The One Hundred and Forty-four Thousand by John Norton Loughborough

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 21, 1906

The One Hundred and Forty-four Thousand

By John Norton Loughborough

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

(Concluded)

In “Early Writings,” pages 27, 28, we read: “I saw the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the earth. The wicked thought that we had brought the judgments upon them, and they rose up and took counsel to rid the earth of us, thinking that then the evil would be stayed.”

“In the time of trouble, we all fled from the cities and villages, and were pursued by the wicked, who entered the houses of the saints with the sword. They raised the sword to kill us, but it broke, and fell as powerless as a straw. Then we all cried day and night for deliverance, and the cry came up before God. The sun came up, and the moon stood still. The streams ceased to flow. Dark heavy clouds came up, and clashed against each other, but there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters, which shook the heavens and the earth. The sky opened and shut, and was in commotion. The mountains shook like a reed in the wind, and cast out ragged rocks all around. The sea boiled like a pot, and cast out stones upon the land. And as God spake the day and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivered the everlasting covenant to his people, he spake one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling through the earth. The Israel of God stood with their faces fixed upward, listening to the words as they came from the mouth of Jehovah, and rolled through the earth like peals of the loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn. And at the end of every sentence, the saints shouted, Glory! Alleluia! Their countenances were lighted up with the glory of God, and they shone with the glory, as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked could not look upon them for the glory. And when the never-ending blessing was pronounced on those who had honored God, in keeping his Sabbath holy, there was a mighty shout of victory over the beast and over his image.”

According to Rev. 15:2, 3, we see that those who sing the song of victory over the image, etc., sing also the song of Moses. But in chapter 14:3 we learn that none can learn that song but the one hundred and forty-four thousand. In “Great Controversy,” page 649, we read: “None but the one hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience,—an experience such as none other company has ever had. ‘These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.’ These having been translated from the earth, from among the living [those who are raised in the partial resurrection of Dan. 12:1, 2 are surely among the living when the final translation comes], are counted as the “first-fruits unto God and the Lamb.” “These are they which came out of great tribulation;” they have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation [the climax of that trouble among the nations is when, under the sixth plague, the nations are rallied to the great battle. Surely the resurrected ones see that]. They have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob’s trouble [let it be remembered that these resurrected ones saw the time of Jacob’s trouble]; they have stood without an intercessor through the final pouring out of God’s judgments, but have been delivered, for they have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb [the final of God’s judgments is in the sixth and seventh plagues, and these resurrected ones will see that]. They have seen the earth wasted with famine and pestilence, the sun having power to scorch men with great heat, and themselves have endured sufferings, hunger, and thirst.” They, even the resurrected ones, see the earth, as it has been brought into this condition by the things mentioned, and in fact have actually experienced a part of the very things that are mentioned.

Of the final translation of God’s people we read in “Great Controversy,” page 645, “At the voice of God they [the living saints] were glorified; now they are made immortal, and with the risen saints are caught up to meet the Lord in the air.” It was true of the resurrected ones in the time of trouble that at the voice of God they were glorified, but at the actual coming of Christ, they, with those then resurrected, are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So in their final deliverance they are “redeemed from the earth,” and “redeemed from among men.”

From the Testimony cited in this writing, we see that in 1849 the sealing work was going on. Persons were then being sealed, and Satan was trying to hinder the work. National troubles commenced there that would soon have

brought the final conflict, but the four angels had their commission to “hold the winds” until the servants of God are sealed. How can we reconcile that with the idea (which some have taught) that none would be sealed until the last decree of the image of the beast—that the saints shall be killed—is passed?

Again, the expression connected with the third angel’s message, “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13), is something more than ordinary, for it applies especially to those who die in the Lord, under that message. Of the expression, “their works do follow them,” some have said, “It means if they have lived a holy life, and sought to do good, the influence of this will be left behind them.” That has been true of all God’s people. But there is a special blessing on those who die under the third angel’s message. Let us inquire, What works have they engaged in? And what has been their hope? Was it not that they might be alive to hail the Master at his coming? If raised in the time of trouble, glorified at the voice of God, and translated with the saints at Christ’s actual coming as living saints, do not their works follow them? Do they not get what they set out for?

Now as to Sister White’s own case. It is true she has intimated several times, in her talks in General Conferences, that she might be called to sleep before the end, but let us see what is said of her case as connected with the one hundred and forty-four thousand. In “Early Writings,” page 14, we read of her vision of the new earth, etc.: “Mount Zion was just before us, and on the mount was a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies. . . . As we were about to enter the temple, Jesus raised his lovely voice and said, ‘Only the one hundred and forty-four thousand enter this place,’ and we shouted alleluia.” It seems from what follows that she entered the place, for she gave a description of what she saw in it, in these words: “This temple was supported by seven pillars, all of transparent gold, set with pearls most glorious. The wonderful things I saw there I can not describe. . . . I saw there two tables of stone in which the names of the one hundred and forty-four thousand were engraved in letters of gold. After we beheld the glory of the temple, we went out, and Jesus left us, and went into the city.” She “went out.” Then she will, as seen in the vision, “go into” that temple. But recollect, “none but the one hundred and forty-four thousand enter that temple.”

On page 33 of the same volume, while viewing Saturn, she says: “I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, ‘You must go back, and if you are faithful, you shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds, and viewing the handiwork of God.’” I never supposed that the decision of who should constitute the one hundred and forty-four thousand depended upon the possession of physical vitality sufficient to live without death until the Lord should make his second appearing. It would rather seem more in harmony with the Lord’s dealings with his people that those who sacrificed and earnestly labored in the beginning of the work, such persons as Elders Bates, White, Andrews, and Sister White, whose labors have been interwoven with the very life and progress of the message, should be a part of that company whose works follow them, and who will be a part of that grand triumphal company of the one hundred and forty-four thousand.

Then again, what you say of Ezekiel is all plain enough to me. As you quote, he “was left” by the men with the slaughter weapons. If some from the different ages of the world are in the company raised in the partial resurrection, how do we know but Ezekiel, the man who predicted the restoring of the breach and the seven last plagues, may be among those who stand in the last great test in the time of Jacob’s trouble, see the climax of the plagues, and himself “escape”?

Mountain View, Cal.