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.

What do the numbers in the Book of Revelation mean?

PURPOSE

There are several strange numbers in Revelation. For example:

    • God has seven Spirits (Rev 4:5).
    • Exactly 12,000 people from each of the 12 tribes of Israel are sealed by God (Rev 7:3-4).
    • When Christ returns, the blood will flow for a distance of 1,600 furlongs (Rev 14:20 – YLT).
    • The wall of the New Jerusalem is 144 cubits high (Rev 21:17 – NIV).
    • The New Jerusalem itself is a square – 12,000 furlongs (1500 miles) in length and in width (Rev 21:16 YLT).
    • While God’s people will dwell in the Wilderness for 1260 days, also called a time, times, and half a time (Rev 12:6, 14), the Beast will reign for 42 months (Rev 13:5).

The purpose of this article is to explain the meanings of these numbers. It shows that all numbers in Revelation are symbols. Fr example, God does not literally have seven Spirits. Rather, the number seven says something qualitatively about God’s Spirit. In the same way, God’s people are not literally 144,000 in number. That number says something qualitatively about the end-time remnant.

FOUR

John “saw FOUR angels standing
at the FOUR corners of the earth,
holding back the FOUR winds
of the earth” (Rev 7:1).

During the Millennium,
“Satan will be released from his prison,
and will come out to deceive the nations
which are in the FOUR corners of the earth”
(Rev 20:7-8).

The earth does not literally have 4 corners, and there are not literally 4 winds. The number 4 signifies THE WHOLE WORLD. This may be confirmed as follows:

Four words describe All People.

The number 4 is often hidden in phrases that use four related words to describe ALL the people of the world. For example, Revelation 5:9 could have read:

“You have … purchased for God with Your blood men
from every NATION.”

But it instead it reads:

“You have … purchased for God with Your blood men
from every TRIBE and TONGUE and PEOPLE and NATION.”

The following are further instances where four words are used while one word might have been sufficient:

    • “Every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Rev 7:9);
    • “Many peoples and nations and tongues and kings” (Rev 10:11);
    • “The peoples and tribes and tongues and nations” (Rev 11:9);
    • “Every tribe and people and tongue and nation” (Rev 13:7);
    • “Every nation and tribe and tongue and people” (Rev 14:6);
    • “Peoples and nations and tongues and kings” (Rev 17:15);

These seven instances use only the following five concepts but in different permutations:

        • Nations
        • Tribes
        • Peoples
        • Tongues
        • Kings

The fact that all seven of these instances use exactly four words, while one word might have been sufficient, confirms the significance of the number four. And since all seven instances describe ALL the people of the world indicates that the number four signifies THE WHOLE WORLD.

Four parts of Creation

The meaning of the number four can also be seen in that creation is sometimes described as consisting of four parts:

1) “Worship Him who made the HEAVEN and the EARTH and SEA and springs of WATERS” (Rev 14:7).

2) “Every created thing which is in HEAVEN and on the EARTH and UNDER THE EARTH and on the SEA” (Rev 5:13)

Conclusions

1) Since the number four symbolizes the whole earth, and since the “FOUR living creatures (are) full of eyes in front and behind” (Rev 4:6), they symbolize awareness of EVERYTHING on earth.

2) 1600 is equal to 4x4x100. In other words, it is the superlative form of 4, just like 144,000 (12x12x1000) is the superlative form of 12. Therefore, since the number 4 symbolizes the whole earth, the blood that will flow out of the wine press for a distance of 1,600 furlongs (Rev 14:20 YLT) means that people will die all over the world.

3) The first four trumpets attack the four elements of creation as described in Revelation 14:7; the earth, the sea, the waters, and the heavenly bodies (Rev 8:7-12). In other words, they attack the whole world.

4) The same applies to the first four plagues. They also attack the earth, the sea, the waters, and the heavenly bodies (Rev 16:2-8).

TWELVE

The number 12 appears more than a hundred times in the Scriptures and consistently represents the people of God. For example:

12 in the Old Testament

Since Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs (Acts 7:8), 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 in the list. Since the number 12 was regarded as important, there were:

      • Twelve spies of Israel (Deut 1:23),
      • Twelve stones of the Jordan River (Josh 4:2-9),
      • Twelve cities of the Levites (Josh 21:40),
      • Twelve governors for Solomon (1 Kings 4:7),
      • Twelve bronze oxen that held up the bronze sea in Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7:44; 2 Chr 4:2-4; Jer 52:20),
      • Twelve lions in front of Solomon’s throne (1 Kings 10:18-20; 2 Chr 9:17-19),
      • Elijah’s twelve stones (1 Kings 18:31), and
      • Twenty-four courses of priests, each with twelve trained musicians (1 Chr 25:1-31).

12 in the New Testament

Similarly, 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).

12 in Revelation

The number 12 also symbolizes God’s people in Revelation. For example:

1) The pure woman has a crown of “twelve stars” (Rev 12:1). She first gave birth to Christ (Rev 12:5), but after Christ had ascended to heaven (Rev 12:5), she also had other “children” (Rev 12:17). She, therefore, represents God’s people both before and after Christ. For a further discussion, see – Who are the woman, the dragon, and the child?

2) “The New Jerusalem,” which is another symbol for “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev 21:9-10), has 12 gates with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel written on them (Rev 21:12), meaning that only Israelites may enter. However, it also has 12 foundations with the names of the 12 apostles written on them (Rev 21:14), meaning that this city is built on the foundation of the message of the New Testament. This also means that Revelation merges the church into Israel.

3) In the original language, the height (or width) of the wall of the city is 144 = 12 x 12 cubits (Rev 21:17 YLT).

In conclusion, in both the Old and New Testaments, the number 12 symbolizes God’s people.

The 144,000 Israelites

Since the number 144,000 equals 12x12x1000, it is derived from the number 12. Since 12 symbolizes God’s people, the number 144,000 symbolizes something more specific about God’s people.

Another article (See – Who are the 144000?) shows that the 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel (144,000 in total) are using Old Testament military language as a symbol. In other words, the doubling of 12 (12×12) in the number 144,000 symbolizes the perfection of the end-time remnant of God’s people; prepared for spiritual battle.

“No lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless” (Rev 14:1, 5).

They “have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste” (Rev 14:4), meaning that they were not defiled by Babylon, the mother of harlots, or by her harlot daughters (Rev 17:5). They will be pure in their worship of God.

Jerusalem’s Wall – 144 cubits thick

The other symbol in Revelation that employs the number 144 is 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. Both this huge wall and the 144,000 sons of Israel in Revelation 7:4 use military strength to symbolize something about God’s people:

The 144,000 Israelites symbolize that God’s end-time army will not surrender. They will be willing to die for their testimony (Rev 12:11).

The huge wall of the New Jerusalem symbolizes the spiritual strength of God’s eternal people: Never again will anybody be able to tempt them to sin.

The 24 Elders = 12 + 12

In Revelation, there are 24 elders in God’s throne room (e.g., Rev 4:4), comparable to the 24 names written on the New Jerusalem.

Since the number 24 is equal to 12 + 12, the root number for the 24 elders is 12. And since the number 12 symbolizes the PEOPLE OF GOD, the number 24 symbolizes some aspect of God’s people.

The number 24 could be drawn from the fact that the Old Testament priests were organized into 24 divisions, each of which served consecutively in the temple for a week at a time (1 Chr 24:1-19). In Revelation 5:8, “the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding … golden bowls full of incense.” The incense seems to imply that they function as priests. So, associating the elders with the 24 divisions of the Israelite priesthood is certainly possible.

Specifically, another article has concluded that the 24 elders are human representatives of God’s people in God’s throne room. They sit on thrones, meaning that they rule the world under “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 4:9).

SEVEN

Seven is the most prominent number in Revelation (e.g., seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, seven heads of the beast, etc.). This number is mentioned 56 times in Revelation.

The number seven is based, no doubt, on the sevenfold acts of God at creation, resulting in the Sabbath being the seventh day of the week. Similar to the days of the week, many of the sevens in Revelation imply a sequence of events, namely, the second follows after the first—the third after the second, and so forth, with the seventh being the last or the end (e.g., the seven seals). In that respect, the number seven in Revelation is different from the other numbers in Revelation.

The number seven, therefore, has to do with time and can be understood as the completion or perfection of time. Just like the number 4 means EVERYWHERE, the number 7 means ALWAYS. There were many more than Seven Churches in Asia when St. John wrote, but he addresses Seven Churches because he writes in them to the Church of all times.

Seven is the number of times that one should forgive a brother. (Luke 17:3-4) Jesus contrasted forgiving seven times with the number “seventy times seven,” possibly alluding to the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9. (Mt 18:21-22)

Seven Spirits

One of the sevens in Revelation is God’s seven Spirits (Rev 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). This number must be interpreted symbolically. God does not literally have seven Spirits.

Since the number seven symbolizes ALWAYS, and due to the connection between the Spirits and the seven lamps in the temple (Rev 4:5) that were ALWAYS burning, the seven Spirits of God can be understood to mean that God’s Spirit is ALWAYS with us.

The Seven Heads

There are three beasts in Revelation that have seven heads and ten horns each (Rev 12:3; 13:1; 17:3). Although these beasts represent different things, they all have the same seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads of the beast are the seven phases of the beast, covering all time.

TWO

Similar to the number 4, the number 2 is often hidden in phrases that mention two related things, for example:

“John, who testified to the WORD OF GOD and to the TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, even to all that he saw” (Rev 1:1).

“The WORD OF GOD and … the TESTIMONY OF JESUS” (Rev 1:2);

“I, John … was on the island called Patmos because of the WORD OF GOD and the TESTIMONY OF JESUS” (Rev 1:9).

“Those who had been slain because of the WORD OF GOD,
and because of the TESTIMONY which they had maintained” (Rev 6:9).

“Her children, who keep the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD and … the TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST” (Rev 12:17);

“The saints who keep the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD and their FAITH IN JESUS” (Rev 14:12);

“Those who had been beheaded because of their TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST and … the WORD OF GOD” (Rev 20:4).

These seven verses, therefore, refer to only four related concepts:

      • The word of God,
      • The testimony of Jesus,
      • The commandments of God, and
      • Faith in Jesus.

These seven instances combine these four concepts differently but always list only two of the four concepts, indicating the significance of the number two. These seven verses always describe God’s Word working in this world. This symbolism is probably based on the Old Testament principle that at least two witnesses are required to confirm evidence (e.g., 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tim 5:19) and implemented by Jesus when He sent out His disciples two by two (Luke 10:1).

The following are further examples of the number 2:

1) God’s two witnesses (Rev 11:3);

2) The strong angel’s two “feet like pillars of fire,” which He placed on the sea and on the land; The sea and the land symbolize the people of the world (cf. Rev 13:1, 11). The angel’s fiery feet are another symbol of the fire that flows out of the mouth of the two witnesses (Rev 11:5).

3) Revelation 13 mentions the Dragon, the Sea Beast, and the Land Beast (Rev 13:1-2, 11), but later Revelation identifies the Land Beast as the “the false prophet” (Rev 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). The beast from the earth has “two horns like a lamb” (Rev 13:11), meaning, it is a Christian in name. But “he spoke as a dragon” (Rev 13:11). For that reason, it is “the false prophet” (Rev 16:13).


SUMMARY

This article analyses the meanings of the numbers 2, 4, 7, and 12 in the book of Revelation.

Four signifies the Whole World.

For example:

1) John “saw FOUR angels standing
at the FOUR corners of the earth,
holding back the FOUR winds
of the earth” (Rev 7:1; cf. Rev 20:7-8).

2) The number 4 is often hidden in phrases that use four related words to describe ALL the people of the world, for example, “men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9; cf. Rev 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15). Since all seven these instances describe ALL the people of the world, this confirms that the number four signifies THE WHOLE WORLD.

3) Creation is also sometimes described as consisting of four parts (Rev 5:13; 14:7).

In conclusion, since 1,600 is equal to 4x4x100, it is the superlative form of 4, just like 144,000 (12x12x1000) is the superlative form of 12. Therefore, since the number 4 symbolizes the whole earth, the blood that will flow out of the wine press for a distance of 1,600 furlongs (Rev 14:20 YLT) means that people will die all over the world.

Twelve represents God’s people.

The number 12 appears more than a hundred times in the Scriptures and consistently represents the people of God. For example, the lists of the tribes in the Old Testament differ, but there are always 12 in the list. In the New Testament, Jesus chose exactly 12 disciples; not 11 or 13. The number 12 also symbolizes God’s people also in Revelation. For example:

1) The pure woman, representing God’s people both before and after Christ, has a crown of “twelve stars” (Rev 12:1).

2) “The New Jerusalem,” which is another symbol for “the bride, the wife of the Lamb,” has 12 gates, the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, 12 foundations, and the names of the 12 apostles (Rev 21:9-10, 12, 14). And its wall is 12 x 12 cubits high (Rev 21:17 YLT).

The number 144,000, therefore, which is equal to 12x12x1000, is derived from the number 12 and symbolizes the perfection of the end-time remnant of God’s people; prepared for spiritual battle.

Seven means ‘always’.

The number seven is different from the other numbers in Revelation because it implies a sequence of events. The number seven, therefore, has to do with time and should be understood as the completion or perfection of time. While the number 4 means EVERYWHERE, the number 7 means ALWAYS. Consequently, God’s seven Spirits (Rev 3:1; 4:5; 5:6) symbolize that God’s Spirit is ALWAYS with us. And the seven heads of the beast (Rev 12:3; 13:1; 17:3) are the seven phases of the beast, covering all time.

Two signifies God’s Word; the gospel.

Similar to the number 4, the number 2 is often hidden in phrases that mention two related things, such as “the WORD OF GOD and to the TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST” (Rev 1:1; cf. Rev 1:2, 9; 6:9; 12:17; 14:12; 20:4). All seven these instances describe God’s message. We see this number also in the two witnesses (Rev 11:3). Similarly, the two horns of the lamblike beast indicate that this beast symbolizes an organization that is Christian in name. But “he spoke as a dragon” (Rev 13:11), which is Satan (Rev 12:9). For that reason, it is “the false prophet” (Rev 16:13).

Even some of the most learned people do not understand the symbolic nature of numbers. For example, the NASB converts the 12,000 furlongs (Rev 21:16) into 1,500 miles. This destroys the symbolism, which is dangerous, for John has warned, “If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life” (Rev 22:19).


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