In Revelation 7, we are introduced to the 144,000 sealed servants of God. Controversy surrounds the identity of the 144,000 because they are said to come from an unusual listing of the 12 tribes of Israel. In this article, I will show how the book of Revelation reveals the identity of the 144,000.
The 144,000 sealed servants of God are all Christians between Jesus’ ascension and return. The seal placed on the foreheads identifies those who believe in Jesus as God’s people and protects God’s people from the wrath of God meted out in the trumpet and bowl plagues.
Revelation 7 is the first of three interludes in the book. Revelation 7 presents two scenes. The first scene is of 144,000 people who receive a seal on their foreheads (Rev 7:1–8). The second scene is of a great multitude from the entire world who have made it through “the great tribulation” because they have conquered (Rev 7:9–17). Although the focus of this article is the 144,000, the 144,000 cannot be fully understood without treating the great multitude in the second half of the interlude.
To discern the identity of the 144,000, I will first treat the seal on their forehead, followed by the meaning of the number 144,000, then the meaning of the list of tribes to which the 144,000 belong, the relationship between Revelation 7:1–7 and 7:8–17, and concluding with a summary and personal thoughts. Feel free to click on the hyperlinks to jump to a section.
I. The Seal on Forehead of the 144,000
The best place to begin ascertaining the identity of the 144,000 is not with the number or the list of tribes to which they belong, but with the “seal” or “mark” (σφραγίς) that the angel places on the 144,000 who are called “the servants/slaves of God” (τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ).
“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal [σφραγίς] of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed [σφραγίζω] the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”
REVELATION 7:1–3, emphasis added
The reason we should begin with the sealing of the 144,000 is because the sealing is mentioned first, before the number 144,000 or the list of tribes is introduced.
A. Those Who Have the Seal of God in Revelation
The 144,000 in Revelation 7:1–8 are said to have a “seal” or a “mark” (σφραγίς) on their foreheads: “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads” (Rev 7:3). There are four other places in the book of Revelation that mention God’s people who have a seal on their foreheads: Rev 3:12; 9:4; 14:1; 22:4. These passages will greatly aid us in identifying the 144,000. Let’s look at each passage, beginning with Revelation 14:1.
1. Revelation 14:1–5
Revelation 14:1–5 clearly speaks about the same people as in Revelation 7:1–8 because the number 144,000 is mentioned again. As such, we can be 100% certain that the people mentioned in Revelation 14:1–5 are the same as those in Revelation 7:1–8.
“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
REVELATION 14:1, emphasis added
Revelation 14:1–5 give us two new pieces of information that 7:1–8 does not. First, the seal on the foreheads of the 144,000 is identified. The seal is “his [the Lamb’s] name and his Father’s name” (Rev 14:1). This information is important because now we can scour the book of Revelation to see if it mentions the Lamb’s name or the Father’s name as a mark/seal or on the forehead. Unsurprisingly, Revelation does mention the Lamb’s name and the Father’s name in two other places: Revelation 3:12 and 22:4. I will treat these passages below.
The second piece of new information that Revelation 14:1–5 gives us about those who have the seal of God on their foreheads is that they have been “redeemed” (ἀγοράζω) as firstfruits for God and the Lamb from the earth:
“No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed [ἀγοράζω] from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed [ἀγοράζω] from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb.”
REVELATION 14:3b–4, emphasis added
The only other place in Revelation that speaks of a people being redeemed for God or the Lamb is the song of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders in Revelation 5:
“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed [ἀγοράζω] people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’”
REVELATION 5:9–10, emphasis added
Those who were ransomed (ἀγοράζω) for God are said to be from “every tribe and language and people and nation,” not solely blood Israelites. This language corresponds to the language of Revelation 7:9, which also mentions people from every “nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,” suggesting that (a) the 144,000 are all Christians and (b) that the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1–8 are the same people who are mentioned in Revelation 7:9–17.
Those who were ransomed (ἀγοράζω) for God are also said to be “a kingdom and priests to our God” (Rev 5:10). This language is used of all Christians in Revelation 1:6 and of those who will reign with Jesus in Revelation 20:6, suggesting that the sealed servants of God are all Christians (i.e., those who worship the Lamb):
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”
REVELATION 1:5b–6; 20:6, emphasis added
The language used in Revelation 14:1 is language that is used exclusively of all Christians, not a subset of Christians, such as Jews or Israelites. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that those who are sealed on their foreheads with the name of the Lamb and his Father are all Christians.
2. Revelation 3:12
At the end of Jesus’ message to the Christian church at Philadelphia, Jesus gives this promise:
“The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.”
REVELATION 3:12, emphasis added
The reference to having Jesus’ name and his Father’s name written on the conquerors is clearly a reference to the seal in Revelation 7:1–3, which is Jesus’ name and his Father’s name (Rev 14:1). Now that we have identified another passage in Revelation that mentions the seal that is put on the 144,000, we need to identify who the “conquerors” are in Revelation 3:12.
“The one who conquers” in Revelation 3:12 refers to those who remain faithful to Jesus (see my article on the central message to the seven churches here), which is all Christians. Not only that, but the message is given to Christians at Philadelphia in the first century AD, who were most likely Gentile Christians. There is nothing in Revelation 3:12 or the message to the church at Philadelphia that suggests those who will receive the name of Jesus and the Father are a subgroup of Christians, such as converted Jews. Rather, all Christians receive the name of Jesus and the Father, which means all Christians are sealed with the name of Jesus and his Father on their foreheads.
3. Revelation 9:4
In the midst of the fifth trumpet plague, which brings locust-demons upon the earth, the locust-demons are told the following:
“They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone.”
REVELATION 9:4–5, emphasis added
The locust-demons are commanded to torment all people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. At this point it becomes necessary to understand who the recipients of the trumpet and bowl plagues are. If the those who are sealed (the 144,000) are a sub-group of Christians, such as Jewish Christians, then this means that God is sending locust-demons upon some of his own people as well as the worshippers of the Beast. Hopefully it sounds odd to you for God to torment those who worship Jesus in the same way that he torments those who reject Jesus and worship the Beast. The reality is, God does not, will not, and would not torment his people. He disciplines, yes, but what is described in Revelation 9:1–11 is not discipline, it is punishment for sin.
What is actually happening in Revelation 9:4–5 is that God is telling the locust-demons not to torment his people all of whom have his seal on their foreheads. Instead, the locust-demons are to torment only the wicked, all of whom have the mark of the Beast (click here for my article on the mark of the Beast). That the trumpet and bowl plagues are intended for those who worship the Beast (i.e., everyone who does not worship Jesus) is made clear in Revelation 14:9–11 and 16:2.
Like the other passages that mention those who have the seal of God, Revelation 9:4 strongly suggests that the 144,000 who have the seal of God on their foreheads are all Christians, not a subset of Christians.
4. Revelation 22:4
The final passage that mentions those who have the seal of God, which is the name of the Lamb or the name of his Father on their foreheads, is Revelation 22:4, which is toward the end of the description of the New Jerusalem and those who enter into it:
“But nothing unclean will ever enter it [the New Jerusalem], nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city [the New Jerusalem]; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it [the New Jerusalem], and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”
REVELATION 21:27–22:4, emphasis added
Again, we have a clear reference to those who have the name of the Lamb and his Father on their foreheads, which reveals that the same group of people as discussed in Revelation 7:1–8 (the 144,000) are in view. Revelation 22:4 is clear that those have “his name . . . on their foreheads” are those who enter into the New Jerusalem, which 21:27 is clear are “those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” In other words, the sealed servants of God are all of God’s people because all of God’s people have their names written in the Lamb’s book of life and enter the New Jerusalem.
If the sealed servants of God (the 144,000) were a subset of Christians, then that means most Christians will never enter into the New Jerusalem and most Christians will never see the face of God. Is this really what Revelation is saying? No, Revelation is saying that all of God’s people have been sealed with the name of the Lamb and his Father, and all of God’s people will enter the New Jerusalem.
5. Summary
The first thing we are told about the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1–8 is that they are sealed on the forehead. Revelation 14:1 tells us that the seal is the name of the Lamb and his Father. Based on this information, there are a total of four other passages that refer to the 144,000: Revelation 3:12; 9:4; 14:1–5; and 22:4. These four passages are clear that those who receive the seal of God on their forehead, which is the name of the Lamb and his Father, are all of God’s people, those who worship the Lamb. The 144,000 sealed servants of God are not a subset of Christians, such as messianic-Jews, but are all Christians. As such, the number 144,000 must be symbolic.
B. The Purpose of the Seal of God
Based on the passages identified above that speak about the seal of God and those who have it (Rev 3:12; 7:1–8; 9:4; 14:1–5; 22:4), we can discern multiple purposes for the seal, which will enlighten us as to who is sealed and, thus, who the 144,000 are.
First, Revelation 3:12 and 22:4 reveal that the seal of God ensures those who have it will remain in God’s temple forever, which is the New Jerusalem. If those who are sealed (the 144,000) are only a subset of Christians, then only an extremely small segment of Jesus worshippers (Christians) have any guarantee of spending eternity with Christ. This is not what the New Testament or the book of Revelation teaches. Rather, those who are sealed are all Christians and they are the ones guaranteed to remain in God’s temple forever.
Second, Revelation 7:1–8; 9:4; 14:9; and 16:2 reveal that the seal of God protects those who have it from the trumpet and bowl plagues of Revelation, which is the wrath of God and of the Lamb poured out upon the wicked. Again, it is nonsensical that God would pour out his wrath on his own people who happen to not be part of a special subgroup of Christians just like he does the unrepentant wicked. Rather, the seal of God acts as a protection from God’s wrath, which makes sense because God’s wrath for sin was poured out upon Jesus on the cross. Thus, those who believe in Jesus do not bear the wrath of God for sins. This concept will come up again in the next section. For more information about the trumpet and bowl judgments, click here.
Third, Revelation 14:1 reveals that the seal of God marks those who belong to the Lamb and his Father. The seal is the name of the Lamb and his Father. As such, it indicates that those who have it belong to Lamb and his Father. Further, having the seal on the forehead also indicates that those who have it belong to Lamb and his Father. The Old Testament is clear that being marked on the forehead is a sign of allegiance. In Deuteronomy 6:8, God tells his people to bind his command to love Him on their hands and foreheads so that they never forget. In Deuteronomy 11:18, God commands his people to bind his instructions on their hands and foreheads as a sign of allegiance to Yahweh and as a reminder to always love and serve God with all their being. It would not make sense for God to mark some of his people with a seal indicating ownership and not all of his people.
Based on the purpose of the seal of God, we once again conclude that those who have it (the 144,000) are all Christians between Jesus’ ascension and return.
C. God’s Sealed Servants in the Old Testament
There are two passages in the Old Testament where God seals his people: Exodus 12:1–13 and Ezekiel 9:1–11. These two passages are important because both sealings involve protection from God’s wrath against sinners, much like the purpose of the seal of God in Revelation 7:1–8. A brief look at these two sealings will shed some light upon the sealing in the book of Revelation.
1. God’s People Sealed in Egypt: the Passover (Exodus 12:1–13)
The final plague against Pharaoh and Egypt who refuse to release God’s people from slavery so that they may serve him is the killing of all the firstborn in Egypt (Ex 11:1–10). To protect his people from the “plague” (πληγή; same word as used with the trumpet and bowl judgments in Revelation; Rev 9:18, 20; 15:1, 6, 8; 16:9, 21; 21:9), God commands all of his people to kill a lamb and put some of its blood “on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses” so that God will not pour out his wrath against his people by killing their firstborn, but against the wicked and sinful Egyptians (Ex 12:1–13). Thus, the blood of the lamb on the doorposts acts as a seal or a mark that identifies God’s people and protects them from God’s wrath expressed in the tenth plague.
The seal of God in the book of Revelation does the same things as the blood of the lamb at the first Passover. Both identify God’s people and protect God’s people from God’s “plagues” against the wicked. What is key to note about Exodus 12:1–13 is that all of God’s people receive the mark for protection, not some of God’s people. The analogy between the seal at Passover and the seal in Revelation suggests that the seal in Revelation is upon all of God’s people.
2. God’s People Sealed Prior to God’s Wrath (Ezekiel 9:1–11)
Throughout the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel the prophet is shown how idolatrous most of the Israelites are (see Ezekiel 8:1–18 for a great example). They have completely forsaken Yahweh and worship other gods. In chapter 9 of Ezekiel, Yahweh brings the sin of Israel upon their heads and kills all of the idolaters. However, prior to sending his executioners, Yahweh tells an angel to place a mark on the foreheads of those who have remained faithful to Him:
“And the LORD said to him, ‘Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.’ And to the others he said in my hearing, ‘Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity.’”
EZEKIEL 9:4–5, emphasis added
The mark on the forehead acts as a seal or mark that identifies God’s true people (those who actually worship him and are faithful to him) and protects them from God’s wrath, which falls upon those who worship false gods.
The seal of God in the book of Revelation does the same things as the seal of God in Ezekiel 9:1–11. Both are put on the forehead to identify God’s people and protect God’s people from God’s wrath against the wicked. What is key to note about Ezekiel 9:1–11 is that all of God’s people (i.e., those who worship and serve only him) receive the mark for protection, not some of God’s people. The analogy between the seal in Ezekiel 9 and the seal in Revelation suggests that the seal in Revelation is upon all of God’s people to identify them and protect them from God’s wrath.
The similarities between the sealing of God’s people in Exodus 12, Ezekiel 9, and Revelation 7 are almost identical. Just prior to God pouring out his wrath upon unrepentant sinners, he places a seal on his people that identifies them as belonging to God for their protection against God’s wrath. If God’s seal in Exodus 12 and Ezekiel 9 was upon all of God’s people, then it is likely that the seal of God in Revelation is also upon all of God’s people, which would mean that the 144,000 is symbolic for all Christians.
D. The Contrast between the Seal of God and the Seal of the Beast
Another key to identifying those who have the seal of God is contrasting it to the seal (or mark) of the Beast. In Revelation 13:16–18, the reader is introduced to the mark/seal of the Beast and those who have it. In the very next verse, Revelation 14:1, the book of Revelation moves from those who have the mark of the Beast to those who have the mark/seal of God. Mentioning the seal of God and those who have it immediately after the seal of the Beast and those who have it sets up a contrast between the two seals and those who have them. Thus, we can use our understanding of the mark of the Beast and who has it to help us identify who has the mark/seal of God.
| The Seal of the Beast | The Seal of God |
|---|---|
| The name “Beast” (13:17) | The name of the Lamb and his Father (14:1) |
| The number derived from the name “Beast” is 666 (13:18) | The number of the Godhead in Revelation is 777 (see article on mark of the Beast here) |
| On the forehead or right hand (13:16) | On the forehead (7:3; 14:1) |
| On all people who serve and worship the Beast, who is everyone who does not worship Jesus, the Lamb (13:2–18) | On “the servants of our God,” who “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (7:3; 14:4) |
If the mark of the Beast is on all people between Jesus’ ascension and return who serve and worship the Beast, which refers to all people who do not serve and worship Jesus (click here for my article on the mark of the Beast and how I came to this conclusion), then it is most likely that the mark of God is on all people between Jesus’ ascension and return who serve and worship the Lamb (Jesus), which would be everyone who does not have the mark of the Beast. This aligns with the book of Revelation’s unveiling that everyone on the planet is either a worshipper and servant of the Beast or a worshipper and servant of the Lamb (Rev 13:8). There is no middle ground and there is no third group. The book of Revelation does NOT present three groups of people: (1) Beast worshippers who have his mark, (2) Jesus worshippers who have his mark, and (3) Jesus worshippers who do not have any mark. Rather, all Jesus worshippers have the mark/seal of the Lamb and everyone else has the mark/seal of the Beast. The book of Revelation makes this contrast clear.
E. The Holy Spirit as the Seal of God
The book of Revelation clearly states that the seal of God upon the 144,000 servants of God is the name of the Lamb and his Father’s name (Rev 14:1). Thus, we can conclude that the seal is related to both Jesus (the Lamb) and the Father. In the Gospel of John, Jesus connects himself and the Father to the sending of the Holy Spirit:
“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
JOHN 14:23–26, emphasis added
In John 14:23, Jesus promises that both he and the Father will come to dwell with anyone who keeps Jesus’ word. Within the context of John 14, the way that Jesus and the Father dwell with his people is through the Holy Spirit. The connection between Jesus and the Father sending the Holy Spirit is strengthened three verses later in verse 26 when Jesus tells the apostles that the Father sends the Spirit in the name of Jesus. Not only does Jesus connect the sending of the Holy Spirit to both himself and the Father, but it is sent in the name of Jesus, the Lamb.
Thus, it is plausible that the seal is the Holy Spirit because the seal of God in the book of Revelation is the name of Jesus and his Father and because the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus and the Father according to John.
The connection between the seal of God in Revelation and the Holy Spirit is strengthened by the use of the verb “to seal” and its noun cognate. Revelation 7:2–3 says,
“Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal [σφραγίς] of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed [σφραγίζω] the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”
REVELATION 7:2–3, emphasis added
It should come as no surprise that the same verb, σφραγίζω, is used of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:13 to guarantee the believer’s inheritance:
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed [σφραγίζω] with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
EPHESIANS 1:13–14, emphasis added
The language in Ephesians 1:13–14 is similar to that used of the sealed servants of God throughout the book of Revelation.
Based on John 14:23–26 and Ephesians 1:13–14 (and other similar passages such as John 14:15–17), I am tentatively proposing that the seal of God in Revelation is the Holy Spirit who is sent to all believers by the Father in the name of Jesus to guarantee them protection so that they gain their inheritance.
If the seal of God in the book of Revelation is the Holy Spirit, then the 144,000 must be all Christians between Jesus’ ascension and return because all Christians have the Holy Spirit.
F. Summary of the Seal on the Forehead of the 144,000
Based on the passages that mention the sealed servants of God (Rev 3:12; 7:1–8; 9:4; 14:1–5; 22:4), the purpose of the seal, sealing in the Old Testament, the contrast of the seal of God with the seal/mark of the Beast, and a tentative proposal that the seal of God is the Holy Spirit, the 144,000 sealed servants of God must be all Christians between the ascension and return of Jesus. The seal identifies one as a worshipper and servant of the Lamb, as well as offers protection from God’s wrath that he pours out against the unrepentant sinners in the trumpet and bowl plagues.
II. The Meaning of the Number 144,000
If the sealed servants of God are all Christians between the ascension and return of Jesus, then why does John hear them numbered as 144,000?
“And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel“
REVELATION 7:4–8, emphasis added
The 144,000 are said to come “from every tribe of the sons of Israel.” The only other place in the book of Revelation where the multiples of 12 and 144 are present is in the description of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:9–22:5). Unsurprisingly, the phrase “sons of Israel” is also present.
In Revelation 21:12–13, the New Jerusalem, which is the city of the Lamb, is said to have 12 gates on which the names of the tribes of the sons of Israel are inscribed:
“It [the New Jerusalem] had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.”
REVELATION 21:12–13, emphasis added
According to Revelation 21:12–13, then, the names of the twelve tribes are written on the gates, one on each gate, not the names of every Israelite. Unfortunately, it is hard to come to the number 144,000 based on Revelation 21:12–13 alone.
The following verse, Revelation 21:14, provides the key to understanding the 144,000 in Revelation 7. Revelation 21:14 adds that the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem have the names of the 12 apostles on them:
“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
REVELATION 21:14, emphasis added
Thus, the New Jerusalem, the city of the Lamb, includes the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles of Jesus. When the two twelves are multiplied together, the number 144 emerges. The multiplication of the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles (144) refers to the fulness of God’s people drawn from the old and new covenants. When 144 is multiplied by 1000, we then get 144,000, the same number as Revelation 7:4. The number 1000 throughout the book of Revelation refers to a very large number. Thus, 12 x 12 x 1000 equals 144,000, which symbolically represents the full number of all God’s people.
In sum, the number 144,000 refers to the fulness of God’s people. Revelation 7:1–8 is stating that all of God’s people will be sealed and protected from the wrath of the Lamb. This interpretation is confirmed in Revelation 21:12–14, which states that all of God’s people from both covenants (12 tribes x 12 apostles) will be part of the New Jerusalem.
III. The Meaning of the Tribes Listed in Revelation 7:5–8
If the number 144,000 symbolically refers to the fulness of all of God’s people, then why does John list twelve actual tribes of Israel in Revelation 7:5–8? Before I answer this important question, it should be noted that the list of twelve tribes in Revelation 7:5–8 is unlike any list of the tribes of Israel in the Bible. Here is the list:
“12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
REVELATION 7:5–8, emphasis added
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.”
Note the following oddities in the above list of tribes:
- The order of tribes is unusual and unlike any ordering in the Bible.
- Judah is first, not Reuben the firstborn.
- Dan is missing.
- Ephraim is missing.
- Joseph is included. Jacob took Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own and they become tribes of Israel in place of Joseph (Gen 48:1–22). Thus, it is extremely odd to include Joseph and not Ephraim.
- Levi is included. The tribe of Levi is generally not included in the list of twelve tribes because it does not receive an inheritance since Yahweh is its inheritance (Exod 32:25–29; Num 3:1–51; Josh 14:3–4).
Many suggestions have been made as to the significance of the listing and ordering of the tribes in Revelation 7:5–8. I won’t go into all of those here (this article is long enough as it is!), but there are three that I want to address.
First (and most important), I believe that the highly unusual ordering of the tribes of Israel is intended to alert the reader to the fact that “Israel” in Revelation 7:4–8 refers to all of God’s people, whether Jew or Gentile, not just blood descendants of the twelve listed tribes. The reader is immediately alerted that something is wrong by the exclusion of Dan and Ephraim. However, by listing twelve actual tribes of Israel, John is in continuity with a common theme throughout the New Testament, which is that Gentiles who believe in Jesus are grafted into Israel and are rightly called “Israel” (John 15:1–11; Rom 4:1–24; 9:6–13; 10:5–13; 11:17–27; Gal 3:1–29). This is why Paul can at times call the church “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16). After the coming of Jesus, the mark of the people of God is faith in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile.
Second, Judah is most likely first because Jesus, the Lion-Lamb, comes from the tribe of Judah. Putting Judah first highlights that “Israel” are those who believe in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile.
Third, Dan is most likely missing from the list because of his association with idolatry (see Judg 18:14–31). The book of Revelation has a heavy emphasis on avoiding idolatry (Rev 2:14, 20; 9:20). Revelation is clear that no idolaters will enter the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:8; 22:15). Thus, it seems that Dan has been omitted to emphasize that God’s people have nothing to do with idolatry. Although, it should be noted that all the tribes of Israel have been heavily associated with idolatry, which is the reason all twelve tribes were exiled from their land.
In sum, the highly unusual ordering of the tribes of Israel, including putting Judah first and the absence of two tribes (Ephraim and Dan), suggests that the list of tribes does not refer to those individuals who are actually descended from these tribes, but to all of God’s people, whether Jew or Gentile, who are considered “Israel” in the New Testament.
IV. The Relationship of the 144,000 with the “Great Multitude” in Revelation 7
The final area we need to explore in order to identify and understand the 144,000 sealed servants of God in Revelation 7:1–8 is their relationship with the “great multitude” in 7:9–17. The key to determining the relationship between these two groups is determining the place in salvation history to which the events in Revelation 7:1–8 and 7:9–17 belong.
Revelation 7:1–8 reveals God sealing all of his people prior to pouring out his wrath upon the wicked who do not believe in Jesus. The seal of God identifies all of God’s people as belonging to him and protects all of God’s people from the trumpet and bowl judgments. As such, Revelation 7:1–8 reveals God’s actions shortly after Jesus’ ascension and before the Lamb pours out God’s wrath.
Revelation 7:9–17, on the other hand, reveals all of God’s people after God has poured out his wrath through the trumpet and bowl judgments and after God’s enemies have been cast into the Lake of Fire:
“Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
REVELATION 7:13–17, emphasis added
The language describing the “great multitude” in Revelation 7:9–17 is similar to what is said of God’s people after God’s wrath has been poured out on those who do not believe in and worship Jesus (see Rev 7:17 and 21:4 for one example).
What we have in Revelation chapter 7 is God promising to protect his people from his own wrath in 7:1–8 and then God fulfilling that promise in 7:9–17. This is theologically significant. Revelation 7:1–8 promises that God will protect his people from his wrath and will ensure that his people will enter the New Jerusalem. John then sees a vision of the distant future in 7:9–17 that proves God honours his promise made in 7:1–8.
Understanding what Revelation 7:1–17 is doing with regards to salvation history helps us identify the 144,000 in verses 1–8. The “great multitude” of Revelation 7:9–17 is clearly all of God’s people, who have been made clean by the blood of the Lamb (this is virtually uncontested). Because the two halves of Revelation 7 are speaking about the same group of people, the clear identity of the “great multitude” in 7:9–17 reveals that the 144,000 of 7:1–8 are all of God’s people.
V. Summary and Concluding Thoughts
The first descriptor of the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1–8 is that they are the servants of God who have been sealed with a mark/seal on their foreheads (7:2–3). When one looks at all the passages in the book of Revelation that mention the servants of God who have the seal of God, it is undeniable that the 144,000 are all Christians between the ascension and return of Jesus.
The second descriptor is the number 144,000. The number 144,000 is the sum of 12 x 12 x 1000, which equals 144,000. The first 12 represents all of God’s people under the Sinai Covenant, while the second 12 represents all of God’s people under the New Covenant. The number 1000 represents a very large number. As such, 144,000 symbolically represents the full number of God’s people.
The third descriptor of the 144,000 is that they make up Israel, represented by a list of twelve tribes. The list is unusual in both its ordering of the tribes and in that it does not mention two tribes (Dan and Ephraim), while adding Joseph and Levi. The unusualness of the list of tribes suggests the 144,000 does not come from each descendant, but that all of God’s people are considered “Israel,” something that the wider New Testament clearly confirms.
Finally, the 144,000 in Revelation 7:1–8 are the same group of people as the “great multitude” in 7:9–17. Revelation 7:1–8 reveals God placing a seal, or a mark, on the foreheads of all his people after the ascension of Jesus into heaven. The seal/mark identifies God’s people as belonging to him and protects all of God’s people from his coming wrath. The following passage, 7:9–17, is a vision of the period after God’s wrath has come and shows all of God’s people in their fulness safe and living with the Lord God. Revelation 7:9–17 reveals that God’s seal does indeed protect God’s people and that all who have the seal will dwell with him forever. Since the “great multitude” in 7:9–17 are clearly all of God’s people in their fulness, the 144,000 must also be all of God’s people in their fulness.
It seems clear that when the 144,000 are interpreted within the context of the entire book of Revelation, the 144,000 sealed servants of God can only be all of God’s people (i.e., those who believe in Jesus and worship him alone) from the ascension of Jesus to the return of Jesus. This means that all the Christians in John’s day were sealed by God, all the Christians today are sealed by God, and all the Christians leading up to Jesus’ return will be sealed by God.
Identifying the 144,000 sealed servants of God is extremely important for God’s people. If the 144,000 does not refer to all Christians, then we Christians who are not sealed would bear the full weight of God’s wrath alongside the wicked unrepentant sinners. This flies in the face of the gospel, which claims all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus (his death and resurrection) will not bear any of God’s wrath because it was borne by Jesus on the cross. Rather, Revelation chapter 7 is stating that all who worship the Lamb will receive a mark that protects them from God’s wrath. This is good news for all Christians because it is better to fall into the wrath of men or Satan than into the wrath of God:
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
MATTHEW 10:28
In the book of Revelation, Jesus reveals the mark that all Christians have (Rev 7:1–8), and gives John a vision of the distant future that proves God will protect his people and ensure they enter the New Jerusalem to dwell with him forever (7:9–17). This is good news that should make all Christians of all periods rejoice!
