Who are the 144,000 in Revelation 7 and 14?
📰The Bible is one of the best-selling and most widely distributed books in history, yet it is also considered to be among the least understood. The Bible, which is referred to as the New Covenant and Promise of God, in which 'the way to heaven and salvation' is presented, differs in theologians' interpretations that make it difficult to understand. These differing interpretations have been the cause of the rise of denominations with each one establishing their own doctrine. With the increase in online church services and gatherings resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there has been growing interest in the comparison of various church doctrine. This paper, therefore, attempts to provide readers with the opportunity to compare differing Biblical teachings without interpretation. Among a host of online sermons and Bible-based teachings, the contrasting doctrine between the established Church and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has drawn public interest throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is hereby compared and summarised. Best efforts have been made to provide a summary of Shincheonji Church of Jesus' understanding of the Bible. Judgment as to what is right or wrong is left to the reader’s discernment.
"An actual number of people who are sealed at the time of Revelation's fulfilment; the Priests of the 12 tribes of Spiritual New Israel"
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
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Is the 144,000 in Revelation 7 a symbolic number? In Revelation 14:3, it says that there were only 144,000 on Mount Zion who could learn the new song; and in Revelation 7:4, the number of those who were sealed was heard - the 12,000 of each tribe of Israel. This 144,000 is a literal number, not a symbolic number. Therefore, Revelation 7:9 says that after the 144,000 are sealed, a great multitude that cannot be counted will come out before the throne of God. This shows that the 144,000 can be counted, and that there is an uncountable multitude of people.
In Revelation 14:4, the 144,000 are said to be the ripened firstfruits. In accordance with God's prophecy made through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31), Jesus sowed the seed at the first coming (Mt 13) and did the work of harvest at the second coming (Rv 14) and gathered the ripened firstfruits. These firstfruits are grain-like believers who are harvested one by one from among tribes and nations, at the time of the fulfilment of the Book of Revelation. How can the physical 12 tribes of Israel of the first coming become the firstfruits of the Second Coming before Jesus returns? And how will the 12 disciples of Jesus become the firstfruits at the second coming?
If one has neither been harvested nor sealed with the word of God, how can one know what or who the 144,000 are? The fact that one has not been harvested is proof that one is born of the devil's seed of weeds.
The 144,000 firstfruits of Revelation 7 are priests of the new kingdom and new people of God; and the uncountable multitude in white who appear after they are sealed are the people of the kingdom of God whose sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, they are not the same entity.
Next, let's find out what it means in Revelation 14:4 for the 144,000 to be undefiled with women. Who are the women? A woman in the Bible is a figurative woman likened to a physical woman.
Apostle Paul said that he was in the pains of childbirth, and that he had birthed children and breastfed them (Galatians 4, 1 Corinthians 3). Was apostle Paul a woman? No, he was not. Just as a woman gives birth to and raises children, Apostle Paul is a spiritual woman who received the seed of God's word and nurtured believers. Likewise, a shepherd also receives the devil's seed and gives birth to children, so the devil's shepherd is a woman. Therefore, in Matthew 13, it is said that those born of the devil's seed are the sons of the evil one, that is, the sons of the devil; and those born of God's seed are the sons of heaven and the sons of God. Therefore, the word “woman” is figurative and refers to a shepherd, not to an actual woman.
The woman in Revelation 14 is a woman from Babylon who committed adultery with the devil and bore children by receiving the devil's seed. In Revelation 17, the woman is a prostitute and the devil's false shepherd. To become one with the prostitute, the false shepherd and the devil, is to marry the devil. The groom refers to evil spirits and demons, and the bride refers to the false shepherd and members of his church. In Revelation 18:23, when the voices of bridegroom and bride are no longer heard in Babylon, it means that Babylon will be judged and the marriage with demons will cease.
What does it mean to remain a virgin and undefiled with women? In Revelation chapters 17 and 18, there are those who did not marry the prostitute and kept their faith. They are those who have not received the teachings of the devil's shepherd and have kept the faith without worshipping the devil's doctrine. And Revelation 19 is the wedding of the Lamb. Who should we marry? Of course, you must marry the Lamb Jesus.
"144,000 is a number representative of the entire people of God. It results from multiplying the 12 tribes of the Old Testament with the 12 disciples of Jesus and then multiplying by 1000"
Korean Church
Pastor A, Presbyterian Church
"The total number of God's people is 144,000. The reason for the 144,000 is the 12 tribes of the Old Testament, the 12 apostles of the New Testament, and the large number, 12 × 12 × 1000, making 144,000. In Revelation chapters 7 and 14, 144,000 appear, and these are the entire people of God. When it comes to who God's people are, God or the Lamb have marked them with the words 'You are mine'.
3 is symbolic of the number in heaven - Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 4 is the number of the earth - east, west, south and north. Multiply this by 12. So the Hebrews understood 12 as a perfect number. Therefore, they are the 12 tribes that make up the Old Testament Israel. The apostles who founded the New Testament church also became the twelve apostles.
However, God's arithmetic method is always multiplicative. 12x12 is 144. Then multiply this by 1000. Why multiply by 1000? Because 1000 is the Hebrew concept for “many”. Then multiply 144 by 1000 to get 144,000."
Pastor B, Presbyterian Church
"The sun, moon and stars, and the fluctuations of the sky symbolize the transformation of the political world."
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