By Dan Maines

144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14
The 144,000 were the saints from the Great Tribulation (Revelation 7:14). The 144,000 are not from the 21st century as some think. The Great Tribulation took place in Jewish Roman War, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD.

Revelation 7:14 tells us The 144,000 are the "first fruits" If they came from the 21st century they would be the "LAST FRUITS".

The 144,000 is not a literal number. It's a figurative number. The "144,000" is the total sum of all God's children from all nations.

Why literalize the 144,000 and ignore the "too many to be counted" multitudes of the saved out of every nation of the earth standing before the throne of God. (Revelation 7:9)

For further thought, John even tells us he is in that tribulation (Revelation 1:9) I do not understand why people apply the 144,000 to future centuries.

Revelation 7:4 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. (Caps mine)

Every Christian had a spiritual seal and we still do today (2 Timothy 2:19). But we are not the first fruits. The Lord knows those who are His. God's people have a mark on their forehead. (Ezekiel 9:3-4) And that number is more than you can count to, starting from one.

Some claim the 144,000 were the original 12 tribes of Israel but the list shown in Revelation 7:5-8 is not the actual tribes of old Israel. Ephraim and Dan are not listed. They were replaced with Levi who did not receive a land inheritance and Joseph, the father of Manasseh and Ephraim. This rules out original tribes of Israel. The Israel in view here is the spiritual house of Israel, not the old Israel. Many are unaware that the "house of Israel" refers to old Israel. The O.T. lists it 146 times and clearly describes it as old Israel. Some call it Physical Israel. The New Testament Israel is referred to as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). Old Israel did not come out of the Great Tribulation. That didn't happen until 70AD.

The Israel in John's vision is of the new testament which included all the gentiles (1 Corinthians 12:13). The "children of Israel" under the new covenant is the body of Christ, His Kingdom. (Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 1:13,Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 12:27)

The 144,000 were warned by Jesus in Luke 21 and Matthew 24 to flee to the mountains when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies. They were the same/first ones who were sealed by the Holy Spirit and born again.

The 144,000 were the first of God's people to join Him, in the 1st century. Today, thousands are joining Him daily.