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Wednesday, August 18 2010
There are some people, within their man-made "church" (see What Is The Church?), who claim to be "the 144,000" of the Book of Revelation. But is that possible? Consider what The Word of God actually says about the 144,000:
"14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion [see Who, What or Where Is Zion?], and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 14:2 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: 14:3 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. 14:4 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. 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Revelation 14:1-5 KJV)
The verses above plainly describe the 144,000 as adult male ("redeemed from among men") virgins ("these are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins"). Do the people who claim to be the 144,000 fit that criteria? No, they don't.
So who will be the 144,000? And what about everyone else - male or female, young or old, single or married, of all nations? Is Christ going to gather everyone else of His people to Him too? Of course He is.
"I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne"
The Prophecy of the future gathering of the 144,000 at the time of Christ's return (i.e. no one, Israelite or otherwise, can be the 144,000 before then) will happen at the time of the "seven seals" (see The Seven Seals; see also the Bible study notes for Revelation 6-8, Revelation 9-11, Revelation 12-14 and Revelation 15-17).
"7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." (Revelation 7:1-3 KJV)
The 144,000 will be chosen from the tribes of Israel (minus Dan, for reason(s) that have been debated for centuries):
"7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel [see Children of Jacob].7:5 Of the tribe of Juda [see Tamar and Judah and The Southern Kingdom] were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 7:6 Of the tribe of Aser [see Asher] were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim [see Naphtali] were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses [see Ephraim and Manasseh] were sealed twelve thousand. 7:7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [see Levites] were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 7:8 Of the tribe of Zabulon [see Zebulun] were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph [see also Ephraim] and were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand." (Revelation 7:4-8 KJV)
The 144,000 will be a small portion of the entire firstfruits of salvation, at the time of the first resurrection, which will occur on the day of Christ's return (see When Will You Be Judged?). Along with the gathering of the 144,000 will be "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" - everyone of the true Church of God (see also What Is The Church?).
"7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9-10 KJV)
The 144,000 Israelites, and all the rest of God's true people from all of humanity, will be the first-born (see Born Again, How and When?) citizens of the Kingdom of God (see The Gospel of The Kingdom of God).
"7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest.
And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation [see The Great Tribulation], and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters [see Living Waters]: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Revelation 7:11-17 KJV)
Fact Finder: Did "multitudes" also gather to the Messiah when He first came?
See Multitudes
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This Day In History, August 18
1227: Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan died.
1503: Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) died. His corrupt behavior contributed to the Protestant Reformation (although the "Protestant" churches have maintained almost all of the Church of Rome's antichrist doctrines right to this day).
1559: Pope Paul IV, pope from 1555 to 1559, died. His reign was marked by his implacable opposition to Spain, renewing the war between France and the Hapsburgs.
1587: Virginia Dare became the first child of English parents to be born in "America" (i.e. that part of America that became known as the United States of America, not the United States is America - geographically, "Americans" are all of the people, of all of the many countries from northern Canada, in North America, to southern Chile and Argentina, in South America). She, along with the rest of the early settlement at Roanoke, later disappeared without a trace.
1698: After invading Denmark and capturing Sweden, Charles XII of Sweden forced Frederick IV of Denmark to sign the Peace of Travendal.
1759: A French fleet was destroyed at Lagos, Portugal, by the British under Admiral Boscawen.
1825: Scottish explorer Alexander Gordon Laing became the first European to reach Timbuktu, now in Mali. He was murdered there the following month.
1932: Scottish aviator Jim Mollison made the first westbound transatlantic solo flight, from Portmarnock, Ireland, to Pennfield, New Brunswick, Canada.
1943: The Royal Air Force Bomber Command completed the first major strike against the German missile development facility at Peenemunde.
1961: Construction of the Berlin Wall was completed.
1969: The first commercially-produced oral contraceptive, Enovid 10, was launched in Skokie, Illinois.
1976: Two U.S. soldiers were killed by North Korean soldiers in a skirmish in the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom. Both sides immediately placed their forces on a state of war-readiness but the situation was resolved.
