Bob Josey: The 144,000 Part 2 October 27, 2019

Post date: Oct 28, 2019 11:17:43 AM

The Role of the 144,000 During the Tribulation - Part 2

(Revelation 7:4-8; 14:1-4)

This is certainly not the first time that God has protected certain individuals from His’ wrath and judgments:

· God protected Noah and his’ family and two representatives of every animal from the worldwide and devastating flood by means of an ark.

· God protected Lot and his’ family from the judgement He would pour out on Sodom and Gomorrah by warning them and allowing them to flee from the devastation.

· God protected the people of Israel from the plagues in Exodus. During the last plague, the death of the firstborn, God protected Israel by the blood of the Passover Lamb that was applied to the doorposts of their homes.

· God protected Rahab and her family from the destruction of Jericho by means of a scarlet thread.

· God will protect the two men for 3½ years from people who want to harm them while they witness, prophesy, and direct plagues upon the earth.

It’s interesting that God promised the two witnesses that no harm would come to them until their ministry time was completed. God will certainly keep the promise to them. Nothing in Scripture is said about any type of distinguishing mark that will be put on them. However, it could be that their ability to destroy anyone who tries to harm them and the ability to send plagues upon the earth when they deem it necessary will be their seals so to speak.

Finally, believers since the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost have been sealed with Holy Spirit at their spiritual baptism. This occurred when they trusted in Jesus as their Savior. (Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 12:13; Acts 2:38). The seal of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee and a pledge that we are God’s own possession and that He will spiritually protect us until the day of our final redemption at the Rapture. These verses in Ephesians demonstrate the eternity security of the believer in Jesus. The Ephesians demonstrate the eternal security of the believer. Water baptism, or course, is just an outward display of an inward spiritual reality.

A. Their Salvation (Revelation 7:1-3)

How will the 144,000 hear the gospel and come to trust in Jesus as the Messiah? Scripture does not give us that information. Maybe it will be through the two witnesses. Maybe they will be convicted and will repent because of the ability the two witnesses as human flamethrowers to destroy the people who try to harm them. Maybe it will be the drought, the water turning into blood, and/or the plagues that the two witness will deliver to the earth that will convict them. Maybe it will be through the five angels who proclaim the gospel to them before they seal them. Maybe they will have something similar to a Road to Damascus experience that will move them to repentance and to trust in Jesus as the Messiah before they are sealed. Lastly, maybe, just maybe, some will be saved because some believer or believers in Jesus like you and me planted the seed of the gospel with some of them before the Rapture! All of this is just conjecture because again John was not moved by the Holy Spirit to write an account of how they will come to repentance and trust in Jesus as the Messiah during the Tribulation Period.

B. Their Ministry (Revelation 7:1-4; 14:1-5)

We know from Revelation 7 that these 144,000 Jewish men are saved and sealed. But the question we must think about now is, “For what reason were they sealed?” Also, in the same vein, we must ask, “What is their ministry during the seven years of tribulation?” We know that Israel was saved or delivered from Egypt to be God witnesses and light among the nations. (Isaiah 42:6; 43:10) We know that saved individuals who make up the church are to be witnesses of the Saving power of Jesus the Messiah to the world, (Acts 1:8) as well as His’ ambassadors for Christ so that the world might be reconciled to God. By why are these 144,000 Jewish men are saved and sealed? Many surmise that these 144,000 Jewish men are going to be preachers or evangelists to the entire world. Does Scripture say or suggest this? Let’s look at Scripture to see exactly what it says about the ministry of the 144,000 Jewish men.

In Revelation 7:4 the 144,000 are said to be sealed and the angel called then bond-servants. We have already discussed what it means to be sealed, but what does it mean to be a bond-servant? The word bond-servant actually refers to a servant or slave who is under the total control of the master. In the case of the 144,000, they are servants of the Lord not slaves. It is the same for us today. As with us today as believers in Jesus, these 144,000 will be servants of the Lord because as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price (of course, the price of Jesus’ blood): therefore, glorify God in your body.” If you think about the gospels, many of Jesus’ parables are stories of how “servants” related to their masters. (Mt. 18:23-35; 25:14-30) As servants of the Lord the 144,000, as well as believers today are to live a life of obedience and selfless devotion to the will of God. As we shall see in verses 4-5, that will be exactly what the 144,000 will be.

14:1-3 – In these three verses the Apostle John gives us some more insight about the 144,000 who are that standing in on Mount Zion in Jerusalem in earthly Jerusalem. Mount Zion is where the Messianic Temple will be built and where Jesus will rule and reign during the Messianic Kingdom. These verses do not refer to the second coming but are looking forward to the Messiah reign after the second coming and after He has defeated His’ enemies in the battle of Armageddon. Isaiah 24:23 says, “Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders.” The Messiah will stand on solid rock, a firm and secure foundation, whereas Satan will on sand that will be a shifting and insecure foundation.

John sees a choir in heaven that is singing a new song as with one voice. The word “learn” is would be better translated “understand.” Therefore, the martyrs singing in heaven will not understand what they were singing. Why? I don’t know! Also, Scripture does not say that the 144,000 sang a new song but only that they could understand it. Since the tribulation martyrs are to return to earth with Jesus at the second coming, the scene of the martyrs singing a song that they do not understand is chronologically different than the 144,000 standing with Jesus at Mount Zion. The book of Revelation is not in chronological order as with other books such as Daniel.

Six times in the Book of Psalms the psalmist implored his readers to sing a new song. A new song involves praising God for a new victory over their enemies and/or for the grace, mercy, and the good things He had done for them. Let’s look at just one, Psalm 98:1. The martyrs in heaven will not understand the new song they are singing, but each of us who are believers in Jesus not only has new song of praise that we can sing each morning but one that we can absolutely understand, It would behoove all do us to sing a new song of praise the Lord each and every morning to recount the mercy, grace, and good things the Lord did for us the previous day.

John ends verse three by writing that the 144,000 were Jewish men who were earthly beings, as opposed to heavenly beings, were purchased. The blood of Lamb, Jesus the Messiah, is of course the price that was given to purchase them.

14:4-5 – These two verses add to the testimony of these Jewish men by showing their spiritual character qualities. The following show how remarkable these men will because will be sold out to the Lord during the Tribulation period, whereas most of the people on the earth will follow Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet.

1.They will be eunuchs for the Lord – In Matthew 19:12 Jesus made it clear that there were eunuchs for the Lord. These are men who have not been physically castrated but men who have dedicated themselves to the Lord to focus on Him and His work by not marrying. The 144,000 Jewish men who are sealed will do just that. They have not defiled themselves by having sex outside of marriage and have chosen to remain virgins. The term celibate used here is translated from the Greek word that us usually translated virgin as in the case of Jesus’ mother Mary. Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 writes about this important subject from New Covenant perspective. I am sure that there are some men in this church who have become spiritual eunuchs for the Lord. May each of them be blessed for their dedication to Him.

2.They will be obedient to the Lord’s leading – Jesus will not be on the earth during the Tribulation period just like He is not on the earth today. Obviously, then, this is not talking about physically following the Lord as the disciples did 2000 years ago. John is talking about following Jesus by being obedience to the Word and through His daily leading. The testimony of the 144,000 will certainly be that they will be obedient to the Lord as it was said of the believers at Sardis. In Revelation 3:4-5 John said of some of the believers in Sardis, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” I hope that this very today and at our funeral that we have or will have such a great testimony that people will think about us and remember us as one who is or was being obedient to the Lord.