Chapter Twenty-Nine – The 144,000
Back to 1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!
The Bible makes mention of certain numbers that are a mystery to nearly all who read them. We have seen several—the number of the Beast, as well as the periods of 1,335, 1,290 and 1,260 days, among others. As with the distinct 666 number of the Beast, when God lists a number, it is no accident: “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psa. 12:6). God means what He says. Now, regarding the 144,000, add to this that we saw God spells out His teachings “here a little” and “there a little” (Isa. 28:10-13).
The prophecy to be explained in this chapter can be likened to a large puzzle. The box cover features a picture as the only guide to assembling it. God has revealed to His Church how to assemble the individual scriptural pieces necessary for understanding.
Only in Revelation
The identity of the 144,000—a group described only in the book of Revelation—is a subject of interest, fascination, excitement, confusion and real mystery! Some have offered ideas on who these are—either as speculation, or Church dogma—but have missed the mark.
Two cautions must be kept in mind when approaching any prophecy: (1) The temptation to set dates, and (2) the danger of counting—more specifically, miscounting. But of course for certain verses counting is essential.
Incredibly, most of the world’s churches think the prophecy of the 144,000 is not to be known, and thus cannot be important. However, recall God’s bold statement about all of His prophecies—that they are important to Him: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure…yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it” (Isa. 46:9-11).
The understanding of the 144,000 will forever change your outlook on how—with whom—and withhow many people—God has been working for the past 6,000 years.
Confusion Abounds!
Of the ministers and groups that have offered theories on the identity of the 144,000 of Revelation, a well-known, non-mainstream American Christian sect has been most dogmatic. And their ideas are completely false! Among them are the following:
- According to the sect’s founder, 144,000 members of the group, whom he called Spiritual Israel, would “go to heaven.”
- These would all be born before 1935, the year that (according to this leader) the “doors of heaven” would be “shut.” The author of this thinking died in 1916, with the membership of his sect at that time numbering somewhere in the low four-digit range.
- The successor to the group’s founder could project that its total membership would eventuallysurpass 144,000. So an urgent doctrinal correction was necessary! It was announced in May 1935: Those who missed this cut-off point would be in a different class—they would spend eternity in the “paradise” of a restored Earth, rather than heaven. This group is called the “Great Crowd.”
- The “Heavenly Kingdom” supposedly took effect in 1914 with the also supposed invisible enthronement of Christ as King on Earth. An “anointed class” of about 135,300 people currently occupies this “kingdom.” All of these were selected after Christ’s ascension to heaven (Pentecost, AD 31), and in subsequent centuries. The selection of the full complement of 144,000 was “completed” in 1935. (About 8,700 of these are still alive.) This group would rule over the remaining “Christians.”
- Jesus, who in this group’s view is actually the archangel Michael, is not one’s mediator unless that person is among the 144,000.
This entire stream of convoluted thinking can be refuted with a single verse: “But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny” (Matt. 20:10). In context, this verse explains the fact that all who achieve salvation are given the same basic reward of eternal life, regardless of when they were called—right up to Christ’s Return. Many other verses could be cited proving this. (The amount of authority conferred, however, is based on works in this life—Luke 19:11-27.)
But let’s see what God teaches. To those who simply read and understand the relevant passages in the right sequence—assembling the puzzle pieces properly—the truth about this subject should be plain.
First, necessary background.