THAT PUZZLE by Uriah Smith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 26, 1877

THAT PUZZLE.

By Uriah Smith

A CORRESPONDENT writes from Ohio, under date of July 11, and another from New York, under date of July 17, inquiring who will compose the 144,000, and asking an explanation of those passages in Thoughts on the Revelation, which speak of this company as translated from among the living, and yet as including all those who have died in the message. Thus it is said on p. 244: “The 144,000 are the living saints who will be translated at the second coming of Christ.” Again, p. 258, speaking of those who die in the Lord, as stated in Rev. 14:13, it says that they are “doubtless that company spoken of in Dan. 12:2, who are raised to everlasting life at the standing up of Michael. Thus escaping the perils through which the rest of the 144,000 pass, they rise and share with them in their final triumph here, and occupy with them their pre-eminent place in the kingdom.”

Now it is asked how they can be translated from among the living, and yet some of them be those who die in the Lord, and are brought up from the dead? Easily enough as we view it. Consider that we suppose those who die under the message are raised according to Dan. 12:2, a little in advance of the general resurrection. They are raised mortal. They then stand with the 144,000 just as if they had not died. They are accounted as the living; and when the Lord appears they are translated like the others from among the living. Thus the 144,000, all of them, are the living saints upon the earth when Christ appears; and yet a portion of them have for a while been in their graves?

But it may be asked, why include those who die in the message among the 144,000? We answer, Because an especial blessing is pronounced upon those who die in the Lord under this message; and we can conceive of no especial blessing to come upon them over the other righteous dead except to be numbered with the 144,000 at last, and share in their special blessings, while at the same time escaping many of their trials. And again, the third message is symbolized by the sealing work, brought to view in Rev. 7:1-4. As the result of that work 144,000 are sealed. But those who are brought to Christ by that message, and then die, are saved as the result of that work, and hence must be included in the 144,000 sealed by it.

There are some expressions used in reference to the 144,000, as a body, to which these who die and are raised are exceptions. Thus, as a body, the 144,000, passing through the time of trouble, are said to have come out of great tribulation; but these escape the most of it. As a body, they have to brave the wrath of the dragon; but these are almost entirely delivered from it. As a body, they pass through the plagues, when the sun scorches men with fire, etc.; but these witness none of these awful judgments, but the final scenes. Such were the views held when Thoughts on the Revelation was written, and we see no discrepancy between any of its statements. U. S.