposes for mankind, and they will be brought back to perfection. After the 1,000 years all humankind being perfect will be put to a final test and those who fail will be put to death. So those who partake of the 2nd resurrection can still die again. And they are on earth as humans. Not in heaven as spirit sons of God, bought from the earth as firstfruits from among the dead, who are no long humans, but spirits as Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ.
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