Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Thursday, July 22, 2010 5:38:30 AM
‘And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed…’ [Revelation 7:4-8]
‘After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” [Revelation 7:9-10]
Here is another example in Revelation of John hearing and seeing the same symbol. We take this symbol to be the Israel of God. The 144000 represent the complete number of the elect, none are lost; the blood of the Lamb is perfectly effectual; this number represents the perfection of the atonement.
And to further illustrate we see the symbol from another perspective. The Israel of God includes men from every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue which is a repeat of the language used in Revelation 5:9. And they are too numerous to number; a great multitude without number.
This should remind us of the language God used in the promise to Abraham…
Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” [Genesis 15:5]
“…blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore…In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” [Genesis 22”17-18]
And to Isaac God said…
”And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…” [Genesis 26:4]
God fulfills the covenant with Abraham in Messiah’s spiritual kingdom of righteousness. Note that the Israel of God receive the spiritual blessings of being sealed and robed. They are sealed with the Spirit and clothed in righteousness, washed in the blood of the Lamb.