Hi Brother Jason. I have no idea and neither does others. In Rev 14:3 I can read what the Lord reveals of the 144,000 and that they are redeemed from the earth (They are in heaven at a time later than the 24 elders and 4 Living ones for they sing a song before them). In Revelation 14:4 they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits (These are firstfruits; what are others?) unto God and to the Lamb. They are in heaven; will they need land deeded to them?
.
Hi, Eugene,
I researched the 144,000, and I came up with the same conclusion as you: that they are in heaven, standing on the heavenly mount Sion, where the heavenly Jerusalem is located, which is the Church.
But who are they? If they were redeemed from among men, and are now in heaven, it would seem they were those from the first resurrection. Let's elaborate.
Paul used the term “firstfruits” in referring to the resurrected Christ:
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” (1 Cor 15:20)
“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.” (1 Cor 15:23)
Paul makes no mention of anyone else being resurrected with Christ, but there is this event that occurred after the veil of the temple was rent:
"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." (Matthew 27:52-53)
I never found out what happened to them--whether they ascended into heaven, went back to their graves, nothing. Could they be those of the first resurrection? No, because Jesus promised the first resurrection to the apostles. I'll explain.
Paul used the term firstfruits in reference to being among the first to receive the Holy Spirit, while anticipating the first resurrection and redemption:
“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:22-23)
And James, speaking to the scattered twelve tribes, used the term:
“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18)
But those were yet to be redeemed. If there were no other resurrections prior to the first resurrection, then the 144,000 on mount Sion are those which were
redeemed at the
first resurrection, and consisted of at least the apostles and the early Church:
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)
Note the first clause regarding thrones and judgement. If you recall, Jesus gave future judgement over the twelve tribes to the twelve apostles:
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19:28)
Therefore, the apostles were part of the first resurrection. But Paul implied that the saints would judge the world:
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? . . ." (1 Cor 6:2)
All the earliest Christians were considered to be saints, so there is no contradiction. We also know there were at least 10,000 saints that served the Lord before the days of Christ:
"And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mountParan, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them." (Deuteronomy 33:2)
And I would not rule out the patriarchs, prophets and other men of faith from the Old Testament days that were sleeping:
"And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:11-12)
Taken together with many of the early Christians, we can now speculate, with some degree of accuracy, who took part in the first resurrection. The following verse explains the significance of being part of the first resurrection:
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6)
They become the priests who serve the high priest, Jesus Christ, who serves as high priest from his throne, which is heaven.:
"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven . . ." (Psalms 11:4)
". . . Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." (Zechariah 6:12-13)
David and Zechariah together confirm that Jesus' throne is in heaven, and that Jesus both rules and serves as high priest from his heavenly throne. This is his holy temple:
"For through him we [Jews and Gentiles] both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:18-22)
The scriptures imply the apostles judge the twelve tribes of Israel, while the other saints judge everyone else. Jesus judges no man (John 8:15.)
It is possible the 144,000 included all the remnant of the children of Israel (the elect or "just" ones) that the Lord, apostles and prophets spoke of, and the apostles were sent to witness to (the "lost sheep".) If that is true, then
all Israel was saved:
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Rom 11:26)
While keeping in mind these two important explanations:
“Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:”
“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, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom 2:28-29)
Recall that Jesus and John the Baptist both discounted those who claimed lineage from Abraham merely by genealogy or race (Matt 3:9; John 8:39-44.) To be a descendant of Abraham requires the faith of Abraham:
“Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” (Gal 3:7)
“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” (Romans 4:13)
And that promise went exclusively to Christ:
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Gal 3:16)
And to the followers of Christ:
“And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:29)
" I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:24)
That last verse clinched the "remnant" question for me. I do not believe that he would leave hanging those he was specifically
sent unto. Therefore, I believe the remnant are part of the 144,000 servants of Christ in the Holy Temple, in the Holy City, on heavenly mount Sion.
Dan
You got me! So am I a Kingtile?
little Pentecostal shout there
I just did a little Bapticostal shouting myself.
