“I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:”

Revelation 7:4

This is a symbolic number for the totality of the multitude of the people of God. it was spoken to John. He was not left to count or make a mistake, but was relayed the exact number of the people of God to write down in the record. Not one of God’s people will be left out, forgotten about or passed over. They are all precious to Him, and chosen by God for His glory and to express His mercy and grace. They are not one particular church group, for all are corrupt and full of errors. They are the redeemed people, bought with the precious blood of the Lamb, and have washed their robes of righteousness in the blood of Christ. These robes are given to them by the Lord, for they have no righteousness of their own. These 144,00 are the number for the complete body of Christ. When they are all gathered in, then the end will come and Jesus the Saviour will become Jesus the Judge. He will take His waiting people home to heaven and will judge the rest with justice, equity and righteousness.

This 144,00 are sealed by God. They have been kept safe from the outrages of the tribulation by being marked for God by the Holy Spirit. Their lives are very different from the lives of the rest of humanity and they are holy and set apart for the Lord. Love is their abiding mark.

The number 12 is important, a there were twelve tribes of Israel. There were 12 precious stones in the breastplate of the High Priest, to signify the 12 tribes. The tribes are divide equally as 12,000 for each tribe in the people of God. God has no favourites and He is no respecter of persons. All without the Lord stand condemned. All in the kingdom are made worthy through the blood of the everlasting covenant, and not through any goodness in them. They are the little flock, kept by the lord for His possession. They are the holy remnant that will be kept to sanctification and brought spotless before the throne of God with great joy.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1:3-5

We will bless the Father and the Son and the gracious Spirit who has brought us safely through all our troubles to the eternal glory.

This 144,000, 12 times 12,000 from each tribe of spiritual Israel, which is the redeemed people of God, are secure in the Lord and keep to the doctrines of the faith without wavering. They follow the teaching of the 12 Apostles and hold to the message of salvation passed down by them and recorded in the Scripture. The actual number is unknown and cannot be counted, since it is an innumerable throng that will inhabit eternity with God forever.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

Revelation 7:9

We must hold to the truths of the faith most carefully and keep our eyes fixed on the Redeemer of our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can rescue from this present evil, age and bring us faultless into the heavenly kingdom forever.

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal. The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.“

“The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height. And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.”

Revelation 21:10-17

This is the vision of the city of God which also reflects the measurement of 12. It s radiant like the precious stones on the breastplate of the High Priest that remind him of the people of God. the city has 12 gates divided into 4 sets of 3, North, South, East and West. These have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, as the Scriptures were given and recorded in the Old Testament by them for the blessing of God’s people down through the centuries of time.

The foundations are on the teaching of the twelve Apostles, with the names of the Apostles on each layer. The church of Jesus Christ is built on the teachings of the Apostles, revealed to them by God and recorded by them in the New Testament.

It is 4 square- 12,000 stadia in all dimensions and the wall measures 144 cubits according to the angels measurement. Nothing is an accident. This whole city is planned and chosen by God for His everlasting glory. We shall be gathered home one day and enjoy the peace and joy of heaven. This revelation is for the comfort of the people of God, that they are safe and secure in Christ, whatever circumstances seem to prevail in this fallen world. We take comfort for these great truths and stand for the LORD.