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The Apologists  Bible Commentary

 

 

Revelation 7

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4

And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

 

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From Barnes Notes...

And I heard the number of them which were sealed - He does not say where he heard that, or by whom it was communicated to him, or when it was done. The material point is, that he heard it; he did not see it done. Either by the angel, or by some direct communication from God, he was told of the number that would be sealed, and of the distribution of the whole number into twelve equal parts, represented by the tribes of the children of Israel.

And there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel - In regard to this number, the first and the main question is, whether it is meant that this was to be the literal number, or whether it was symbolical; and, if the latter, of what it is a symbol:

I. As to the first of these inquiries, there does not appear to be any good reason for doubt. The fair interpretation seems to require that it should be understood as symbolical, or as designed not to be literally taken; for:

(a) the whole scene is symbolical - the winds, the angels, the sealing.

(b) It cannot be supposed that this number will include all who will be sealed and saved. In whatever way this is interpreted, and whatever we may suppose it to refer to, we cannot but suppose that more than this number will be saved.

(c) The number is too exact and artificial to suppose that it is literal. It is inconceivable that exactly the same number - precisely twelve thousand - should be selected from each tribe of the children of Israel.

(d) If literal, it is necessary to suppose that this refers to the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. But on every supposition this is absurd. Ten of their tribes had been long before carried away, and the distinction of the tribes was lost, no more to be recovered, and the Hebrew people never have been, since the time of John, in circumstances to which the description here could be applicable. These considerations make it clear that the description here is symbolical. But,

II. Of what is it symbolical? Is it of a large number, or of a small number? Is it of those who would be saved from among the Jews, or of all who would be saved in the Christian church - represented as the “tribes of the children of Israel?” To these inquiries we may answer:

(1) that the representation seems to be rather that of a comparatively small number than a large one, for these reasons:

(a) The number of itself is not large.

(b) The number is not large as compared with those who must have constituted the tribes here referred to - the number twelve thousand, for example, as compared with the whole number of the tribe of Judah, of the tribe of Reuben, etc.

(c) It would seem from the language that there would be some selection from a much greater number. Thus, not all in the tribes were scaled, but those who were sealed were “of all the tribes” - ek pasês phulês; that is, out of these tribes. So in the specification in each tribe ek phulês Iouda, Roubên, etc. Some out of the tribe, to wit, twelve thousand, were sealed, It is not said of the twelve thousand of the tribes of Judah, Reuben, etc., that they constituted the tribe, but that they were sealed out of the tribe, as a part of it preserved and saved. “When the preposition ek, or “out of,” stands after any such verb as sealed, between a definite numeral and a noun of multitude in the genitive, sound criticism requires, doubtless, that the numeral should be thus construed as signifying, not the whole, but a part taken out” (Elliott, i. 237). Compare Exo_32:28; Num_1:21; 1Sa_4:10. The phrase, then, would properly denote those taken out of some other and greater number - as a portion of a tribe, and not the whole tribe. If the reference here is to the church, it would seem to denote that a portion only of that church would be sealed.

(d) For the same reason the idea would seem to be, that comparatively a small portion is referred to - as twelve thousand would be comparatively a small part of one of the tribes of Israel; and if this refers to the church, we should expect to find its fulfillment in a state of things in which the largest proportion would not be scaled; that is, in a corrupt state of the church in which there would be many professors of religion, but comparatively few who had real piety.

(2) to the other inquiry - whether this refers to those who would be sealed and saved among the Jews, or to those in the Christian church - we may answer:

(a) that there are strong reasons for supposing the latter to be the correct opinion. Long before the time of John all these distinctions of tribe were abolished. The ten tribes had been carried away and scattered in distant lands, never more to be restored; and it cannot be supposed that there was any such literal selection from the twelve tribes as is here spoken of, or any such designation of twelve thousand from each. There was no occasion - either when Jerusalem was destroyed, or at any ether time - on which there were such transactions as are here referred to occurring in reference to the children of Israel.

(b) The language is such as a Christian, who had been by birth and education a Hebrew, would naturally use if he wished to designate the church. Compare the notes on Jam_1:1. Accustomed to speak of the people of God as “the twelve tribes of Israel,” nothing was more natural than to transfer this language to the church of the Redeemer, and to speak of it in that figurative manner. Accordingly, from the necessity of the case, the language is universally understood to have reference to the Christian church. Even Prof. Stuart, who supposes that the reference is to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, interprets it of the preservation of Christians, and their flight to Pella, beyond Jordan. Thus interpreted, moreover, it accords with the entire symbolical character of the representation.

(c) The reference to the particular tribes may be a designed allusion to the Christian church as it would be divided into denominations, or known by different names; and the fact that a certain portion would be sealed from every tribe would not be an unfit representation of the fact that a portion of all the various churches or denominations would be sealed and saved. That is, salvation would be confined to no one church or denomination, but among them all there would be found true servants of God. It would be improper to suppose that the division into tribes among the children of Israel was designed to be a type of the sects and denominations in the Christian church, and yet the fact of such a division may not improperly be employed as an illustration of that; for the whole church is made up not of any one denomination alone, but of all who hold the truth combined, as the people of God in ancient times consisted not solely of any one tribe, however large and powerful, but of all combined. Thus understood, the symbol would point to a time when there would be various denominations in the church, and yet with the idea that true friends of God would be found among them all.

(d) Perhaps nothing can be argued from the fact that exactly twelve thousand were selected from each of the tribes. In language so figurative and symbolical as this, it could not be maintained that this proves that the santo definite number would be taken from each denomination of Christians. Perhaps all that can be fairly inferred is, that there would be no partiality or preference for one more than another; that there would be no favoritism on account of the tribe or denomination to which anyone belonged; but that the seal would be impressed on all, of any denomination, who had the true spirit of religion. No one would receive the token of the divine favor because he was of the tribe of Judah or Reuben; no one because he belonged to any particular denomination of Christians. Large numbers from every branch of the church would be sealed; none would be sealed because he belonged to one form of external organization rather than to another; none would be excluded because he belonged to any one tribe, if he had the spirit and held the sentiments which made it proper to recognize him as a servant of God. These views seem to me to express the true sense of this passage. No one can seriously maintain that the writer meant to refer literally to the Jewish people; and if he referred to the Christian church, it seems to be to some selection that would be made out of the whole church, in which there would be no favoritism or partiality, and to the fact that, in regard to them, there would be some something which, in the midst of abounding corruption or impending danger, would designate them as the chosen people of God, and would furnish evidence that they would be safe.

The above selection is from Barnes Notes

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Jehovah's Witnesses

 

objectionThe following is from Wikipedia.org from the article "Faithful and Discreet Slave":

Jehovah's Witnesses believe only 144,001 humans (including Jesus) are ever going to be rewarded with immortal heavenly life as spirit creatures. They teach that Jesus was the first to be rewarded in this way, but that Revelation 7:4 and Revelation 14:1, 3 refer to a literal number (144,000) of additional people who will become "self-sustaining," that is, not needing anything outside themselves (food, sunlight, etc.) to maintain their own life. (Insight on the Scriptures Vol. 1 p. 1196: "Incorruption")

Collectively, these 144,000 are believed to be the "little flock" of Luke 12:32. They are also identified as the "twenty-four elders" in Revelation (Revelation—It's Grand Climax at Hand, pp. 85-87) as well as the "Israel of God" (Watchtower February 1, 2002 p. 18) by Paul (Revelation 4:4; 14:3; Galatians 6:16)

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jehovah began choosing these 144,000 at Pentecost in 33 CE when Holy Spirit anointed disciples gathered in Jerusalem. (Acts 2:1-4) Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the sum total of all those anointed by Holy Spirit, from Pentecost 33 CE until present day, does not exceed 144,000 individuals (Watchtower February 1, 2002 p. 20). Obviously, the majority of these have died.

According to Jehovah's Witnesses, "the faithful and discreet slave" of Matthew 24:45 ("a faithful and wise servant" KJV) is the remaining ones of the 144,000, or "the remnant," as a distinct class of people. They believe that "Christ uses this body to publish information on the fulfillment of Bible prophecies and to give timely direction on the application of Bible principles in daily life." (Organized to Do Jehovah's Will, p. 16).

ResponseChristian author Robert Bowman provides the following overview of some problems with the Watchtower doctrine regarding the 144,0001:

I wish to give an overview of some basic problems with the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine that 144,000 "anointed" Christians go to Heaven to live forever as spirit beings while millions of other righteous will eventually live forever on Earth. These problems have to do with the number 144,000 itself.

1. There are only two references in the Bible to the number 144,000, both in the Book of Revelation, a book that uses many symbolic numbers (e.g, the 7 spirits before the throne, the 7 horns and 7 eyes of the Lamb, etc.). Most telling is the symbolic dimensions of the New Jerusalem, 12,000 stadia in length, width, and height with a wall 144 cubits high (Rev. 21:16-17). We know these dimensions are symbolic because the city is not a literal cube city but an apocalyptic vision picturing the church (see Rev. 21:2, 9). The use of the numbers 12,000 and 144 in Revelation 21 in a symbolic way strongly suggests that the similar numbers 12,000 and 144,000 in Revelation 7 are also symbolic. This makes especially good sense if one takes the 144,000 to be a symbolic picture of the church--for then these similar numbers in both sets of visions would be employed with reference to the church. And as a matter of fact, Jehovah's Witnesses do take the visions of the 144,000 to symbolize the church (the "Christian congregation"). So it would seem that they ought to take the number 144,000 symbolically. Yet they don't.

2. Jehovah's Witnesses take the one number 144,000 literally. However, they do not take literally the twelve numbers of 12,000 each in Revelation 7 used to add up to the 144,000. I can see no exegetical or hermeneutical sense to taking the one number literally but not the twelve numbers that the same text adds together to get the one number. Jehovah's Witnesses also do not take the tribes of Israel literally. They don't take the seals literally. In Revelation 14, they don't take the Lamb or Mount Zion literally, the four living creatures literally, or the virginal status of the 144,000 literally. Yet they take the number 144,000 literally. Why?

Given the plausibility of taking the number 144,000 symbolically, the impossibility on the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrinal view of taking the twelve occurrences of the number 12,000 literally (which add up to the 144,000), and the acknowledgment of numerous other symbolic elements in the two visions that mention the number 144,000, it seems that we have every reason to conclude that Jehovah's Witnesses, to be consistent, ought to take the number 144,000 symbolically.

3. Jehovah's Witnesses have one argument, to my knowledge, for construing the number 144,000 literally. They argue that the number 144,000 is meant to be contrasted with the statement in the next vision about "a great multitude which no one could count" (Rev. 7:9). They argue that this statement implies that the number 144,000 is literal, because it is countable. But these are two complementary visions of the same people. Revelation 7:9 describes the great multitude as "standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed
in white robes." That puts the "great multitude" in Heaven! The phrase "before the throne" is the same phrase used of the 144,000 in the later vision (Rev. 14:3), and always pictures location in Heaven (Rev. 1:4; 4:5, 6, 10; 7:9, 11, 15; 8:3; 14:3; 20:12). Seen in this light, the two numerical descriptions are complementary: the number 144,000 symbolizes completeness and the church's status as a kind of New Israel; the description of the multitude as beyond human enumeration emphasizes the vastness of the company of the redeemed. Therefore, the juxtaposition of these two numerical descriptions does not require us to ignore the other considerable evidence that the number 144,000 is symbolic, not literal.

Notes

1.  Posted by Robert M. Bowman, Jr. on the "Evangelicals and JWs" discussion list, 1/13/2006 (message #25207).

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