You might not know this, but a lot of ink has been spilled over the famous “144,000” of Revelation chapter 7:1-8. Some, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it applies to them. Numerous other cults have claimed to be the 144, 000, such as the Skoptsy cult that gained notoriety more than 150 years ago in Russia.
Some of the saner interpretations of this part of the Bible suggest that the 144,000 represent a Jewish remnant that God will grant special protection in the lead up to the second coming of Christ or during the “Great Tribulation” period. Others say the 144,000 are the martyred Christians we see standing before God’s throne back in chapter 6.
I don’t think any of those views make sense of the passage.
I’ve become convinced that the 144,000 refers to God’s people between the first and second comings of Jesus – a full number of God’s people from every tribe and nation. Here are seven reasons I think that way:
1. Chapter 7 exhibits a ‘hear-then-see’ pattern which suggests the ‘144,000’ John hears about are the undifferentiated group of saints he sees later in the chapter.
John hears about the 144,000:
“Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.” (Rev. 7:4; NIV)
Then, once the ‘tribes of Israel’ are listed, he sees a huge group of believers from every nation:
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” (Rev. 7:9; NIV)
This ‘hear-then-see’ pattern is present in a few other important parts of Revelation. For instance, in chapter 1, John hears “a loud voice like a trumpet” (1:10), then he sees “someone like a son of man”.
In chapter 5, John hears about “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (5:5), then he sees “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (5:6).
In chapter 17, John hears about “the great prostitute” (17:1), then he sees “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast” (17:3).
This hear-and-see pattern isn’t dominant in Revelation, but it is present. At important moments in his vision John hears something and then he sees the reality.
I think it’s the same when it comes to the 144,000.
It’s important to remember that John doesn’t see 144,000 Jews in front of him. What does he see? A massive group of people enthralled in worship of God and the Lamb. People from every nation, tribe, people and language.
This pattern suggests the 144,000 probably aren’t just Jews. What is referred to in the description of the 144,000 is then seen by John in the multi-ethnic multitude.
But wait – there’s more.
2. The list of the ‘tribes of Israel’ in Revelation 7:1-8 would be unacceptable to any first century Jew.
There are many lists in the Old Testament that identify the tribes of Israel. The order changes, but they’re pretty much always the same. Yet, when John lists the 144,000 “from all the tribes of Israel” (v. 4), his list is very different.
The tribe of Ephraim has been replaced by the tribe of Joseph.
The tribe of Dan is missing and has been replaced by the tribe of Levi – who were never counted among the 12 territorial tribes of Israel.
No ethnic Jew in the first century would approve of this list as representing the historical tribes of Israel. Therefore, it can’t be referring to the historical tribes of Israel.
It’s very clear from Revelation that John knows his Old Testament well. Really well.
Either this list of ‘tribes’ is ridiculously incorrect, or it’s not trying to be literal about these ‘tribes’. I suggest the latter. And, on to the next point.
3. John sees God’s people as one indivisible whole.
In the book of Revelation, John views God’s people as one undifferentiated group – people who’ve washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. John’s understanding of the people of God accords with what the Apostle Paul taught – that “there is no difference between Jew and Gentile– the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him” (Rom. 10:12). John often states he saw an undifferentiated multitude of people worshiping before the throne of God (cf. 5:9, 13; 7:9; 19:1). God’s people are generically called “the saints”, “a kingdom and priests”, “the servants of our God”, “these in white robes”, “those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” and those “who overcame by the blood of the Lamb”.
While John is clearly aware of the distinction between Jews and Gentiles (cf. 11:2; 21:12-14), such distinctions aren’t present in his descriptions of God’s people. Hence, it would seem very out of character for John to assert that God has plans for some Jewish Christians that are somehow more ‘special’ than his plans for other Christians. This is confirmed in chapter 9, where we see the ones who weren’t sealed in chapter 7 are targeted to be ‘harmed’ in 9:4, while the sealed ones avoid such judgment. If the 144,000 are only Jews, then God has plans to harm his Gentile people.
The reality is, this is the only place in Revelation that even seems to mention Israelites as a ‘separate group’. Grant Osbourne says, “Aside from this passage, there is no mention of Jewish believers apart from the Gentile church elsewhere in Revelation.” (Revelation, BECNT, p 311.)
For John, the 144,000 who are “servants of our God” and sealed for his divine providential care are almost certainly believers from every race. Not just one.
As an interesting aside, Richard Bauckham understands the 144,000 as the whole messianic army who carry the banner of Christ and his gospel into the hostile nations. (The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation).
4. Suggesting the 144,000 are a remnant of faithful Jewish Christians in the distant future would render this part of the book confusing and irrelevant to the original recipients.
We note the recipients of this letter are local congregations embedded within a deeply pagan part of the Roman Empire (1:11). These churches experienced hardships (2:3), faced persecution and death (2:10), flirted with pagan practices and values (2:20; 3:17), and at times suffered from spiritual apathy (3:2, 15). John’s answer? Don’t worry, God will protect a Jewish remnant in the future.
Hmmmm. I think not.
Saying the 144,000 is a select group of Jews in the future renders it all but irrelevant to the original audience. These things here were meant to be a blessing to the original readers, and describe things to happen ‘soon’ (1:1-3) – things of immediate relevance to the first readers.
Therefore, I submit to you the sealing of the 144,000 is a metaphor for God’s providential and gracious care of his people in this world of trials and tribulations.
While there are clearly future events in the book of Revelation (e.g. the final judgment), to tie the 144,000 to a future ethnic group seems wildly speculative and incongruent with the pastoral needs of the original audience.
5. When considered carefully, the number 144,000 sounds suspiciously symbolic, warning us against reading the lists of ‘tribes’ too literally.
Let’s start by looking at the whole passage so we see the immediate context for the 144,000:
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:1-9, NIV)
The passage starts off with four angels at the four ‘corners’ of the earth holding back four ‘winds’. Before we even get to the 144,000, we realize that we’re dealing with some heavily symbolic material. We note immediately that the earth does not have corners, and that ‘wind’ is closely linked with divine action in relation to salvation and judgment – sometimes it is a literal wind, and other times it is metaphorical (cf. Gen. 8:1; Ex. 14:21-22; Jer. 13:24). We also note that these ‘four winds’ don’t actually blow at any point in the rest of Revelation. So, from the outset it is clear that we’re left with a generic image of the divine withholding of judgment until the 144,000 are sealed.
But the main point here is the actual number in question. It’s loaded with symbolism which is prevalent in Revelation, and even in other parts of the Bible. 144,000 is 12 x 12 x 1000. Twelve is a number which corresponds to the old Israel (the number of recognized geographical tribes in the Old Testament), and the new reconstituted Israel (symbolized by the 12 disciples). One thousand in the Bible is a fairly generic large number, conveying fullness or completeness. Therefore, when we read those sealed by God are 12 x 12 x 1000, we realize that number is suspiciously round and conveying the same sense of fullness as we find in other parts of the Bible.
Paul Barnett says “This number, like others in the Revelation, is symbolic not literal. If this number is to be taken literally then so must others.” (Revelation: Apocalypse Now and Then, p. 83)
Sadly, many dispensationalists and historical pre-millenarians are saying “amen” at this point. For that is how most of them interpret the numbers – literally. I won’t interact with those hermeneutical approaches at this point.
My assertion is, if the 144,000 MUST be literal then the world MUST have literal corners too. And the numbers we read back in chapter 5 MUST be literal too, which means that Jesus has seven eyes (5:6)!
Obviously, the four winds aren’t literal winds. The four corners aren’t literal corners. And the ‘144,000 from the tribes of Israel’ aren’t literal tribes. The symbolic freight carried by the number 144,000 confirms this.
6. The broader context of the New Testament suggests that old Jew/Gentile distinctions are substantially obsolete, and therefore probably not present in John’s vision.
This point develops the idea I advanced above, that John sees God’s people as one indivisible whole. The reality is that Revelation comes at the end of the New Testament – a collection of documents that suggest all believers stand equal before God, regardless of ethnicity.
Here is a sample:
“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16; NIV)
“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him” (Rom. 10:12; NIV)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9; NIV)
It’s clear that God creates a new people – the spiritual Israel – through the atoning work of Christ and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. This new people comprise of people from every nation and are “one flock”.
Before God’s throne of mercy there is “no difference” between Jew and Gentile. There is one God, one mediator, one Spirit, one people, one faith, one baptism, and one future. Jesus knows it. Paul knows it. Peter knows it. And I contend that as John writes the book of Revelation, he also knows it. This in no way directly proves that the referent in Revelation 7:1-8 is a whole undifferentiated group of God’s people from all nations. Though, in light of the previous points I have made, it does suggest that the 144,000 are probably the “servants of God” (7:3) from every tribe and nation (7:9). Interpreting the 144,000 in this way matches nicely the New Testament’s overall picture of God’s new people and his future plans for them.
7. The only other reference to the 144,000 in the book of Revelation does not suggest there is anything especially Jewish about these people.
Below is the only other reference to the 144,000 in Revelation. It yields no support for the idea that these are a select group of ethnic Jews set aside for God’s purposes at a future time:
“Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” (Rev. 14:1-5; NIV)
Here, in the context of the beastly powers of the world, God redeems and preserves his people. They are people who follow the Lamb and “were purchased from among men”. When we hunt around Revelation we find these are the kinds descriptions applied to believers from all nations. Back in 5:9-10 we see a perfect example of this:
“And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9-10; NIV)
The description of the 144,000 in Revelation 14 is completely consistent with the idea that these are simply God’s people – people saved from every nation. The reference to Zion in 14:1 need not suggest anything especially Jewish. In Hebrews “Zion” is the heavenly city, the gathering of all God’s people (Heb. 12:22-23). In 1 Peter 2, “Zion” is the church, with Jesus as its “chosen and precious cornerstone” (2:6).
On the basis of the seven reasons offered above, I submit that the ‘144,000’ is a metaphoric number, pointing us to the total number of God’s true people between the first and final comings of Christ. They are people from every nation. People redeemed by the Lamb who conquer the temptations and tribulations of life in a world where beastly powers do their worst.
SDG
spes clara 