Frequently Asked Bible Questions

Who are the 144,000 of Revelation?

Revelation 7 and 14 talk about 144,000 servants of God who are sealed for protection from God's wrath during the end time Day of the Lord. Who are they?

Our booklet The Book of Revelation Unveiled explains:

"Who are these 144,000? How are they identified?

"'And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed' (Revelation 7:4). These are literal, physical descendants of the tribes of Israel who are now the converted servants of Jesus Christ—probably having been converted during the first part of the 'great tribulation' period. Like the Church (James 1:18), the natural descendants of ancient Israel also are designated in the Scriptures as God's 'firstfruits' (Jeremiah 2:3).

"The 144,000 of Revelation 7 are mentioned again in Revelation 14, where it becomes clear that these spiritual 'firstfruits,' of the tribes of Israel, will have repented and been converted before the beginning of the Day of the Lord. They are described as being redeemed and without fault. They are represented as having a relationship both with God the Father and Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God."

In addition to these 144,000, God mentions "a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations" (Revelation 7:9). It seems they have also been converted during the Great Tribulation and before the Day of the Lord. For more on this, see the chapter "The Seals of the Prophetic Scroll" from The Book of Revelation Unveiled.

Related Online Resources

The Seals of the Prophetic Scroll from the booklet The Book of Revelation Unveiled
God uses the symbolic scroll of Revelation to reveal the adversities that will afflict vast portions of humanity leading up to the time of the return of Christ.

The 144,000—A Promise Kept
While we may not fully understand every nuance of the numbering of the 144,000 until it is fully revealed in "that day," we can plainly determine what it takes to be "in that number." The spiritual qualities of the 144,000 are no mystery.

Video: The 144,000 of Revelation
Prophecy shows God will preserve a large group of people from the days of the coming tribulation. Who are these people and could you be found among them?

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