Who Are The 144,000?

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. 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: 

and they sang as it were a new song before the 

throne, and before the four beast, and the elders: 

and no man could learn that song but the hundred 

and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed 

from the earth. These are they which were not

defiled with woman; 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. And 

in their mouth was found no guile: for they are 

without fault before the throne of God.

Revelation 14:1-5

     The number 144,000 has caused much controversy among those who claim to be Christian. The Jehovah Witnesses claim that they have the answer: Do they? Due to the fact that this number 144,000 is a hallmark doctrine of this cult I must address this so that we have a clear understanding. Remember: we are to be ready to give an answer for our faith to anyone who asks, but to do so with meekness and fear (1Peter 3:15).

     The teaching by Jehovah Witnesses is that only 144,000 people will get to go to heaven. God chooses these 144,000 and that this choosing began in the first century and was completed by the year 1935. The beginning of the Watchtower in 1879 and until 1935 only faithful Jehovah Witnesses were chosen. All others will remain for eternity on earth. Those not faithful will be destroyed. Those destroyed would also include any Jehovah Witness that had been disfellowshipped and not return to good graces with the Watchtower Society before Armageddon. What was their basis for such a teaching? It is based on Revelation 7:1-9.

      Is there a flaw in this teaching? First, the Watchtower takes a literal 144,000 in verse 4 but the numbers in verses 5-8 they say are figurative. They give no reason as to why they take 144,000 to be literal and say that verses 5-8 are figurative because the 12 tribes mentioned earlier do not match the 12 tribes of Israel. This a convenient way to support their theology and to say that verse 4 is literal and verses 5-8 are figurative then a problem arises. Only descendents of one of the tribes of Israel or of one of the tribes mentioned. Critical thinking must be used here and question the motive to choose one passage to be literal and the other to be figurative.

     What if they are correct? Let us critically examine if that is true. Jehovah Witnesses say that only 144,000 people go to heaven and it started with the Apostles. Jehovah Witnesses say that in 1935 52,465 of the 144,000 were still alive. This then means that God could only have chosen 91,535 faithful Christians and in the 1800 years that had passed this is all He could find to bring to heaven. Now here is something to ponder: in 56 years God was able to find 52,465. This does not seem reasonable that through all the preaching God would only have reached 91,535 and this does not take into account the next 1700 years. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that the 144,000 would have been filled long before1879 and this in the first century. Let us use a Scriptural example: "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. The they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellow ship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear  came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles. And all htat believed were together, and had all thins common; and sold their possessions and good, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with  one accord in the temple, ad breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved " (Acts 2:40-47). God was adding daily to the Church and at one time 3,000 people so it would seem that God would have reached the number 144,000 rather quickly. Acts 5:12-16 mentions that more were added: God was at work. Read Fox's Book of Martyrs and you will see that thousand of faithful Christians were killed. The World Christian Encyclopedia estimates that be the year 100 A.D. there were some 1 million out of a population of 181 million and even if their estimates are off by 80% the number of Christians would have exceeded 144,000. If we follow the logic of Jehovah Witnesses we would have to say that God took time off choosing people to go to heaven and was saving this choosing until the Watchtower began by Charles Taze Russell. Now from 1879 -1935 God only chose those who were associated with the Watchtower Society.

      the absurdity of it all tasks my mind to say what Jehovah Witnesses say and not to have Scriptural support. Remember the Watchtower Society claims that the 144,00 had been sealed by 1935 and the age to be sealed was 35 years of age. If that is true that the number 144,000 was complete in 1935 why then does that number continue to increase? How does the Watchtower address this problem? They tell their constituents to not be concerned if a person begins to take of the emblems on Nisan 14, God knows who He as chosen. That is convenient to say that the number was complete then when it was shown that that could not be the case to say then that God must have chosen some but not others before 1935. A problem is that the Watchtower Society tells that those who wee sealed in 1935 would live to see the end of the world. Well, is that was true then how? Those people would be who were 35 would have to be 116 years of age in 2016. This theory of theirs is absurd and falls apart on all fronts. What new theory will the Watchtower Society come up with to meet this new problem? We will have to wait and see.

     The way to resolve difficulties is to examine the words and their uses in Scripture and in other writings. Notice the word "virgin" and wonder if this word means to be without sexual intercourse, to be celibate as it is with Roman Catholics. The numbers used in these verses are figurative so we must look at other words such as virgin and it is true that it does mean to be celibate, but more, it also means the "Church" as to what Paul wrote: "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2Corinthians 11:2). We cannot use proof phrases to prove our theology, we must use the Bible. The Bible teaches that all faithful Authentic Christians will go to heaven, not just 144,000. All those in heaven will sing a new song, say new things, before the throne of God. These in heaven will have salvation and be without sin, without guile. The faithful will not have committed fornication with the world, and now after repentance have become clean before God and will follow Jesus Christ the Lamb for eternity. Christians, those who have died and will die before the coming of Jesus Christ, the firstfruits in heaven, the redeemed will gladly worship God. We who await our turn to go to heaven can now worship God in spirit and truth, we can now sing a new song for we are redeemed. Time will come when we are at the throne of God in heaven. Until then: we sanctify ourselves by following the Lamb, that is His commandments. 

Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts,

    the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me

of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.

     .....

Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, 

           and her converts with righteousness

                                Isaiah 1:24, 27

You are of the redeemed: Heaven awaits you

Richard L. Crumb