THE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY AND FOUR THOUSAND.
TWICE this company is brought to view in its definite number in the word of God. Who then are they? at what age of the world do we find them? and what is their experience that they should be thus particularly noted above all others? These are lawful inquiries; for all inquiries based on a revelation are lawful. There is nothing unlawful in striving to know what God has revealed. When God places within our hands a light, it is lawful, it is right, it is our duty, to make use of that light to direct our steps. The company under consideration are thus mentioned: Rev. vii, 1-4. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Rev. xiv, 1. And I looked and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. We here notice that the one hundred and forty-four thousand are sealed while the four angels are holding the winds that they should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. Not long since we proved in the REVIEW that in the blowing of the winds are included the seven last plagues, the final judgments of God upon the nations; therefore we are cut off from looking to the past for the sealing time, or for the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are sealed: they are yet before us. As brought to view in Rev. xiv, 1, in their redeemed state, they are described as having the Father's name written in their foreheads. In chap. iii, 12, is a class brought to view bearing the same characteristics: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and I will write upon him my new name." Who is the Spirit here addressing? The Church of Philadelphia. Verse 7. And what is the Church of Philadelphia? It is now quite generally admitted that the churches brought to view in Rev. ii and iii, denote seven states of the Christian Church during the gospel dispensation; and we learn from the message which is given to the Philadelphia Church (the Church of brotherly love) that that is the state the true Church will be in at the coming of the Lord; for he says, addressing them, "Behold I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown." From these considerations we derive an important conclusion; namely, that the one hundred and forty-four thousand, and the Philadelphia Church are identical. The one hundred and forty-four thousand sing a new song before the throne, which no man but themselves can learn. Rev. xiv, 3. Chap. xv, 2, 3, reads, "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints." The song of Moses was the song of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage; so the song here brought to view is the song of the deliverance of those who get the victory over the beast and his image. Can any man learn this song but those who are thus delivered? They cannot; for they will have neither the experience nor deliverance to celebrate. This is sufficient to establish an identity between the 144,000, and those who get the victory over the beast, his image, his mark, and the number of his name. But the conflict between the beast and the saints of God is the last conflict they will pass through in this mortal state, and it is incurred on account of their keeping the commandments of God; therefore the one hundred and forty-four thousand are the commandment-keepers, the living church which will be found on the Lord's side in the great battle, [Rev. xix,] and be delivered at the appearing of Jesus. This will appear still more evident when we take into consideration the connection between the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, and the first five verses of chapter fourteen. In the last portions of chap. xiii, is shown the issue between the beast power, and those who will not yield to its infamous decrees. The sentence of death goes out against them, with all earthly power to enforce it; but the record does not leave them thus; and the chapter should not end here: we take one more step in the chain of prophecy, and behold a Lamb stands on mount Zion, and with him an hundred and forty and four thousand. Who are these? Are they not those who a moment before we saw under the power of the beast, now enjoying their season of triumph and victory? The one hundred and forty-four thousand are redeemed "from among men," the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. Rev. xiv, 4. They cannot then be among the dead and come up by the resurrection; for a redemption "from among men" is not a resurrection (exanastasis) "out from among" the dead. Phil. iii, 11. They who are redeemed from "among men" must therefore be those who are alive at the coming of Christ, who will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Such are the hundred and forty-four thousand. But, says one, does not their being called the "first-fruits" denote a resurrection? We answer that this does not refer to the type—the "sheaf of the first-fruits of the harvest," which the priest was to wave before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath. Lev. xxiii, 10-12. That was fulfilled in Christ. "Christ the firstfruits: afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming." 1 Cor. xv, 23. It will not help the matter any to take the position, as some have done, that they are one hundred and forty-four thousand infants, raised at the resurrection of Christ, and therefore with him the firstfruits of them that slept; for it does not read, Christ and one hundred and forty-four thousand, the firstfruits; but Christ in himself alone fulfilled entirely the antitype of the wave-sheaf. How then are they the firstfruits? Says James, [chap. i, 18,] "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." Those who are "alive and remain," who are prepared for translation at the second advent, who receive the seal of the living God prior to the pouring out of the seven last plagues, will be in this sense a kind of firstfruits unto God and the Lamb. They will be waiting in readiness for the great event, while the rest of the saints are calmly sleeping in their graves. The "latter rain," [Jas. v, 7,] will ripen them for the great harvest. "And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God." Rev. xiv, 5. Compare this with Zeph. iii, 13. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. See also Rev. vii, 14, 15. The main, and perhaps to any mind the only serious, objection to the position here taken is the fact that the 144,000 were sealed "of all the tribes of the children of Israel," twelve thousand from each tribe. To show how this subject is regarded by some we will here introduce an extract from a pamphlet recently placed in our hands. The extract which we present is headed, "The 144 Thousand." The writer says: Various conflicting conjectures are afloat in relation to this company. The Bible reveals the following invulnerable facts: 1. They are sealed under the sixth seal, and "after" the heaven (has) departed as a scroll"—at the resurrection! 2. They are sealed exclusively from "all the tribes of the children of ISRAEL—twelve thousand from each tribe; hence they are not Gentiles. 3. They are spoken of in contradistinction to the "great multitude," which are sealed out of all nations, &c. 4. This seal is not conversion, as they are the "servants of God" before being sealed; hence it must be immortality: figuratively it is styled the "Father's name written in their foreheads." The "great multitude" get the same seal at the same time. Rev. iii, 12; xxii, 4. 5. They are to be "redeemed from the earth," or to be raised from the dead, and stand on mount Zion. 6. They are to sing a song that the "great multitude" can never learn, and "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth;" hence, they are Messiah's attendants and musicians. 7. They are the "firstfruits," (not the entire harvest,) of all the tribes of ISRAEL;" chosen to fill a peculiar station in the kingdom. From the above propositions we dissent, and will briefly present our reasons, remarking upon them in their order. 1. The sealing of the 144,000 must take place before the heavens depart as a scroll; for (1) the winds are held [Rev. vii, 1-3] till the servants of God are sealed; (2) after they are sealed the winds are loosed, and in them is contained the seven last plagues, [Rev. xvi,] the final judgments of God upon the nations; (3) this scene is followed by the appearing of the Son of man, when all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and kings and the great and the rich and mighty and chief captains and bondmen and freemen shall call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the presence of Him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Rev. vi, 15. Then will the Man of Sin be destroyed by the brightness of his coming, and certainly by that time the decree will have gone forth, He which is filthy: let him be filthy still, and he that is holy let him be holy still. Probation will be finished, and the cases of all will be decided. Where then is there a chance or a necessity for a sealing work? There is neither. 2. We regard the second proposition as the main spring of all other errors on this subject, Says the writer, "They are sealed exclusively 'from all the tribes of the children of Israel,' twelve thousand from each tribe; hence, they are not Gentiles!" and in another place in his tract he says: "And lest we should conjecture that spiritual Israel is meant, he proceeds to name the tribes from which they were sealed." Now who were, and who are, Israel? Much might be said on this subject, but we must be brief. Let us go back to the wilderness in the days of Moses: who were the true Israel then? those who rebelled and fell in the wilderness, or those who remained obedient and entered the promised land? Any one will answer, The obedient. Very well. When at a later period the ten tribes revolted from Rehohoam, and were finally carried away captive and removed out of the Lord's sight in the days of Hoshea, [2 Kings xvii, 1-23.] who constituted Israel then? It is claimed by some that the ten tribes were then lost, but will be found again in the last days. But the Bible tells us where they were carried; namely, "into Assyria . . . in Halah and in Habor by the River Gozan, and in the Cities of the Medes." 2 Kings xvii, 6. And it tells us moreover that77before God thus drove them out from his presence on account of their rebellions, all such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, out of all the tribes of Israel, disgusted with the idolatry of Jeroboam, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. See 2 Chron. xi, 14-17. Then was not here a representation or a remnant from all the tribes of Israel that joined themselves to Judah? Certainly. But the Lord had compassion on the revolted tribes, and gave them space for repentance, sending them warnings by the mouth of his holy prophets; but as they persisted in their rebellion against him, he removed them out of his sight, and from that time they ceased to be the subjects of his peculiar providence, being no longer his covenant people. The true Israel, then, consisted of Judah, and those who joined themselves with Judah, "to seek the Lord God of Israel:" and it is no more proper to call the ten tribes Israel after they were cut off, and banished, as it were, from God's presence, than it would be to call those Israel who rebelled and perished in the wilderness. Further, we find, after the expiration of the seventy years' captivity, Artaxerxes giving a decree to Ezra as follows: I make a decree that all they of the people of Israel . . . who are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. Ezra vii, 13. Hence we read in Neh. xii, 73, that all Israel dwelt in their cities, &c., and we are to bear in mind that the expression "all Israel" is never applied to one or two tribes only. The twelve tribes therefore, without controversy, were in existence from David to Christ. If it were otherwise how could the Scriptures be fulfilled? for Christ and the blessings of the gospel were promised to twelve tribes as well as to one. The inquiry now comes up. Who are Israel since the days of Christ? Paul likens the house of Israel to an olive tree, and addressing his Roman brethren, [Rom. xi, 17.] tells them that some branches were broken off, and they were grafted in. Who were broken off? All who rejected Christ. Who were grafted in? All the Gentiles who embraced the gospel; but they were then no longer Gentiles; they became Israel. Thus the olive tree was kept good. The true Israel therefore since the days of Christ are such as have embraced Christianity, whether they came from among the literal Jews, who were the natural branches, or from among the Gentiles; and there is no other Israel recognized either in the language of the Bible or in the purposes of God, during the gospel dispensation. Whatever promise or prophecy, therefore, concerning Israel can be proved to apply to the gospel dispensation, it refers to the christians of that dispensation and no one else. To illustrate: Suppose I have a tree, and purpose at some future time to transplant it in another field: Suppose again that before the time comes for me to do this, some of the branches are broken off and others grafted in and grow up a part of the tree: now whenever I wish to carry out my purpose and transplant that tree, what shall I do? shall I take the tree itself, or shall I go and gather up those old dead branches, and by inserting them in the ground, try to make them live again?! This is no more absurd than it is to apply prophecies which concern Israel at the present time, to the literal Jews, who, according to the conditions of the gospel, are now no part of Israel. All prophecies concerning the true olive tree, will be fulfilled in that olive tree, and not in the branches which have been broken off, and are withered away. With this agree the following scriptures to which the reader's careful attention is invited. Rom. ii, 28, 29; ix, 6-8; Gal. iii, 7-9, 20; Eph. ii, 13-22. Says Paul in Acts xxvi, 6, 7, "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving God, day and night, hope to come." How could Paul speak thus of his twelve tribes if they were not, in his day, in existence—ten having been lost, as some claim? Again, the epistle of James is written to those who are living when the "coming of the Lord draweth nigh," and who are required to be "patient" unto that event; nevertheless it is addressed to the "twelve tribes scattered abroad." Chap. i, 1. We need no better proof that the church living when the Son of man shall come is recognized as the twelve tribes of Israel. It is therefore an entire misapprehension to say that the 144,000 must be sealed from the literal Jews, because they are sealed from the twelve tribes of Israel. But says one, Why is then each tribe so distinctly specified? We also will ask a question: Why are there just twelve thousand from each tribe? The tribes of the literal descendants of Israel were not numerically equal, and if the 144,000 were to be sealed from them, why were they not sealed from each tribe in proportion to the number of that tribe? Were some tribes collectively better than others? The fact that there were the same number from each tribe, if it does not furnish any definite argument, at least favors the view that it is the Israel of the gospel dispensation which is here referred to. But independent of this, it is no more improper to apply the names of the twelve tribes to the gospel church, than it is to call it collectively, the children of Israel. So we see that the objection raised on this point is not half so formidable as it at first appears. From what has thus far been written, it will hardly be necessary to say much on the remainder of the extract above quoted. It is claimed in the fourth proposition that the seal with which the 144,000 are sealed is immortality. But we learn that the number are sealed before the winds are loosed, and the winds are loosed as the winding up of this dispensation; hence they are sealed before immortality is conferred, and therefore the seal cannot be immortality. But further, if the seal is immortality, all the saints who have ever lived, and not the 144,000 merely, would receive it at one and the same time; for we shall all be made immortal together at the appearing of Jesus and the resurrection of the just. There would then be no propriety in specifying 144,000 to be sealed. To sustain such a view it should read like this: "And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed"—not 144,000 merely—but "a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues." The fifth proposition says, "They are to be 'redeemed from the earth.'" Further and more definite than this, they are to be redeemed "from among men." Rev. xiv, 4. If this means simply a resurrection from the dead, where is the propriety of designating the 144,000 as thus redeemed, when all the righteous dead will be equally so. Why did the writer rest his whole argument here on the phrase, "redeemed from the earth," when almost the next sentence reads, "redeemed from among men?" This expression can never be twisted into a resurrection from the dead; therefore it is passed in silence, and the attention of the reader made to dwell on a phrase, which he thought would have more of a semblance of supporting his position. Here is proof which cannot be doubted, that the 144,000, are those servants of Christ who will be alive at his appearing, be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and caught up with the resurrected saints to meet the Lord in the air. May you, dear reader, be one of that exalted company.