144,000 - Removing The Fog of Religion

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144,000

PROPHECY
The 144,000 - Part 2
By Your servant, Dan L Baxley

Who are the 144.000 mentioned in Revelation 14:1?

The 144,000, who are they?   You have to wonder why so many have a teaching concerning the identity of the 144,000, have so many different views.  Some say they are Jews that are "left behind" to preach the gospel to the world "after" the true church (Christians) has been "ruptured".  Others say that they are the church -- Christian Church?   Still, others say their particular group is the 144,000 and, of course, teach the 144,000 is symbolic, that it really does not mean what it says.
In times past a certain group used to teach that they and they alone were the 144,000 until their group, their church grew to over the required number.  Another long time teacher of the bible says the 144,000 is Israel, 12,000 from each tribe -- so far, so good -- and that these are the heavenly signs following the Great Tribulation, "... which SHOCK into repentance the 144,000". or so goes that teaching. This teacher goes on to say the 144,000 will suffer the horrors of world war III, "suffering terrible hunger, sickness, privation, and almost unendurable hardship!  They will have seen loved ones and relatives KILLED!"  The 144,000 will be preaching the Gospel of the Christ, so this teacher says, as do many others on this one point -- converted Jews preaching the Gospel.  And where does all of this information come from?  He does not say, and he certainly gave no scriptural references for such misdirected statements.  It is all guessing, everyone is guessing, as opposed to just believing what the Word itself says.

Who is this author, teaching these things?  It does not matter who that the particular author is as it is a teaching that most all modern day bible teachers teach.  To point a finger at a single writer or self-professing prophet serves no purpose here and to be just in this I would have to list nearly all of those teaching the “rapture error”, because it is among this group of teachers that this treachory is found.   Suffice it to say he is not alone in this false teaching.  

Standing on the word of the Living God -- the 144,000 are not Jews shocked into repentance causing them to preach the gospel.  They are, however, from every tribe of Israel, they are Israelites uncorrupted by this worlds evil religions and they may very well be living the Word as our Savior YaHshua did.  Then again, they may be spiritually clean only, not on display, invisible, as it were, praying and patiently waiting the arrival of our Savior, YaHshua.  144,000 men of Israel walking as our Savior walked, totally deserving to walk with Him when He returns.  

(Rev 7:4) I heard the number of those who were sealed (marked), one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed (Marked) out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
(Rev 14:1) I saw, and behold, the Lamb (YaHshua) standing on Mount Zion, and with Him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having His name, and the name of His FATHER, written on their foreheads.

Here they are, Marked by His and His Father's Name.  They are seen to be standing on Mount Zion, which is the City of David, meaning, today, Jerusalem.  This then, would be after our Lord has come down from Heaven and first is standing on the Mount of Olives, across the valley from Jerusalem or Mount Zion.  This gathering, then, is not the Resurrection, but a gathering of Israelites.  Maybe they too were resurrected and met our Lord in the air and then landed on the Mount of Olives, then walked over to the Mount Zion.  Either way, these are Israelis, not gentiles.
Others teach that this 144,000 is a symbolic number for the Christian Church -- this teaching has been replaced for the most part by the Evangelical Christians.  Today’s popular teaching of the Rapture (not to be confused with Resurrection), this rapture doctrine conflicts with the old teaching that the144,000 is the Christian Church because, for the Rapture teachers, it plain, even to them, that the 144,000 are on this earth during the Time of Trouble, the Tribulation period, and this goes against the false ratpture teaching of the good Christians being taken away to Heaven before the Great Tribulation comes.
It never ceases to amaze me that a simple reading of the "word" (our guide and study text for the Kingdom) tells us exactly who the 144,000 are and it says it quite plainly.  Please read chapters 7 and 14 of Revelation.  The 144,000 are Israelites and this includes Judah (the Jews) being one of the 12 mentioned, 12,000 from each tribe.  This is a number set by the Creator Himself.  Many teachers cannot abide by this, as the numbers given are “even” and very specific, suggesting to them that the Messiah really didn't mean what he caused to be written.  The Word is plain, no conflicting interpretation can be found to contradict what is recorded, it is 12,000 from each of the tribes, less the tribe of Dan (?) making up 144,000 "marked" individuals -- Marked by the Name of YaHshua and the Name of the Father.  Our Savior has a specific number in mind and this is it, 144,000.   They are not the Christian Church but the Congregation of Israel and they are the beginning of the "restoration of all things" .  They are "true" believers and the proof that Israel survives into eternity. They will stand with the Messiah and be with Him forever.  They are the perfection of the Messiah on Earth and a guarantee of Israel’s survival.
If Satan had the power to destroy all the people of God, these would still be saved,  Satan would and will fail -- it has been decided -- there is no competition, the battle has already been won, Satan, the Adversary, has lost.  The Messiah, YaHshua, defeated Satan and has taken the power of death from him.  He, Satan, is fighting a losing battle.  Our hope, as Christians, is in the Messiah’s promise and the Father’s love for us that we too can be saved and have eternal live through YaHshua.
Follow Principle #1 -- "... Let God be true and every man a liar."  (Romans 3:4)
Again, let us understand something, all Jews are Israelites but not all Israelites are Jews.  It is an identity problem modern society suffers from.  The people of Israel (lost tribes) are spread all over the world, many having lost their identity, but our God knows who they are, and in the last days of man's rule a specific number is going to be marked for protection.  The Beast has his mark and the Living God has His mark and they both have to do with "identity", that is contained in "names" (Rev 14:11).  
Once the 144,000 are marked then the "Wrath” of the Living God, YaH, will begin.  In Revelation 6 we see the 6th seal opened and from verses 12-17 we are told this event is a declaration that His “Wrath is coming", but shortly after the great earth shaking event everything is stilled and the marking of the 144,000 takes place.  We see by this that the 144,000 are on this earth and are then given divine protection from what is to come some time after the Great Quake of verse Revelation 6:12.
My Speculation, and Nothing But a Speculation -- Hey, if they can speculate, so can I
I have a speculation about the 144,000 -- about them not being composed of only men.  The idea that they are all males comes from Revelation 14:4, "These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure."  Here is the problem with that straight forward cutting and damning of women, suggesting they are somehow "impure" or "unclean", for we know that in the Christ all are equal, especially between male and female, she being purified as the Christ purified the church, making her clean and holy, without stain (Ephesians 5:25-27).  This verse as well as many others gives honor to women and to the order of things on earth and in Heaven. This should lead us to a different conclusion than that seemingly held by the majority of false teachers.  As you read through your bible you run into many phrases that are addressed to "men" or "man" and also "brother" or "brothers" yet it is recognized that those terms in gender are not meant to exclude women or sisters of the faith.  It is understood that a term like "mankind" covers all humans, no matter the gender or the color, and we clearly see this in the following verse:
2Co 6:18 I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
But, for some, when they come to the 144,000 they throw this courtesy out and make it gender specific ultimately suggesting that women in the body of the Christ are "impure" -- no, they do not mean it, but if they say the one thing thne the other must be true, right?  Well, rubbish to all of that, I say, but still it is an opinion and it just may very well be that this number are men only and does not include women -- in that we will see, one day.  However, I believe the context of the verses concerning the 144,000, is suggesting that they have remained "pure" by not consorting with false religion, about being unfaithful to YaHshua by consorting with, or committing adultery with a false religion.  Remember, religion is often referenced as a woman, such as the Woman riding the Beast in Revelation chapter 17.  Why a woman, then, why refer to woman as something unclean?   Because it was the woman whom Satan deceived so it is fitting that a religion of “deception” would be symbolized as a woman.  Still, I have trouble seeing it quite like that.  The idea seems more reasonable to me, that women to would be included in this grouping of the 144,000.  Then again, our Lord YaHshua was never married and remained a virgin Himself, so maybe those 144,000 are to be just like Him.  Would this include the Apostles, then?  Not at all, which also seems strange, but true if we stay strictly with the written word, because we know that some of the Aposltes had wives, some even before the Crucifixion -- Mt 8:14 -- Peter has a wife, and 1 Cor 9:5 -- they had wives.  This group of 144,000 must be a special group indeed.  The only thing that keeps me from saying the 144,000 are virgin men, as pure in flesh as you can be, counterparts of YaHshua Himself on Earth, is that derogatory statement about women being likened to something unclean.  It may just be poor wording, because we know that it is considered in the Courts of Heaven that there is neither male nor female, and neither Jew not Greek either?  How to reconcile all of this?  Something we may not be able to understand or sort out until that time has come.  We do know, however, who they are not -- see Part 1  

There is more
Nearly all bible students recognize the image of woman as representing the nation Israel. Then there is the Whore of Babylon and she has daughters (Revelation 17:1-6) -- Churches – religions -- prostitutes.  My take on these verses concerning the 144,000 is that they have not defiled themselves in "false religion" or in fornicating with unclean ChristianChurches.  I believe the 144,000 may include women as well as men, remember, there is neither male nor female as we know it in this coming change to resurrected Spirits – we will be like the angels of Heaven (Matthew 22:30).  Are they virgins?  Maybe, maybe not, one thing is for sure, they are virgins when it comes to religion - they have spiritual purity, certainly after the resurrection, the quickening to Spirit form all will be virgins.  
Even If my take on this is wrong it changes nothing, no principles are crossed that make the Word non-effect.  The 144,000 are still all Israelites, 12,000 from each tribe, they are like the 7,000 that, unknown only to Elijah (EliYH), had not defiled themselves by bowing a knee to the false religion of their day, Baal worship.  Eli-YaH was told by YHWH that He had set aside exactly 7000 Israelites and EliYah was not aware of them, he thought he was alone, the only one and this may be the way it will be in the end.
Baal Worship still Alive Today
When Elijah fought it out with the preachers of Baal, that religion had many different gods under the banner of Baal (1 King 18-19).  There were many Baal’s in the land, the term becoming a qualifier for various names.  The name Baal means "lord" or "master", a type of Lord worship.  Baal, as a Lord God of that era, began as the god of spring and of rain in due season and the beginning of new life, a single god, Baal, but as time advanced there came many Baals, or Lords.   The many Baal’s that followed concerned themselves with the passions of man in the form of fertility images, new birth, sex and fornications of every kind.   Christianity has picked up on this from their forefathers and the forefathers before them in the form of rabbits and eggs for Easter, during the week or our Messiah's Passover.  
Eventually to say, My Lord is YaHshua, is the same as saying my Baal is YaHshua.  This is not saying the ancient god Baal, is our Savior but demonstrates the change in the use of the name, Baal, being changed to a title meaning “lord”.  Baal worship became “Lord worship” -- So, you might ask the question, Whose Lord is your Lord?  Keeping with this example we can see the same thing concerning the use of the title "god".  Satan is called the god of this world, does that mean he is a god?  Only to this world as it has, for the most part accept him, the "Destroying Angel" as the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). Don't say, Lord God is His Name either, because "God" is not a name but a title, as is the term “lord”, and there are many gods, and many lords, so, which is yours (I Corinthians 8:5-6)?  My God and Lord is YaHshua, and my Father is Y'H.  Who is your daddy?  Who is your brother?  If you think you are in the body of the Messiah you need to have the answer and when you do, it will not be from me but from the Messiah Himself.  Without Him making known to you the Father you cannot know Him, not really know Him -- as a child knows his Father.
The 144,000 is not so complicated as to not be understood -- understanding whom they are -- makes the promise of the Living God concerning the future of Israel even more real.  He has determined a certain number a number that cannot be touched, not by men nor, most of all, by Satan.  No matter how close Satan can come to deceiving the whole world, or to its destruction, our Father has determined the salvation of Israel.  Apart from these 144,000 there is an uncountable number that have crossed over into martyrdom as have past brothers and sisters, having given their lives for the testimony of the Messiah, YaHshua, having not denied His name (Rev 3:8).  Praise you YaH.
LINK for more  --  144,000 Part 1
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