Study No. 8 - Sealing the 144,000 Chapter 7:1-17, 8:1
From our previous study we learned that the period of time which the seven sealed book covers is a total of seven years. This time period is yet future. The bible, in Jeremiah 30:7 refers to a time called ‘Jacob’s trouble’, Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.
Some commentators have thought that this verse is referring to the seventieth week of Daniel – the seven year tribulation period of Revelation. I can understand how some people come to this conclusion. By taking this verse and maybe a few surrounding verses, it really sounds like it. But by reading it in its larger context, the time of Jacob's Trouble that Jeremiah was referring to was a coming dispersion that would put Israel all over the globe. That happened in 70 AD. That was an incredibly terrible event! Jeremiah goes on to say that this time of Jacob’s Trouble would not go on forever … God would heal them and bring them back to their land. And this He did beginning in 1948 and their homecoming continues to this present time.
So, in all honesty, we should not label the tribulation period as the ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’. (And, by the way, there is no other passage in scripture that uses the term ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’.)
Am I saying that ‘Jacob’ (Israel) will NOT have a time of trouble during the tribulation period? No, they definitely will suffer greatly in this time … along with others who are called spiritual Israel. (see Rev 12:7)
Daniel refers to special events taking place during this last ‘week’, this final seven year period.
Daniel 11:21-45 is a vivid and detailed account of all that will take place. It actually contains more detail then what we find in Revelation. But then comes Daniel 12:1. Consider the following verses …
Daniel 11:44 "But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 "And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
1 ¶ "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (See chart)
The last verse of chapter six:
Re 6:17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Our present study
Four angels:
- They are stationed at the four corners of the earth
- They are able to hold back ‘winds of destruction’.
- They will be permitted to do their work after 144,000 people are 'sealed'.
This event is either referring to (A) the beginning of the Tribulation (or at least the second half). In which case this is a bit of a backtrack. Or it refers to (B) the Great Day of God’s wrath (the very end of the tribulation) which is about to descend. If it is (B), then we have the following scenario.
Who are the 144,000?
There are several theories.
1. The Jehovah’s Witness theory. They teach that there are two classes of true followers of God. And for you to be in one of those groups you would have to be a Jehovah’s Witness. The two classes are as follows:
2. The Church is Spiritual Israel theory
Ga 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
In this theory the number is symbolic. It is large number and simply refers to all believers living during the tribulation. Other scriptures are used from Galatians where Paul says we are all children of Abraham by faith. Galatians 3:76-9.
3. The ‘Missionary’ theory.
In this case these are 144,000 literal Jews who are responsible for evangelising the world after the rapture has taken all believers to heaven.
4. The ‘Andres’ theory. (Not really mine. Others believe this as well)
Because each tribe is mentioned separately these are physical Jews. This is what Paul was speaking about in Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
And also in Eph 3:3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
This is a merging together of the Church and Israel. We will study more about this in the chapter regarding the Two Witnesses who are on earth for the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. In this theory the 144,000 are not necessarily missionaries, but more like a harvest of converts. Jews coming to Christ.
John now sees a multitude in heaven. A lot of praise is being offered.
Verses 9-12
Although it does not specifically say so here, this multitude likely includes the 144,000 Christian Jews. Later in Chapter 14 John mentions that they are with Jesus in heaven.
Verses 13 – 17 One of the Elders from around the throne discusses with John the identity of this large group gathered before the throne of God in heaven.
He states that this group came out of the great tribulation. To me it is not clear, but I think that this group might possibly consist of more than that. I am wondering if it might also include all believers from the beginning of time. For the Elder to clearly mention the tribulation, it certainly is his intention to draw attention to these martyrs who have just given their lives for Jesus.
For just a moment let's look back on the previous chapter. The Fifth seal is broken (opened) and John sees many souls in Heaven who have just given their lives for Jesus. And they are calling out: "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
The vision of this ‘numberless' multitude of believers is not placed at random in the book of Revelation. Nor is it parenthetical. The placement is chronological and is one of the events that proceed after the opening of the sixth seal. This is the end of the tribulation period. This is a view of the believers after the rapture. They are rejoicing in heaven.
The Elder goes on to say a few more things about them. But if you look carefully, some of what he says applies to events after the millennial reign. (Compare verse 17 with 21:3,4)
We cannot stop here. The saints are with Jesus in heaven. The rapture and resurrection from the dead has taken place, although they are not mentioned in the chapter we have just studied. This will become clear when we ‘overlay’ or ‘superimpose’ the scripture of Rev. 11:15-19.
While ‘we’ are in heaven with the Lord … on earth there is a very different picture. The Great Day of God’s Wrath, mentioned in so many places in scripture, is happening on earth. This is destruction and devastation to the controlling powers of the world. This is destruction (6:15) to kings of the earth, great men, rich men, commanders, mighty men, every slave and every free man. (see chapter 6:17, 11:18, 16:14-17 and Daniel 12:1. These verses describe the same event) note- this is not yet destruction to Antichrist and his false prophet. That comes a bit later.
Then we read Chapter 8 verse 1.
Re 8:1 ¶ When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour
With no comment given to us by John we can only surmise what this silence is about. The following verses may help to get a grasp on it:
Ezekiel 18:23 "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?
Ezekiel 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"
Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Time for repentance is up. God will now perform the task that He does not want to do. Basically all remaining unbelievers will now be transferred to hell. Whether this happens during the 'half hour' of silence, or whether the half hour of silence is a pause before He performs the action, we do not know.
Some commentators have thought that this verse is referring to the seventieth week of Daniel – the seven year tribulation period of Revelation. I can understand how some people come to this conclusion. By taking this verse and maybe a few surrounding verses, it really sounds like it. But by reading it in its larger context, the time of Jacob's Trouble that Jeremiah was referring to was a coming dispersion that would put Israel all over the globe. That happened in 70 AD. That was an incredibly terrible event! Jeremiah goes on to say that this time of Jacob’s Trouble would not go on forever … God would heal them and bring them back to their land. And this He did beginning in 1948 and their homecoming continues to this present time.
So, in all honesty, we should not label the tribulation period as the ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’. (And, by the way, there is no other passage in scripture that uses the term ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’.)
Am I saying that ‘Jacob’ (Israel) will NOT have a time of trouble during the tribulation period? No, they definitely will suffer greatly in this time … along with others who are called spiritual Israel. (see Rev 12:7)
Daniel refers to special events taking place during this last ‘week’, this final seven year period.
Daniel 11:21-45 is a vivid and detailed account of all that will take place. It actually contains more detail then what we find in Revelation. But then comes Daniel 12:1. Consider the following verses …
Daniel 11:44 "But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 "And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.
1 ¶ "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (See chart)
The last verse of chapter six:
Re 6:17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Our present study
Four angels:
- They are stationed at the four corners of the earth
- They are able to hold back ‘winds of destruction’.
- They will be permitted to do their work after 144,000 people are 'sealed'.
This event is either referring to (A) the beginning of the Tribulation (or at least the second half). In which case this is a bit of a backtrack. Or it refers to (B) the Great Day of God’s wrath (the very end of the tribulation) which is about to descend. If it is (B), then we have the following scenario.
- Believers have now been raptured through the sky which has just been rolled back.
- 144,000 Israelites are sealed to keep them physically safe from the Great Day of God’s wrath that is about to come on the earth. After the wedding supper in heaven, Jesus will descend from heaven as King of Kings and destroy Antichrist. As Jesus descends … the Jews look upon him who they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10) and they are saved, born again, but they have missed the rapture and must enter the millennial reign as mortals … but mortals who have had the Adamic curse lifted from them.
- The angels are held from hurting the earth … at the mid-point in the tribulation.
- The Antichrist has just seated himself in the temple, defiling it 13:5,6 – 2Thess 2:4
- The Antichrist institutes the receiving of his mark/number. 13:6
- True Jews reject the mark and have to run for their lives – 12:6
- 144,000 are sealed (and this represents salvation, which in turn automatically represents protection from God’s wrath, I Thess 5:9 ). Some commentators say their conversion may be the result of having something in common with Christians, thus being drawn together.
Who are the 144,000?
There are several theories.
1. The Jehovah’s Witness theory. They teach that there are two classes of true followers of God. And for you to be in one of those groups you would have to be a Jehovah’s Witness. The two classes are as follows:
- Earthly class. Most JW’s believe they are of the earthly class. They expect to survive Armageddon, and then pick up the pieces after it is all over. They will clean up this earth and live on it forever and forever. They will call it the New Earth.
- The Heavenly class. It will have a total of 144,000 in it. They will be the ruling class over all the other Jehovah’s Witnesses who are living forever on this earthly paradise. The 144,000 are select individuals who have felt this ‘heavenly calling’ in their hearts. Their number will be made up from faithful people ever since Genesis, including all those down through time who have had this heavenly hope in their hearts. They teach that the number is filled up already and only a very few are still alive today. When they have communion in their kingdom halls, no one with an earthly hope is allowed to partake. It is only for the 144,000. They observe communion only once a year, at Passover. Because there are so few of the 144,000 still alive, everyone watches a TV simulcast as a very few take communion.
2. The Church is Spiritual Israel theory
Ga 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
In this theory the number is symbolic. It is large number and simply refers to all believers living during the tribulation. Other scriptures are used from Galatians where Paul says we are all children of Abraham by faith. Galatians 3:76-9.
3. The ‘Missionary’ theory.
In this case these are 144,000 literal Jews who are responsible for evangelising the world after the rapture has taken all believers to heaven.
4. The ‘Andres’ theory. (Not really mine. Others believe this as well)
Because each tribe is mentioned separately these are physical Jews. This is what Paul was speaking about in Ro 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
And also in Eph 3:3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
This is a merging together of the Church and Israel. We will study more about this in the chapter regarding the Two Witnesses who are on earth for the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. In this theory the 144,000 are not necessarily missionaries, but more like a harvest of converts. Jews coming to Christ.
John now sees a multitude in heaven. A lot of praise is being offered.
Verses 9-12
Although it does not specifically say so here, this multitude likely includes the 144,000 Christian Jews. Later in Chapter 14 John mentions that they are with Jesus in heaven.
Verses 13 – 17 One of the Elders from around the throne discusses with John the identity of this large group gathered before the throne of God in heaven.
He states that this group came out of the great tribulation. To me it is not clear, but I think that this group might possibly consist of more than that. I am wondering if it might also include all believers from the beginning of time. For the Elder to clearly mention the tribulation, it certainly is his intention to draw attention to these martyrs who have just given their lives for Jesus.
For just a moment let's look back on the previous chapter. The Fifth seal is broken (opened) and John sees many souls in Heaven who have just given their lives for Jesus. And they are calling out: "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
The vision of this ‘numberless' multitude of believers is not placed at random in the book of Revelation. Nor is it parenthetical. The placement is chronological and is one of the events that proceed after the opening of the sixth seal. This is the end of the tribulation period. This is a view of the believers after the rapture. They are rejoicing in heaven.
The Elder goes on to say a few more things about them. But if you look carefully, some of what he says applies to events after the millennial reign. (Compare verse 17 with 21:3,4)
We cannot stop here. The saints are with Jesus in heaven. The rapture and resurrection from the dead has taken place, although they are not mentioned in the chapter we have just studied. This will become clear when we ‘overlay’ or ‘superimpose’ the scripture of Rev. 11:15-19.
While ‘we’ are in heaven with the Lord … on earth there is a very different picture. The Great Day of God’s Wrath, mentioned in so many places in scripture, is happening on earth. This is destruction and devastation to the controlling powers of the world. This is destruction (6:15) to kings of the earth, great men, rich men, commanders, mighty men, every slave and every free man. (see chapter 6:17, 11:18, 16:14-17 and Daniel 12:1. These verses describe the same event) note- this is not yet destruction to Antichrist and his false prophet. That comes a bit later.
Then we read Chapter 8 verse 1.
Re 8:1 ¶ When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour
With no comment given to us by John we can only surmise what this silence is about. The following verses may help to get a grasp on it:
Ezekiel 18:23 "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?
Ezekiel 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"
Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Time for repentance is up. God will now perform the task that He does not want to do. Basically all remaining unbelievers will now be transferred to hell. Whether this happens during the 'half hour' of silence, or whether the half hour of silence is a pause before He performs the action, we do not know.