1. In Scripture is brought to view a mysterious number of saints,
the 144,000. Rev. 7:1-4; Rev. 14:1.
2. We are told that they are of the tribes of Israel. This is
spiritual Israel. Ps. 73:1; Gal. 6:15,16.
3. All physical Israel are not of spiritual Israel, they (fleshly
Israel) are not the children of God. Rom. 9:6-8.
4. The children of the promise (as Isaac) are counted for the seed
of God, thus the 144000 of the tribes of Israel are spiritual
Israelites. (Rom. 9:8; Gal. 3:7,9-14; Gal. 4:28).
5. The twelve tribes of spiritual Israel mentioned are: Rev. 7:5-8.
6. The tribe of Dan is missing as it was disinherited very early,
and Manasseh (a half tribe from Joseph) took his place. As
Dan was a judge in tribal traits, so then will be his
replacement Manasseh. (Gen. 49:16; Rev. 7:6).
7. The 144,000 is literal in number, because this exact number is
contrasted with the great multitude which we are told no man
can number. Rev. 7:4,9.
8. But what is the significance of 144,000 (thousand)? We need
to first look at the number twelve (12) as it is twelve thousand
of each tribe that is sealed. Rev. 7:5-8.
9. The number twelve (12) signifies perfect organization, thus
the twelve (12 “thousand”) of each tribe signifies perfectly
organized Christians in the end.
“Twelve is perfect number, signifying perfection of
government, or of governmental perfection.” E. W.
Bullinger, Number in Scripture, pg. 253.
“Twelve … Governmental perfection or rule.” Hartill, quoted
in, John J. Davis, Biblical Numerology, pg. 122.
10. Observe how often the number twelve (12) is used in the
Bible. It is completion.
a. Twelve tribes. Gen. 49:28.
b. Twelve Pillars set up by Moses. Ex. 24:4.
c. Twelve cakes (shewbread) for the sanctuary. Lev.
24:5.
d. Twelve months in the year. Est. 2 12.
e. Twelve apostles. Matt. 10:1,2.
f. Twelve baskets of fragments of bread and fish. Mk.
6:43.
g. Twelve hours in the day time. Jn. 11:9.
h. Twelve stars on the crown. Rev. 12:1.
i. Twelve gates and angels for New Jerusalem. Rev.
21:12.
j. Twelve foundations in the new city. Rev. 21:14.
k. Twelve pearls on the twelve gates. Rev. 21:21.
l. Twelve manner of fruits on the tree of life. Rev. 22:2.
11. In the Bible 1000 (thousand) is used to mean a large number in contrast to one (1) or one hundred (100). It is the smallest
unit of a nation, and thus represents a large amount of people.
a. One man shall chase a thousand. Josh. 23:10.
b. One man (Samson) slew a thousand. Jud. 15:15,16.
c. A thousand shekels cannot motivate a man to slay the
king’s son, though the money be so much. 2 Sam.
18:12.
d. One day in God’s courts is better than a thousand
days. Ps. 84:10.
e. One Thousand years is as yesterday in God’s sight. Ps.
90:4.
f. A thousand shall fall at the side of one man who
makes God his refuge. Ps. 91:7.
g. God remembers His covenant word which He
commanded to a thousand years. Ps. 105:8.
h. Though a vain man live a thousand years twice he will
see no good. Eccl. 6:6.
i. One man among a thousand can grasp the scheme of
things. Eccl. 7:28.
j. One thousand flees at the rebuke of one. Isa. 30:17.
k. A little one becomes a thousand. Isa. 60:22.
l. One day with God is as a thousand years for man. 2
Pet. 3:8.
12. Thus the twelve (12) thousand of each of the twelve tribes,
adding up to 144,000 shows that God will have a great body
of sealed saints, large amount, at the time when evil men and
sinners waxes worse and worse so that Christ have to ask the
question if He would find Faith on the earth at His second
coming. (Rev. 14:1; 2 Tim. 3:13; Lk. 18:8).
13. The 144,000 (thousand) is sealed just before the four winds
of strife, war and bloodshed is broken loose by the angels.
Thus they live during the time of trouble. (Rev. 7:1-3; Jer.
25:32,33; Dan. 12:1).
14. The 144,000 are therefore those saints who remain alive
during the time of trouble, while their brethren, many, many
Christians, died as martyrs for Christ. (Rev. 15:2,3; Rev. 20:4;
Rev. 13:15).
15. The one hundred and forty and four thousand (144, 000) are
sealed with the Holy Spirit in latter rain power. (Eph. 1:13;
Jam. 5:7,8; Rev. 7:4).
16. Thus they have an intellectual and spiritual settling into the
truth so as not to be moved out of the Faith.
“A settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually so
they cannot be moved.” Ellen G. White, The Faith I Live By,
pg. 287.
17. The sealing of the 144,000 is the Father’s name written in
their minds. (Rev. 7:4; Rev. 14:1).
18. This name is YHWH. Ps. 83:18; Isa. 42:8.
19. This name is holy, it is a holy name. Ps. 145:21; Eze. 39:7.
20. In fact, because YHWH identifies God as the only true God, the very meaning of His name is HOLY. (Isa. 45:5,6, 21,22;
Isa. 57:15).
21. Holiness means “God-only-ness”. (Ps. 86:8,10; Isa. 40:25; 1
Sam. 2:2).
22. Thus with Father’s name written in their minds, the 144,000
shows God to be God alone or holy against the claim of
Lucifer, that he is God with God, in the final reaches of the
great controversy. Rev. 14:1.
“And Satan, surround by evil angels, and claiming to be God,
will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if possible, the
very elect… God’s tried and tested people will find their
power in the sign spoken in Exodus 31:12-18.” Ellen G.
White, Testimonies For The Church, Vol. 9, pg. 15,16.
“You know that Satan will come in to deceive if possible the
very elect. He claims to be Christ, and he is coming in,
pretending to be the great medical missionary. He will cause
fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men, to prove
that he is God. We must stand barricaded by the truths of the
Bible.” Ellen G. White, Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 6,
pg. 33.
“The time is at hand when Satan will work miracles to
confirm minds in the belief that he is God…” Ellen G. White,
Medical Ministry, pg. 14.
23. Thus, by getting men to worship the Beast-Papacy, knowing
fully well that this is worship of himself, the dragon, Satan, by this seeks to be exalted as God with God; but with their
theologically and spiritually advanced Faith and life, the
144,000, like Christ, with the Father’s name sealed in their
minds, exalts God alone to be worshipped, thus saying God
alone is God. (Rev. 13:1-4; Matt. 4:8-10).
24. The 144,000 are sealed with the Father’s name in their
minds, this name is YHWH as found in the Sabbath, the seal
of God. (Rev. 14:1; Ps. 83:18; Ex. 20:8-11; Eze. 20:20).
25. Thus the deep philosophical meaning of the Sabbath for
serving YHWH the true God, in the minds of the 144,000’ is
the knowledge they hold of god as creator thus God being
God alone against the contradictory claims of Satan. (Eze.
20:12; Ex. 31:12,13,15-17; Isa. 40:25,26).
26. The 144,000 have experienced the existence of sinlessness,
since there is no deceit in their mouth and they are faultless
before God. (Rev. 14:5; 1 Jn. 3:6,9).
27. The 144,000 profess a pure faith because they are not defiled
by false religions.
a. Babylonian false religion does not deceive them. Rev.
17:4-6; Rev. 18:2-4.
b. They are pure-faith Christians (virgins). (Rev. 12:17;
Rev. 14:12; Rev. 10:7; Dan. 12:3,4,10).
“They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith.”
Ellen G. White, Christ Object Lessons, pg. 371.
28. Through the latter rain of the Holy Spirit experience, the
144,000 experience a kind of superman, supernatural powers
as God working in them against their enemies of evil angels
and men. Joel. 2:1-10.
“The 144,000 were all sealed and perfect united. On their
foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious
star containing Jesus’ new name. At our happy holy state the
wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay
hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch
forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall
helpless to the ground.” Ellen G. White, Early Writings, pg.
15.
29. The 144,000 hold a Faith (from the deep philosophical
meaning of the Sabbath) that helps them face the seven (7)
last plagues in nature and politics adequately. Ps. 46:1-11.
“At that time the latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of
the Lord, will come to … prepare the saints to stand in the
period when the seven last plagues are poured out.” Ellen G.
White, Early Writings, pg. 85,86.
“… they have passed through the time of trouble such as
never was since there was a nation …. They have seen the
earth wasted with famine and pestilence, the sun having
power to scorch men with great heat, and they themselves
have endured suffering, hunger and thirst.” Ellen G. White,
The Great Controversy, pg. 649.
30. The 144,000 goes through a period within the time of trouble or year of the plagues called Jacob’s trouble. Jer. 30:7.
“… they have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob’s
trouble; they have stood without an intercessor through the
final out pouring of God’s judgments.” Ibid, pg. 649.
“A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to
cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of
Jacob’s trouble. Then all the saints cried out with anguish of
spirit, and were delivered by the voice of God. The 144,000
triumphed.” Ellen G. White, Early Writings, pg. 36-37.
31. The following account is the (PPPH) Prophetic Progressive
Physical History OF Jacob’s Trouble. Gen. 32:1-12,24-30.
32. In the modern equivalent that the 144,000 goes through, we
have the following points:
a. The 144,000 are the saints of God that remain alive
during the year of the seven last plagues.
b. All their past sins are supposed to be blotted out by
then, though they may not know.
c. A death decree to slay the 144,000 saints at a certain
time is spread around.
d. The wicked gather to destroy them.
e. The 144,000 saints are concerned for their security,
they fear that if one sin is in their life that was un-
forsaken and un-confessed, they shall not be entitled
to God’s protection, so they shall be overwhelmed by
the wicked, destroyed and die lost.
f. So they go into a long season of prayer and searching of their hearts and lives to see if there is any sin to
detect. This causes them excruciating anguish.
g. The hear and see the plottings of the wicked all around
them and fear that they will be killed.
h. But, try how they may, they cannot bring a single sin
to their remembrance, all their sins have indeed been
blotted out before the start of the plagues, and God has
removed the memory of them from their minds.
i. This experience is designed to further adjust the minds
and thinking of the 144,000 to only the nature and
spirit of heavenly things. It burns out the last
earthliness from them.
j. As the wicked rushed upon, the 144,000, God
suddenly miraculously interposes to deliver the
144,000 saints from death.
k. Thus the 144,000 saints triumph over the forces of the
beast and his followers.
33. Thus 144,000 experiences the thrill of triumph over their
enemies of men and evil angels. Jer. 30:7; Isa. 30:29-31.
“It was at midnight that God chose to deliver His people. As
the wicked were mocking around them, suddenly the sun
appeared, shining in his strength, and the moon stood still.
The wicked looked upon the scene with amazement, while the
saints beheld with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance.”
Ellen G. White, Early Writings, pg. 285.
“This was the time of Jacob’s trouble. Then all the saints
cried out with anguish of spirit, and were delivered by the
voice of God. The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted up with the glory of God.” Ibid, pg. 37.
“When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from
those who honour the law of God, there will be, in different
lands, a simultaneous movement for their destruction. As the
time appointed in the decree draws near, the people will
conspire to root out the hated sect. It will be determined to
strike in one night a decisive blow, which shall utterly silence
the voice of dissent and reproof. The people of God— some
in prison cells, some hidden in solitary retreats in the forests
and the mountains — still plead for divine protection, while in
every quarter companies of armed men, urged on by hosts of
evil angels, are preparing for the work of death. It is now, in
the hour of utmost extremity, that the God of Israel will
interpose for the deliverance of His chosen… With shouts of
triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are
about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness,
deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth.
Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne of
God, spans the heavens and seems to encircle each praying
company. The angry multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their
mocking cries die away. The objects of their murderous rage
are forgotten. With fearful forebodings they gaze upon the
symbol of God’s covenant and long to be shielded from its
overpowering brightness.” Ellen G. White, The Great
Controversy, pg. 635-636.
“Glorious will be the deliverance of those who have patiently
waited for His Coming and whose names are written in the
book of life.” Ibid, pg. 634.
34. The following chart explains the events of the great
deliverance of the 144,000, God’s people.
35. The 144,000 become ambassadors of Christ and the Gospel
to the whole universe because of the special experience of the
Faith they have. Rev. 14:4.
36. The 144,000 sing a new song which only they can know for
it is a song of the experience they went through. Rev. 15:2-4.
“And they sing “a new song” before the throne, a song which
no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four
thousand. It is the song of Moses and the Lamb— a song of
deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand
can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience — an
experience such as no other company have ever had.” Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, pg. 648-649.
The song of Moses and the Lamb is found in Deut. 32:1-37. 43.
(Deut. 31:30).
38. The 144,000 are trophies of God’s salvific grace, thus they
are called the firstfruits of the saved. This means that God
will have a great number that is even (144,000), of saints who
will face all the temptations that Satan and his host can
muster, and all will NOT sin, but be triumphant against sin
and Satan. God stakes His divinity on the fact that in the
worst stage of the earth’s history, when the love of many shall
grow cold, He will spiritually maintain and keep holy a large
body of saints, with even numbers, to prove their success
cannot be attributed to the fact that some saints were able to make it safe. No, the large even number (144,000) proves
that it is God that is responsible for their salvation, His grace
is able to save to the uttermost, those that come unto Him. (2
Tim. 3:13; Matt. 24:12; Eph. 2:5,8; Heb. 7:25; Rev. 14:4).
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