Who Are The 144,000? Series

March 30, 2024

Revelation 7 is known as an interlude. It is the response to the question posed in chapter 6:17:

“The great day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?”

And occurs prior to the 2nd Coming of Jesus hinted at in the 7th Seal of 8:1

The chapter begins with 4 angels – stationed at the 4 corners of earth, indicating that what is to come has global significance.

The angels are holding back the 4 winds – preventing them from blowing on earth, sea and trees.

In the Old Testament, winds symbolized the destructive forces God used to execute judgment on the wicked:

Jeremiah 4:11-12 - In that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, a scorching wind from the bare heights in the wilderness in the direction of the daughter of My people -- not to winnow, and not to cleanse, a wind too strong for this -- will come at My command; now I will also pronounce judgments against them.

Jeremiah 23:19-20 - Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, even a whirling tempest; it will swirl down on the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; in the last days you will clearly understand it.

Jeremiah 49:36 - And I shall bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven and shall scatter them to all these winds; and there will be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not go.

The blowing of the winds points us back to the “wrath of the Lamb” in chapter 6:16 and is a general way of describing the 7 last plagues that will be poured out on the wicked just before Jesus returns (ch. 15-16).

Another angel appears, “coming from the east and having the seal of God,” and calls in a loud voice:

"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."

In ancient times, the fundamental meaning of sealing was a sign of ownership and, according to Paul, God recognizes those who are His and seals them with the Holy Spirit:

2 Timothy 2:19 - Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness."

Ephesians 1:13-14 – In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

These passages show us that the sealing of God’s people is not just an end-time event. Throughout history God’s people have been sealed and are awaiting their reward (see Hebrews 11). However, in Revelation, the sealing takes on a special significance, as God’s people experience a period of testing that will reveal whose side they are really on. The symbolic seal will distinguish those who are on God’s side from those who are not.

• Those who are on God’s side will receive His Seal only in their foreheads. Not only does the seal serve as the sign of ownership, it also functions as a sign of protection – covering God’s people from the coming judgments of the 7 last plagues.

This imagery has its roots in the Old Testament:

Exodus 11-12 – God ordered that the Israelites put blood from the Passover lamb on the lintel and doorposts of their front door, which served as a sign of protection and covered those inside the house from the 10th plague.

Ezekiel 9:1-11 – God ordered a messenger to go through Jerusalem and place a mark on the foreheads of the faithful. The destroyer was then told to not touch those with the mark.

• Those who are not on God’s side will receive their own seal – The Mark of the Beast – in their foreheads or right hands (ch. 13:16-17). They are not protected from the 7 last plagues.

“Who can stand?”

The sealed people of God.

As the vision continued John “hears” the number of those who have been sealed – 144,000.

For me personally, the identification of this group of people always created fear and anxiety.

“Who are they?”

“Are they the only ones who are saved?” – in others words, of the nearly 8 billion people on planet earth…..