Mission Venture Ministries

And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, 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, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. (Revelation 7:4–8) 

After chapter five in the book of Revelation, the church is no longer mentioned because all believers have been raptured. It is our belief that the church will not go through the tribulation. 

These Jewish believers and evangelists are the Firstfruits of Israel, which as a nation will be redeemed before Christ returns (Zechariah 12:10–13:1, 13:8–9; Romans 11:26). These 144,000 are a unique group of Jews that become believers in the Messiah and are selected by God to proclaim the gospel during the tribulation (Revelation 12:17; 14:1–5), to those left behind. 

These are 12,000 men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Each of the 144,000 has a mark on their forehead representing ‘His Father’s name.’ This mark is God’s seal of protection against His divine judgment on the earth during the tribulation and against the wrath of the Antichrist. As a result of their ministry, a multitude from every nation will come to Christ and receive salvation. 

The term Israel in Revelation 7:4 must be interpreted in accordance with its normal Old and New Testament usage as a reference to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Nor is there any exegetical reason not to interpret the numbers 144,000 and 12,000 literally. 

The backdrop to a proper understanding of the 144,000 during the tribulation is that God had originally chosen the Jews to be His witnesses. He appointed them to share the good news of God with all other people around the world (see Isaiah 42:6; 43:10). The Jews were to be God’s representatives to the Gentile peoples. Biblical history reveals that the Jews failed at this task, especially when they didn’t recognize Jesus as the divine Messiah. During the future tribulation, these 144,000 Jews, who become believers in Jesus the divine Messiah sometime following the rapture, will finally fulfill this mandate from God and be His witnesses all around the world. Their work will yield a mighty harvest of souls (see Revelation 7:9-14). 

These witnesses will be “sealed” (divinely protected) by God as they carry out their service for Him during the tribulation (Revelation 14:1-4; see also 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). 

Some have wondered why the Old Testament tribes of Dan and Ephraim are omitted from this list of Jewish tribes. The Old Testament has some 20 variant lists of tribes, so no two lists of the 12 tribes of Israel must be identical. Most scholars today agree that Dan’s tribe was omitted because that tribe was guilty of idolatry on many occasions and, as a result, was largely obliterated (Leviticus 24:11; Judges 18:1, 30; see also 1 Kings 12:28-29).  To engage in unrepentant idolatry is to be cut off from God’s blessing. The tribe of Ephraim was also involved in idolatry and pagan worship (Judges 17; Hosea 4:17). This is probably why both tribes were omitted from Revelation 7. 

Others have wondered why the tribe of Levi was included in this list of Jewish tribes rather than maintaining its special status as a priestly tribe under the Mosaic Law. Levi is probably included here because the priestly functions of the tribe of Levi ceased with the coming of Christ, the ultimate high priest. Indeed, the Levitical priesthood was fulfilled in the person of Christ (Hebrews 7–10). With no further need for the services of the tribe of Levi as priests, God had no further reason for keeping this tribe distinct and separate from the others. This is probably why they were properly included in the tribal listing in the book of Revelation. 

As for the chronology of when these 144,000 Jewish evangelists as they emerge on the scene, it is our personal believe that this event occurs in the early part of the tribulation period, sometime after the rapture. Some Bible expositors suggest that the 144,000 must engage in their work of evangelism early in the tribulation, for the believers who are martyred in the fifth seal judgment (Revelation 6:9-11) since they are very probably among the fruit of their labors, and the seal judgments definitely occur in the first half of the tribulation period. 

It had been previously prophesied that Israel would repent and would turn back to God (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25-27), and the 144,000 Jews seem to be a sort of “first fruits” of this prophecy (Revelation 14:4) of redeemed Israel. Their mission is to evangelize the post-church age world, especially the Jewish people and proclaim the gospel during the tribulation period. As a result of their ministry, millions – “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9), will come to faith in Christ. 

We see the 144,000 Jews mentioned again in Revelation 14:1 – Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 

John’s attention was drawn to a new vision. His eyes were turned away from the beast and his image in Revelation 13 to the Lamb standing on Mount Zion accompanied by the 144,000. The phrase then I looked, is found seven times in Revelation (4:1; 5:11, 6:2, 6:5; 7:9; 14:1, 14:14) and each time it turns our attention to another important element in the vision given to John. As previously, the word “behold” is designed to arrest our attention to the remarkable things in this scene. 

We need to understand that what John here is actually looking at, is called a proleptic glance. What that means is he is looking ahead – actually to chapter 19 and 20; but he is writing it as if it has already happened as he is seeing these things happening. 

The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion is the first important fact that catches John’s eye. That the Lamb is standing on Mount Zion is in contrast to the dragon standing on the shifting sands of the seashore. Here is a contrast between stability and rest, and instability and unrest. 

The contrast is between the Lamb who wins by the sacrifice of Himself versus the dragon who attempts to gain control by his selfish and bloody outrage against humanity. Note that it is the Lamb portrayed here, not the Lion (5:5) because it is through His sacrifice that Christ becomes the Victor. 

Now about the meaning of Mount Zion; does it refer to the heavenly city, Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-23) or to the earthly city of Jerusalem? John is dealing with the nation Israel and looking forward to the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth. Prophetically in Scripture, Zion came to symbolize the place where Messiah would come as the deliverer of Israel and where He would gather together His people (Psalm 48:1; Isaiah 24:23; Joel 2:32; Romans 11:26). 

Further, the group of 144,000 is the same as that of chapter 7 where they are to be sealed and kept safe through the Tribulation, protected from death to go into the millennial reign of Messiah without going into heaven. This is the implication of chapter 7. Thus, this is prophetic of Christ’s reign in Zion, earthly Jerusalem following the Tribulation. Note in this regard that the word “stood” is in the perfect tense which emphasizes completed action with abiding results. He has taken his stand and reigns. 

And with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand: Refers back to Revelation 7:4. There, John refers to 144,000 Jews given divine protection. The purpose of this short session is to demonstrate the faithfulness of God and that those sealed will be protected. 

Who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads: This is God’s seal and shows: 

1. that they belong to God and not to the beast,
2. that they have had the guarantee of God’s protection and security through the Tribulation, and
3. that they are His servants. 

As chapter 7 by its context would indicate, they are the great evangelists of the Tribulation who proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Then note that in 14:4 we are told that these follow the Lamb. Perhaps there is an intended connection with those evangelized by the 144,000 in 7:9 for in 7:17 we read “for the Lamb … shall be their Shepherd and shall guide them …” Chapter 14 completes the drama started in chapter 7. In chapter 7 this whole company of God’s people are sealed (7:1-8), readied for the satanic onslaught, and then a company of those they undoubtedly led to Christ are seen as martyred saints in heaven serving before the throne of God (7:9). But here in chapter 14, all of the 144,000 are seen with the Lamb as victors in the earthly eschatological kingdom. The main emphasis is that here we see these still intact after the days of horrible Tribulation; they are preserved and standing triumphantly with the Lord on Mount Zion in the Millennium. 

NOTE: This shows that Satan’s attempt at total Jewish destruction will fail. This is the purpose of the first proclamation, and it will provide comfort to the Tribulation saints. 

These chosen Jews might become believers in Jesus in a way similar to that of the apostle Paul, himself a Jew, who had a Damascus-road encounter with the risen Christ (Acts 9:1-9). Interestingly, in 1 Corinthians 15:8, the apostle Paul refers to himself in his conversion to Christ as “one untimely born.” This same spiritual awakening might be awaiting the 144,000 Jewish evangelists when they come on the scene. 

*******