The 144,000 are Fascinating

Who are the 144,000? What role do they serve in the Tribulation? Why do they exist in the book of Revelation? Why are they young, male virgins?

The first reference to the 144,000 is in Rev. 7 even though they’re being marked and sealed takes place at the beginning of the Tribulation. There’s a reason for this. They show up in chapter 7 because of the way chapter 6 ends.

Chapter 6 is all about the sixth seal judgment. A lot of bad stuff happens – earthquakes, blackening of the sun, stars falling, etc. All the men of the Earth ask a question in Rev 6:17, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” They wonder, “Who shall be able to stand?”

Chapter 7 exists to answer that question.

Who shall be able to stand?

Those who will be able to stand are the 144,000. Why? Because they are marked and sealed. Not only will the 144,000 be able to stand but also all those who are mentioned in the last half of chapter seven, the millions of people from all walks of life, who got saved but died. They overcame the Tribulation by faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. seven is cause and effect. The salvation of those millions of souls at the end of that chapter is primarily the result of the ministry of the 144,000 established at the beginning of that chapter. Those millions of people who got saved will primarily be the fruit of those 144,000. Their conversion will be a massive spiritual victory for Christ in His warfare with Satan during the Tribulation, and that’s primarily through the teaching ministry of His 144,000.

And all this was designed to answer the question, “Who shall be able to stand?”

Let’s look at Rev. 7:1-4

Rev 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. Rev 7:2 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, Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Rev 7:4 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.

After these verses, we get a list of specifics, 12,000 sealed from specifically identified 12 tribes of Israel, which we’ll cover in a bit.

Let’s do some exegesis starting with Rev 7:1, which said, “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.”

Here’s a verse I imagine the flat-earthers would love, especially this reference to the four corners of the earth. I can hear it now. “How can there be only four corners to Earth if the Earth is sphere? There would be eight corners, wouldn’t there?” Presuming that the Earth is sitting inside this hypothetical box where there would be eight corners.

We have to look at this verse closely. John writes, “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth…”

First, notice that they are standing ON the Earth. They are standing ON the four corners OF the earth. These locations exist on planet Earth.

Second, notice that the four corners of the Earth is intricately tied to the origin points of the four winds. They are standing on the four corners of the earth and what are they doing? They’re holding the four winds of the earth. They are on the Earth at the origin point of the four winds that blow upon the Earth, the four points from which the four winds blow.

This is not new. There are three references in Daniel that talk about the four winds of heaven. Jer 49:36 mentioned the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. Anything above ground is heavenly. Above ground until you reach out space is the first heaven. Outer space is the second heaven. Heaven itself is the third heaven.

So the four corners of the Earth are the four points ON the Earth FROM WHICH the four winds blow, and those points are: north, south, east, and west. This is why God uses that expression, the four winds of heaven, to mean everything from all directions: north, south, east, and west.

You might recall what the Lord said in the Olivet Discourse. Mat 24:31, “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” The Lord talks about gathering His elect from “the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” and He means gathering every believer from all directions: north, south, east, and west, from the four corners of the Earth from which the four winds blow upon the Earth, which is a point on the Earth that’s north, a point on the Earth that’s south, east, and west. The four winds blow from those four points, and the angels are standing on the Earth at those four points holding back the wind so that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. It’s not that they’ve removed the air, but the point is complete stillness of the wind, an eerie, foreboding, calmness before the deadliest judgments of God that will ever befall mankind.

Rev 7:2 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, Rev 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

First, John writes that he saw another angel ascending from the east. This whole section in this chapter is an event on the Earth that John witnesses. Bullinger would go to great lengths in his Revelation commentary to explain that the narrative in Revelation alternates between Earthly and Heavenly events and John is present at those locations to witness those events. Sometimes he’s on the Earth. Sometimes he’s in Heaven.

Here, John’s on the Earth. He’s traveled around the globe to observe the angels standing on the four corners of the Earth. He had said in vs. 1 I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth. I’ll bet you John took a quick trip on the Holy Spirit’s Crazy Transportation service.

And now, he’s seeing another angel ascending from the east. He’s seeing an angel ascend above the horizon, rising like the sun out of the East. This angel has the seal of God, which is the name of the Father, which we’ll later read about in Rev. 14. John knows that responsibility had been given to the four angels to hurt the earth and the sea.

The fifth rising angel cries with a loud voice. His speech in the spiritual realm is so loud it can be heard by the other angels standing at those four points all around the globe. And he says, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. For me, this line of dialogue is proof that the sealing of the 144,000 took place at the beginning of the Tribulation, because the angels have yet to hurt the Earth.

In this moment, we have this wonderful contrast between the beginning of the Tribulation and the end of the Tribulation. At the beginning, the angels hold the four winds in order to seal the new elect. At the end of the Tribulation, the angels will gather all the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

This seal, the Father’s name on their foreheads, had to have been visible because the locusts in chapter 9 are directed to injure only those “who have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” In the OT, in times of judgment upon Israel for idolatry, God would seal the believing remnant to protect them. For example, we find in Eze 9:4 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.

In the Tribulation, anyone who follows after the Antichrist is guilty of idolatry. Plus, this seal upon the 144,000, God marking His people, is a counter measure to the Mark of the Beast, which will be Satan marking his people.

Then we read in Rev 7:4 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. This is 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. God is detailed, specific about where these 144,000 come from. For example, in vs. 5, we have 12,000 from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, and 12,000 from the tribe of Gad. These aren’t Jehovah’s Witnesses. These aren’t members of the Body of Christ, and we aren’t somehow spiritual Israel somehow representing the twelve tribes. God means what He says here. Otherwise, God’s a liar, and we can’t take anything He says at face value, and we’re at the mercy of theologians to interpret for us what cannot be understood because God somehow doesn’t mean what He says in His own book.

Tribes

Next, we have the list of tribes and the 12,000 that will come out of each of these tribes. Each of these 4 verses lists 3 tribes. Notice in vs. 5: 12,000 will come out of each of the tribes of Judah, Reuben, and Gad. In vs. 6, 12,000 will come out of each of the tribes of Aser, Nepthalim, and Manasseh. In vs. 7, 12,000 will come out of each of the tribes of Simeon, Levi, and Issachar. And finally, in vs. 8, 12,000 will come out of each of the tribes of Zabulon, Joseph, and Benjamin.

The original list of the 12 tribes of Israel is in Gen. 49, the first 28 verses. This list in Rev. 7 differs from the original list in Gen. 49. Not only that, there are multiple lists in the OT and the names of the tribes deviate in minor ways. Why is that? Here’s a link to a message David Reid gave a couple of years ago, which is still my personal favorite study that David did. He goes through each of those lists and explains why the names change over time. The short story is that the lists change over time because the lists were given for different purposes.

One list in Num. 1 had to do with war, which excluded the Levites because their responsibility had to do with the tabernacle instead of fighting. So what tribe replaced the Levites? The tribe of Joseph has two subgroups, Manasseh and Ephraim, which is why he’s given a double portion. So the list in Num. 1 had no reference to the tribe of Joseph but the two subgroups of the tribe of Joseph, which was Manasseh and Ephraim.

In 1 Chron. 2:1-2, the list is a genealogy of the sons of Israel, which matches perfectly Gen. 49.

In Num. 13, we have a list of the inheritance given to the tribes of Israel, which matches the war list in Num. 1. Why? Levi isn’t given an inheritance. The priesthood was their inheritance. Again, the math is corrected by Joseph’s two subgroups.

But the list of tribes in Rev. 7 doesn’t match anything that came before it. Dan is excluded. Levi is included. And when it comes to the tribe of Joseph, Joseph is included and Manasseh but not Ephraim.

Why is that?

David Reid’s conclusion was the same as others, like Bullinger. The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are excluded in Rev. 7 because they were responsible for introducing idolatry in Israel (Judg. 17-18). In Deut. 29:18-21, we read that the tribe who should introduce idolatry into Israel, “all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this law.” This meant that they’d be excluded from that divine protection and having 12,000 of its own members marked and sealed.

Yet, the names of the tribes on the twelve gates of New Jerusalem perfectly matches the original list in Gen. 49. In the end, all is restored as it was in the beginning.

I would also share that David O’Steen, in his notes on Revelation, suggested that the Antichrist will come out of the tribe of Dan because of Gen 49:17 which said that Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. I think it’s certainly possible, but I’d also say that that verse primarily condemns Dan for introducing idolatry into the nation of Israel.

The Great Multitude

One cannot talk about the 144,000 without also highlighting the last half of Rev. 7 and the millions of people who get saved as a result of their ministry.

Rev 7:9 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 (a symbol of victory); 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb (praising both Father and Son). 7:11 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, 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 7:14 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. 7:15 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 (the believing Gentiles saved by the blood through faith in Christ as a result of the ministry of the 144,000 will be in the presence of the Father forever serving Him in His temple – amazing). 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 7:17 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.

I’d say these passages are straightforward requiring little exegesis. For me, these are some of the most encouraging passages about the Tribulation. Are you afraid that loved ones who are unbelievers will never get saved if they miss the Rapture? You can have hope! Millions of people from all walks of life will get saved.

Remember that this chapter exists to answer the question at the end of chapter six, “Who shall be able to stand?” Those who’ll be able to stand are the 144,000. Why? Because they’re marked and sealed. Not only will the 144,000 be able to stand but also all those mentioned in the last half of chapter seven, the millions of people from all walks of life who got saved but died in the Tribulation. They all overcame the Tribulation by faith alone in Christ alone, their robes made white by the blood of Christ. All those millions of people who will get saved will be primarily the fruit of the ministry of those 144,000 Jews.

So the answer to the question, “Who shall be able to stand?”, are two events John witnesses in chapter seven. In the first half, John is on the Earth and sees the 144,000 getting marked. They will be able to stand. And then in the second half, John is in Heaven and sees all the souls who got saved primarily as a result of the ministry of the 144,000. The first half of the chapter is an event John sees at the beginning of the Tribulation. The last half of the chapter is an event John sees at the end of the Tribulation. The first event is on Earth. The second event is in Heaven.

This whole chapter is cause and effect.

John witnesses the preparations at the beginning of the Tribulation to protect the 144,000, and at the end of the Tribulation, he sees the fruit of their ministry, the millions and millions of people who got saved. Now having said all of that, I need to point out that the 144,000 aren’t the only ones who will evangelize during the Tribulation. I think the two witnesses will create converts through their ministry. I think many of the believing remnant will have opportunities to evangelize and will create converts. Plus, I think there will be many converts after the angel at the midway point flies around the globe and gives the Everlasting Gospel.

However, I’d characterize the 144,000 as the predominant driving force of evangelism on the Earth. They’re the ones who will inspire new converts to share the gospel of the kingdom with others. They’re the ones who will inspire all the believing remnant to take advantage of evangelistic opportunities. They are a giant influence on believers. They’re an inspiration and a driving force behind all evangelism on the Earth.

Let’s read Rev. 14:1-5.

Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

I have a hot take on these passages. The traditional, dispensational view is that sometime around the midway point, the 144,000 are raptured up into Heaven, and this is a portrait of them in Heaven singing to God.

None of that makes any sense to me.

The bigger context to these verses is the midway point of the Tribulation. The Abomination of Desolation has taken place. Millions of Jews are killed and captured. The believing remnant is on the run hiding in the mountains. Satan and his Antichrist have established their world government. They’re about the implement the Mark of the Beast. This is arguably the darkest period in all of Israel’s history. Nay, the history of the entire world. Satan has taken control of the Earth. Believers around the globe will be executed wholesale for not taking the Mark.

I think John is interjecting something he witnessed in the future to give believers hope, a visual that will stick in their minds to inspire them to endure. He shares with them something he sees in the future. He sees the Lord standing on Mount Zion here on the Earth. He sees the 144,000 worshipping the Lord, singing this gorgeous song only they can sing, while also at the same time hearing the approving voice of God and music coming down from Heaven.

Look again at Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

This is life after His Second Coming. This is the Messiah standing on Mount Zion on the Earth. Some would try to argue this must be a heavenly Mount Zion. There are no verses referencing a heavenly Mount Zion. Zion means “stronghold of Jerusalem.” Zion is part of Jerusalem here on the Earth, the City of David, the City of God. Well, some would argue from Heb. 8:5 that what we have on Earth are shadows of heavenly things. That only had to do with Israel’s religious life: tabernacles, temples, altars, thrones. The Holiest of Holies inside Solomon’s temple, the place where God literally resided, the place of His Shekinah glory was in a room deep inside the temple with walls covered with paintings of Cherubims. That was an earthly shadow of a heavenly reality. A plot of land is not an earthly shadow of a heavenly reality.

Look at Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven… John is not in Heaven. He is on the Earth hearing a voice come down from Heaven. John never, while he is in Heaven says, I heard a voice from heaven. You don’t say that. Of course, you heard a voice from heaven because you’re IN Heaven. You don’t say a voice is FROM Heaven when you are IN Heaven.

Consider, for example, when the two witnesses die in Rev. 11. We learn in Rev 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. When you say you hear a voice from Heaven, you’re on the Earth hearing this voice from another location and they’re identifying that other location – from Heaven.

John here, in Rev. 14, is sharing something he witnessed taking place here on the Earth, which is a portrait of this moment after the Lord’s Second Coming to give hope to the believers. Therefore, I believe the 144,000 will be on the Earth for the entire Tribulation.

Look at vs. 3. Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. And of course, the argument goes, “How do you explain the reference to the four beasts and the elders?” This means that the four beasts and the elders have relocated from the throne room in Heaven to stand before the Lord’s throne here on Mount Zion on the Earth. The four beasts and the elders will be with the Lord here on the earth all throughout His kingdom. That’s what that means.

A point also needs to be made about this new song. John wrote that the 144,000 sung as it were a new song before the throne. Notice that John says as it were. They sung as it were a new song. What does he mean by that? The expression “as it were” conveys that something was like something else. It’s descriptive of a similarity. “This thing over here was kinda like this other thing over here but it wasn’t that other thing.” In other words, the 144,000 were not singing a new song, but the way they sang that song was so extraordinary, it was like a new song. In fact, John would say, no man could learn that song. No man is capable of replicating the extraordinary way the 144,000 will sing that song.

Look at vs. 4. We’re given a bit more explanation of the 144,000. John writes, Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

First, we learn that they’re young, they’re male virgins, not defiled with women, meaning they were never corrupted by fornication, never had pre-marital relations with a woman. John writes, These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. The 144,000 will follow the Lord wherever He goes on the Earth in the kingdom.

That is just jaw-dropping.

If the Lord goes anywhere while He’s on this Earth, He’ll have a massive entourage with Him, including these amazing, young, pure, 144,000 Jewish males. Just picture that! John writes that they were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. What’s a firstfruit? Webster would say it’s the fruit or produce first matured and collected in any season. Or it’s the first profits of anything. Or it’s the first or earliest effect of anything, in a good or bad sense, as the first-fruits of grace in the heart, or the first-fruits of vice.

So is John talking about definition 1, 2, or 3?

YES.

The 144,000 are, essentially, the first converts of the Tribulation. How did they get saved? We don’t know. Perhaps the Rapture made them think, “You know what? Maybe I should study up on this Jesus person, because a Rapture clearly happened. Maybe there’s some merit to this Jesus.” Then they got saved. Or perhaps they were converted through the ministries of the two witnesses. Or perhaps the Lord spoke to each one of them directly and they got saved, just like Paul on the road to Damascus. Maybe they were called through dreams or visions. Who knows? Those are all possibilities. All we know is what John wrote. They were redeemed from among men, the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb. They were the first to get saved under the kingdom gospel in the Tribulation.

Reasons

All of this brings us back to the questions we asked at the beginning. Who are the 144,000? What role do they serve? Why do they exist in the book of Revelation? Why are they young, male virgins? I have a list of five points.

First, with respect to their purity and their youth, I don’t think any of those boys will have reached the age of accountability when this begins. God chooses to use them because A) He knows they’ll be the most effective as a driving force for evangelism. B) This is God’s style. The lame takes the prey. God loves to choose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty. C) Their youth represents the fact that they form the nucleus of the new nation of Israel. The Lord said in Mat 21:43, “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” In God’s eyes, a new Israel will be forged out of the fire of the Tribulation. This will be a nation of Hebrews who fervently believe and obey the instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the nucleus of that new nation of Israel will begin with the 144,000.

A second point to be made about the 144,000 is that they’ll restore Israel’s lost genealogy. When 12,000 from each of those tribes are marked and sealed, then everyone in Israel will be able to figure out what tribe they’re from, because all those 144,000 will have families.

Third, evidenced by what we covered in Revelation seven, the 144,000 will be a driving force of evangelism in the world. You remember how the Lord said in Mat 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” During the Lord’s earthly ministry, the gospel of the kingdom was to the Jews only. But during the Tribulation, the gospel of the kingdom will go global, offered to every person and every nation under the sun, and that’s primarily through the ministry of the 144,000.

All those millions who were saved at the end of Rev. 7 were fruits of their ministry! That whole chapter was cause and effect. The cause is the marked 144,000 and the effect is, in the last half of the chapter, the conversion of millions and millions of Gentiles, a massive victory for Christ.

Fourth, even beyond their evangelistic efforts, the 144,000 will be servants of God who will teach His righteousness to the world. Bullinger pointed out this verse: Isa 26:9, “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” I think that verse primarily means that the world will see the rightness of the Lord’s ways when He carries out judgment upon the Earth, which makes everyone witnessing His judgments a learning opportunity. The Lord’s judgments show the world the rightness of His ways.

But the 144,000 will also be teachers of the rightness of His ways in this time of judgment. The 144,000 will be models of the rightness of His ways. They’ll teach the world the rightness of His ways. They’ll be an example to everyone of what it means to be pure and to worship God. They’ll be an inspiration to all the other believers in the world. Herein is the contrast between the 144,000 and the two witnesses. Whereas the two witnesses will fulfill the duties of the prophets of old in warning the world about God’s judgments to come, the 144,000 will fulfill the duties of Israel as priests teaching the world about the rightness of God’s ways.

There’s a fifth and final point worth making. This is pure Joelology. I don’t have any verses to back this up. You consider the fact that at Pentecost, the disciples and believers were filled with the Spirit and possessed miraculous spiritual gifts. They spoke in tongues. Healed the sick. Prophesied. If the age of grace hadn’t happened, I think those believers from Pentecost would have brought with them those spiritual gifts into the Tribulation in order to evangelize the world. At the end of Joel 2 the pouring out of the Spirit is connected to the signs and wonders that will take place during the Tribulation.

I think it’s logical to conclude that the 144,000 will also be filled with the Spirit and possess miraculous spiritual gifts. Remember how we talked about chapter seven being cause and effect? The salvation of those millions of souls at the end of that chapter is because of the ministry of the 144,000 at the beginning of that chapter. There’s no way the 144,000 would be able to reach those millions of souls from all walks of life around the globe unless they had the gift of tongues. They will pick up where the Great Commission left off.

Consider how the Lord said in Mar 16:17-18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Consider when the Lord said, “if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.” Richard Church made the point that that miraculous ability will come in handy during the Tribulation because most of the world’s water supply will become poisoned, the lakes and oceans turning to blood. That won’t be a problem for the 144,000. They’ll be able to drink anything, and it’ll be as if they were drinking pure water.

Consider also the two witnesses who will be able to shoot fire out of their mouths. There’s no way they can do that without the special empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, I think the 144,000 will also be specially empowered with miraculous spiritual gifts.

Just imagine. You’re a Gentile who got hurt because of something that happened in the Tribulation. Then one of the 144,000 walks up to you. There’s something different about him. Something special. He has the Father’s name written on his forehead. He speaks to you in Hebrew and yet, you can understand him in your own language. And he heals you. And he shares with you the gospel of the kingdom. And he tells you about God’s love for you and perhaps teaches you something about the rightness of His ways and praises God. And in that moment, man, if that was me, I’d become a new believer just… like… that.