The 144 Thousand
Ministry Overview
In Revelation 7:1-8 the New Testament introduces a most significant
group of “servants of our God” (Revelation 7:3) also known as the 144
Thousand Sons of Israel. They are from the twelve tribes of Israel and are
sealed by the name of the Father and the name of the Lamb which are written on
their foreheads (Revelation 7:3-8, 14:1).
These choice servants are
somewhat of a mystery, especially concerning their end of the age purpose and
spiritual condition at the time of their sealing. The actual time of their
sealing is clearly fixed for it immediately follows the sign of the Second Coming
of Christ and the Day of the Lord (Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 6:12-17).
They are sealed by God’s signature just before Christ’s Coming occurs
(Revelation 7:9-17; Matthew 24:30, 31) and the Day of the Lord begins
(Revelation 8:1, 2). The Church saints who have been “sealed [by the Holy
Spirit] unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30) will be raptured when
He comes.
The day of redemption refers to the day the rapture occurs, for the
Church saints will not experience the great and dreadful Day of the Lord’s
wrath (I Thessalonians 1:9, 5:10). But, the 144 Thousand, who are sealed by the
signature of God (Revelation 14:1) will be protected and remain active on
earth, serving the Lord, after the rapture during the Day of the Lord (Revelation
9:4, 14:1-5, 17:14). Just before the
Church saints are raptured, they will “Pass the Torch” as it were, to these 144
Thousand servants of God in order that the priesthood of believers and
testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ continue throughout the coming Day of the
Lord.
This Redemption Ministry in effect will be their primary charge during
the Day of the Lord when they will evangelize those Jews (Daniel 11:32-35,
12:3) and Gentiles (Isaiah 19:16-25; Micah 7:15-17) whom God will redeem during
that future time of judgment upon the earth. One of the important questions
concerning the 144 Thousand is their spiritual condition at the time they are
sealed, and there are only two options, are they saved or unsaved when they are
sealed? This significant group of young men, the 144 Thousand “of all the
tribes of the children [sons] of Israel” (Revelation 7:4), are physically
marked by the Lord.
Although there are others upon whom the Lord puts His mark described in
the pages of Scripture, this group, appearing numerous times in the Word of
God, is the most notable. They are called “servants of our God” before
they are sealed and as the end times are studied they also appear a number of
other places supplying indicators of their spiritual condition at the time they
are sealed in Revelation 7:3-8.
Determining the exact point in time that they are sealed is also
important to note in order to discern just exactly what it is that the Lord has
for them to accomplish. The text isolates their sealing by utilizing time
indicating phrases to set off this major event: “And after these things”
(Revelation 7:1), “After this” (Revelation 7:9), demonstrating the
uniqueness and importance of what takes place between these two phrases.
Their sealing occurs immediately after the sign of the Second Coming of
Christ and the Day of the Lord (Revelation 6:12-6:17; Joel 2:30, 31) and just
before the Rapture of the saints (Revelation 7:9-7). Both of these events occur
on “the same day” as taught by the Lord in Luke 17:22-37. The Lord will
surely deliver the saints before He initiates His wrath-filled
judgment just as He has done in the past and just as He promised to do in the
future (I Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9).
Therefore, the 144 Thousand will be sealed just before the Day of the
Lord begins since they appear with the Lord Jesus Christ later, during the Day
of the Lord in Revelation 14:1-5, 17:14. They also are referred to in
Revelation 9:4 and 12:17 with all of these texts supplying additional information
concerning this key end of the age
kingdom of priests.
Their background prior to their sealing must be considered for they most
certainly will have paths similar to those other servants listed throughout the
Old and New Testaments. This question must be answered: “Are they saved before
or after they are sealed?” Although it surely is possible that they are not
saved before they are sealed, it is highly unlikely for a number of reasons.
First of all they are called “servants of our God” (Revelation 7:3)
which is a title reserved for those who have attained a certain level of
spiritual maturity and dedication to the Lord: “The Revelation of Jesus
Christ which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants things which must
shortly come to pass.” (Revelation 1:1)
This opening verse designates a group of people to whom the Lord Jesus
Christ would “show” His vital end of the age truths contained in the
Apocalypse, and that group of people are called “His servants”
(Revelation 1:1). His servants include select men and women who were and are
willing to “spend and be spent” (II Corinthians 12:15) for the cause and
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This word translated servant is the Greek word “doulos” meaning
bond-servant or slave, indicating one who is totally given over to the will of
his master. It is found in the New Testament over 120 times. There are a number of different Greek words
translated servant in the King James Version with various meanings such as
attendant, minister, household worker, hired employee and under rower. But, the
one the Lord chose to describe the 144 Thousand is the Greek word “doulos”
which refers to the ultimate servant with respect to the total giving of
themselves to the service of their master.
This is the word used by the Apostle Paul
to describe his own position in relationship to his Lord a number of times
(Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). The epistles reveal the “doulos” or
“servants of the Lord Jesus Christ” also include Timothy, Epaphras, Peter,
James, John, and Jude.
In the book of the Revelation the same word also describes Moses and the
prophets as servants of God (Revelation 10:7, 15:3). But, the most significant
occurrences of this word describe the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: “Behold, My
Servant Whom I have chosen, My Beloved in Whom My soul is
well pleased, I will put My Spirit upon Him and He will show judgment to the
Gentiles.” (Matthew 12:18)
“Let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the
form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men.”
(Philippians 2:5-7)
Those “servants of our God”, or bond-slaves of God, in Revelation
7:3 must also be considered to be of this same Biblically defined caliber:“Hurt
not the earth till we have sealed the servants of our God in
their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed an hundred
and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
(Revelation 7:3, 4)
These 144 Thousand Sons of Israel are definitely classified as “doulos”
or bond-servants along with the Lord, and those Apostles and other
saints used mightily of the Lord. This specific word was chosen by the Holy
Spirit to describe this select group of men in order to indicate their advanced
spiritual condition and relationship to God at the time they are sealed, for
they are called “the servants of our God” by the angel before
they are sealed.
This unique group of God’s servants are key end times saints and some of
the most thoroughly described people in the Word of God. They are seen or
referred to in Psalm 110:3, the book of Daniel 11:32-35, 12:3, 10; Obadiah
17-21; and the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: 7:1-8, 9:4, 12:17,
14:1-5, 17:14.
Secondly, their decision to be “undefiled by women” (Revelation 14:4)
reveals their level of dedication to the Lord early in manhood, prior to their
sealing. This major decision indicates that they are men of God who have set
themselves apart having discerned a certain calling of God upon their lives
prior to making this important decision for Christ.
They literally will give up the natural desire to marry and have a wife
and children in order to give themselves totally to the Lord. By doing this
they will greatly limit the effect sexual temptation can have upon their lives
and thereby remove the ever increasing pressure from the world, the flesh and
the devil to fall into sex sin. Also, remaining unmarried will give them
additional opportunity for focused service to the Lord as clearly recommended
and practiced by the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 7:8, 26, 32).
Number three, and definitely one of the most compelling affirmations
concerning their spiritual condition at their sealing, is revealed by asking
this question: “Would God literally put His name and the name of His Son, The
Lamb (Revelation 14:1) upon someone who is an unbelieving depraved sinner, not
having experienced Bible salvation by grace through faith in the Blood of
Christ?”
The answer to this question must be a definite NO! In addition to these
three facts indicating their spiritual condition at the time they are sealed,
there are three other Bible examples of the Lord putting His identification or
mark upon men: “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My
God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God
and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down
out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name.” (Revelation
3:12)
These over-comers of the church of Philadelphia are given five blessed
promises by the Lord Jesus Christ reserved for those who attain an overcoming
level of victory during their time on earth:
1.
I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God
2.
He shall go no more out [remains in the temple]
3.
I will write upon him the name of My God
4.
I will write upon him the name of the city of My God,
which is new Jerusalem
5.
I will write upon him My new name.
These saints are promised some of the most valuable and privileged
rewards ever spoken of in the Scripture. Being a pillar in the heavenly temple
of Jehovah rings of a highly exalted heavenly position, however, this reward is
given the added blessing of being eternal. These over-comers will have three
different inscriptions upon them and not one of them is trivial. All three are
truly to be cherished for the incomparable recognition given to those who
overcome during their days upon earth, for these names are the three most
honorable identities in all of heaven.
The next example is found in the last chapter of the book of Revelation:
“And there shall
be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His
servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in
their foreheads.”
(Revelation
22:3, 4)
Notice, these glorified servants of God have the honored privilege of
seeing the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they also will have the Lamb’s
name in their foreheads, similar to the 144 Thousand. However, the 144 Thousand
have both the Father’s name and the name of the Lamb in their foreheads
(Revelation 14:1) showing their dual branches of service, being “servants of
our God” (Revelation 7:3) while also physically serving on earth “with”
the Lamb during the Day of the Lord. (Revelation 14:1-5, 17:14, 19:19).
In these two instances, the over-comers of the church in Philadelphia
and the servants in glory, both having God’s identification, are clearly
believers, fully redeemed, belonging to the Lord. In order for the Lord to put
His name on men, it is evident by these passages that they are definitely
children of God when they receive this glorious inscription upon them.
This sets a high standard by which to measure these 144 Thousand sons of
Israel, for they will be given God’s identification when they are still mere
mortals. This underlines the significance of the Lord’s bestowal of His
signature upon those whom He knows will be worthy of His name during their
apocalyptic priesthood in the Day of the Lord.
In Ezekiel’s vision of chapter nine a third example is recorded: “And the Lord said unto him, Go through the
midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the
foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be
done in the midst thereof.” (Ezekiel 9:4)
These men who are marked by God are those who openly express their
disgust and sorrow over the sinful condition of Jerusalem demonstrating their
allegiance to the Lord. They are given God’s saving protection from the
impending slaughter of His coming judgment (Ezekiel 9:1-11).
These marked saints in Ezekiel are similar to the 144 Thousand for those
who have His seal in their foreheads in that day will also be spared from God’s
judgment during the Day of the Lord: “And
it was commanded them [locusts] that they should not hurt the grass of the
earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have
not the seal of God in their foreheads.” (Revelation 9:4)
The information above indicates the 144 Thousand are surrendered saints
who have duly earned their title as “servants of our God” before they
are sealed. They have willingly surrendered themselves to the Lord to be sealed
just prior to the Day of the Lord having become mature believers before that
time, being worthy to have the holy name of the Father and the Lamb written in
their foreheads.
This seal not only provides protection, but the seal can also indicate
ownership, for these men have unconditionally and sacrificially given
themselves to their Master for His service. Approximately when they are
redeemed is indicated in Revelation 14:3, 4: “The hundred and forty four
thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.” (Revelation 14:3)
The Greek participle translated “which were redeemed” is in the
perfect tense indicating their redemption has already taken place at a given
point in the past with continuing effect into the present. The act of
redemption is not continuing, but the results of this past action of redemption
are continuing. The 144 Thousand are shown to be “redeemed from the
earth…redeemed from among men” the two phrases indicating:
1.
Where they are from: The earth
2.
What they are: Men, from among men
They are not heavenly angelic beings. They are in fact men of like
passions as we are, whom God will raise up from across the planet just as He
has raised up His faithful servants throughout the history of mankind. The
second time the word “redeemed” appears (Revelation 14:4) it is a verb
in the aorist tense, which indicates a completed action at one point in past
time. The mood of this verb is passive indicating the act of redemption was not
accomplished by those who were redeemed but by someone else, namely the Lord.
They are also entitled “the first-fruits” showing they are the
first of an additional “more of the same” [Jews from the twelve tribes] future
harvest who also will be “redeemed from the earth...redeemed from among
men”. This oft-quoted verse specifies those Jews of this future harvest: “When
all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the
Deliverer [Redeemer], and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans
11:26)
This future national redemption is the very event being celebrated in
Revelation 14:1-3 at the end of the 70th Week of Daniel (Revelation
11:15). In addition, there are other Jews who are saved and remain on earth
after the rapture, namely “the two witnesses” of Revelation 11 and “the
woman” [Faithful Israel] of Revelation 12. These saints will also continue
on earth throughout the last 3-1/2 years of Daniel’s 70th Week as
the rapture occurs some time after the mid-point of this seven year period, but
before the beginning of God’s wrath which is the Day of the Lord.
This prophetic time-line is the Lord Jesus Christ’s end of the age
chronology found in Matthew 24:3-31, which shows the rapture (Matthew 24:30,
31) shortening the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:29a) followed by the sign of
the Second Coming of Christ and the impending Day of the Lord (Matthew 24:29b).
“The woman” [Faithful Israel] also is supernaturally protected
during this time:
“And the woman fled into the
wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her
there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And to the woman were given
two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her
place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the
face of the serpent.” (Revelation 12:6, 14)
“The two witnesses” are
eventually killed by the beast [the Antichrist] and ascend up to heaven after “they
shall have finished their testimony” (Revelation 11:7). However, they also
will continue on earth after the rapture to fulfill God’s designated purpose
during their supernatural 3-1/2 year ministry as mighty instruments of the
judgment of God
(Revelation 11:3-14).
The Lord rejoices in showing His mercy, and these 144 Thousand “servants
of our God” will be His instruments of mercy during the end times as
foretold in Daniel 11:32-35, 12:3, 10. They are seen as those who have insight
and understanding instructing the many, being purged and purified during their
Redemption Ministry.
This notable time of the end group of saints in Daniel 11 also appear
after the mid-point of Daniel’s 70th Week after the abomination of
desolation is set up: “And arms [forces] shall stand on his [the Antichrist]
part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the
daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant
shall he corrupt by flatteries; but the people that do know their God shall be
strong and do exploits. And they that
understand among the people [Jews] shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by
the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. And some of
them understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them
white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.”
(Daniel
11:31-33, 35)
At the beginning of the 70th Week “[the] many” Jews
(Daniel 9:27) will “confirm the
covenant” with the Antichrist. These Jews will be thoroughly deceived, not
knowing they are in fact consenting to “a covenant with death” (Isaiah
28:15) which will eventually bring about their destruction. There will be
those who are instructed by the 144 Thousand, those “that understand among
the people” (Daniel 11:33) and they will “turn many to righteousness”
who will receive the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior: “And
they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that
turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
Those Jews who continue on in darkness will eventually “forsake the
holy covenant” (Daniel 11:30) taking “the mark... of the beast”
(Revelation 13:17) during the time of Satan’s “great wrath”
(Revelation 12:12), which is also referred to as “great tribulation”
(Matthew 24:21). They will subsequently die during the Day of the Lord’s wrath:
“And it shall come to pass, that in
all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die.”
(Zechariah 13:8a).
The prophet continues:
“But the third
part shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire,
and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried:
they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people:
and they shall say, The LORD is My God.” (Zechariah 13:8b, 9) These
of Zechariah’s “third part” are those of Daniel’s “many” who will
be instructed by the 144 Thousand: “The people
that do know their God...they that understand among the people...they that
be wise...they that turn many to righteousness...the wise shall
understand.”
(Daniel 11:32,
33; 12:3, 10)
After the abomination of desolation, at the mid-point of Daniel’s 70th
Week, God has not yet sealed the 144 Thousand but they are among those in
Israel referred to in the above Daniel passages and will successfully minister
to the many unsaved. This same group of Jews is evident continuing in the land
after “the woman” flees into the wilderness:
“And the dragon [Satan] was wroth
with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant [rest] of her seed, which
keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation
12:17b
The “remnant of her seed” indicated here refers to the rest of
her physical seed, those Jews who remain in the land after the faithful (most
likely: women, children, and men too old to go to war) flee into the
wilderness. Their spiritual credentials are given in the last part of the
verse: “which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ”. These Jews who remain in the land, “the rest of her seed”, will
be these chosen men: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power
[Day of the Lord], in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning:
Thou hast the dew of Thy youth [young men]/” (Psalm 110:3)
These are those priest/warriors of the Messiah, who will be part of the
physical army of Israel who defend the land against the Antichrist when he
first enters Israel. He makes war with the Jews as described in Micah 5:4-9
where those who remain are called “the remnant of Jacob” (Micah 5:7, 8).
Some of them will be martyred or taken captive by the Antichrist: “many
days...even to the time of the end” (Daniel 11:35). This refers to the
duration of the Great Tribulation being cut short when Christ comes to
resurrect/rapture/rescue/receive the saints (Matthew 24:21-31; I Thessalonians
4:13-18; Revelation 7:9-17).
The 144 Thousand will continue into the Day of the Lord being “purged
and purified” eventually being “made white and tried” (Daniel 11:35,
12:10). It is at this point in time
that the most prophesied event in Scripture begins, “the great and dreadful
day of the Lord’ (Malachi 4:5). This event in God’s program is also
referred to as “the end” by the Lord (Matthew 24:6, 14) and “the time
of the end...end of days” by Daniel (Daniel 11:35, 40, 12:4, 9, 13) both
indicating the very same point in time.
It is on this day that God’s prophetic “time of the end” program
takes a major turn from the Antichrist’s vicious persecution of God’s people
during the Great Tribulation to the Lord’s Second Coming in glory:
“And then shall that wicked
[Antichrist] be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of His
mouth, and shall destroy [render powerless] with the brightness of His coming.”
(II Thessalonians 2:8)
It is on this same day, the sign of the Second Coming/Day of the Lord is
given, (Revelation 6:12-17), the 144 Thousand are sealed (Revelation 7:1-8) and
the Lord returns to rescue/receive (John 14:3) His saints by rapture (I
Thessalonians 4:13-18), receiving them into heaven (Revelation 7:9-17).
The Lord will first seal and secure His servants, the 144 Thousand,
before He rescues the saints with the sign of the Day of the Lord being given
as a marvelous heavenly prelude to it all. These events will all occur the same
day just as the Lord Jesus Christ taught when He emphasized “the same
day” rescue before the retribution of God’s judgment:
“For as the lightning, that lightens
out of the one part under heaven, shines unto the other part under heaven; so
shall also the Son of man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things,
and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall
it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they
married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that
Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Likewise, also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they
bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But the same day
that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and
destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son
of man is revealed.” (Luke 17:24-30)
Paul describes this same time just prior to the Day of the Lord: “But
of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For
yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the
night. For when they [unsaved] shall say peace and safety; then sudden
destruction comes upon them and they shall not escape.” (I Thessalonians 5:1, 2)
Although the Antichrist will come on his “white horse” as the end
times world ruler “conquering, and to conquer...taking peace from the
earth...having a pair of balances”(Revelation 6:1-6) and in the process
will implement worldwide economic control, there will be a time of “peace
and safety” just prior to the Day of the Lord when a “business as usual”
attitude will prevail among the lost.
At this same time, persecution of the saints will reach the maximum
level ever recorded in history (Matthew 24:15-28; Revelation 6:7-11). Then God
will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to rescue/rapture the saints who have
been “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise…unto the day of redemption”
(Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). Those whom He chooses to remain on earth will also
be protected from His wrath just as He promised (Revelation 3:10, 9:4).
The 144 Thousand will be protected by having the name of the Father and
the Lamb on their foreheads (Revelation 14:1), while the faithful of Israel
[the woman] will be safe in “a place prepared by God” (Revelation 12:6)
during the last 3-1/2 years of the 70th Week of Daniel. She will “fly into the wilderness”
(Revelation 12:14) and remain there until the end of the 70th
Week. Eventually they will become the core group, along with the 144 Thousand
and those of Israel who will be saved at the end of the 70th Week,
who will populate the Promised Land during Christ’s earthly 1000-year rule,
called the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-10).
This protection during judgment by God is similar to the time when He
brought the plagues upon Egypt and the Israelites were given safety in the land
of Goshen while Moses and Aaron were actively confronting Pharaoh as the
instruments of God’s judgment. Like
Moses and Aaron, the two witnesses will serve as God’s instruments of judgment
(Revelation 11:3-7) during this unparalleled period of destruction which God
brings upon the earth and its inhabitants, the cataclysmic Day of the Lord as
described in Revelation 8-11, 15-19.
While Moses and Aaron were the instruments of God’s judgment to the lost
and also the instruments of God’s mercy to His people, the time of the end will
see these same actions performed by “the two witnesses’ (Revelation 11:3-14)
and the 144 Thousand Sons of Israel. God will continue to extend His
eternal mercy to mankind through His 144 Thousand human servants just as He has
done throughout the ages past. His primary purpose for the Day of the Lord is
to purge and purify His people Israel; those referred to in Daniel 9:27, 11:33,
35, 12:3, 10. This time of the end purpose of God has also been foretold in other Old Testament prophecies: (Isaiah
1:24-28, 27:9; Jeremiah 30:7; Ezekiel 7:16-27; Zechariah 13:8, 9; Malachi
3:1-3).
His second purpose is the rightful
judgment of planet earth and its unbelieving inhabitants who throughout all of
the supernatural devastation, death and wholesale destruction repeatedly reject
the Lord Jesus Christ by refusing to repent:
“And the rest of
the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of
their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and
silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood; which neither can see, nor hear nor
walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their
sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20,
21)
“And the fourth
angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch
men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name
of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him
glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and
his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain. And
blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented
not of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:8-11)
However, many Jews will turn to the Lord during this time, for the Lord
will surely fulfill His promise:
“And it shall come to pass, that in
all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but
the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the
fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is
tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will
say, It is My people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”
(Zechariah 13:8, 9)
“For whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe
on Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they
preach, except they be sent? As it is written how beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.”
(Romans 10:13-15)
“And I will show
wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and moon into blood, before the great
and the terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be
delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord
hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” (Joel 2:30-32)
“And the
Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from
transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.”
(Isaiah 59:20)
“And so all
Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the
Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this
is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
(Romans 11:26, 27)
These Scriptures clearly show God’s plan of salvation in the future
deliverance of His people continues to operate just as it has in the past and
present. Those whom He calls respond by believing, turning and calling upon Him
in order to be saved from their sin. The entire work of salvation is of the
Lord as He alone has the ability to “turn away ungodliness from Jacob…when I
shall take away their sins”. (Romans 11:26)
God will send His end times kingdom of priests, the 144 Thousand sealed “servants
of our God”, to His people so that those whom He calls will be able to
hear, believe, turn and call on His name. They will be redeemed when they see
their Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, come to Zion at the end of the 70th
Week of Daniel. This is when He victoriously appears with the 144 Thousand
(Revelation 14:1), who are also identified by Obadiah: “And saviors
[deliverers] shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the
kingdom shall be the Lords.” (Obadiah 21; Revelation 11:15)
These obedient servants of God will “follow the Lamb wherever He
goes” (Revelation14: 4) both physically and spiritually. They as the
merciful saviors/deliverers will in fact be the compassionate instruments of
the one and only compassionate Savior, the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, unto
Jew and Gentile alike, during the Day of the Lord’s wrath.
These Day of the Lord soldiers of the
Lamb are also indicated to be “with Him” at the battle of Armageddon:“These
[the ten horns/kings] shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome
them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with
Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)
The 144 Thousand, as the earthly members of “His army” (Revelation
19:19) along with “the armies which were in heaven” (Revelation 19:14)
indicating the angelic host of heaven (Daniel 4:35), will defeat “the kings
of the earth, and their armies” (Revelation 19:19) when the Lord Jesus
Christ comes as “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation19: 16).
He will also defeat “the beast...and...the false prophet...These both
were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant
[rest] were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse which sword
proceeded out of His mouth.” (Revelation 19:20, 21)
These events describe, in brief, the final and culminating battle of the
great and dreadful Day of the Lord, “the battle of that great day of God
Almighty’ (Revelation 16:14), which is the renowned battle of Armageddon. After
the Day of the Lord judgment ends at Armageddon, the 144 Thousand will continue
to “follow Him wherever He goes” (Revelation 14:4) becoming a part of
that great gathering of God’s people (Genesis 49:10; Psalm 102:21, 22; Hosea
1:11, 3:5; Micah 5:4) who enter and populate the promised land during the
literal 1,000 year earthly rule of Christ called the Millennium (Revelation
20:1-6).
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