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The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 144,000
Could the 144,000 be a set of people that the leadership of a Christian group or denomination have designated as being "special?" What does the Bible say about this fascinating prophetic subject?
These people are specifically referenced only twice in the Bible. In the end time, after God commands a temporary ceasing of earth's calamities (Revelation 6, 7:1 - 3), he sends a powerful angel on a special mission. The angel is not to allow the sea or even earth's trees to be damage until a unique group of folks are set apart.
Revelation then states, "And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel" (Revelation 7:2 - 4, HBFV).
The 144,000 are mentioned again later in Revelation. The Apostle John, in a vision, sees a group of resurrected believers standing with Jesus Christ. They have been called and converted by God during the great tribulation period.
John states, "And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb standing on Mount Sion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads (they obey him and have His spirit in them)" (Revelation 14:1).
The 144,000 are unconverted physical descendants of Israel who repent and become Christians near the middle of the Great Tribulation period. At the start of this time of global trial and trouble (Matthew 24) they are not Christians! If they were, they would have either been taken to a "place of safety" (1Thessalonians 4:16 - 17, Revelation 12:6) or would have been martyred by Satan the devil for their faith.
What is the meaning of all this? It is that any true Christians living today, no matter how sincere they are or how much their church leadership states otherwise, are not considered by God to be one of those in this select group! The 144,000 are part of, but not all, of God's church converted during the tribulation period. They will ultimately be changed into spirit beings at Jesus' Second Coming (Revelation 5:10).