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The number 144,000 is mentioned twice in the Book of Revelation — once in chapter 7 and again in chapter 14.
And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel (Revelation 7:4, ESV, emphasis added).
They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth (Revelation 14:3, emphasis added).
The obvious question: “What is the number 144,000 mentioned twice in the Book of Revelation?” There are differing viewpoints.
An Amillennial view of the Book of Revelation (or those who believe that the 1,000-year reign of Jesus is figurative) holds that the Book of Revelation contains symbolic language describing the church age. According to this view, both usages of the 144,000 are not an actual headcount, but symbolic of the protected victorious church throughout history.
A Postmillennial view of the Book of Revelation holds that the events of Revelation refer primarily to the past and that both references to the 144,000 are symbolic of the first Jewish converts to Christianity — or a symbolic gesture of the church’s preeminence throughout history.
A Premillennial view of the Book of Revelation holds that both references refer to the seven-year tribulation that comes before Jesus’ millennial rule on earth. The 144,000 are bookend events: 144,000 Jewish evangelists preaching the gospel to the nations at the beginning of the tribulation (Revelation 7), and these same 144,000 preachers in heaven with Jesus at the end of the tribulation (Revelation 14).
A simple historical summary:
- Amillennial present: Since the Book of Revelation is figurative language of the church age from the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 to the conclusion of history in Revelation 20, the 144,000 indicates present events.
- Postmillennial past: As the Book of Revelation speaks of past events and the protection of the church from the early Roman Empire’s persecutions, the 144,000 is past history.
- Premillennial future: With most of the Book of Revelation revealing what happens in history after the rapture of the church, the 144,000 exist during the seven-year tribulation, so the 144,000 are in the future.
Consider what I’ve just written in the timeline illustration below…
I call myself a “humble Premillennialist” as those of us with this theology tend to make lots of charts, and those with the “post-” or “a-” viewpoint have little to “chart” about. Please note that all viewpoints believe (even the figurative amillennialistic) that there will be a literal return of Jesus and an actual heaven.
My personal viewpoint (otherwise noted as OG Premillennialism) holds that those who believe an amillennial or postmillennial theology will be assigned in heaven to traffic duty in the outer universe for completely missing the point of about 600 Biblical prophecies (both Old and New Testament) of end-time events.
Let’s remember that we believers tend to lose our sense of humor when discussing eschatology, argue too much, and literally don’t act like a loving church should in any age — past, present, or future.
Thanks for reading this blog post today. Whether wrong or right, I claim grace and enjoy writing about the Book of Revelation.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!