Are the 144000 in Revelation Named Literally or Symbolically?

Many claim that the 144,000 sealed in Revelation chapter 7 provide proof of a pre-tribulation rapture. But could the 144,000 sealed from the twelve tribes of Israel be a reference to a symbolic group of people whose identity is no proof of a pre-tribulation rapture at all?

Revelation 7:1-8: “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. 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, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 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. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 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. 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. 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.”

Believers in a pre-tribulation rapture typically assume that these 144,000 are naturally Jewish people who will come to faith in Christ immediately after the rapture happens and right as the period of great tribulation begins. They assume that these will also compose an army sent out to evangelize the world during that time.

Note then in Revelation 7:1-8 that the servants of God on earth at the time of the sealing are the 144,000. No one else is sealed besides these. The pre-tribulation believers claim all the living believers beforehand were raptured out of the world before the 144,000 turned to Jesus. This means that anyone who claims that the 144,000 are Jews who come to faith in Christ after the alleged pre-tribulation rapture are claiming that they will do so before anyone else at all during the tribulation period. Do those who make this claim have any idea how hard it is for a Jewish person to really believe in Jesus Christ (beyond the great difficulty involved in that for anyone)? Jews are also much less than 1 percent of the world’s population.

What are the odds of 144,000 people of any group that composes less than 1 percent of humanity believing in Jesus in a span of time which not even one person of the other 99 percent of humanity does?

Even being extra generous and saying that Jews are a full one percent of earth’s population when the great tribulation begins, the odds of the first 144,000 people to believe in Jesus afterwards all being Jewish is 1 in 10 to the 288,000th power. This probability written out would contain 287,999 zeros after the decimal point before you see another number. Even the odds of a 1 in 100 outcome happening 144 times in a row is much less likely to occur than a person picking a specific atom out of all the atoms in the universe. This impossible probability also turns the tables back on those who use Revelation 9:4-6 to claim a pre-tribulation rapture since this probability demonstrates how absurd it is to say that the 144,000 are natural Jews who come to Christ at the beginning of the tribulation.

Some will claim that the 144,000 Jews coming to faith in Christ before all others is a supernatural work. But how would this not override human agency altogether? This claim is basically an endorsement of Calvinism since it is essentially a statement that there is zero human agency whatsoever involved in faith in Christ. Why had none of these 144,000 not come to Jesus before the tribulation? And why will the other 99 percent-plus of humanity be barred from coming to Jesus within the time that these 144,000 will? Any who stand by this claim might as well profess to be Calvinists and try to defend Calvinism too.

And continuing with statistics, consider also the amazing coincidence of exactly 12,000 people from each of the tribes of Israel coming to faith in Jesus to compose this alleged non-symbolic number of Jewish believers. Moreover, there is no reliable way to track who is a natural descendant of which tribe of Israel now anyways. 10 of the 12 tribes were mostly lost through the Assyrian captivity (in the 8th century BC).

Does the Lord even distinguish now between Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ? No. Faithful believers in Jesus are God’s children. They are the true Israel in His eyes- whether they are naturally Jews or Gentiles (see Romans 9:6-8, Galatians 3:26-29, Galatians 6:16, Ephesians 2:11-22, etc). Since Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ and make up His people, and since His people is the true Israel (as is proven by the verses just referenced), then why would these 144,00 have to all be naturally Jewish people? They wouldn’t have to be.

All of these things taken together make it common sense that the 144,000 sealed in Revelation chapter 7 is a symbolic number of the believers in Israel’s Messiah rather than a literal number representing 12,000 natural descendants of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The number 12 obviously represents divine governmental authority and completion. 12 times 12 equals 144; and 144 times 1,000 equals 144,000. Multiplying a number by itself can communicate stability while multiplying that number by 1,000 can communicate magnitude and greatness.

There is sufficient reason to say that the 144,000 who are sealed simply represent every one of the servants of the true God who enter into the tribulation period. When the wrath of God is poured out upon the world during the tribulation period, these will be protected from His wrath- along with anyone who comes to faith in Christ during the tribulation period (as they remain faithful to Him). Yet those who remain faithful will be persecuted by man and many of them will be killed. It is also reasonable to believe that the multitude that no man could number in Revelation 7:9-10 is John witnessing with his eyes those of the symbolic 144,000 (which he had heard of in Revelation 7:4-8) that endured in faith during the tribulation period and inherited salvation- along with those who believed in Christ after the tribulation began which also endured.

That at least makes a lot more sense than the wacky assumptions made in relation to the 144,000 by the pre-tribulation rapture teachers which don’t even align with the rest of what is written in Revelation and in the rest of the Bible.

Consider now what is written in Revelation chapter 14.

Revelation 14:1-5: “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 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. 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. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

It is common sense that these being labeled as virgins can only add to the mountain of evidence that there is much symbolism used in relation to the 144,000. These being called virgins obviously represents their spiritual purity. That includes their purity in terms of not being defiled with idolatry and with corrupt religious practices in general. Later on in Revelation 17:5 we read of the corrupt religious entity which is symbolized by a woman and called “Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.”

Those who will be redeemed in the end through Christ will have come out from unrighteous yokes (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 and Revelation 18:4-5). Those who cling to corrupt religious practices are defiled by women in the sense that the 144,000 are said not to be. The 144,000 are obviously not sexually immoral either (see Revelation 21:8). These things cannot be separated from following the Lamb wherever He goes. These things are also not optional for inheriting salvation. The description of the 144,000 in Revelation 14 is not speaking of a higher spirituality than what is required to be spared from God’s wrath through the blood of Christ on Judgment Day.

Titus 2:11-14: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity (or, lawlessness), and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

2 Peter 3:9-14: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (or, conduct) and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

Also in relation to how the 144,000 are described in Revelation chapter 14: Any and all who will be redeemed on Judgment Day will be among the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. The very term first-fruits is speaking of a distinct people set apart to the Lord which demonstrates His righteous ways as a result of properly responding to His grace (see James 1:18 and read the surrounding counsel). Those who obtain His grace are those who enter the narrow way to life as a result of responding as He has prescribed to His grace in Jesus Christ. Those who will ultimately be redeemed are those who endure in that narrow way. The Apostles therefore exhorted new believers in Jesus to continue in the grace of God (see Acts 11:23, Acts 13:43, and Acts 14:21-22). True repentance requires forsaking guile. This, by the grace of God, results in not having guile in one’s mouth as the 144,000 are said not to have in Revelation 14:5.

Revelation 22:14-15: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

Matthew 3:7-12: “But when he (John the Baptist) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

We’re required to turn to get in line with Christ and walk by faith in Him with His commandments as our guide to exercising faith in order to be washed in His atoning blood. What happens in the verses immediately after the 144,000 are described in Revelation chapter 14 is not placed in the Bible randomly.

Revelation 14:6-7: “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”