Pre-millennial Dispensationalists:

Again, according to their “rapture” theory, which is, of course, is not supported at all by the Scriptures, a seven-year period called “the great tribulation” is what they believe will occur here on the earth. During this period, these 144,000 will be mighty instruments used by God here on the earth that remains behind. And again, their belief is… I think I shared this with you before that Hal Lindsey identified this group as “144,000 Billy Grahams,” and someone made the comment, when he read that, “God help us if that be the case!” But one has to read an awful lot into this section of Scripture here in Revelation, chapter 7, and elsewhere, to get from here in the Scripture to where they are “over there.”

There are a number of things which militate [to operate or work (against)] against this position. Again, we go back to the very nature of the listing of the twelve tribes. As one writer put it, “It would seem that this list was intentionally…” and he used the term “…doctored.” That was said in a positive way, not in a critical way, but that the list “was purposely and intentionally doctored,” and that it was made in this way so that one would have a great deal of difficulty interpreting it literally. Verses 4 through 8 are meant to be interpreted spiritually rather than literally!

We note that Judah, for example, is listed first, rather than Reuben, who was the oldest. Is that because Jesus is identified here in Revelation as being the “Lion from the tribe of Judah”? Perhaps.

We also wonder, as well—with this theory that they have about the representation, this being only the Old Testament saved that are in view here, and that they are only Jews—what about faithful Gentiles from the Old Testament period, from the Patriarchal Period, perhaps, and certainly from the Mosaic Dispensation? What about those? And there were, indeed, faithful Gentiles. So that belief, that understanding, does not address that question, as well.

Enough about these other ideas and theories and interpretations. How are we to interpret this section of Scripture here in chapter 7—specifically this number, “144,000”? Seems to me that, once again, we are looking at something here that is to be interpreted, that is to be understood, in a figurative way. So, that is the first thing that we have in mind. The 144,000 are God’s servants. The Holy Spirit has already told us that back up in Revelation 7:4—that these are servants of God and that, indeed, there is an association, a figurative association, with the twelve tribes of being God’s people, AND the number of 12 x 12,000 is an optimally perfect number, representing ALL of God’s servants, His saved ones.

If we think about it in that regard, we can see here in these verses [verses 4-8] the comprehensiveness, the universality of God in saying, “I know those who are Mine.” The way you ensure [to make sure; to protect] with the seal, and what can be seen in the sealing process, I think, can be seen over in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and verse 19. Listen to what Paul says here as he writes to the young evangelist: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands…” (here we have something about “standing”), “…having this SEAL:….” Here are our two words, “standing,” and “sealing.” Now look: “‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the Name of Christ depart from iniquity,’”—“standing,” being “sealed,” standing on the firm foundation of God. And God KNOWS those who are His.

In view here in Revelation, chapter 7, are those who are standing up to be counted! They are standing up—the 144,000 were standing up in the latter part of the 1^st Century. The 144,000 are still standing up and being counted today! And so, this number, again, demonstrates, shows the comprehensiveness, the universality of God, and represents God’s people, God’s faithful here on the earth, God’s people of every age, of every dispensation. We’ll see a little bit more about that as we move on.

Again, these are people who are, even unto this day, still being “sealed.” The 144,000 is clearly, is obviously, a symbolic number, and the twelve tribes of Israel, as well, are symbolic. What we see here in the original language, in the original text, is, in the Eastern mind, something called “rhymed repetition.” We’ve talked about this before, particularly when we’ve looked over in the Psalms and some other sections of Scripture, where we see, in that case, Hebrew poetry. As we think about poetry—verse, rhyme, and so on—we rhyme words for sounds. But rhyming to them meant rhyming thoughts, rhyming concepts. In this section of Scripture, we have an example of this “rhymed repetition,” stating the same thing, in effect, twice—1) the 144,000, and 2) the 12 tribes x 12,000, equaling 144,000.

Back to verse 1, with the four angels on the four points of the compass, the four corners of the earth. As we indicated before, we have to get all the way over to chapter 20 and verse 8 to see that the four corners represent the earth itself. Those four angels are withholding the wind, withholding God’s judgment until what? Until the 144,000, who are God’s people on earth—those people of every tribe, of every tongue, of every age, who are standing firm and true—are sealed. God knows them and they, WE, have assurance and comfort.