The 144,000

The title of this message is simply this, The 144,000. The 144,000. And the subtitle to that message is simply this, and this is why I'm giving it to you. Because it's not just a message about facts and figures. The subtitle is this, Promises Kept. Promises Kept. As I mentioned, today's message is on the 144,000. Perhaps many of you have either heard messages on it, read messages or articles about it. Perhaps some of you have your own thoughts about it. The 144,000 is mentioned in Revelation 7 and in Revelation 14.

And in the course of this message, what I hope to do is, as would any good reporter might do, in that assembly, to ask and to inform you as to the who, the what, the when, the why, the where, and the how regarding this subject. But I'd like to make this comment right up front, so that we are all together. I pray and I hope that it will be offered to each and every one of you in a spirit of humility, with the designated purpose to make you think and expand upon your own considerations regarding this subject. Perhaps more, it will tell you more how to hopefully grasp and to take a hold of this subject called the 144,000. Well, if I say I'm approaching in a spirit of humility and to cause you to think about it, then why go any further? What I want to do today is to help you as a congregation to think and to understand how to integrate the Scriptures of the Bible about a very important subject. And that's God keeping His promises and God intervening in the life of those that love Him and keep His commandments. Thinking demands consideration when we approach the Bible. Number one, what does the Bible say about the subject of the 144,000? Number two, what it doesn't say. Because sometimes, sincerely, we can ground our beliefs and feel very firmly on something that perhaps we've only heard, but is not exactly directly in the Scripture.

When I consider how God brings to us prophetic teaching out of the Bible and prophetic understanding, I often use two words. Let's start with this. When we deal with the Scriptures, and especially when we deal with the apocalyptic literature and the apocalyptic readings of Daniel and Revelation, here's two things I want you to maybe jot down. This is going to be kind of like a class today, so you might want to jot this down. I'm going to go in my old high school teacher mode for a moment. Number one, to understand that right now God gives us enough to comprehend. He will always give His people down through the ages enough to comprehend. Or to consider, excuse me, to consider, to consider. But I have every confidence that when we need to know and really know what we need to know, that the Spirit of God will indeed allow us to comprehend what is going on. So God gives us enough to consider right now, and we're going to be going through some of these verses in the book of Revelation. They are a treatment on the subject, but to recognize that in the future, and especially when these events do unfold, that the people of God will fully know and comprehend what is happening. What I concretely do know, here it goes, what I concretely do know is simply this. The reality, the big picture, the big point of the 144,000 is this. It is based upon a divine sacred trust towards the saints. A divine sacred trust towards the saints. God makes promises. Let's understand something that when we look at the scope and the fullness of the Scripture, that God has a purpose.

And that purpose is to bring many, many sons to glory. That purpose, then, is underlined by a plan that He and the Word, the one that ultimately became Jesus of Nazareth, and now the Christ, put into play in eternity.

He also, then, makes promises. Makes promises. And with those promises, they are not empty, but creates provisions. You might want to call them the four Ps. The four Ps. God has a purpose, underlined by a plan, underlined by promises, and underlined by provisions, that we can literally, as Christians, bet our life on, because we already have. We've surrendered it. Let's anchor this presentation with two special promissory declarations made by Christ, and then build upon that to understand the 144,000. Join me, number one, in Matthew 16, verse 18. In Matthew 16, verse 18, Jesus is having a discussion.

With the disciples. And he makes this comment and looks to Peter and says this, And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. Now, it's very important to understand that the word church there is achlesia.

Achlesia, the called out ones, the people of God. It's not a church in all caps. It's speaking of those that have decided to surrender their lives to God Almighty through Jesus Christ. So he says, I, and he is emphatic that he is the one that the Father has called to build the church. I will build my church. Now, comma, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it. Purpose, plan, promises, provisions, ultimately are on the offense, not the defense. Nothing will hold back what God endeavors to do with you and me.

Now, let's turn over to Matthew 10. Continue to lay a foundation. In Matthew 10, verse 28, Jesus speaking, Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in the grave. Then, verse 29, are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. And therefore, whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father, who is in heaven. So here's the question after the intro. What do sparrows and prophetic subjects, like the 144,000, have in common? Well, let's find out. And let's understand that when it's all said and done, that God keeps his promises.

I can give you no greater hope as a Christian communicator. I can offer you no greater promise of thought than God, our Father, above keeps his promises. People down here below do not keep their promises. Even if they intend to, somehow they slip. They slip in the mud of human nature. God keeps his promises. You can rest your life on it. Now, today we're going to focus on these special people called the 144,000.

Now, when we think of the 144,000, we tend to... are you with me? We tend to look into the future because we think of the 144,000 as a future event. I do realize, as they say that, that there are some individuals that believe the 144,000 are alive and well today and or are building up. There are different thoughts on this. I will show you that I believe that it is a future event in the future. But let's understand something. When the book of Revelation was written towards the end of the first century A.D.

and or as it was initially called in the Greek, the apocalypse, which means the unveiling, that when this was written by John and given to the churches, these were people that were in dire straits. Domician was now of the Flavian house, was now the emperor of Roman. The biggest persecution of Christianity since the time of Nero. These were people that had real problems, real challenges, that were striving to worship a real Savior, but were facing real persecution.

And they needed hope. They needed encouragement. They needed to realize that this that they had been called to was going to go on before the moment and that God would one day intervene even against the greatest empire that had ever existed at that point. That's what apocalyptic literature does. Apocalyptic literature, which is very common between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D., was literature that was directed towards what we might call a dispossessed people.

People that basically their hope was being snuffed out. And hope is the bottom line of that literature. And God will use imagery. He'll use colorful examples. But the bottom line, when you cut it all down, because God gives us enough to right now to consider, He will let us know and He will give us that comprehension, is to let us know, brethren. And some of you need to know this today. And I'm using this vehicle, the 144,000, to reach you. God knows where you are. God knows where you are. God has made promises. And He will not fudge on those promises. He will deliver. But let's go a little bit further, then, and see how God keeps His promises.

First of all, let's determine the win of the 144,000 upon the world stage. I realize some people today believe that there are 144,000 right now that are awaiting. I have met some of those people before. I've talked to people that believe that they're a part of that. But the big question is, when do the 144,000 appear on the world stage? To find out, let's go to Matthew 24, 48.

We're going to go through, and some of you may be hearing a prophetic message for the very first time. So stay with me, because we're going to move through Scripture rather rapidly. Matthew 24, verse 4. Jesus speaking in what is commonly called the Olivet Prophecy. And it says here in verse 4 of Matthew 24, The end is not yet. For nations will rise against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in different places. And all of these are but the beginning of sorrows.

So what we look at here when we see this is that what we're basically looking at is human society left to itself apart from God. For the 2,000 years, hence to this point between the time Christ uttered this till now, we see this cycle of religious deception, of war, of famine, of pestilence. There's a natural cycle that occurs when God has withdrawn his favor from humanity. That can be paralleled. We're not going to go there right now. I'd like you, if you would be so kind, to jot down Revelation 6, because what we've talked about here so far actually parallels what we find in Revelation 6 as far as the first four seals. And I commonly call that the course of human history, apart from God. But now, stay with me, please. We arrive at a critical juncture. We notice verse 8. Are you with me? Verse 8. All of these are the beginning of sorrows. But then, verse 9, then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. I would suggest that the then is almost like a pole vault. I suggest that now there is a separate sequence of events that is depicted. There is an acceleration now that is like nothing that has ever occurred in human history or in the history of the church.

I would suggest, as you look at Matthew 24 and parallel it with Revelation 6, that then is kind of a pivot point where we begin talking about what we call the tribulation and or the fifth seal. Now, I'm going to share a thought with you. You might want to jot it down. Just so you're going to stay with me, because we're going to go quickly.

The fifth seal, which we commonly call the tribulation. Let's understand something. This is the time of Satan's wrath. We're going to see a lot of things happening here, and we've got to know from which corner it is coming from, or it can become confusing. I'm trying to unloosen knots, not tie you up in knots. So we have the first four seals, which are human history, apart from the blessing of God. God just lets mankind go. Then we come up to this fifth seal. This is the time when Satan is almost like on steroids, and I'll discuss that in a moment. There's another scenario coming up, which I'll touch on in a few minutes. Now let's read verse 9. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, kill you. I already mentioned that. Verse 10. And then many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another. And then many false prophets will rise up and to deceive many.

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow old. Cold. Excuse me. Kind of interesting, a little bit like what Mr. Austerly was talking about. Standards. The standards are going to be thrown out the door at that time. Let's understand something. Friends.

Revelation, excuse me, Matthew 24, 9-12 speaks of a world of hatred, of offense, of betrayal, of deception, and of lawlessness abounding. As if none of this is being checkered, simply out of control. We might say a world that we don't want to be a part of.

But then let's notice a note of encouragement. Verse 13.

Now there's a blessing that is mentioned here, and again we need to ask ourselves why. Let's appreciate the atmosphere of the time. Matthew 24 and verse 21, if we jot down here to the column, It's not just called tribulation, it's called great tribulation. Now, for those of you who may be hearing this for the first time, let's understand something again. The great tribulation, we look at it and parallel it with the fifth seal. And we need to understand that is the time when of Satan's wrath. This is not to be confused later on with the seventh seal, which is the day of the Lord. And that is the time of God's judgment. A judgment that renders both blessing and punishment. Judgment is not always negative, is it? Judgment can also be a blessing when you think about it. And we're going to find that out with 144,000. Now, what is occurring at this time? And again, we need to allow the book of Revelation to define this great tribulation. Let's understand then that in Revelation 12 and verse 7, join me please in Revelation 12 and verse 7. Let's notice what Scripture tells us, the divine Word of God. In Revelation 12 and verse 7, In war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. But they did not prevail. Remember what was said earlier, Jesus to Peter and the disciples, but they didn't prevail. Nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. No more room above. So the great dragon was cast out that serpent of old called the devil, who deceives the entire world, and he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And then I heard a loud voice saying, In heaven now salvation and strength and kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ has come, for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. So there is some good news. Good news? No room in heaven. Bad news? He's down here. And they, verse 11, overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life to the death. And therefore rejoice, O heaven, and you who dwell in them, woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. Remember how I mentioned how apocalyptic literature has a note of hope in it. The good news is he's cast down from heaven. There's no more room up there. The bad news for the moment? He's down here. But there is this encouragement to the people of God down through the ages that this too will pass. This too will pass.

But also to recognize, Satan the adversary also knows that. So we begin to find history and civilization apart from God, now directed by Satan, that we're going to see history, in a sense, go on steroids in a bad connection and in a bad way. We notice this in, again, when we look at this, we find this satanically influenced society. Look at chapter 13, verse 1. Then I stood on the sands of the sea, and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads, ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his head a blasphemous name. This is what Christ allowed John to see. He saw this. It doesn't say that the world around is going to see this, because there is a spiritual discernment that is happening here. This is as if God has, in a sense, through His Holy Spirit, put special lens and special goggles on us. Just like in the days of Vietnam, when the men used to be in the jungles and they had the nighttime goggles, it was all dark, it was all swamp, it was all jungle. But those goggles allowed those Marines and those army guys to be able to see the enemy. The whole world is not going to notice this at first. And now the beast, which I saw, was like a leopard, and it goes on to describe the different aspects. But let's go to the bottom of verse 2. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. See, everybody is going to be seeing what's happening here on earth, and we can become earthbound. We can just look around and think it's all happening around us, rather than recognizing the spiritual dimension that is here. It is the dragon, Satan, the devil, that gives the power, his throne and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world marveled and followed the beast. This system has come down from the time of Babylon. It comes, it goes. It comes and it goes. God is allowing this at this time. But the system is Babylon. The system is confusion. And yet the world and the future, as it is even now at times, considers it orderly, considers it business as usual. And the world marveled, and notice they follow the beast. Now notice verse 4, one of the most generous things. So they worshiped the dragon, who gave authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? And who is able to make war against him? Interesting. Who is like the beast? What is very interesting, I'd like to draw your attention to this for a moment, if you'll stay with me. People are just going to be thinking that they're following a man or a system. The beast can be a man, it can be a system, it can be an alliance, it can be a number of things all conjoined together. And people are just going to be thinking that, well, we're following this man or this system or this alliance. No, the Bible makes it very clear who they are actually worshiping. They are following the beast. But in following the beast and being a part of this world, God calls things for what they are. He's a plain speaker.

They are worshiping the dragon.

They are worshiping the dragon. They're worshiping the adversary. Interesting. So we're going to find that in the future there's going to be a satanically influenced society. And we see that here, where it says in verse 5, And he was given a mouse speaking great things and blasphemies, and was given authority to continue for forty-two months, three and a half years.

And that goes on, it speaks about blasphemies against God, blaspheming against His name as tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven. And it was granted to Him to make war with the saints and overcome them, and authority was given them over every tribe, tongue and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship Him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Now you say, what?

But Mr. Weber, I thought this was on the 144,000 and not the beast. Thank you very much. We're getting there. But we have to understand the environment of individuals that keep up the standards that Mr. Osterli brought, the standards that, if we think that they are hard now, is even going to be more challenging in the future.

There are two targets of this beast, and of Satan the Devil. In Revelation 13, verse 3, let's notice this. And I saw one of his heads, as it had been morally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world marveled and followed the beast. Satan's first target is control of humanity. And it says that all the world is going to marvel and follow the beast.

And number two is the eradication of the saints. In the future, during this time of the fifth seal, there are going to be two objectives if you want to use strategic planning. Number one, control of all humanity. And number two, the eradication of the saints of God. Notice Revelation 12, verse 17. And the dragon was enraged with a woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. See, brethren, to be very blunt, the adversary wants to make our Heavenly Father and His Christ liars.

He wants to eradicate the saints in the future, disillusion us today in our present, just as much as he did with the ancient Jews under Esther. Satan inspired Haman of old, and almost got there, it seemed, that there would be one day and one time in which all of the Jews, from Thrace, northeast of Greece, all the way to the border of India, the Persian Empire, would be eradicated in one day. And in Satan's perverted mind, could therefore dismiss, or dis, as it were, the language we use today, God's promise that a Savior would come through Judah, and through the Jews, that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came from Bethlehem, came from the house of David.

See, we have an active adversary. Now, as I say that, and you say, boy, Mr. Weber, this sermon's getting spooky. No, not at all. Let's understand something. Something I want you young people to hear me say for a moment. Whenever we talk about Satan, the devil, the adversary, the dragon, let's understand, he is a created spiritual being. He's created.

God created him. On the day that you were created, speaking of Lucifer, we worship a God, we worship a Savior that is uncreated, uncreated. In a sense, they live in a manner apart from anything that is created, whether it be spiritual or what we that are physical. And this is not a matter of wondering who's going to win. This is a matter of recognizing God is allowing something for a perfect purpose. And even in this purpose, when at times we may not fully understand it, is to bring many, many sons to glory.

So let's go a little bit further then and to look at this. We come to a turning of God's plan, and we find it over in Revelation 6 and verse 12. In Revelation 6 and verse 12, it says, It says, Now this is the great question. Here we go.

Verse 17. For the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to stand? The first four seals, human history apart from God. The fifth seal, the Great Tribulation. The sixth seal now right here, does it sound exciting just in words? Yes. We call this the heavenly signs. But now there's something very, very important that we're going to go through, and I want to draw your attention to it, please, so stay with me. And that is simply this.

As I read Scripture, and I will say as I read Scripture, that we now find the win. We find the win of where the 144,000 come in on to the scene. Because then notice what it says, The great question for the great day of his wrath is coming. Who is able to stand? Now it speaks that who is going to be able to stand spiritually. Verse, chapter 7, verse 1, After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth or the sea or any tree.

And then I saw another angel sending from the east. Notice having the seal of the living God. The saints of God that will then be alive are going to be moving into some exciting territory. In a sense, they're going to experience things that no saint has ever experienced before.

If you want to be brave enough in your Bible and circle that word, the living God, that has been used time and memorial in the Scripture all the way back to Joshua. That when Joshua is about to take Israel into the Promised Land and cross the river, it says and speaks of the living God.

Not a thought. Brethren, I'm speaking to you. Not a thought. Not a theory. Not a maybe. Maybe not a genie. That you rub and rub and the genie never comes out of the flask. No, the living God, the one who is. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. And His Father, the Almighty, unshakable, unmovable, that when they make a promise, they will bring it about. And He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and sea and sing.

Don't harm the earth. Don't harm the sea. Nor the trees, till we notice, now have sealed, sealed the servants, notice, until we have, excuse me a second, my page flew, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. On their foreheads. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

So we see this come up, and then what God does is He causes a pause. Now, it's very interesting, and this is how I read the Scripture, that this is sequential. There are times in the book of Revelation where you can see one thing in one chapter, you go to another chapter, then you have to go back and forth. This is very sequential within the seals.

First four, number five, the Tribulation, number six, the Emily signs. Now what we see is God just says, hold up. And it's very interesting that the angel does come from the east. Very interesting. So now, let's take it a little bit further. We come to understand when hope is lost, and maybe even spirits are going down by those saints that are living at that time, God enters the scene, and He interrupts the flow of the seventh seal with its seven trumpets.

So we look at this. Now, chapter seven then defines the win and the answer to that. There's a timeout. Who then are the 144,000? Who then are the 144,000? Let's go to Revelation 14, verse 1. Kind of easy in the future. Now, where am I going to find the 144,000? You have seven, multiply seven by two. You've got 14. Revelation 7 and 14.

The Bible will tell us about this. In Revelation 14 then, let's take a look here. Let's see what it says. Then I looked, and behold a lamb standing on the Mount Zion, and with him 144,000. Notice, having his father's name written on their foreheads. Written on their foreheads. In a sense, we find that, as we notice in Revelation 7 over here, it says that in Revelation 7, verse 4, that they were to be sealed.

That they were to be sealed. What's very interesting with the book of Revelation is simply this. We often think in the book of Revelation, we think of what we call the Mark of the Beast. Something that we do not want. The Mark of the Beast. But there are two seals in the book of Revelation, because the Bible always gives us a contrast between man and between God. We know that there is going to be a mark put on the people in the future, called the Mark of the Beast. It's a shiragma. It's very interesting that what is that Mark of the Beast?

I'd like to read from H.H. Saggs for a moment, from the Greatness of Babylon, 1962, page 173. There is a historical evidence that in the ancient Babylonian culture, slaves were identified by some kind of mark, either tattooed or branded on the face, back, or hand. And ultimately, this symbolism, however, is manifested in the future, depicts a servitude to the beast. Slavery. In essence, spiritual slavery to evil.

On the other hand, God's servants, as we find in Revelation 7, they also, in a sense, are sealed by God Himself. Two seals. Stay with me. Two seals. Two outcomes. The Bible is very simple. There's no third choice. No third option. No mister in between. No mrs. in between. The Bible is the story about two gods. The God of heaven. The God of this age. It's the story of two trees. The tree of good and evil. And the tree of life. It's the story about two outcomes.

Blessings and cursings. It's the story about two churches. A great, great, worldly church. And what we call a little flock. God provides a perfect contrast of what this is all about. Let's ask ourselves for a moment, if we think about it, suggestion. Just talking and exploring.

What might that seal of God be? We know that the angels are going to hold up, but perhaps we already know to a degree what that seal is. In the early church, baptism itself was considered a form of sealing.

That a man now belonged to God. Interesting. And I believe we still believe that as the old man goes down and the new man comes up. We've said that we have unconditionally surrendered to God the Father and to Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1 and verse 13. Join me if you would there, please. Just to focus that word in Scripture. Always good to anchor in Scripture. Ephesians 1, verse 13. Notice what it says here. Speaking of the Spirit. And Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Part of those promises is that Jesus Christ would build the church, and the church would prevail no matter what came its way.

And that the gates of the grave would not bar its advance. Number two, Jesus made a statement, which is promissory in nature, that God knows everything that is happening down here, right now. Not just in the future with 144,000, but what is ever going on in our lives right now. Right now. When it looks like the storms of life are just drowning us, and there's no way out, God says, I will protect my own.

Who are they? They're the 144,000. Let's go back to Revelation 7. It says here, and I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. And it goes, and it's very interesting that it lists all the different tribes of Israel. Save some!

Which leads us to a thought of what is going on here. We note that Dan, and we note that Ephraim are left off this list. I realize that there can be many, many explanations for this. Allow me to share just simply one. A possible explanation is that this group, 144,000, 12 times 12, squared. Interesting. And remember that even the Holy Place in the Temple was squared. Interesting. Speaks to perfection. Speaks to holiness. But we find that these two tribes, Dan and Ephraim, are left out. We recognize that when we think of Dan and Ephraim, one was known for its idolatrous ways, and another one was known for its rebellion.

This listing that is mentioned here, in a way to describe the people of God at that time, are people that are considered virginal. They are pure in nature. They are unblemished, even as Satan, in a sense, is being worshipped now through the beast system, and everybody's come on board. You don't want to be against the beast. There's nobody like the beast. Long live the beast.

And yet these are people that have the standards that were mentioned in the first message. When you see these names here, I think God has a twofold purpose. I think He has a twofold purpose. I believe that God is working this way. Number one, if you want to jot this down, God has unfinished business, unfinished business with the house of Israel. Satan is not only going after the Israel of God, as is mentioned in Galatians 6, 16, but he is also going to be going after the modern-day descendants of Israel.

After all, it is the prophesied time of Jacob's trouble during the fifth and sixth seals. Number two, then. Number two, Satan wants to destroy God's promise of a holy seed, the church. Satan wants to make God a liar, and he won't.

He can't. He never will, whether in the future or what you have entrusted to our God today in your life. What are they like? Let's go to Revelation 14 again, in Revelation 14, and let's see what they are like. Let's just read a few scriptures here. These are the ones who were not defiled with women. They're pure. They're virginal. These that are in a sense will and have only known God. And they follow wherever he goes. And they're redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Interesting. They are redeemed. These individuals place a priority on the need for Christ's ever-present sacrifice. And they're going to have to draw upon it more than ever. More than ever. When you go back to Revelation 12 in verse 11, let's go back there for a second. And this is a verse that you and I can draw upon our life today when we have challenges coming at us.

It says, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their life to the death. They overcame the obstacles that are and will be before them, as is before us today, by the blood of the Lamb. They get it. They understand it. They claim it. They know that they are redeemed. They know that they belong to God Almighty. I have a question for you today, the saints of God today.

Here in Los Angeles, 21st century, do you know, do you understand that you belong to God? God owns you. You have given yourself to God. Not as a robot, not as one without a brain, but one that has made a choice in faith, in hope, in understanding that you and I can be in no better stead, no better place than in the hands of God for Him to work out His purpose, for Him to work out His plan, for Him to work out His provisions, and for Him to carry through on those promises that He said.

We are in training now, brethren, to one day meet these people. We are going to be rubbing shoulders and hearts with 144,000. And what they're doing in the future in very tense times, you and I are being called to do today. At that time, when everybody else was in the parade and going down the stream one way, these are people that are going to stand up just as much as Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego stood up.

2,500 years ago, it's not easy to stand up when everybody else is bowing down. It kind of looked like a sore thumb. It looked like a sore thumb. And yet, that's what Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego did.

It would be so easy in the future for the 144,000 just to say, yeah, I'll tell you. God has called me to be a first fruit, but you know what? I think I'm just going to put that up on the shelf right now. Where's that knee pad? I'm going down. I'm going to bow down to the beast. I'm going to bow down to Satan in that sense.

Meshach didn't. Shadrach didn't. Abednego didn't. It's very interesting out of the life application Bible commentary. The thought process goes, what were Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego kind of thinking that they might do? And there's a whole listing there. They could have said, well, we'll fall down, but we won't worship the idol.

And, well, we will not become idol worshippers, but we'll worship this one time. Or the king has absolute power, therefore we've got to obey him. Or the king appointed us, we owe it to him. Or, well, this is a foreign land, so God will excuse us for following the customs. You know, they were kind of doing what the Romans do when you're in Rome, even when Rome was not yet a place.

Or our ancestors set up idols in the very temple, so this isn't half bad. We're not hurting anybody. If we get killed, who's going to be there to help our people out? That was not the thinking of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. That is not going to be thinking of the 144,000 in the future.

And that cannot be our thinking today, as we keep and expand the standards that God has set before us. Third point of Lauren's message, and I was listening, let's have fun. There are fun times in Christianity, but more so there is joy in Christianity. The joy is knowing that you will not always get it in the moment, but it's worth it.

You keep the big picture in mind that God Almighty, out of everybody that is on earth, has at this time graced us by His favor and called us to be like Him. You say, well, how can we be like God to emulate the example of Jesus Christ?

Brethren, these prophetic statements of that which is yet to occur is to remind us that there is this river that flows from 31 A.D. into the future. We do not know where it stops, but we know the substance of the living water from whence that river is.

We have tremendous examples in the first century A.D. We have wonderful examples of the 144,000 yet in the future. I was going to share some thoughts, but it would take another 15 to 20 minutes. I'm going to bring a message another time about the innumerable multitude to recognize that God is not only going to deal with the house of Israel, but He deals with what the Jews, even to this day, call the nations.

Those that were outside in how He brings them in into the future, that our message today, as the message during the Tribulation and the favor of God, will go out to all humanity. But for the moment, let's just conclude with some very basic points. As we mentioned to begin with, why we study the 144,000 and what we can at least consider for the moment. Number one, those mentioned in Revelation 7 declare the fullness of God's calling and the timing of God's calling. I believe that He has unfinished business with the house of Israel. Number two, the subject refreshes us that God does not forget His promises to people of old or us today. Absolutely.

And He reminds us through this, when you recognize, you know, were you with me when you were going through Revelation 6? The whole world looks like it's going up and down like an accordion and like a yo-yo, and the heavens are dropping and going up and the sun's doing this and that. That does not deter God.

God's knees don't shake. His heart is firm towards us.

And He knows exactly where we are. He says, yeah, but you know, I've never, you know, everybody else is going to be chosen but me. See, that's the power of the story of the sparrows. Because in the story of the sparrows, where it says, you know, that you would usually sell four sparrows, and then if the deal wasn't going too well, then you throw in the fifth sparrow. No, the one that nobody wanted, the one that everybody overlooked. And God says, I know all, I know all of, not my sparrows, but I know all of my flock.

Every one of them is precious to me. Every one of them my son has died for and redeemed them to me just as much as those in the future are going to be redeemed.

Number three, it reminds us that God has total control over all of the elements and all of those that are down on earth.

Whether it be a spiritual creation like Lucifer turned Satan, whether it be a beast, whether it be a false prophet, whether it be the boss that's making your life right now this week, and you go to God and you curry God's intervention and say, Father, you help me, or whether it be a false prophet in the future, whether it be lying wonders in the future, God offers us the encouragement. If God is for us, nothing can be against us. Last, really fits in with your very fine message today, Lauren. Thank you. It reminds us God notices and rewards people of integrity.

I leave you with a question.

You that have been sealed, given the gift of God's Spirit, do you live up every minute, every day, every thought, every action, every motive, every deed, every person that you come into contact with? I simply leave you with this, because I think this describes 144,000. They were a people, and are, and will be. And always there will be somebody that God favors to be a person of integrity. Having read this, are you ready to go out the door this afternoon and continue then, along with Meshach, Shadrach, Abednego, and the 144,000, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to be a person of integrity? Look forward to seeing you after surfaces.