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 hereShow 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.

Overview of Galatians Chapters 1 to 3

This is a summary of the various articles on this website that discuss Galatians chapters one to three.  Please refer to these articles for more detail.

GOSPEL DISTORTED

Paul himself founded the churches in Galatia (Gal 1:8), but after he left, some people, probably Jewish Christians from the church in Jerusalem (Gal 2:17), arrived and preached a dangerously distorted gospel (Gal 1:6-9). Their intention was to force Gentile Christians to be circumcised (Gal 2:3, 12) and to live like Jews (Gal 2:14). They reasoned that “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). To use terminology from Galatians, they argued that man is justified by the works of the Law (Gal 2:16).

Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians to correct this distortion and to prevent the circumcision of Gentile Christians.

IN VAIN

Paul was concerned that the Galatian Christians suffered so many things “in vain” (Gal 3:4; 4:10). This implies that the Christians that complied with the demands of the Jewish Christians, were at risk of losing their eternal inheritance. 

THE REAL DANGER

The battle was around circumcision, but circumcision, in itself, was not the danger. The real danger lies in the thinking that people are put right with God through their own efforts (Gal 3:3).  People who try to earn their salvation will soon realize that they are not able to keep God’s law. They will, therefore, add a large number of demanding rules and regulations to God’s law to force themselves to obey God’s law.  But such a system of laws turns the mind away from God to self.  It kills love for God, and when love for God dies, love for fellow beings also perishes. It leads to selfish and narrow-minded criticism of all who fail to comply, and this kills compassion. 

TRADITION OF THE ELDERS

The Judaism of Paul’s day was a good illustration of such a system of laws invented by humans, founded on the understanding that one must earn your own salvation. Christians that become trapped in such a system are at risk of eternal loss. This is the danger that could cause the Galatian Christians to suffer so many things “in vain.”

PAUL’S DEFENSE

Paul opposes this dangerously distorted gospel in a number of ways:

      • He received his message directly from God.
      • The Church Leaders accepted his message.
      • There is no need to circumcise Gentile Christians.
      • People are justified through faith; not by the works of the Law, and
      • Christians are not subject to the Law of Moses.

FROM GOD

In the first two chapters, Paul defends the supernatural source of his message.  He claimed that:

He is “an apostle” (Gal 1:1), which means to be sent by God.

He was set apart even from his mother’s womb and called through God’s grace to preach Him among the Gentiles (Gal 1:15-16; 2:7-8). This gives Paul the right to prescribe to the Gentile Christians what they must do and not do.

He received his message from God, not from men (Gal 1:1, 11-12, 16-19; 2:6).

ACCEPTED BY CHURCH LEADERS

The church leaders in Jerusalem accepted his message (Gal 2:9).  This acceptance is illustrated by Titus, an uncircumcised Gentile, whom he took along with him on his visit to the church headquarters in Jerusalem, where the church leaders did not compel Titus to be circumcised (Gal 2:3, 9).

ISRAEL IS NO LONGER THE CHOSEN NATION

Paul concludes chapter 3 with the statement that, in Christ, all people are equal.  He wrote, “there is neither Jew nor Greek” (Gal 3:28).

Judaism made a sharp distinction between Jew and Gentile.  It viewed Israel as God’s special chosen people (Rom 11:1), but Gentiles as “sinners” (Gal 2:15).

Jewish Christians, by arguing “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1; Gal 2:3; 6:13, 12), and by compelling “Greeks”, such as Titus, “to be circumcised” (Gal 2:3; 6:13), attempted to maintain the difference between the circumcised and the uncircumcised Christians.  This caused a rift in the church and tension between circumcised and uncircumcised Christians.

It is this rift that Paul was trying to heal by stating that people that, in Christ, all people are equal. It is a correction of the distortion that argues that there remains a difference between circumcised and uncircumcised Christians from God’s perspective. What Paul effectively is saying is that there remains no need to circumcise Gentile Christians.

It is rather strange that Paul does not use the Jerusalem church council decision, as recorded in Acts 15, to support this position.  The issue on the table was whether Gentiles must be circumcised (Acts 15:1, 3, 5), and the church council agreed with Paul that Gentiles must not be circumcised (Acts 15:19-20). Perhaps the church council took place only after Galatians was written. One person proposed that Galatians was written while Paul was on his way to Jerusalem for the church council.

JUSTIFICATION

In Gal 2:16 Paul states that “man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus”. In doing so, he attacks the foundation for the demand that Gentile Christians be circumcised.

This statement not only explains that “man is not justified by the works of the Law” (Gal 2:16) but also provides the correct method of justification, namely “through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 2:16; 3:10).  The question in Galatia was therefore how one is justified.  To be justified means to be put right with God.  It does not mean to become without sin. The question is how a sinful human being is put right with God:

By arguing that one is justified by the works of the Law of Moses, the Jewish Christians from the church in Jerusalem argued that man is put right with God by performing the external deeds required by the Law of Moses, seeking to thereby earn justification.

By arguing that one is justified through faith in Christ Jesus, Paul argued that man is put right with God by what goes on in his mind.  “Faith” is the internal mindset that trusts God and relies on His merciful-kindness (grace). To summarize Romans 7 in a single sentence, there is no condemnation for one that wants to do what is right, even though he continues to sin.

Many people see the statement that “man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus” as the key message of the letter to the Galatians, but it is merely the reason why Gentile Christians must not be circumcised. The key issue in the letter is whether Gentile Christians must be compelled to be circumcised and to live like Jews.

Many people interpret the statement that “man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus” as a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith.  However, this argument was used to oppose the error that links salvation to the Law of Moses, and it should not be applied out of context, as if somebody would be saved merely on the basis of the conviction that Jesus is the Christ while persevering in the lusts of the body. The faith that saves is not a mere conviction that Jesus is the Messiah. Faith that saves wants to act in accordance with God’s Law; not the Law of Moses, but God’s Law as explained by Christ.

How Justified

After recounting certain historical events in the first two chapters, concluding chapter 2 with his speech to the Jewish Christians at Antioch, chapter 3 shifts the focus to the Galatians specifically. The first two chapters define the key issue, concluding with the statement that “man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus”.  Chapter 3 provides support for this statement in a number of ways:

Paul provides various arguments in support of justification through faith.  He argues as follows:

Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Gal 3:6; Gen 15:6).  If this was true for Abraham, it should also be true for all Christians (Gal 3:7), because they are his children (Gal 3:29, 7).

God promised Abraham that “all the nations will be blessed in you” (Gal 3:8), which means that “God would justify the Gentiles by faith” (3:8).

Even the Old Testament confirms that “the righteous man shall live by faith” (Gal 3:11; Habakkuk 2:4].  “Live by” is an Old Testament expression that means to be justified (to be right with God).

Paul interpreted the promise to Abraham, that “all the nations will be blessed in you“, as that “God would justify the Gentiles by faith” (Gal 3:8), and adds that this promise was received hundreds of years before the law, and therefore the law did not invalidate the promise (Gal 3:15, 17-18).

The promises, which God made Abraham, were actually received by Christ (Gal 3:16, 19).  Thus everything belongs to Christ.  The only way that people can become “Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29) is “in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:14), which means that they “belong to Christ” (Gal 3:29).

Some of his arguments support both the view that man is not justified by the works of the Law and the view that man is justified through faith:

The Galatians did not have to perform “the works of the Law” to receive the supernatural manifestations of the Spirit (Gal 3:2, 5).  All they had to do was to believe what they heard (Gal 3:2, 5).

The Galatians began their lives as Christians in the power of the Spirit, but now they are trying to “perfect” their lives by their own power (Gal 3:3), which is illogical.

Unless one does “everything written in the Book of the Law”, one is “under a curse” (Gal 3:10, quoting Deut 27:26).  Scripture has shut up everyone under sin (Gal 3:22), which means that the Old Testament declares that all people sin (Rom 3:9, 23).  Therefore the law is not “able to impart life” (not able to grant “righteousness”) (Gal 3:21). Therefore (note the words “so that” in Gal 3:22) the promise (to impart life) is “given to those who believe (3:22).

Not subject to the Law of Moses

Another important argument used by Paul against this distortion is that Christians are not subject to the Law of Moses. Chapter 2 contains three veiled indications of this.  Both the reference to Christ as “a minister of sin” (Gal 2:17) and the reference to something which Paul “destroyed” (Gal 2:18) are interpreted above as implying that the Law of Moses is not binding on Christians.  Furthermore, Paul’s statement that he died to the Law (Gal 2:19) means to be released from serving by the letter the Law. Chapter 3 states more directly that Christians are not subject to the Law of Moses:

Paul wrote that the Law was “added” (to the promises – Gal 3:18), but only “until the seed (Christ) would come” (Gal 3:19, 16).  The law served as a “tutor … to Christ” (Gal 3:23-24), “but now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:25).

But this does not mean that Christians are lawless.  Paul taught that Christians are subject to the “law of God”, but not in the form given to Moses.  Rather, Christians are subject to the “law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).  Christ did not interpret the Law given to Moses; Christ actually replaced it with His own laws.

Israel in prophecy

Large church groups still today maintain a future special and separate role for Israel in God’s plan.  This view is opposed in articles on Romans 9 and 11 on this website.  Galatians confirms that literal Israel no longer exists as a separate entity in God’s plan:

    • Circumcision is “the sign of the covenant between Me and you (Abraham)” (Gen 17:11), but Paul argued, “neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision” (Gal 6:15; 5:6). Since circumcision has been annulled it seems to stand to reason that physical Israel, as a separate entity in God’s plan, has expired.
    • God gave Abraham both the promises and circumcision (Gen 17:10). Paul sets aside circumcision, but Paul does not set aside the promises.  These promises remain valid (Gal 3:29).  To the discomfort of many Jewish Christians, he taught that Gentiles are now regarded as “Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29; 14), even without circumcision. They share in the “inheritance” (Gal 3:18) promised to Abraham.  This is another way of saying that they are justified (Gal 3:7-8; Rom 4:13, 16). However, the statement that “those who are of faith … are sons of Abraham” (Gal 3:7, see also 3:16, 29) also means that non-believing Jews are no longer be regarded as “Abraham’s descendants”. They have no claim to be “heirs according to promise”, which also implies that physical Israel, as a separate entity in God’s plan, has expired.

      >>> Galatians Table of Contents