Chapter 10
Fact 9
The 144,000 Sealed and
Who They Are!
Again let us re-read our list of growing facts that we might keep them in the forefront of our minds to the extent that will allow us to rightly divide the word of God when it comes to biblical interpretations concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ. Be honest with these facts and let God guide you into all truth by the Spirit of Truth.
Our 1st fact is that we are presently in the time frame that is known as “The Church Age.”
Our 2nd fact is that the saints are the saved. The word elect is applied unto the saved and is a word that describes our position that we have in Christ.
Our 3rd fact is that God is 100% consistent. By his very nature he is the only one who is qualified to be called “the same.” He is the same for all eternity. He does not change and has no shadow of turning in him.
Our 4th fact is that the Word of God which is of the Father and of Jesus Christ is the eternal, everlasting, for ever settled word of truth.
Our 5th fact is that tribulation has always been appointed unto the saved while the wrath of God is for the unbelieving lost man. We have been saved from wrath through him, but in the world we will have tribulation.
Our 6th fact is that, except for the message of salvation, the Word of God and the ability to understand the Word of God is unto those who have been born from above by the Holy Spirit of God. Included within these facts is the truth that a lost man is incapable of understanding, knowing and receiving the Word of God, much less being able to perceive and see the Kingdom of God.
Our 7th fact is that there are two resurrections found in the Bible. One is of the blessed, holy people who are the saved and we must note that the second death shall have no power over the born again believer. The second resurrection is of the lost which shall include the verdict of guilt as pronounced by the 5 books of the law shall result in the lost being cast from the presence of God into the lake of fire where they shall burn for all eternal ages.
Our 8th fact is that God has marked off time in days and uses particular days to fulfill his will.
The next truth that we need to establish concerns the 144,000 that are sealed in the book of Revelation. This short chapter will establish who these people are and will include some interesting facts about their characteristics. After we look to the Word of God in Revelation, I want to make some general comments about this group and about some things that must be true in order for this group of Hebrew, Jewish Christians to be sealed by God and labeled as His servants. Notice the following set of scriptures and bend to the truth therein. I will say that I will not list the entire scripture reference that I have given because you can read along in the Bible for yourself, but I will list out the particular verses within the texts that will answer our questions and establish our 9th fact concerning the 144,000 sealed in the book of Revelation.
There have been many groups and religions which have tried to apply the 144,000 number unto themselves. We know that these false religions have tried to use this as a ploy to keep their deceived flocks working and staying true to the false teaching. They try and convince the masses that in order to make the 144,000 you must be this religion or you must do this or that. Whatever! These groups try to say that only the 144,000 are going to make it to heaven and I must say that that is not only ridiculous, but is also sad. To deny that this number in the Book of Revelation belongs to none other than the 12,000 men from each tribe of Israel is blasphemous and contrary to the word of God. Let us notice what the word of God has to say about the 144,000.
The sixth seal as found in the book of Revelation when opened, reveals unto a believer 23 verses of scriptural truth and this is found in Revelation 6:12-7:17. The opening of the seal leads to a huge earthquake which moves every island out of their places. The opening also includes major upheavals and devastating sights in the heavens such as the sun going dark, stars falling from heaven, the moon turning blood red and God rolling the heavens back to reveal the face of the Son of God as He is on His throne in heaven. These sights cause such a fearful panic to overtake the inhabitants of the world that they hide in every nook and cranny they can find. The reason is because the one who sits upon the throne in heaven as God is now viewing them and is fixing to pour out His indignation and fury. He has rolled back the heavens and has pinched out the sun, as it were, between his pinky and thumb by the Word of His power.
It would do us good to note that every man who has been allowed to view the glory of God has fallen down as a dead man and could only stand when strengthened by God Himself. I can tell you that this one on the throne is none other than Jesus Christ himself. As we continue to look in our text, we see four angels come down and hold back the four winds of the earth while a fifth angel prepares to seal the 144,000.
John in Revelation 7:3-4 writes of this fifth angel which is saying, “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” After John hears the angel make this statement, he then tells us what he heard about those that were sealed. John states, “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.” As we look into this scripture we must be honest with the facts that scream and blare loudly from these two verses. If you will notice in the second half of verse 3, the angel calls those to be sealed servants of our God. We must be honest and admit that in order to be called a servant of God a person must be a saved, righteous child of God. The angel then said, “Till we have sealed the servants of our God.” We know this statement must be true because of the statement made by the angel in Revelation 22:9 in response to John falling down to worship at the feet of the angel. Notice what the angel states: “See that thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” We must conclude that the 144,000 who are to be sealed are on equal terms with John and the two fellow servant angels as found in this book of Revelation. They must be saved children of God who have trusted into Christ because the Bible plainly teaches that “no man” comes unto the Father except through Christ: and having been listed as servants of our God gives even more weight to this fact.
The next truth that we notice in verse 4 is what John records as hearing about the number that is sealed and who they are. The fact that 144,000 have been sealed and that these are Jewish Christian servants of God cannot be disputed on any logical train of thought unless the Word of God is completely ignored. John heard that it was to be 144,000 in number and that the group was to be compiled and sealed from “all the tribes of Israel.” John goes on to list the tribes, and they are as follows: the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Nepthalim, the tribe Manasses, the tribe of Simeon, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Zabulon, the tribe of Joseph and finally the tribe of Benjamin. It is obvious by the text that this group of 144,000 is Jewish believers that God has reserved unto himself and have been identified as servants of God which are to be sealed. As we look to the next set of scriptures, we will see a few more facts about this group of 144,000 sealed servants like the fact that they are all men who are sexually pure and have never been defiled with women. Let us look to Revelation chapter 14 to see other truths about this group. We must note that to be sealed means to have a stamp of approval placed upon you by God Almighty. This stamp of approval comes because of the blood of Christ being applied to you eternal soul by simple faith into the completed work of Christ on the cross.
Chapter 10 continued next post