"The Earth belongs to HaShem and the Fullness Thereof."
The 144,000: The Facts
Part One of Four
By Ben Ruach ha Kodesh (John of AllFaith) © 3.3.08 Perhaps there is no area of biblical prophecy so misapplied and misunderstood as the identities and ministry of HaShem's 144,000 end time ministers. Will this study correct this situation?
Of course not.
People will always believe as they choose and the various inaccurate versions of this important prophecy apparently provides something to those who hold these views.
What I intend to do here is show who these ministers are and what they will be doing in the next few years for those who wish to know what's coming soon.
Amos 3:7 Surely Lord HaShem will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Note that this important verse does not say until he reveals it in the Scriptures nor until a minister preaches on these scriptures, but rather until He reveals the information to His prophets. These scriptures we discuss are important of course, and often eye-opening, however they are not enough! Not at times like these when there is so much uncertainty and understandable disbelief! When HaShem performs great acts He always first notifies His prophets.
Although there have been a great many supposed/accepted prophets over the past hundred and fifty years or so, there have been none in the biblical sense of this term. There have been plenty of Bible expositors, teachers, psychics, soothsayers, mediums, seemingly inspired speakers and so on, but a prophet of HaShem is different than these.
Every prophetic word spoken by a true prophet, in the biblical context, must not only come to pass but must come directly from HaShem. In the Tanach those who claim to be prophets but who prophecies do not come to pass are to be stoned!
Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
Edgar Cayce, whom I deeply admire and respect to this day, both in that incarnation and his present one, was wrong on certain points and didn't claim to speak for HaShem.
The Nostradamus prophecies are at points amazing, however they have not been without their failures and are, in many cases, so vague that they could mean anything. And like Cacye, he wasn't claiming to speak for HaShem.
Herbert W. Armstrong is still accepted by many people as a true modern day prophet, but certain of his essential teachings directly violate the Scriptures and can be seen as Anti-Semitic. When his movement imploded these traits only increased through the competing "Church of God" groups that formed later.
The same is true of Ellen White and her Seventh Day Adventist movement and of Charles Taze Russell and Judge Rutherford who established the Jehovah's Christian Witnesses sect and many other alleged modern day prophets who claim to disclose the identities of the 144,000. The point here is not to denigrate these and similar people and groups, they all have many good points to make and things to add to the discussion, but to point out an essential difference:
True prophets, from a biblical/Noahide/Abrahamic/Nazarene perspective, boldly and unequivocally speak the exact words they are given to speak and they are never wrong. Never.
When was the last time we beheld such a prophet on earth?
The next time is coming soon!
In my study of the Two Witnesses I describe the testimony and ministry of the next two prophets in some detail.
The 144,000, from all evidence, will not be prophets as such. They will be preachers, encouragers, biblical expositors and news bringers who will confirm the prophetic messages of the Two Witnesses.
According to some teachings the 144,000 will be something completely different than what the biblical prophets have told us. The Jehovah's Christian Witnesses teach that these will be the "anointed servant class" taken from all previous generations, with only a few still alive today. The Worldwide Church of God (and its various offshoots) teach that that only the 144,000 will be "saved," that for the past 6000 years of human history this small number of people have been chosen. Because of their righteousness, others will later be placed in new bodies (rather than being resurrected as the Bible teaches). Several groups, especially those that sprang form the Awakening of the late 1800's, hold similar views.
But such views are not to be found in the Bible nor in the words of the prophets of HaShem.
So, what do the prophets tell us?
Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
We have lots of clear information here. Let's begin with verse one: "...And after these things I saw..."
Part Two Coming Soon
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