1. Who Are The 144,000?Who Are The 144,000?
The Twelve Tribes of Israel

2. Who are the 144,000?Who are the 144,000?
Revelation 7: 1-4
[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.

3. Who are the 144,000?Who are the 144,000?
Revelation 7: 5-8Revelation 7: 5-8
 Judah
 Reuben
 Gad
 Asher
 Naphtali
 Manasseh
 Simeon
 Levi
 Issachar
 Zebulun
 Joseph
 Benjamin

4. Are the 144,000 literalAre the 144,000 literal
Israelites?Israelites?
 There were actually 13 tribes (Genesis 48: 5)
– Joseph was numbered twice through his 2 sons (Manasseh and
Ephraim)
 Levites were excluded from census (Numbers 1:49) and
receiving territory (Deut. 10: 8, 9, 18:1)
 10 of the 12 tribes were carried away by Assyrians in 722
B.C. (2 Kings 17: 6)
 God divided the promised land in proportion to each tribe's
needs. The 12 tribes were very unequal in population
numbers -- Judah was very large, while Benjamin was very
small.

5. Who Makes up the 144,000?Who Makes up the 144,000?
God's promises to literal Israel now apply to
spiritual Israel. Since the year A.D. 34, the
prophecies and attention of Scripture have
focused on the children of faith-either Jew or
Gentile.
– "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is
that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he
is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit." Romans 2:28, 29.
– "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29.

6. The 12 Tribes of IsraelThe 12 Tribes of Israel
As listed in
Genesis 29: 32 - Genesis 35:18
1. Reuben
2. Simeon
3. Levi
4. Judah
5. Dan
6. Naphtali
7. Gad
8. Asher
9. Issachar
10. Zebulun
11. Joseph
12. Benjamin
13. Manasseh
14. Ephraim
As listed in
Revelation 7: 5-8
1. Judah
2. Reuben
3. Gad
4. Asher
5. Naphtali
6. Manasseh
7. Simeon
8. Levi
9. Issachar
10. Zebulun
11. Joseph
12. Benjamin

7. The Lost TribesThe Lost Tribes
 "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder [viper] in
the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall
fall backward" (Genesis 49:17)
– In the Bible, a serpent is a symbol of Satan. The critical,
backbiting nature of Dan aligned this tribe with the kingdom of
Satan instead of the kingdom of God.
 "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone" (Hosea 4:17).
– The tribe of Ephraim had forsaken the God of Israel and had
embraced paganism.
Hence, Ephraim and Dan are left out of the 144,000.

8. What’s in a Name?What’s in a Name?
1. Judah = "I will praise the Lord"
2. Reuben = "He has looked on me"
3. Gad = "Granted good fortune"
4. Asher = "Happy am I"
5. Naphtali = "My wrestling"
6. Manasseh = "Making me to forget"
7. Simeon = "God hears me"
8. Levi = "Joined to me"
9. Issachar = "Purchased Me"
10. Zebulun = "Dwelling"
11. Joseph = "God will add to me"
12. Benjamin = "Son of His right hand"

9. What’s in a Name?What’s in a Name?
Now notice what happens when the meaning of the names are
combined, in the same order, into a paragraph
"I will praise the Lord for He has looked on me and
granted good fortune. Happy am I because my wrestling
God is making me to forget. God hears me and is joined to
me. He has purchased me a dwelling. God will add to me
the Son of His right hand."
(The words in italics are supplied to complete each thought.)
These names describe the story of the church's struggle,
redemption, victory, and marriage to the Lamb.

10. Is 144,000 a Literal Number?Is 144,000 a Literal Number?
12 gates in the Holy City?
12 foundations in the Holy City?
12 different kinds of fruit on the Tree of Life?
12 Disciples?
12 Tribes of Israel?
Our understanding of the dimensions of the New Jerusalem is
likewise based upon the assumption that these numbers are
real.
The 144,000 in the last days are spiritual Jews, scattered
across the circle of the earth and leading out in a magnificent
revival.

11. Is 144,000 a Literal Number?Is 144,000 a Literal Number?
If this number is not just a symbol, then will the
144,000 be the only ones saved in the last days? And
if only 144,000 will be saved, then what are my
chances?"
The Bible does not teach that the 144,000 are to be
the only ones saved in the last days.
–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;
Revelation 7:9.

12. Who Are The 144,000?Who Are The 144,000?
 Revelation 7: 13-14
– [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.
 The Bible speaks of two great tribulations in prophecy -- one, the
papal persecution of the Dark Ages, when millions of Christians
were slain. But the primary "great tribulation" must refer to the
time just before Christ's second coming, as referred to in Daniel
12: 1
– [1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which
standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of
trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:
and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be
found written in the book.

13. The Number 12The Number 12
 12 patriarchs from Seth to Noah
 12 patriarchs from Shem to Jacob
 12 spies led the way to the promised land
 12 judges from Othniel to Samuel
 12 precious stones on Aaron’s breastplate (Exodus 39: 14)
 12 foundations to New Jerusalem (Rev. 21: 19)
 12 gates to New Jerusalem with 12 angels (Rev. 21: 12)
Revelation 21: 16, 17:
 16] And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the
breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand
furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
 [17] And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and
four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

14. The Number 12The Number 12
 King David appointed 24 groups of 12 (a total of 288) to lead
music of praise in the temple (1 Chronicles 25).
 24 elders (two groups of 12) who sit around the throne of God.
(Revelation 4: 4)
– This represents the 12 tribes of the Old Testament and the
12 apostles of the New Testament.
 Jesus promised His disciples, "Ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19:28) and
made the same promise to those who overcome (Rev. 3: 21)
 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a
crown of twelve stars (Revelation 12: 1)
– The 12 stars above the woman's head are a symbol of the inspired
leadership of the church (1 Corinthians 11:10).

15. Mission of the 144,000Mission of the 144,000
 The 144,000 live during the last age of the church and share
the experience of the early apostles.
 At the time of His first coming, Jesus chose 12 men whose
primary mission was to reach Israel.
 In the last days, Jesus will use 144,000 (12 times 12,000)
spiritual apostles, whose primary mission is to reach the
world with the news of His second coming.
 A great multitude will be converted by the influence and
preaching of the 144,000 following the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit in the latter rain.
 Revelation 14:4 proclaims of the 144,000: "These are they
which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he
goeth."

16. Mission of the 144,000Mission of the 144,000
 Acts chapter 1 describes an interesting sequence of events
that took place just before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
in the former rain.
– First, the disciples focused on Jesus (verses 10, 11).
– Then they prayed and put aside their differences (verses 13, 14).
– Finally, they chose Matthias to replace Judas, the apostle who had
died (verses 16-26).
 Notice that as soon as the number 12 was complete, the
Holy Spirit was poured out in the Upper Room (Acts 2).

17. Mission of the 144,000Mission of the 144,000
Even now, Jesus is training an army of special
forces to lead in this final mission of rescuing
God's children, who have become Satan's
prisoners of war.
If we desire to be among those who follow the
Lamb throughout eternity, we must first learn
to follow Him here, now.
Then together we can sing the song of Moses
and the Lamb.