Introduction
Who are the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses, and where do they come from? When will the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses have their ministry, and just what should the world expect from them? When does their ministry end, and what ultimately happens to them?
These are some of the questions we seek to answer in this investigative study article.
Though there are only two passages within two chapters of Revelation on the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses, when one examines these sections closely, they will find a wealth of information to assess. Therefore, we will attempt to evaluate this subject matter based solely upon what is revealed in the Word of God.
Conjecture is often needed when one studies Scripture, as not everything is illuminated for us; however, offering up extra-Biblical revelation that supersedes what is already revealed in the Word of God, we will never do. Subsequently, we will offer some suppositions at the end of this study regarding what the ministries of the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses may look like for the reader’s consideration, but we are, of course, in no way dogmatic on these possible inferences.
Underlined Scripture passages are my own emphasis.
Revelation 7
In the first of only two chapters of Revelation that addresses the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses, Revelation 7 gives us more information than we might at first think.
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” – Revelation 7:1-3
Everything in Revelation 7:1-3, as should be obvious to the Bible student, takes place on Earth.
First, we note that there were “four angels standing on the four corners of the Earth, holding the four winds of the Earth, that the wind should not blow on the Earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.” Thus, the four angels are literally on or upon (Greek 1909 “epi”) the earth. John may very well have been witnessing this event similar to one looking at a globe of Earth, with Jerusalem, Israel, at the center of his line of sight, and with each of the four angels standing on Earth in the farthest recesses of north, south, east, and west.
Next, John “saw another angel ascending from the east [Greek “anatolēs hēliou” literally “the rising of the sun,” just as the sun “rises in the east” on Earth],” that would only be relative to Earth and would be ascertained from John’s vantage point of witnessing the “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,” north, south, east, and west. Therefore, John would be witnessing this event of “the angel ascending from the east” to halt the four angels that were standing on the four corners of the earth before they would hurt the earth, sea, and trees so that they may seal the servants, within the same perspective that he “saw the four angels standing on the four corners of the earth.”
Notice that the angel “ascending from the east” had in his possession “the seal of the living God.” Thus, he is prepared to seal the servants of God on Earth, halting the other four angels “till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” This indicates that this angel will have help in sealing the servants of God.
Here is this part of the passage again:
“And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
The Greek phrase “until we have sealed the servants of our God” is σφραγίσωμεν τοὺς δούλους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν “achri sphragisōmen tous doulous tou Theou hēmōn” and literally means “until we shall have sealed the servants of the God of us.”
It seems apparent from the text that the angel who ascended from the east and had “the seal of the living God” would seal the servants of God, who we will later learn are Israelites, in conjunction with the four angels that were already stationed “on the four corners of the earth” – north, south, east, and west. This passage also signifies that even though there would be Israelites in the nation of Israel at this time, there will also be many other Israelites scattered throughout many nations in the four corners of Earth – north, south, east, and west!
We also learn in Revelation 14:1 – which we will look at later – that this seal is “his [“the Lamb’s” or Messiah Yeshua’s] Father’s name written in their foreheads.”
These servants of God will be sealed on Earth for their unique missions, and they must be sealed before God releases His judgments on the earth, the sea, and the trees so they may be supernaturally protected during their earthly ministries going forward.
There is no indication that these servants will have been resurrected/raptured and then return to Earth for their ministry. If this were the case, they would have no need to be sealed, as they would not be subject to the effects of the Tribulation or any other negative repercussions in their perfectly glorified eternal and immortal bodies.
Additionally, Jesus Christ, in speaking to His disciples just before His arrest and crucifixion, promised His church the following:
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” – John 14:2-3
Paul states the same truth and promise:
“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.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Therefore, the bride of Christ, following the resurrection/rapture of the church onward, shall always be with our Lord forevermore! No resurrected or raptured Saint will come back to Earth during the Tribulation, though we will all come back with Messiah Yeshua at the end of the Tribulation for His glorious Second Coming and subsequent Messianic Millennial Kingdom – that where He is, we will be also, and we shall ever be with the Lord!
[Consequently, John, following his narrative on the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses in Revelation 7:1-8, next witnessed the Saints that would come out of the Great Tribulation (the last half of the Tribulation) in heaven in Revelation 7:9-17. These two events, as described in Revelation 7 – as we noted in Revelation 7: Bookends of the Tribulation – are extremely important, as they bookend the seven-year Tribulation. Hence, between these two events of the sealing of the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses at the beginning of the Tribulation (which we will confirm below) and the Saints that come out of the Great Tribulation at the end of the Tribulation, the student of eschatology can begin to put the prophetic pieces of the puzzle in their proper order.]
John then receives the breakdown of who these servants of God are and their numbers:
“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
“Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
“Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.” – Revelation 7:4-8
There are some interesting observations regarding this list.
The first is that there are obviously no “lost tribes of Israel” when it comes to God. The Lord knows exactly who His chosen people are and where each one of His chosen people is living!
Secondly, the tribe of Dan is not mentioned in this list. Possible reasons for this could include the tribe of Dan’s rebellion in Judges 18:1-31 and/or that many in the tribe of Dan left the territory that was allotted to them, as they were unable to conquer the Canaanite inhabitants as God had commanded them. Many of these Danites ended up residing in the farthest north of Israel, where one of the golden calves of Jeroboam, which led the northern nation of Israel astray, was erected in the city of Dan (1 Kings 12:25-29).
In any case, the tribe of Dan will have their allotment in the Promised Land during the Messianic Millennial Kingdom (Ezekiel 48:1-2).
Thirdly, Levi is mentioned in this list, even though this tribe is not reckoned in the twelve tribes because of their inheritance in the Lord, and the Levites were to be scattered throughout Israel as priests to the other tribes.
And lastly, instead of the tribe of Ephraim, Ephraim’s father Joseph is listed (who was also the father of Manasseh, who is listed in this passage). Biblically, because Levi had no tribal inheritance, Joseph received two portions or tribal allotments through his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, respectively.
Revelation 7:3 and the Beginning of the Tribulation
As we noted earlier in Revelation 7:3, we are told that the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses must be sealed just before God pours out His wrath on the earth, sea, and trees:
“Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
These judgments will be accomplished at the sounding of the first and second Trumpet Judgments, in my eschatological evaluation, at the beginning of the seven-year (2,520-day) Tribulation:
“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
“And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.” – Revelation 8:7-9
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses and The Two Witnesses
During the first half of the Tribulation, when the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses will minister on Earth, the Two Witnesses will also simultaneously have their unique ministries in Jerusalem.
Fascinatingly, the “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree” seems to have their parallel with the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem, as they “have the power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy” with the ensuing drought from the lack of a hydrologic cycle from no wind currents or evaporation from the seas.
“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth…. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” – Revelation 11:3, 6
Though we see angels symbolically carrying out the judgments in John’s visions by sounding Trumpets, these same judgments are seemingly given power by God to the Two Witnesses to carry them out on His behalf. This would be just one more indication for our findings in our investigative article, Can We Know the Identity of the Two Witnesses?
The sealing of the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses not only supernaturally equips them for their unique ministries, along with the indwelling Holy Spirit, but will also supernaturally protect them from the later judgments in the first half of the Tribulation – namely, the demonic locusts of the fifth Trumpet Judgment:
“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
“And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” – Revelation 9:1-4
Therefore, we know that the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses will be serving our Lord on Earth up until at least the fifth Trumpet Judgment, approaching the midway point of the seven-year Tribulation, or, if you will, toward the end of the first half of the Tribulation.
But can we get a better fix on when they will finish their ministries?
Revelation 14
Revelation 14 is the other chapter in Revelation that speaks of the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses and is a wonderful and exceedingly important chapter in that it is invaluable for the student of eschatology. In this chapter, there are five events that are given in chronological order.
These five events are:
- The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses (Revelation 14:1-5).
- The preaching of the everlasting gospel by an angel (Revelation 14:6-7).
- Another angel declaring the fall of Mystery Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18 by crying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city…” (Revelation 14:8).
- A third angel warning the world not to worship the Beast, his image, or take the coming Mark of The Beast (Revelation 14:9-13).
- A uniquely combined symbolic and literal description of the Messiah’s Second Coming (Revelation 14:14-20).
If we work our way backward from the Second Coming, up the list above, it seems apparent that these events must begin somewhere toward the midway point of the seven-year Tribulation.
Understanding that the cry of the angel declaring the fall of Mystery Babylon is essentially the exact same cry of the angel of Revelation 18:2, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen” – which is absolute confirmation that both Revelation 17 and 18 are all about Mystery Babylon – and that this will occur just prior to the midway point of the Tribulation, aims us in that direction.
We know this because Mystery Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18 will fall when the 10 kings destroy her “and give their kingdom unto the beast” (Revelation 17:17). The Beast, or the Antichrist, will not have his worldwide kingdom until the 10 kings hand their kingdom over to him, following their destruction of Mystery Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18, and Antichrist will then commit the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27) at the midway point of the Tribulation.
[For more on the amazing events that will occur during the midway point of the Tribulation and how I see them playing out in chronological sequence, please see An Interpretive Scenario of the Abomination of Desolation.]
Lastly, Mystery Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18 and her destruction will occur just prior to Antichrist’s Babel/Babylon worldwide kingdom, just as the sequence of Revelation 14 confirms. They are not one and the same but two entirely different kingdoms. One, Mystery Babylon (The Ecumenical Roman Catholic Church/Vatican City/Rome) will have reigned for approximately 1,700 years up to the midway point of the Tribulation (hence the two full chapters of Revelation 17 and 18 attributed to her), and the other, Antichrist’s Babel/Babylon kingdom, will reign for the last half of the Tribulation (the Great Tribulation) after Mystery Babylon’s demise by the 10 kings.
[For more on this topic, please see our original study article, A Combined Interpretive Scenario of Revelation 17 & 18.]
Thus, Revelation 14 gives us a “Tribulation Outline” that begins with the conclusion of the ministries of the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses who meet Messiah on Mount Zion and are immediately taken to heaven in Revelation 14:1-5.
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” – Revelation 14:1
I fully expect this to be a supernatural event. Similar to Philip’s translation in Acts 8:39-40, the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses will be translated to Mount Zion to meet Messiah so that He can escort them back to heaven in what can only be described as a supernatural rapture-type event.
The next thing we read is that the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses are in heaven singing a new song before the throne of God, the four beasts, and the elders:
“And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.” – Revelation 14:2-3
From Earth on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1), with Messiah Yeshua meeting them, the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses are immediately to be found in heaven, as John “heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder.” John then “heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.” Finally, John could hear that the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses “sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders” in heaven.
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses will have been “redeemed from the earth,” where they had been serving in the first half of the Tribulation, “and no man could learn that song” but them. Truly, this is a special song for a special group of young Israeli men!
Now we get to hear more about this amazing group of young men.
“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. – Revelation 14:4
These young men will have never been with women sexually. This is the same Greek word, παρθένοι “parthenoi,” which Christ used in The Parable of the 10 Virgins, from 3933 παρθένος “parthenos,” which was used for the Virgin Mary in Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:27.
Once they recognized Yeshua as the Messiah following the resurrection/rapture of the church, they followed Him wherever He would lead them on Earth and will “follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth” from there on out after being taken to heaven. This will be quite the entourage for our Lord and Savior! No doubt, along with the Apostles (Matthew 19:28), they will help to administer judgment and justice in Israel – each group of 12,000 governing in their respective tribal inheritances, which will be massive compared to the borders Israel had in the past – where Messiah Yeshua will reign as they “follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth.”
And notably, the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses “were redeemed from among men” at the end of their ministry toward the midway point of the Tribulation and will be “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb,” as they will evidently be instantly changed into their glorified eternal bodies when Messiah Yeshua takes them to heaven from Earth, just as those who were alive at the resurrection/rapture of the church were a few years prior.
They will indeed be the first fruits in resurrected glorified eternal bodies that will come out of the Tribulation. Please see Resurrections and The Marriage Supper of The Lamb for my Scriptural conjecture regarding other resurrections that should occur during and following the Tribulation.
“And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” – Revelation 14:5
These were amazing men, but they were not sinless before they came to Messiah and still had their sin-natures as they performed their ministries for our Lord on Earth.
The key phrase in Revelation 14:5 is “before the throne.” They are “without fault before the throne.”
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses, once in heaven and in their eternal glorified bodies, will no longer have inherent sin with no guile found in their mouth and “without fault before the throne of God.”
[Note: Revelation 14 is an absolutely crucial chapter for the student of Biblical eschatology in putting together the pieces of the prophetic puzzle, just as Revelation 7 is. For why this is, please see Revelation 14: Tribulation Outline.]
Suppositions on The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses and Their Ministries
The following are our promised suppositions on the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses and their unique ministries, with an emphasis on those who will reside in Israel.
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses may very well be from the many sects of Orthodox Judaism with an incredible knowledge of the Tanakh (Old Testament). Once they accept Messiah Yeshua after the resurrection/rapture of the church, their knowledge will radically increase with their study of the Brit Chadashah (New Testament). Many of them may even be studying the Brit Chadashah in secret today but have yet to come to saving faith.
An exciting and wonderful thought on these young men is that they may have been influenced by the witness of individual Christians and Christian ministries around the world, such as One For Israel and their wonderful videos and testimonies that have led many Israelis to the Messiah.
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses will not only lead people to Messiah Yeshua all over the world, but they will also disciple them with their immense knowledge of the Scriptures. They will, in all aspects, fulfill The Great Commission. They will have – along with all true believers who receive Messiah Yeshua during the Tribulation – the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses may be those who have the wisdom to calculate the number of the Beast (Revelation 13:18).
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses may be those who will warn the world of who the Antichrist is, based upon their calculation of the number of the Beast, before he begins to show his wicked agenda and evil character.
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses may be those who persuade those Israelites who come to Messiah during the first half of the Tribulation to be prepared to move out to the mountains of Petra/Mount Seir when they see the Abomination of Desolation.
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses may be those who will help prepare the mountains of Petra/Mount Seir to house those Israelites who will escape after the Abomination of Desolation.
The 144,000 Israeli Witnesses may be some of those who will move the weapons from the northern mountains of Israel, following the Gog/Magog invasion, to the mountains of Petra/Mount Seir in preparations for the Israeli remnant to burn for fuel during the Great Tribulation.
Again, these are just conjectures, suppositions based upon what we do know of prophetic Scriptures.
Because these young men are almost certainly alive today, if a believer comes into contact with any young Orthodox man – or any young Israelite man for that matter – and shares the gospel with them, you just may be preparing the heart of the young man for his divinely unique ministry during the first half of the Tribulation as a member of the 144,000 Israeli Witnesses! How exciting is that thought!?!
I do not know about the reader, but I truly look forward to meeting these amazing young men after Messiah Yeshua brings them back to heaven toward the midway point of the Tribulation. They seem like people I would really like to meet and fellowship with!
***
May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
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