In my last post, I surveyed the two passages in Revelation that describe 144,000 Jewish men chosen by God as firstfruits for His kingdom. The scriptures are Revelation 7:3-8 and 14:1-5. They were chosen as 12,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel except for the tribe of Dan which is omitted. Instead, Joseph appears. No reason is given in the text, so we can only speculate. Might it be because of Dan’s persistent idolatry? You might be wondering how tribal identity can be ascertained in modern times. It can’t, at least reliably. However, God knows, and He’s the one who chooses these men.
Jesus, of course, was the firstfruits of the resurrection. “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). This is the “harvest” of the earth. “Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” (Revelation 14:15). The 144,000 will be the first of general mankind to be gathered to the Lord followed immediately by the rest of the righteous. “These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” (Revelation14:4). That’s God’s order of His choosing. Their identity as firstfruits also fulfills God’s “Jew first” principle. Jesus went to His chosen first. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(Matthew 15:24). Paul added, “To the Jew first and also the gentile.” (Romans 2:10).
It’s significant that these men are God’s servants (7:3). Also note that they are called God’s servants prior to their sealing by the Holy Spirit. Evidently, they were strong in the faith of the Patriarchs and came to faith in their Messiah, Jesus. Yes, most certainly when they are sealed, they will be Messianic Jews. And because they are called God’s servants, they will be effective at preaching and teaching both before and after their conversion to Christianity. This is how they will be recognizable to Christians in these last days. We need to be watching for a surge of celibate young male Jewish influencers who accept their Messiah Jesus and are skilled at interpretation of end-time scriptures. We’ll need to pay attention to them. These will typify the wise and faithful servants Jesus talked about who are distributing food to their house “at the proper time” (Matthew 24:45).
Although they are descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel, this does not mean they are all residents of the modern state of Israel. Though many may come from there, they could be found anywhere in the diaspora around the world. Many could come from your own country or even your neighborhood. At this present time, we are reading many reports of Jewish spiritual revivals including acceptance of Jesus as Messiah. They are real and increasing in frequency. It’s quite likely that by the middle of Daniels 70th week these 144,000 Messianic end-time scholars will become too prevalent to ignore. I’m already noticing a surge on the internet of testimony from Messianic Jews. Along with the many other signs Jesus told us about, the 144,000 will confirm the fact that the last days are upon us.
The Holy Spirit devoted a significant portion of Revelation to a description of these 144,000. He did it for a reason. I suspect we’ll learn even more as we see these men come on the scene. Be watching.
Maranatha, Jim