Who are the 144,000?

The book of Revelation is filled with spiritual drama and detail. Some teachers dismiss different scenes of the throne and angels as some kind of allegory, with the overall message that God wins in the end. Some see it as a coded message to ancient believers to avoid the persecution of the Roman government and that there is nothing futuristic about it. Still others see incredible detail, forewarning the last generation concerning the Great Tribulation. In my opinion, the book of Revelation is a prophecy about the yet-future Great Tribulation and the return of the Lord. No matter how you carve up the book, there are some intriguing elements that are both disturbing and fascinating. One of the largest areas of fascination deals with the 144,000 bondservants, sealed with God’s seal, as described in chapters 7 and 14. The book of Revelation refers to this group as “the 144,000,” and so shall we.

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. 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, 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.”

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:

from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

Revelation 7:1–8

Another reference is made of them that characterizes them in particular ways.

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

Revelation 14:3–5

Going back to the chapter seven passage, a couple of things stand out. The 144,000 are the sum of 12,000 believers from each of the twelve tribes listed. Furthermore, they are sealed with the name of God in their foreheads by an angel. This sealing must be done prior to the trumpet judgments that harm elements of nature. They are referred to as “bondservants,” a very specific status that comes from the Torah as part of the Law of the Bondservant.

It is also noteworthy that there are two distinct tribal names not listed in chapter 7. Ephraim and Dan are historic tribes of Israel, allotted land in Israel. Why, instead, is the name Joseph, the father of Ephraim, listed? Why also is the name of Levi listed instead of Dan, since God declared they are “the Lord’s portion” with no land inheritance in Israel? Both Ephraim and Dan have had checkered pasts in the history of Israel, with Ephraim splitting the kingdom into two houses (the House of Judah and the House of Israel) and Dan being the first tribe to introduce idolatry in the land. Joseph is obviously the same as Ephraim, but Ephraim’s name is not honored here. The same is true of Dan: Levi is the substitute for Dan, but Dan’s name is not honored here.

Something should also be noted concerning our present world. The world likes to define Israel as Jewish. The 144,000 are not Jews. Yes, the tribe of Judah is where we get the term Jewish from but, in this context, we are speaking of the Hebrew people - the House of Jacob in particular. Yes, there are Jews in the 144,000, but they are a subset of the total. They are not 144,000 Jews, as I have heard many eschatology teachers say. The language here in Revelation traces directly to the Torah account of the Hebrew people (the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).

Revelation chapter seven describes the believers who are in the Great Tribulation—the 144,000, who are sealed, and the tribulation saints. The tribulation saints number much greater than the twelve sealed tribes. It says no man can number the saints.

Now, some eschatology teachers in the church assert that they will have been raptured out of the earth prior to the tribulation. Therefore, God’s activity with Israel is fine since the church is not present. That argument does not hold up either. Besides the 144,000, the book goes on to explain the tribulation saints are believers in the Messiah just like Christians.

After these things I looked, and behold, 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; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

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?” 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. 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. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:9–17

It is clearly and simply stated that the saints (in the church) do not get zapped out by a rapture before the tribulation. Instead, they go through and come out of the tribulation.

It is also clear, and stated by the prophets, that the people of Israel were cast out of the land for unbelief and disobedience. After the rebellion of the tribe of Ephraim, and the kingdom was split into the House of Israel and the House of Judah, the tribe of Ephraim went into exile and captivity by the Assyrians. The House of Judah suffered captivity with the Babylonians and then, after returning, went into worldwide exile and captivity by the Romans. The exile to the nations and the harm done by other nations to Israel were part of God’s punishment.

Moses and the prophets warned Israel repeatedly about what would happen if they turned their backs to God. But this did not mean that the covenant God made with their fathers, and the New Covenant made by the Messiah with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, were annulled or set aside. In this generation, we have seen God begin to gather Israel from the nations back to the land of Israel, just as the prophets foretold. God keeps His covenant with the people of Israel and the promise of the land. We have already seen the return of the House of Judah returning to the land in this generation. And there is a spiritual movement around the world where Ephraim is now accepting the Messiah and seeking to return to the land, just like Judah.

Turning back to Revelation chapter seven and the sealing that the 144,000 receive, there is a parallel passage in Ezekiel that describes the actual events. It follows a series of “abominations” that befall Israel as God is preparing to judge the world.

Then He cried out in my hearing with a loud voice saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” Behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case. The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”

Ezekiel 9:1–4

The Great Tribulation begins with the “Abomination of Desolation,” a prophecy mentioned by Yeshua from the prophet Daniel. Part of that event is the shutting down of God’s altar (the bronze altar). The book of Revelation lays out the different judgments that hit the earth leading to the Day of the Lord (God's wrath), following the Abomination of Desolation. The 144,000 are to be sealed shortly after the start of the three- and one-half year period.

As we get closer to the end of the age and the beginning of the tribulation, all people, especially believers, are beginning to see that the world is turned upside down. Transgression of God’s commandments, iniquity, and sin are rampant in the public place. Violence and sexually-aberrant actions are on display and showcased by the entertainment world with no hint of shame. Godlessness and open idolatry sit side by side today for all to see. This topic is on the lips of everyone, as common as a review of the daily weather. There is good reason for God’s people to groan about the abominations all around us. Apparently, the groaning is going to get worse and I am sure the 144,000 will experience it.

Let us examine some of the other characteristics of the 144,000 from Revelation chapter 14.

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.

Revelation 14:3

If you are standing before God’s throne singing a song that no one else knows, you are a very special group to the Lord. God has commissioned them above many others in God’s great plan for this earth. In the presence of God’s throne, there are many special angels and creatures. There are Seraphim (six winged angels) singing “holy, holy, holy is the Lord” above His throne in Isaiah. There are Cherubim (four winged angels) serving as the wheels of God’s chariots in Ezekiel. God’s seat on His throne is nestled in Cherubim wings as they cover the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus. There are also Archangels on each side, front and back, around His Throne in Revelation. And there are 24 elders before the Lord around His Altar. The elders worship the Messiah and proclaim Him to be worthy. Then there is the Messiah Himself, seated at the right hand of His Father.

The 144,000 will sing a song that only they can sing to the Lord and the entire assembly. Obviously, they have a special part in the coming Kingdom. They are going to do something during the tribulation that will merit such an honored position before God’s throne.

This description is troublesome for some believers. Are they virgins and unmarried young men? The short answer is no. Let us look deeper. God created man and woman and they are joint heirs in the kingdom. The operative word here is “defilement.” The Bible is filled with examples of spiritual defilement with other men and women. Men defile themselves in a variety of ways, sometimes through sexual immorality but also with deceit and lying. Stealing and murder defile a person. When a person keeps God’s commandments, he keeps himself chaste from a host of things that can defile. This is a statement about walking the straight and narrow way in obeying the Lord. They have not been defiled by the world.

These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Revelation 14:4b

The 144,000 are believers in Yeshua of Nazareth—the Messiah—the Lamb of God. They follow His instructions and His example. They show their love of the Messiah by keeping the Commandments of God.

These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.

Revelation 14:4c

The 144,000 have been purchased by the Blood of the Messiah and have been made new creatures with the spiritual honor of being first fruits. They are the best part of the harvest in God’s kingdom.

The Torah is filled with instructions concerning the firstborn and the first fruits of the harvest. This is the part that belongs to the Creator God. The 144,000 are God’s first choice of those to be delivered in the Great Tribulation.

And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

Revelation 14:5

They speak the truth concerning God, this world, other men, and what is going to happen. When it says they are “blameless,” we are again referring to a spiritual concept from the Torah.

There are many commandments. When you take one of God’s commandments and set about to obey it, you become blameless before God. It is said that a man who dons the tzizit (tassels) on his outer garment or the corners of his tallit is said to be “blameless.” He has kept the commandment and stands uprightly before God.

You might ask, “How can we keep all of the commandments?” The answer is simple - one at a time. The 144,000 know about the commandment of tzizits and wear them often. This is an outward sign to all believers to follow the Torah instructions.

Before we explain more about what the 144,000 do during the Great Tribulation, we need to see what the result of their ministry is. The New Jerusalem described in the book of Revelation notes three things: the foundation stones, the gates, and height of the wall for the city. The twelve Apostles will be memorialized by the foundation stones. The twelve tribes of Israel will be memorialized by the gates. But the 144,000 will be memorialized by precious stones making up the wall to a height of 144 cubits.

And he measured its wall, 144 cubits, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.

Revelation 21:17

The most significant numerical digits in the measurement and the number are 144. Every number in Scripture is given with a message. Certain basic numbers such as 1–9 carry specific themes. The Scripture says, “which are also angelic measurements.” This is referring to angels being messengers of God, and the “144” refers to the 144,000.

The book of Revelation is not the only book in the Bible that speaks of the 144,000. Ezekiel speaks of them being sealed, but others say even more.

One of the incredible patterns for the 144,000 is given in the Torah concerning the final battle with Israel and five Midianite kings prior to entering the promised land. This Torah event foreshadows the selection of the 144,000.

Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian. A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.” So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

Numbers 31:3–5

What makes this even more interesting is the report that not one of the 12,000 men died in the battle (Numbers 31:49). All of them returned to collect their share of the spoils of battle. We can, therefore, anticipate that the 144,000 will remain to see the Lord’s coming at the conclusion of the tribulation.

There is an even stronger reference to the 144,000 by the prophets of Israel. But instead of referencing their number, they refer to them as “the remnant” within the ranks of all Israel.

The word “Remnant” is a broad term for believers who form a subset of Israel and the nations. It is generally referring to all believers that “remain” throughout the many generations of the ages. However, this word “remnant” is specifically spoken of in the discussion of the end of ages and the tribulation. Listen as Isaiah speaks to this remnant within Israel that sees the conclusion of the exile in the nations and the events of the tribulation.

A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.
For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

Isaiah 10:21–23

The Apostle Paul quoted this passage, explaining how many of his Israeli brethren would become believers along with Gentile believers.

Isaiah goes on to describe how God will commission “this remnant” at the end of days, protect them, and make them as precious stones making up a wall.

“In an outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,”
Says the LORD your Redeemer.

“For this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would not flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says the LORD who has compassion on you.

“O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will lay in sapphires.
“Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of crystal,
And your entire wall of precious stones.
“All your sons will be taught of the LORD;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.
“In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.
“If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
Whoever assails you will fall because of you.
“Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to ruin.
“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Isaiah 54:8–17

This is not a declaration made to all of Israel. God is speaking to the Remnant that will be a part of the Great Tribulation.

Micah the Prophet also speaks of the last day Remnant in all the world.

Then the remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like dew from the LORD,
Like showers on vegetation
Which do not wait for man
Or delay for the sons of men.
The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
Like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
Tramples down and tears,
And there is none to rescue.

Micah 5:7–8

The 144,000 are not only sealed for protection, but they also project the power of God in a picture of a lion walking among sheep. Even more so, consider this following passage, which also describes God’s judgments upon the world.

Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be cut off.
“It will be in that day,” declares the LORD,
“That I will cut off your horses from among you
And destroy your chariots.
“I will also cut off the cities of your land
And tear down all your fortifications.
“I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
And you will have fortune-tellers no more.
“I will cut off your carved images
And your sacred pillars from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
“I will root out your Asherim from among you
And destroy your cities.
“And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.”

Micah 5:9–15

The 144,000 are the wall of defense against the devil during the days of the Great Tribulation. They are ones who give comfort and protection to those saints who escape, survive, and endure the Great Tribulation.

If we are in the days leading up to the tribulation, the days of sorrow that the Messiah described, then the key players in the book of Revelation should be on the earth. This would include the coming antimessiah and the false prophet. But it would also include the 144,000 to be sealed.

These brethren would have to identify with the tribes of Israel and have a testimony of keeping the commandments of God given at Mount Sinai. They would be separating themselves from the world’s culture and any false religion.

It is interesting to note that in this generation, such a group of believers has emerged, likened only to the original followers of the Messiah in the first century. They are called Messianic believers. They have a testimony of being called out from their past communities and beliefs.

The modern Messianic movement is truly a Remnant among the Jewish and Christian world that has arisen from the whole world.

Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.

Jeremiah 23:3

“The breaker goes up before them;
They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it.
So their king goes on before them,
And the LORD at their head.

Micah 2:13

The remnant of Israel will do no wrong
And tell no lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will feed and lie down
With no one to make them tremble.”

Zephaniah 3:13

But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the LORD of hosts. For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

Zechariah 8:11–12

Let us conclude this discussion and answer the question of who the 144,000 are. I believe the Messianic movement, made up of some Jewish believers and a whole bunch of non-Jewish believers who love the God of Israel, is turning back to Torah, keeping Sabbath and the Festivals, is the training ground for the coming 144,000 that will be sealed at the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

I would simply encourage my fellow Messianic believers to continue to grow in the Torah and walk obediently before the Lord. The Lord has plans for you in the future. ■

Shalom,

Article written by Monte Judah

* Scripture references from the NASB95