WHO ARE THE 144000? by Moses Hull

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 10, 1861

WHO ARE THE 144000?

By Moses Hull

Our positions on every point are being tested. We have wily enemies to meet, and as their work is purely that of an incendiary, if they cannot discomfit us on one point they will try another. Certain individuals who have tried to overthrow us on the law and have failed, have resolved not to give up so. They have now attacked from another quarter, not "face to face as a man talketh to his friend;" they are too well posted for that. They have learned that

"He that shoots and runs away, May live to shoot another day; But he who on the field is slain, Can never, never shoot again."

Hence in the absence of any of our brethren who can defend themselves they are going to our weak brethren and preaching to them that we are wrong on the "seal of the living God," for the 144000 were sealed and taken to heaven long ago. They were raised at the resurrection of Christ, and presented to the Father as "the first-fruits of them that slept" as a wave offering.

But to the above position I would say, I have somewhat against thee.

1. The 144000 cannot be the first-fruits of them that slept, because Paul says [1 Cor. xv, 20], "But now is Christ risen and become the first-fruits of them that slept." Again in verse 23 he says, "Christ the first-fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming." So Paul is out of harmony with these would-be interpreters.

2. It is true that the 144000 are "the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb," but this does not imply that they were those who were raised at the resurrection of Christ, for James says to the church of the last days, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." James i, 18.

It is also objected that they cannot be the Gentile Christians, for they are sealed of the twelve tribes of Israel.

To the above I would reply, that a Gentile christian is not a Bible christian. The Bible knows nothing about Gentile christians or Jewish Sabbaths. Every christian is an Israelite [Rom. ix, 6-8; Gal. iii, 28; Eph. ii, 11-19], and as such must belong to one of the twelve tribes, for there are but twelve.

The city which descends from God out of heaven has but twelve gates. Rev. xxi, 12. All who enter the city must pass through the gates. Rev. xxi, 12. But the gates belong to the twelve tribes. Rev. xxi, 12. Hence every one who enters the city must come in as a member of one of the twelve tribes. The above being true, one of the following conclusions is unavoidable:

1. The Gentiles who become christians are excluded from the city. Or,

2. When they become christians they become Israel, and thus enter as members of the different tribes. The first position no one in his senses can adopt. So we are shut up to the second.

Again, the following are some of the reasons why I cannot adopt the conclusion that they were sealed at the resurrection of Christ:

1. They were not sealed until after the opening of the sixth seal. Rev. vi, 12; vii, 1-4. But the first of the seven seals was not opened until after the resurrection of Christ. The fact that "the Lamb that was slain" opened the seals [Rev. v, 9, 10], ought to shut the mouths of those who have the sealing process go on before the death of Christ.

2. By comparing Rev. xiv, 1-5 with Rev. xiii, 16, 17, and chap. xv, 2, 3, you will find that the 144000 have obtained a victory over the beast, and over his mark, and over the number of his name. But the beast did not have an existence at the time of the crucifixion of Christ, much less had he imposed his mark upon any.

3. These were redeemed from among men. Rev. xiv, 5. They have not been into the grave. All others are redeemed from death and the grave. See Isa. xxv, 9; Hos. xiii, 14; 1 Cor. xv, 54, 55.

Many other reasons might be adduced in proof of our position, but as the readers of the Review are familiar with them I will not pen them here. Dear reader, let us strive to be with the 144000.

M. HULL.