144,000 sealed.________
We have talked several times here on the Remnants Hope broadcast about who the 144,000 are in the book of Revelation chapter 7 : 1-8.
The rapture cultists teach that they are all Israelites of the flesh that are going to be saved during the tribulation period. While on the surface
this looks to be true because the scriptures say that 12,000 people out of every tribe of Israel would be saved.
I have studied this and sought the Lord on this and find the teaching of the rapture cult to be in error.
The first thing the cultists miss is that they believe the church will be raptured out before the tribulation. This is why they believe that the 144,000
will be jews of the flesh. They say that these are all going to accept Jesus as their Savior during the great Tribulation. Others say that these are
they who will not take the mark of the beast and the Lord will save them when he comes after the tribulation. Both these ideas are wrong.
The first thing to note is that the church will go through the great Tribulation. Jesus said in Matt.24:29-31
(Mat 24:29 KJV) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars
shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
(Mat 24:30 KJV) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see
the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
(Mat 24:31 KJV) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from
one end of heaven to the other.
Jesus himself said that he was going to return Immediately after the Tribulation of those days. This is in response to a question that the disciples
posed to him in verse 3
(Mat 24:3 KJV) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
I do not believe that the Lord would of left this question only half answered like the rapture cultists say. They preach and teach that before the
Tribulation starts Jesus will come back and we will be gathered (raptured) unto him and go to heaven until the 7 year tribulation is passed. Then
we will return with Jesus to destroy the wicked and set up his Kingdom here on this earth for a thousand years. Doesn’t that sound all nice and
warm and fuzzy? Yet no where in the Lord’s teaching does he even hint at him coming back two more times.
The rapturists then try to use the writings of Paul to make their case.
(1 Cor 15:51 KJV) Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(1 Cor 15:52 KJV) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Here is one scripture they use. Notice here that Paul isn’t talking about a different event then the one being talked about in Matt. 24, rather
he is just expounding on it.
(1 Th 4:14 KJV) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
(1 Th 4:15 KJV) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep.
(1 Th 4:16 KJV) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(1 Th 4:17 KJV) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.
(1 Th 4:18 KJV) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Here is another scripture the cultists use. Again all Paul is doing is expounding on the same event that Jesus talked about in Matt.24.
So we see brethren that because of their erroneous doctrine about the return of our Lord their beliefs about the 144,000 are clouded
and also erroneous.
Likewise the belief that these Israelites of the flesh will come to know the Lord during the tribulation is erroneous.
(Rev 7:1 KJV) And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the
wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
(Rev 7:2 KJV) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four
angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
(Rev 7:3 KJV) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
The book of Revelation as well as the book of Matthew speak of great destruction during this time period known as the Great Tribulation.
In verse 3 we hear the Angel say that the Earth and the sea and the tree’s were not to be hurt until the Servants of God were sealed. This
indicates that the sealing of the 144,000 would be at the beginning of the great Tribulation and not afterward. Therefore if these people are
sealed before then that means they would have to be saved already before the tribulation starts. That would screw up the rapture cult theology
now wouldn’t it?
So who are these people who are sealed? Let’s look at that passage.
(Rev 7:1 KJV) And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the
wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
(Rev 7:2 KJV) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four
angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
(Rev 7:3 KJV) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
(Rev 7:4 KJV) And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the
tribes of the children of Israel.
(Rev 7:5 KJV) Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad
were sealed twelve thousand.
(Rev 7:6 KJV) Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
(Rev 7:7 KJV) Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar
were sealed twelve thousand.
(Rev 7:8 KJV) Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Someone might say that this passage is self explanatory. It means what it says it means. Jesus is going to seal 144,000 Israelites. The problem
that I have with this kind of thinking in regards to this passage (because I am usually the first to say just believe the word of God for what it says)
Is that it means that God is a respecter of persons, in regards to the flesh, and I don’t believe that. The Bible teaches us that the Lord is not a
respecter of persons.
(Acts 10:34 KJV) Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
This being said, who then are these people who John wrote about? They make up the WHOLE Israel of God, the chosen seed, who are alive
at the start of the tribulation who have been born again into the seed of Abraham.
(Rom 4:16 KJV) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which
is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
(Rom 4:17 KJV) (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the
dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
(Rom 9:6 KJV) Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
(Rom 9:7 KJV) Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
(Rom 9:8 KJV) That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are
counted for the seed.
Someone might say, Okay but why then did the Lord have John write the names of the different tribes of Israel in that particular scripture?
I have sought the Lord on this and he has led me to the Prophecy that Jacob made concerning his children for in the time of “the latter days”.
(Gen 49:1 KJV) And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
(Gen 49:2 KJV) Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
(Gen 49:3 KJV) Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
(Gen 49:4 KJV) Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
(Gen 49:5 KJV) Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
(Gen 49:6 KJV) O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man,
and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
(Gen 49:7 KJV) Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
(Gen 49:8 KJV) Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow
down before thee.
(Gen 49:9 KJV) Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who
shall rouse him up?
(Gen 49:10 KJV) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering
of the people be.
(Gen 49:11 KJV) Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood
of grapes:
(Gen 49:12 KJV) His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
(Gen 49:13 KJV) Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
(Gen 49:14 KJV) Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
(Gen 49:15 KJV) And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant
unto tribute.
(Gen 49:16 KJV) Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
(Gen 49:17 KJV) Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
(Gen 49:18 KJV) I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
(Gen 49:19 KJV) Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.
(Gen 49:20 KJV) Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
(Gen 49:21 KJV) Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
(Gen 49:22 KJV) Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
(Gen 49:23 KJV) The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
(Gen 49:24 KJV) But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob;
(from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
(Gen 49:25 KJV) Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
(Gen 49:26 KJV) The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills:
they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
(Gen 49:27 KJV) Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.
(Gen 49:28 KJV) All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according
to his blessing he blessed them.
These are all prophecies that Jacob made concerning his son’s for the Latter days. We as a part of the children of Israel by faith are included
in these prophecies. How many of the people in the nation of Israel do you think can actually trace their linage to a particular tribe? Probably
not too many. Also when naming the 12 tribes that make up the 144,000 you will notice that the tribe of Dan and Ephraim are also missing.
The tribe of Manassas and Joseph was included in their stead. I have studied this and come to the conclusion that these two tribes were left
out because the Lord rejected them because the two Idols that Israel set up so that their people would not go into Judah to worship the Lord
were in Dan and Ephraim.
Another scripture that points to the 144,000 can be found also in the book of Revelations in the 12th chapter.
(Rev 12:1 KJV) And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her
head a crown of twelve stars:
(Rev 12:2 KJV) And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
(Rev 12:3 KJV) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven
crowns upon his heads.
(Rev 12:4 KJV) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman
which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
(Rev 12:5 KJV) And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God,
and to his throne.
(Rev 12:6 KJV) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand
two hundred and threescore days.
(Rev 12:7 KJV) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
(Rev 12:8 KJV) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
(Rev 12:9 KJV) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast
out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(Rev 12:10 KJV) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power
of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
(Rev 12:11 KJV) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto
the death.
(Rev 12:12 KJV) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come
down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
(Rev 12:13 KJV) And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
(Rev 12:14 KJV) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
(Rev 12:15 KJV) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the
flood.
(Rev 12:16 KJV) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out
of his mouth.
(Rev 12:17 KJV) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
This is an account of the children of God whom he has chosen unto Salvation. It includes everyone from the beginning of creation unto the end
of time. It was from this chosen seed that Jesus came forth and the devil tried to destroy only to see him resurrected and caught up into heaven.
After this Satan is furious and tries to kill the chosen seed of God through the persecutions in the first century after Jesus was caught up into
heaven. Then the war in heaven, this war has been fought for the last 2000 years and just before the tribulation is to begin Satan is cast unto
the earth to again make war with God’s chosen people. However, the Lord in his infinite wisdom has made preparations to take care of all
those who Tremble at his word and are obedient to him. This is where the 144,000 are sealed. Look at this scripture from the book of Ezekiel.
(Ezek 9:1 KJV) He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man
with his destroying weapon in his hand.
(Ezek 9:2 KJV) And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in
his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.
(Ezek 9:3 KJV) And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to
the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;
(Ezek 9:4 KJV) And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads
of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
(Ezek 9:5 KJV) And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
(Ezek 9:6 KJV) Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin
at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
(Ezek 9:7 KJV) And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
(Ezek 9:8 KJV) And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt
thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
(Ezek 9:9 KJV) Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full
of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.
(Ezek 9:10 KJV) And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
(Ezek 9:11 KJV) And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast
commanded me.
Those who truly served the Lord were marked, or sealed and then the destruction came to the city after that. It is the same in Rev. 12:14
(Rev 12:14 KJV) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
I believe that at the time of this sealing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit of the Lord is going to be poured out on his people. Remember we
are sealed by the holy Ghost.
(Eph 4:29 KJV) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace
unto the hearers.
(Eph 4:30 KJV) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
(Joel 2:23 KJV) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he
will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
In this scripture in Joel you will notice first that the whole chapter is about the coming day of the Lord. The promise of the former rain was fulfilled
at Pentecost but the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be greater, even a double portion as the scripture indicates, the former and the latter
rain in the first month. The first month of what you may wonder? The first month of the Tribulation, before the destruction comes, as it is
written in Rev.7
(Rev 7:2 KJV) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four
angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
(Rev 7:3 KJV) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Getting back to Rev. 12:14 we see that the woman is given wings as of a great eagle that she might fly unto her place where she is nourished
for three and a half years. From the face of the serpent seems to indicate that the antichrist will not be able to find her. It doesn’t say that she
is taken off the earth by the way, Noah was saved from the flood but he still abode upon this earth.
So we see that the 144,000 and the woman in Rev. 12 co-inside with each other.
Someone might ask then “Who are the ones in Rev. chapter 7:9-14 which no man can number?” Let’s look at that
(Rev 7:9 KJV) After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
(Rev 7:10 KJV) And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
(Rev 7:11 KJV) And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces,
and worshipped God,
(Rev 7:12 KJV) Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever
and ever. Amen.
(Rev 7:13 KJV) And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
(Rev 7:14 KJV) And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
These are the nominal Christians, who were not sealed, whom the Lord saves by purifying them in the great tribulation. Those of the 144,000 have
“made themselves ready” and kept themselves “unspotted by the world”
(Rev 14:1 KJV) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's
name written in their foreheads.
(Rev 14:2 KJV) And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of
harpers harping with their harps:
(Rev 14:3 KJV) And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that
song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
(Rev 14:4 KJV) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he
goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
(Rev 14:5 KJV) And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
The great multitude which no man can number does not mean that it is a great many people. All it is saying is that they did not allow the Antichrist
to put his mark (number) on them.
(Rev 13:16 KJV) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
(Rev 13:17 KJV) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
(Rev 15:2 KJV) And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and
over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
These are the Remnant of the seed of the woman with whom the dragon makes war with.
(Rev 12:17 KJV) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments
of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I believe that the Lord has been warning us by his spirit for many years to prepare ourselves to go through the great tribulation. The place that is
prepared for the woman in the wilderness does not necessarily prepared by the Lord but rather by those who have heeded the word of the Lord
and obeyed even as Noah obeyed in building an ark to the saving of his household. The Bible teaches us that “after having done all to stand, stand
therefore”. We must do our part and I believe that those who were obedient to the word of the Lord are the ones who will be sealed.
