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58 The 144,000 -- Future Or Fulfilled?

deemed by the Lamb (Yeshua the Messiah) -- a huge ingathering from the Gentiles. Note that the
words “Gentiles” and “nations” are translated from the same word in the Greek -- Strong’s Con-
cordance #1484. Bottom line: the 144,000 were from Israel; the innumerable multitude from all
nations. Because of this comparison -- 144,000 from Israel on the one hand, and an innumerable
multitude of converts from among the Gentiles on the other -- it seems very clear that the
144,000 were converts from Israel, Israel in the LITERAL sense of the word!

We agree with the futurist-dispensational interpretation that the 144,000 are from Israel,
however we part company when it comes to point 2. According to Revelation 14:4, the 144,000
from the tribes of Israel are “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” Note: the
FIRSTFRUITS!

In the Old Testament, the term “firstfruits” designated the FIRST gatherings of the crop
which were presented to YEHOVAH god -- see Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 2:14 and Nehemiah
10:35. In the New Testament, Yeshua the Messiah, who was “the FIRST that should rise from
the dead” to immortality (Acts 26:23), is called “the FIRSTFRUITS of them that slept” (1 Corin-
thians 15:20). The FIRST converts that the apostle Paul made in Achaia (Greece) were called
“the FIRSTFRUITS of Achaia” (1 Corinthians 16:15). And so here, in a similar fashion, the
144,000 -- the firstfruits unto the Lamb (the Messiah) -- are the first converts to Yeshua the Mes-
siah!

And who were the first converts? It is quite clear -- there can be no mistake about it! The
gospel first went to Israelites and THE FIRST CONVERTS WERE FROM ISRAEL!

The converts from Israel in the early years of YEHOVAH’s church -- back in the first
century A.D.! -- were the firstfruits unto the Lamb and are symbolized by the number 144,000.
This is a perfect fit scripturally and historically. But -- and consider this -- if the 144,000 have
not yet made their appearance, as futurists teach, HOW in the world could they possibly be “the
firstfruits unto the Lamb”? If the 144,000 do not appear until the very last years of this age, they
would be the LAST FRUITS instead of the first!

Let us now review the scriptural evidence that shows the gospel went first to ISRAEL
and that the first converts to Yeshua the Messiah were ISRAELITES. When John the Baptist in-
troduced the Messiah, he spoke of him as “the Lamb of God” and as he who was to be “made
manifest to ISRAEL” (John 1:29-31). When Yeshua originally sent out his disciples, he said:
“Go not into the way of the Gentiles...but rather to the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL” (Mat-
thew 10:5,6). A nucleus of believers from Israel was gathered at the Temple on Pentecost and
were filled with the holy spirit. The Bible records that 3,000 ISRAELITES were converted on
that day alone -- men from all the tribes of Israel being represented on that occasion (Acts 2:5,
36). Now the preaching of the gospel began at JERUSALEM (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:47). The gospel
went “to the Jew FIRST” and then also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

When the apostle Peter spoke to a multitude of Israelites in the Temple, he said: “Men of
Israel...so it is to you FIRST that God has sent His servant whom He has raised up, so that He
might bless you by turning each one of you from your evil ways” (Acts 3:12, 26). Later this very

The Berean Voice March-April 2003