The 144,000

The 144,000
Revealed

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever.
Deuteronomy 29:29

    When the Apostle John was given the vision which he would later record in the book of Revelation, he was on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. The noted historian Eusebius wrote that in 95 A.D., Emperor Domitian had banished John to this tiny island for the crime of preaching the gospel message—a fact that John himself confirmed (Revelation 1:9). The apostle was finally released eighteen months later (Ecclesiastical History, 3.20 8-9).
    Approximately sixty square miles in size, and consisting primarily of volcanic hills and rocky ground, Patmos served as one of Rome’s penal colonies. Religious offenders sent to this island were considered the lowest of criminals, and subjected to wretched conditions. Constantly fettered, and required to work long hours at hard labor in the rocky quarries, John would have found himself exposed to the cruel lash of his Roman overseer. The only rest this apostle of God experienced was nightly sleep on the cold craggy ground.
    During, this tragic time in the apostle’s life, John was given an awesome revelation outlining the last traumatic days of mankind, leading up to the triumphant establishment of God’s glorious government. The apostle was literally able to foresee the magnificent new heavens and earth.

The Day of the Lord
    As John’s incredible revelation began, he witnessed what the Bible calls the “Lord’s day.” The apostle writes:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet (Revelation 1:10).

    When speaking of the “Lord’s day,” John is NOT referring to a particular day of the week, but rather a particular span of time. In Biblical terminology, a prophetic “day” refers to a calendar year (Ezekiel 4:6). Therefore, the Lord’s day is a year long.
    Elsewhere, the Bible refers to the “Lord’s day” as the time of God’s wrath (Revelation 6:17). The Scriptures indicate that this “day” will be the last year of man’s reign on the planet (Isaiah 61:2). It is just before this final climatic year of man’s rule, that the 144,000 are revealed.

The 144,000 Introduced
    Immediately preceding God’s wrath, John is made aware of a group of people whose number amounts to exactly 144,000. The apostle explains that an angel revealed the existence of this assembly to him. He writes:

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (Revelation 7:1-4)

    When John described this event, he began with the words, “After these things” (Revelation 7:1). When speaking of “these things,” John was referring to a sequence of events that were recorded in the prior chapter of Revelation. There the apostle witnessed seven seals securing a written scroll which only Jesus could open. As Christ opened each one, a great but tragic new chapter in man’s history was revealed.

The Seals of Revelation
    The seven seals unlocking the unfolding events described in the book of Revelation have been a source of controversy for many students of the Bible. However, it is possible to know exactly what each of these seals represent. The true revelator, Jesus Christ, had actually spoken of them in greater detail during His ministry on earth.
    Just days before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus’ disciples came to Him on the Mount of Olives. There they asked Him what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the world (Matthew 24:3).
    The Greek word for “world” in this verse is “aion.” Since this term literally means “age,” the disciples were actually asking Jesus what the world would look like at the time when man’s rule on earth would end, and Christ would return to restore God’s Kingdom. Jesus responded to this query by proclaiming what is commonly referred to as the Olivet Prophecy.
    This prophetic discourse, spoken to the twelve disciples on the mount of Olives, and recorded in three of the four gospels, is arguably the most famous warning ever uttered by the Messiah (Matthew 24; Luke 21; Mark 13). When giving this specific prophecy, Jesus spoke without the use of symbols, thus providing a clear chronological sequence of six end time evils that perfectly mirror the symbolic six seals listed in the book of Revelation.
    When describing these evils, Jesus painted a picture of a world punctuated by religious deception, wars and conflict, famine and disease, a great persecution, and even supernatural signs in the heavens. The first four of these conditions spoken of by Jesus are now famous in Scripture, and have been used by artists and authors down through the ages.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
    When the aged Apostle John recorded his fantastic vision, he described a series of seals. The first four of these seals are characterized as horsemen, each riding a specific colored horse. Notice what John says about the first white colored horse and its rider:

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer (Revelation 6:2).

    Because of this horse’s color, many mistakenly conclude that it reflects John’s description of the returning Messiah who also rides a white horse (Revelation 19:11-16). This first seal is NOT Jesus Christ, however. The rider of this horse conquers men using a bow, a symbol of humanly devised weapons of war—not the supernatural sword issuing from Christ’s mouth (Revelation 19:15). This white horse actually portrays religious deception. It pictures a counterfeit Christ leading a false Christianity that is influenced by Satan and enforced by the power of the state (Revelation 12:9; 17:3).
    When giving the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus explained that the time would come when many would falsely claim to represent Him. He stated:

For many shall come in My name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many (Matthew 24:5).

    In the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus’ words indicate that the opening of the first seal, and the revelation of this white horse portray the proliferation of a false religion. This is a specific religion—one using Christ’s name and purveying a counterfeit Christianity that spread throughout Western Civilization and which will eventually dominate most of the world.
    When Christ opened the second seal, He revealed events that were symbolized by a red horse and its rider. John writes:

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Revelation 6:4).

    Notice that this second horse is red—the color of man’s blood. The color of this horse symbolizes a world at war! When giving the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus next stated that the time would come when “nation would rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6-7).
    The Greek word “nation” in this verse is “ethnos,” and it is the root word from which our English word “ethnic” originates. Ethnos pertains to race or nationality, not country or realm. Therefore, Jesus was describing a time when great racial strife would punctuate society. Jesus also stated that kingdom would rise against kingdom. This horrible violence would also spill over into armed conflict between nations.
    When the third seal was opened, John saw a black horse. The apostle described this vision, saying:

I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand (Revelation 6:5).

    This horse is the color of a war scorched earth, rendered incapable of supporting vegetation. This dark symbolism, coupled with balances for measuring food, foreshadows hunger ravaging mankind—famine sweeping across the planet.
    Compare this with the Olivet Prophecy where Jesus next warns that great famine would strike the earth. In Matthew 24:7, Christ’s description corresponds perfectly with the vision John records in Revelation, thus confirming that the black horse is a hunger ravaged earth.
    This brings us to the fourth and final horseman of the apocalypse. When describing the fourth seal, the Apostle John introduces the reader to a pale horse, the deliverer of death! John describes the grisly scene with these words:

I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him (Revelation 6:8).

    The word “pale” used to describe this horse is of great interest. It comes from the Greek word, “chloros.” This root word is one from which we derive the word “chlorophyll” today. It describes a horse that is a pale green color, thus foreshadowing man in the throes of sickness and disease, which would ultimately lead to death.
    In the world today, warfare has changed dramatically. No longer is it fought with “conventional” weapons. A more exotic warfare, whose weapons are infinitely more destructive, has now entered the world scene, posing an enormous threat to all mankind. Included in this arsenal are chemical and biological agents, such as smallpox and anthrax. The threat of bio-terrorism is very real indeed, clearly presenting a danger to all peoples inhabiting the earth.
    As more and more countries strap on their chemical and biological gun belts, it is evident that this fourth horse and its rider symbolize the deadly effects of chemical and biological warfare—the destructive power of which is far greater than nuclear war. In a very real sense, biological agents have changed the face of conflict today. They have leveled the playing field between the superpower and the rogue state. In our modern world, where the new threat is chemical and biological terrorism, any day may indeed be “high noon.”
    The fourth horseman of the apocalypse that John describes also corresponds perfectly with the words Jesus spoke in His Olivet Prophecy. When giving this warning, Jesus stated that the world would suffer great pestilence that would come as a result of the ravages of war (Matthew24:7).

The Fifth Seal
    After describing the four horsemen of the apocalypse, John then watches as a fifth seal is removed from the great scroll. Once this occurs, John sees a company of martyrs whose blood was shed for upholding the faith. The Apostle John explains:

When He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled (Revelation 6:9-11).

    The history of God’s true Church down through the ages has been a bloody one. Many sincere Christians were killed during the crusades and Spanish Inquisition. All of the twelve apostles except John, died violent deaths. The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews describes some of the great sacrifices made by God’s people as they stood for the truth before the New Testament was written. The Scriptures state:

[They] ... had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword (Hebrews 11:36-37).

    Because Christians in all ages suffer persecution, the author of Hebrews reminds us of the sacrifices God’s people have made in times past. When giving the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus also spoke of the martyrdom of saints occurring during a Great tribulation that would come upon the prophetic nations of Israel, Judah, and a remnant of God’s Church. Jesus stated:

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another (Matthew 24:9-10).

    Jesus asserts that this tribulation will cause God’s people to be hated, and many will be killed. The rest of the world will eventually suffer terribly, however. As Christ says, this time will be so fierce that without His intervention, the planet and its inhabitants would be utterly destroyed. Jesus warned:

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Matthew 24:21-22).

    Once again, the words of Jesus are found to be in perfect sync with those recorded by the Apostle John. The fifth seal of Revelation depicts a time that will be the most violent in human history. When the great prophet Jeremiah described this period, he stated that it would be so devastating there would be “none like it” (Jeremiah 30:7).

The Sixth Seal
    The Apostle John next introduces the unveiling of the sixth seal—a literally earth shattering event. When this seal is loosened, John sees the very heavens convulse! Imagine how this vision must have appeared to God’s apostle as he describes it in these words:

And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places (Revelation 6:12-14).

    This sixth seal rock the very sun moon and stars. It will also bring with it staggering natural disasters including great earthquakes of unimaginable intensity (Revelation 6:12). These earthquakes, coupled with the signs in the heavens, will drive even the mightiest of men to tremble in abject fear. The terror those who witness this shall be so terrifying that men will prefer death rather than face what awaits them (Revelation 6:15; 9:6).
    When giving the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus also spoke of this very same great disturbance in the heavens. Christ quoted the words of the prophet Joel, saying:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29).

    In these verses, Jesus further described the sixth seal of the book of Revelation. As with the preceding seals, Jesus’ words in the Olivet Prophecy are found to be in complete agreement with the symbolic events portrayed in John’s vision in Revelation.

The Day of God’s Wrath
    Following the heavenly signs, the Bible reveals one more devastating seal. Once unleashed, it will have far greater impact on the world than the preceding six. The seventh seal pictures a time of unimaginable devastation to come upon the entire world.
    The period of time when this seal is executed is designated in the Bible by the terms, “the Lord’s day,” “day of the Lord” or the “day of God’s wrath.” It represents the very last year of man’s reign on earth. During this period, God will rain down a judgment upon mankind that literally defies description. So great is this punishment that few will be able to survive it as John notes:

The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:17)

    John is not the only one to describe the day of the Lord in such shattering terms. Several prophets in the Old Testament also predicted this terrible time. Joel writes:

And the LORD shall utter His voice before His army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executes His word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:11).

The Seven Seals of
Revelation

    The prophet Isaiah also describes the destruction that will occur at the time of God’s wrath. He writes:

The day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction . . . Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate (Isaiah 13:6, 9).

    As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the “day of the Lord” is not a twenty-four hour period of time. Instead, Isaiah alludes to a prophetic “day” which lasts an entire year.
    God uses a prophetic principle of a day for a year in the Bible, and this is demonstrated in at least two other places in Scripture. In Numbers 14:34, God required Israel to wander in the wilderness forty years corresponding to forty days. Further in Ezekiel 4:6, The Almighty required His prophet to lay on his side certain days to represent an equivalent number of years.
    Therefore, when describing the “day of the Lord,” Isaiah characterizes it as a “day” of God’s vengeance that will take place over a span of an entire “year.” Notice the words of the great prophet, as he writes:

Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn (Isaiah 61:2).

    Clearly the “day of the Lord” represents the last year of man’s reign on the earth. This final year, before Christ returns is a time of great judgment upon mankind. However, before executing His wrath, God makes provision to protect His faithful people. In so doing, He introduces readers to an assembly which numbers 144,000.

Preparing for Judgement
    The day of the Lord represents a time when God will execute His judgement on the earth. Prior to this, the book of Revelation identifies four powerful angelic forces that prepare themselves as the instruments of God’s terrifying punishment. These angelic beings are described in the seventh chapter of Revelation. There the Apostle John records these words:

. . . I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree (Revelation 7:1).

    Notice that these four angels are situated on the four corners of the earth. They are positioned in the north, south, east, and west. The angels are poised in these strategic positions to insure that the devastation they bring will cover the entire planet. When describing these angelic beings, the Apostle John also states that they hold back the four winds of the earth. But what are these winds?
    Although the Apostle John does not actually say, is it possible that these winds are additional angelic forces. In the Bible, wind is a symbol representing spirit (John 3:8). The actual Greek word for spirit is “pneuma” and it literally means a “breeze” or “blast of air.” Therefore, it is possible that the four winds described by John may, in fact, be symbolic, picturing enormous spirit forces used by God during this defining moment in all of human history.
    If this is the case, these four notable angels could be considered the “winds of destruction.” They are literally holding back incredible supernatural forces that will be ultimately used to carry out God’s wrath over the earth and its entire population.

Protection for God’s People
    The Apostle John next notices a special angel coming from the east. This angel instructs the four winds to withhold their destruction until he can seal God’s servants. John writes:

I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their forehead. (Revelation 7:2-3)

    This angel arises from the east, in a manner similar to Jesus Christ at His return (Matthew 24:27). The angel performs a sealing that both identifies and protects the servants of God. This act is a consolation to the Almighty’s people, reflecting the fulfillment of Christ’s promise to comfort His people at the end. The prophet Isaiah wrote that Christ was to:

. . . proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. (Isaiah 61:2)

    At this time, the saints who have mourned through much of the tribulation will now realize that their perseverance was not in vain. The seventh chapter of Revelation states that these servants of God are sealed. They will be protected from the destructive and terrifying judgement of God Himself. This act of God sealing His servants constitutes the first key to the identity of the 144,000.

Click here for the next chapter