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The 144,000 -- Future Or Fulfilled? 57

The 144,000 -- Future Or

Fulfilled?

Some say the 144,000 are sealed sometime in the future -- after the
Great Tribulation and heavenly signs. Some say the 144,000 will
become the “kings of the earth” who alone enter the heavenly New
Jerusalem. Is this true? How can we know?

John D. Keyser

M any people in the Churches of God believe that the appearance of the 144,000 in Revela-
tion 14 is something yet to happen in the future. Some individuals feel they were called to
train the 144,000 in the “last days,” one having gone so far as purchasing property in the
desert for this purpose, while another purchased a large ranch in the mountains! Back in the
early 1950s, a Los Angeles preacher claimed the Messiah appeared to him in a vision and com-
manded him to build a huge church, and that 144,000 manifested sons of YEHOVAH God
would be raised up. Millions of dollars poured in for the building, which was never constructed,
and the part about the 144,000 was proved to be untrue.

Probably the most popular and widely circulated interpretation about the 144,000 is the
so-called futurist-dispensational view. According to this scenario, the 144,000 will not make
their appearance until during the last seven years (or three and a half years, as some say) of this
age. It is claimed by some that they -- like 144,000 “Jewish Pauls” -- will preach the gospel of
the kingdom to all the world -- “after the church is gone”!

There are serious Biblical objections to this scenario. While much of the Book of Reve-
lation is written in highly symbolic language, there are TWO CLEAR POINTS of identification
regarding the 144,000 which we should carefully note –

1/. The 144,000 are taken out of “all the tribes of the children of ISRAEL” (Revelation 7:14).

2/. The 144,000 are “the FIRSTFRUITS unto God and to the Lamb” (Revelation 14:4).

The first point shows their identity -- they are Israelites. The term “Israel” is sometimes
used in the New Testament in such a way that it includes all believers in the Messiah, regardless
of race or national distinction (Galatians 3:29; 6:16). But New Testament verses which mention
Israel in contrast to Gentiles clearly show a distinction in terms (Romans 1:16; 2:9; Acts 13:45,
46). There is such a contrast in the passage concerning the 144,000.

Revelation 7:4 states that the 144,000 are taken from “all the tribes of the children of
ISRAEL.” Then, in verse 9, we read: “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no
man could number, of ALL NATIONS and kindreds, and people and tongues” who were also re-

The Berean Voice March-April 2003