Who are the 144,000 sons of Israel in Revelation?

Overview

In Revelation 7, an angel brings the Seal of God to earth. 144,000 were sealed, 12000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Not Literal

This cannot be literal because:

1) The twelve tribes of ancient Israel no longer exist literally. The ten northern tribes disappeared 700 years before Christ.

2) The list in Revelation 7 is not a valid list of tribes because it excludes Dan and Ephraim but includes Levi and Joseph, who were not listed as tribes in the Old Testament.

3) 12000 from each tribe is too exact to be literal. 

4) Literally interpreted, the 144,000 are all men and they never sinned (Rev 14:4-5). 

The 144,000 “sons of Israel” are a symbol because Revelation is a book of symbols, and all numbers in it are symbols. This symbol consists of two parts: the “sons of Israel” and the number 144,000:

The Sons of Israel

The “sons of Israel” are God’s New Testament people because:

1) Revelation frequently uses literal things from the Old Testament as symbols. For example, Jerusalem becomes “the New Jerusalem.”

2) Revelation merges the Church into Israel. For example, the New Jerusalem has written on it the names of both the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes of Israel. 

3) Paul illustrated this principle by describing Israel as an olive tree from which unbelieving Jews were removed and believing Gentiles have been added.

The number 144,000

This number is based on the number 12, which symbolizes God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments. For example, Israel had 12 tribes, and Jesus chose exactly 12 disciples, not 11 or 13. 

In Israel, “a thousand” was a military unit. Therefore, 144,000 is military language, meaning 12 military units from each tribe. The 144,000 describe God’s end-time army.

The repetition of the number 12 (12×12=144) and the implication that the 144,000 are selected from a much larger group symbolize the perfection of God’s end-time army.

Purpose

In Revelation 7, an angel brings the Seal of the living God to earth. He commands the angels holding back the four winds of disaster to continue until all of God’s bond-servants are sealed on their foreheads” (Rev 7:1-3). John heard that 144,000 were to be “sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” (Rev 7:4).

This article discusses who the 144,000 “sons of Israel” are. It shows that it cannot be interpreted literally but symbolizes the perfections of God’s end-time army.

Not Literal

For the following reasons, the 144,000 “sons of Israel” cannot be literal:

1) The twelve tribes of ancient Israel no longer exist literally

Ten tribes broke away from the rest, were assimilated into the peoples of the Middle East, and disappeared from history. [Show More]

2) The list in Revelation 7 is not a valid list of tribes

It excludes Dan and Ephraim, probably because of their idol worship. The list includes Levi, who was not included in the lists in the Old Testament because, being reserved for the priesthood, he did not receive a portion of the land. The list also includes Joseph, who was not one of the 12 tribes in the Old Testament because his two sons were counted as tribes. So, the list includes both Joseph and his son Manasseh, which is effectively a double count. [Show More]

3) 12000 from each of the 12 tribes (Rev 7:4) is too exact to be literal

To say that God will select exactly 12,000 from each of the 12 literal tribes does not make any Biblical sense and is inconsistent with the freedom in God’s kingdom.

4) Literally interpreted, the 144,000 are all men who never sinned

If the 144,000 Israelites are interpreted literally, then their description in Revelation 14 must also be literal. There, it says that they “have not been defiled with women” and “no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless” (Rev 14:4-5). Literally interpreted, this means that they are all men who never had sex and never sinned, but all people are sinners (Rom 3:23) and that God’s people include women.

Symbolic

For the following reasons, the 144,000 “sons of Israel” are a symbol:

1) Revelation is a book of symbols. 

It has been given in the form of signs (signified – Rev 1:1), filled with obvious symbols, such as a beast with seven heads (Rev 13:1). [Show More]

2) All numbers in Revelation are symbols

For example, 2 symbolizes God’s Word, 4 means the whole world, and 7 means “all time.” (See here[Show More]

Sons of Israel

Therefore, the 144,000 “sons of Israel” are a symbol consisting of two parts. This section discusses one part of the symbol, namely, the phrase “sons of Israel” (Rev 7:4). The next section discusses the number 144,000.

1) Revelation frequently uses literal things from the Old Testament as symbols.

For example:

1) Israel’s capital Jerusalem becomes “the New Jerusalem,” a symbol for God’s New Testament people (Rev 21:2, 9-10; cf. Heb 12:22).

2) Babylon – the main enemy of God’s people in the Old Testament – becomes “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots,” a symbol for the enemies of God’s New Testament people (Rev 17:5).

Many other examples can be listed. So, if the things of Israel in Revelation become symbols of New Testament realities, then the “sons of Israel” are also a symbol. [Show More]

2) Revelation merges the Church into Israel. 

In the view of many Christians, the nation of Israel has a distinct role during the end-time events. However, Revelation does not distinguish Israel from the Church; instead, it merges the Church into Israel. For example:

(a) The entire book of Revelation was written to the seven churches (Rev 22:16). Therefore, these seven churches represent the whole Church. But Revelation uses one of the things from the Jewish temple, namely, the seven-fold lampstands, to symbolize the seven churches (Rev 1:20). [Show More]

(b) Before Christ, the woman of Revelation 12 represents Israel, but after Christ, she represents the Church. [Show More]

(c) “The New Jerusalem” – a symbol of God’s people (Rev 21:9-10) – has written on it the names of both the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes of Israel (Rev 21:12, 14). [Show More]

(d) “Those who had been victorious over the beast … sang the song” of both Moses and the Lamb (Rev 15:3). This combines the two main people from the Old and New Testaments into a single song.

Therefore, the many references in the Book of Revelation to the things of Israel must be understood as referring to the Church.

3) The entire NT merges the Church into Israel. 

This is a vast study. Whole books have been written on this subject, and I will not attempt to do justice to this topic here. The following are a few examples:

(A) My study of Romans 9 and 11 (see here) – two key chapters for this purpose – concluded that God elected a remnant from Israel to inherit Israel’s promises and covenants, but included believing Gentiles into this chosen remnant. We should take this definition of “Israel” to the study of the Book of Revelation. [Show More]

(B) Paul illustrated this principle by saying that Israel is an olive tree from which unbelieving Jews were removed and believing Gentiles have been added (Rom 11:17). The critical point is that the root of the tree, symbolizing the things God gave to Israel (Rom 3:2; 9:4-5), now belongs to Christianity. [Show More]

(C) Several New Testament verses can be listed to support this. For example, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29). [Show More]

(D) Israel (previously called Jacob) had twelve sons. By choosing twelve disciples and not eleven or thirteen, Jesus signaled His intention to reshape Israel. [Show More]

Conclusion

Revelation is a Christian book. All references to Israel and Israel’s things now refer to Christianity. The “sons of Israel” (Rev 7:4) and “Jews” (Rev 2:9; 3:9), therefore, are Christians from all nations. [Show More]

What makes this difficult to understand for us today is the fact that Christianity has become essentially a non-Jew organisation. But when Paul wrote and when Revelation was received, most Christians were Jews. We need to interpret Revelation in that context. See Early Church History.

144,000

As stated, the 144,000 “sons of Israel” (Rev 7:4) are a symbol consisting of two parts, the number 144,000 and the “sons of Israel.” The previous section discusses the phrase “sons of Israel” (Rev 7:4). The current section discusses the meaning of the number 144,000. As argued above, all numbers in Revelation are symbols. So, what does it mean that they are said to be 144,000 in number?

144,000 means that it is God’s people because it is based on the number 12, which symbolizes God’s people.

The number 144,000 is derived from the number 12 because it equals 12 x 12 x 1000. The number 12 appears more than a hundred times in Scripture and consistently represents God’s people. For example:

Israel consisted of twelve tribes (Gen 35:22; 49:28). The lists of the tribes in the Old Testament differ, but there are always 12 tribes in these lists. [Show More]

The importance of the number continued in the New Testament. Jesus chose exactly 12 disciples, not 11 or 13. Judas fell away, leaving only 11 disciples, but Revelation still refers to “the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev 21:14).

Revelation also uses the number 12 to symbolize God’s people. For example, the pure woman has a crown of twelve stars, and the New Jerusalem has 12 gates and 12 foundations. [Show More]

144,000 means it is God’s army, for a 1000 is a military unit.

In Israel, “a thousand” was a military unit, equivalent to what we today may call a regiment or a platoon. The Hebrew word for “thousand” (eleph) can also mean a military unit. In preparation for the war to invade the promised land, Israel selected an army of exactly 1,000 elite warriors from each tribe (Num 31:3-4), giving exactly 12,000 in total (Num 31:5). [Show More]

The number 144 is also used in the description of the wall of the New Jerusalem, which “was 144 cubits thick” (Rev 21:17; NIV or YLT). In ancient times, the wall of a city was the most important defense for the people of that city. Therefore, like the 144,000 sons of Israel, this huge wall is military language symbolizing strength.

Therefore, the 144,000 is God’s end-time army for the final war before Christ returns and God’s people enter the eternal promised land (See – Seal of God). [Show More]

144,000 symbolize spiritual strength – the perfection of God’s end-time people.

Since only 1000 were selected from each tribe, only the very best soldiers were selected. The 1000 from each tribe may be compared with Gideon’s 300 chosen men (Judges 7:2-7). From the 32,000 warriors available, God led Gideon to select only 300.

Since the number 12 symbolizes God’s people, the repetition of the number 12 (12×12=144) symbolizes the perfection of God’s end-time army. [Show More]

When and How?

Previous articles conclude as follows:

The 144,000 will be sealed (selected) through the end-time persecution. 

The 144,000 will also be sealed DURING AND THROUGH the persecution of Revelation 13 (See here). After the nominal Christians had fled the persecution, those who remained faithful were the remnant, the 144,000 “sons of Israel.” The remnant will remain “faithful until death” (Rev 2:10; cf. Rev 12:11)[Show More]

The 144,000 will receive special power from God

Those who remain faithful despite the persecution (the 144,000) will be strengthened by receiving power from God, symbolized by the seal of God (See here).


Other Articles

The Seven Seals

Other

I recommend Jon Paulien’s commentary on Revelation for further reading. For general theological discussions, I recommend Graham Maxwell, who you will find on the Pineknoll website.

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