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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
objection:
The 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).
Response:
Christian 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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