In the book of Revelation there is a group of people simply referred to as the “144,000.” They are mentioned only twice in the entire Bible yet they have sparked many questions and debates through history. Some religious organizations, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, have even formed their doctrine around this group. But who are they really? What does the Bible actually say about them? The following is a short study I did to answer these questions.
The first place the 144,000 are mentioned is in Revelation chapter 7 so let’s start there.
Revelation 7:1-8
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3″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.” 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
Facts about the 144,000:
- Generally speaking, they are the “servants of God.”
- They have a seal on their foreheads; the seal:
- is known by God
- it sets them apart from the rest of the people in the world
- it is for their safety
- 12,000 from each tribe of Israel were sealed
- The tribe of Dan is excluded from this list in Revelation possibly because of their addiction to idolatry (Judges 17:7-13;18:1-30)
- The half-tribe of Manasseh took Dan’s place; Manasseh was the first son of Joseph who was half Hebrew and half Egyptian.
- The order of the tribes listed in Revelation is also different from the original listing in Genesis 49. The changed order could possibly represent their faithfulness to God. The original order from Genesis 49 was:
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah
- Zebulun
- Issachar
- Dan
- Gad
- Asher
- Naphtali
- Joseph
- Benjamin
- Timing in Revelation
- The 144,000 were sealed between the sixth and seventh seal.
- Revelation 6:12-8:5; Chapter six starts the seals.
- Chapter 7 starts with the 144,000 and ends with the great multitude in white robes.
- After the seals come the trumpets
- The fifth trumpet (Revelation 9:1-12) brings specific torture to all people except those who are sealed.
- The 144,000 were sealed between the sixth and seventh seal.
- Who are they?
- Some speculate that they are, generically speaking, God’s chosen remnant in the world during the end times.
- But more likely is that they are God’s chosen Jewish remnant (descendants from the twelve tribes of Israel) reserved for evangelistic work during the tribulation. What proof is there of this?
- Revelation 7 is very clear that the 144,000 came from the twelve tribes of Israel, therefore they have to be Jews.
- Because of the timing in Revelation when the 144,000 were called out and sealed, we know that it was during the tribulation (between the sixth and seventh seal, before the trumpets and bowels.)
- The 144,000 are called the “servants of God,” therefore they must be about God’s work of restoring lives back to God.
- In fact, all of the tribulations in Revelation are evangelistic in nature, designed to put people in situations where they will cry out to God for salvation.
The second place where the 144,000 are mentioned is in Revelation chapter 14.
Revelation 14:1-5
1Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
Facts about the 144,000:
- Timing in Revelation
- Revelation chapters 14-16 describe the preparations for the Messianic judgment.
- The tribulation period is over but God’s holy judgment is yet to come.
- Chapter 14 starts by describing the 144,000 who triumphantly came out of the tribulation.
- Chapter 15 starts by describing the Gentiles who had been victorious over the beast.
- Both of these groups are described as being in heaven, in the presence of Jesus, and no longer on earth.
- The “standing on Mount Zion” comment in 14:1 can be seen as either the physical mount in Jerusalem, which would conflict with the description of 144,000, or as the triumphant church, the body of Christ upon which Jesus stands as head.
- The seal on their foreheads is now better described as being both the names of Jesus and the Father
- The 144,000 sang a new song before God that only they could learn.
- The song is speculated to be one of victory after their conflict with the dragon, beast, and false prophet (Revelation 12-13).
- It had never been sung before because such a conflict had never existed before.
- It’s also possible that they were playing the harps, but the sound of rushing waters and loud peals of thunder is the voice of God.
- Verses 3 and 4 say that they were redeemed and purchased from the earth and from among men. They were bought with the Blood of Christ just as any person is who believes in Jesus as Lord.
- The 144,000 were set apart in that:
- They were pure and virgins
- They followed Jesus wherever He went
- They were offered as firstfruits to both the Father and Jesus
- They were the firstfruit, the first sacrificial offering out of Israel reserved for the Lord’s work during the tribulation.
- They did not lie
- They were blameless
- Not in that they were perfect humans, but in their sincere dedication to the Lord.
Any time a topic from the book of Revelation is studied it often presents more questions than answers. My hope with this study is that we were able to uncover the biblical facts regarding the 144,000 while keeping it within the context of the book of Revelation and also the context of the entire Bible. If you had other questions come to mind during this short study, please feel free to email them to me at joe@titusoneone.com. I will do my best to research them and provide you with a biblical answer.
Until next time, Joe.
Titus One One 
In regards to the 144000 hebrews virgins that were marked by God to do the work of the ministry to the whole house of Israel during the 70th week of Daniel. The christian faithers have been lifted out at the rapture of Revalation 4:2 and are not seen or addressed any further in the book. We know from the striking of the stone by Moses for the third time instead of speaking to it he spoiled the type of Christ and Moses was punished for it by not being able to cross over the river to the promise land. Therefore the body of Christ was not to be stricken again for it had been bruised on Calvary. That the wrath to come during the 70th week is not tribulation but is know as God’s wrath or tribulation the great tribulation. Furthermore the house of Isarel were never know as Jews for they were the first to call them Jews when they went to war against them. They hated the name of Jews because theu were Isarelites who had the name of God. One of the promise was that the house of Isarel would bear my name.
The 144000 less 36000 are none other that the house of Isarel, the divorced wife which has more children that the married wife, the one which God forsoke for a moment. Most of the promises of the old testament are to the house of Isarel and which Jesus said, “I came but for the house of Isarel”. He came to die for the house of Isarel that he might remarry her according to the old testament law in which one partner had to die.
After the rapture of the church (the out called ones) there is a period of time where there is no faith in the earth and God has to raise up the workers of the ministry to declare the “Good News of the Gospel” (That your sin is already forgiving) no repentance necessary because it is the most self righteous act that one can do is to say I am sorry for my sin not sins before a righteous God of the ages.
These representives are the whole House of Isarel or hebrews further more the birthright did not go the House of Judah later known as jews but to the son sons of Joseph. The judahites only got law making and the right to rule known as the sceptar.
To understand the writen text is to understand the promises to the house of Isarel and to the house of Judah known as the whole house of Isarel.
Jerry Collins
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Which is the best bible to us when it comes explaining 144000 virgins that were marked by God to do the work of the ministry.
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Hi Caroline,
That’s a good question. I think every person could give you a different answer depending on their likes and dislikes.
Some are faithful to the King James Version and will always be. While the KJV is a very poetic translation of the Scriptures, I feel that we today may not fully understand its Old English references.
Others may recommend the Amplified or Living Bibles. These versions of the Bible are not so much an exact word-for-word translation but are more of a thought-for-thought paraphrase. They definitely have their place in Bible study (I know I’ve used them several times) but I wouldn’t recommend them for general reading or when trying to help somebody understand a particular passage.
There are three translations that I recommend and they are the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT). All three are translations (not paraphrases) and all three can be used for basic Bible reading/study and explaining passages to people.
The NASB is touted as being the most accurate English translation we have while still being fairly easy to read. I would recommend this version for Bible study.
The NIV is a good solid translation in modern English and is more understandable by the people of today. I feel it is the best version to use when trying to find a balance between an exact word-for-word and a thought-for-thought translation.
The NLT is very similar to the NIV. It’s a fairly solid translation but I feel it goes one step further in it’s readability.
So again, my recommendations would be the NASB, NIV or NLT. The NASB will be more accurate to the original languages while the NLT will be easier to read. The NIV falls right in the middle, in my opinion.
Hope this helps,
Joe
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Joe,
I am from Kenya and of late i have been feeling that we are in the very last days and as we were discussing the bible, my sister-in-law wanted to understand who the 144,000 are really and she expressed herself worried that the number 144,000 are very few born again christians who would make it to heaven and even though i tried to answer that they were not the only ones, i really wondered who these 144,000 would be and i set myself to search and i found your answer and it is very clear now and i will send her a copy too. Thank you and God bless you for taking time to study the word and especially for sharing with the rest of the world. Your reward in heaven will be great. I know that i will meet you the Bill. I was worried too as i knew somewhere in the bible it says a multitude would make it after the rapture but again the number 144,000 was still unclear and very prominent. We appreciate your work and may we give God all the glory. Amen.
Ann Mbugua
from Nairobi, Kenya
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Dear Joe
thank you for you extremely plain and clear teaching on the 144,000, and unlike so many other Bible teachers who absolutely refuse to accept what is so plainly written about them, you are the first one to state that these were actually from the tribes of Israel just as the passage so plainly declared them to be. And you said that they were “Servants” which is just what the book of Revelation addresses the whole prophesy to: Servants, or Doulos, which is the New Testament Greek for bond-slaves. Well,I believe this title is the key that unlocks the identity of these 144,000. And I believe the titles used in both the Old and New Testament are by themselves very instructive! In the Old Testament in passages too numerous to mention the title of servant is used of Israel in the flesh without exception. But a careful search of the New Testament we will find that in Paul’s Epistles that not once is the Church called servants but are called “sons”and only the apostles themselves who are some special sense called servants. yet sons are not necessarily servants, and while its true that we all are in some sense servants, but this is not our title as believers in Christ before God. this makes sense, since nowhere in Revelations are the people spoken of by this new designation as sons.
Our Lord Himself even announced this fact when He said, “Henceforth I call you no longer servant but friends, for a servant knoweth what his Lord doeth”.
This bears upon the fact that a close reading of the Epistles will show that prophecy is not for the church, but revelation is for the church, which would rule out Revelations as ever adressing itself to any but those for whom the book states its adressed to at the very threshold of the book, to Servants. Ihope I won’t offend any of these Christian Bible teachers who sees the Church everywhere in the Boók of Revelations, but as hard as it is to believe, I just do not think the Church is the subject of the book of Revelations! but that Israel in the flesh is the subject.
I argue this because the book it self is more like an Old testament prophecy with over 297 references to the Old Testament, and therefore prophecy is nothing if not special instructions for the earth, and a physical people who are called to a phyical place, Jerusalem, while for the Church from beginning to end everything is revealed already, with the books of 11 thessalonians and 11 Peter giving us a clear picture of what shall be the fate of the Church right up to the coming of the Lord. I cannot see that there are or were any such prophecies for the Church, which was given her instructions to wait for their Lord from heaven, nothing more.
And even when Paul was speaking by the Holy Spirit, this I believe was just a prophetic announcement, and upon every occasion which he did so, he identified the One who gave him instructions as the lord Jesus Christ. However, the prophets of Israel were God’s mouthpiece, and what they spoke was the Word of God. or words which came directly from the mouth of God.
so, for these and it seems to me many other clear reasons the 144,000 cannot be but the modern day physical heirs of the 12 Tribes of Israel who seem destined to return to the land of their forefathers in a kind of 2nd Exodus.
May God continue to bless your wonderful work for His name sake
Phillip
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The are plenty of blogs onlin, but I found yours and it was a very profitable resource
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