The 144,000 Sealed
By Tim Butler
(Tracy City, TN)
The Pre-tribulation people teach that the 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation
are all Israelites of the flesh that are going to be saved during the Tribulation period. On the
surface, this looks to be true because the scriptures say that 12,000 people out of every tribe of
Israel will be saved.
But, I have studied this – and sought the Lord on this – and find that teaching to be in
error. The first thing they miss is that they believe the Church will be raptured out before the
Tribulation. This is why they believe the 144,000 will be Jews of the flesh. They say these
144,000 are all going to accept Jesus as their Savior during the Great Tribulation. Others say
these are the ones who will not take the Mark of the Beast; and the Lord will save them when
he comes after the Tribulation. Both of these ideas are wrong.
The first thing to note is that the Church will go through the Tribulation. In response to
a question the disciples posed to him, Jesus himself said, Immediately after the tribulation of
those days… they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory” (Matt. 24:29-30). I don’t believe the Lord would have left this question only half-answered
like some say. They preach and teach that before the Tribulation starts, Jesus will come back
and we will be gathered (raptured) unto him – and go up to heaven – until the 7 year
Tribulation is past. Then, they say, 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 nice, and warm, and
fuzzy? Yet, nowhere in the Lord’s teaching does he even hint that he will come back two more
times.
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The rapturists then try to use the writings of Paul to make their case. They quote the
two places where Paul speaks of the rapture. (1) “Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed. 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” (I Cor. 15:51-52). (2) “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: 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” (I Thess. 4:16-17).
But, in both these places, Paul isn’t talking about a different event than the one Jesus is
describing in Matthew 24; rather, he is just expounding on it. So, 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.
The Bible speaks of great destruction during the time period known as the Great
Tribulation. In the Book of Revelation, we hear the angel say that the earth, the sea, and the
trees are not to be hurt until the servants of God are sealed. It says, “Another angel cried…
saying, ‘Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God
in their foreheads” (Rev. 7:2-3).
This indicates the sealing of the 144,000 will be at the beginning of the Great
Tribulation; and not afterward. Therefore, if these people are sealed before the Tribulation, it
means they would have been saved already – before the Tribulation starts. That would screw
up the pre-trib rapture theology now, wouldn’t it?
So, who are these people that are sealed? The next verses in the Revelation say, “I
heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and
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four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve
thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand – (and so on)” (See Rev. 7:4-8).
Someone might say this passage is self-explanatory. They would say it means that Jesus
is going to seal 144,000 Israelites. The problem I have with this kind of thinking in regard to this
passage is that it means God is a respecter of persons in regard to the flesh; and I don’t believe
that. The Bible says, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, ‘Of a truth I perceive that God is
no respecter of persons’” (Acts 10:34).
This being said, who are these people 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. Paul speaks of that seed when he says, “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” (Rom. 4:16). And,
“They are not all Israel, which are of Israel. 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”
(Rom. 9:6 & 8).
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 in the Book of Revelation?” I have sought
the Lord on this – and he has led me to the prophecy that Jacob made concerning his children
for the time of the “last days.” The scripture says, “Jacob called unto his sons, and said, ‘Gather
yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days” (See Gen. 49:128). In these verses, we see all the prophecies that Jacob made concerning his sons for the last
days. We, as a part of the children of Israel by faith, are included in these prophecies.
Also, when naming the twelve tribes that make up the 144,000, notice that the tribes of
Dan and Ephraim are missing. The tribes of Manassas and Joseph were included in their place.
I have studied this and have come to the conclusion that these two tribes were left out because
when two idols were set up by Israel to keep the people from going into Judah to worship the
Lord, these two idols were in Dan and Ephraim – so they were rejected by the Lord.
Another scripture that points to the 144,000 can be found in Chapter 12 of the Book of
Revelation where it says, “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” (See all of Rev., Ch.
12).
This chapter is an account of the children of God whom He has chosen unto salvation. It
includes everyone from the beginning of creation to the end of time. It was from this chosen
seed that Jesus came forth. The devil tried to destroy him – only to see him resurrected and
caught up to heaven. After that, Satan is furious and tried to kill the chosen seed of God
through the persecutions of the first century after Jesus was caught up into heaven. Then, the
war in heaven came. This war has been fought for the last 2000 years; and just before the
Tribulation is to begin, Satan will be cast to 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 those
people who tremble at his word – and are obedient to him. This is where the 144,000 are
sealed. Look at this scripture from Ezekiel: “Six men came from the way of the higher gate…
and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with
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linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. 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.’ 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” (See Ezek. 9:1-11).
Those who truly served the Lord were marked – or sealed – and then the destruction
came to the city. It’s the same in Revelation 12 where it says, “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. 12:14).
I believe also, at the time of the sealing, 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.
Joel says, “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” (Joel 2:23).
In this scripture, you will notice first that the whole chapter is about the coming 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 Revelation 7 where the
angel says to seal God’s people before the earth, the seas, and the trees are hurt (See Rev. 7:1-3).
Back to Revelation 12:14. We see that the woman is given wings as of a great eagle that
she might fly into her place where she is for three and a half years. Where it says, “from the
face of the serpent” seems to indicate that the Antichrist will not be able to find her. It doesn’t
say she is taken off the earth. (And, 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 of Revelation 12 –
coincide with each other.
I believe 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 is not necessarily prepared by the Lord; but rather by those who have heeded the
word of the Lord and obeyed it – 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 those who are obedient to the Word of the Lord are the ones who will
be sealed.
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