144,000 SEEN IN HEAVEN

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c00500dvldtc.png"> <div> <B>Revelation</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>     |     </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#00FF00" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Revelation"><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="about_israel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON"><U><B>THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="hostile_takeover.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WAR IN HEAVEN"><U><B>WAR IN HEAVEN</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="diaspora.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SATAN ATTACKS ISRAEL"><U><B>SATAN ATTACKS ISRAEL</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="a_new_world_order.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE BEAST FROM THE SEA, A NEW WORLD ORDE"><U><B>THE BEAST FROM THE SEA, A NEW WORLD ORDER</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="the_false_prophet.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE BEAST FROM THE LAND, (THE FALSE PROP"><U><B>THE BEAST FROM THE LAND, (THE FALSE PROPHET)</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="second_group_seen_in_heaven_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="144,000 SEEN IN HEAVEN"><U><B>144,000 SEEN IN HEAVEN</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="a_stern_and_unmistakable_warning_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THREE DECLARATION ANGELS"><U><B>THREE DECLARATION ANGELS</B></U></A><B> / </B><A HREF="harvest_time.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE GREAT HARVEST"><U><B>THE GREAT HARVEST</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03dd2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <A HREF="the_false_prophet.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE BEAST FROM THE LAND, (THE FALSE PROP"><U>Previous Page</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="a_stern_and_unmistakable_warning_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THREE DECLARATION ANGELS"><U>Next Page</U></A></div> <div>   <P><CENTER><A href="http://www.christiansunite.com/hit/" target="_top"><IMG src="http://www.christiansunite.com/hit/count.cgi?account=bryant_family_2&code=site&count=1" border=0 width=96 height=40 alt="The Christian Counter"></A><BR><font size=1><A href="http://www.christiansunite.com/hit/" target="_top">The Christian Counter</font></A></CENTER><P>   </div> <bR> <div> <B>Revelation 14:1-5</B>, "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.  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B><U>144,000 SEEN IN HEAVEN</U></B></div> <bR> <div> It is at this point that the 144,000 Jews are seen in heaven. This is the second host of Christians seen in heaven by the apostle John. These are the same Christians who were marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit Ephesians 1:13-14 and remained on the earth as a witness through the first three and a half years of the great tribulation. </div> <bR> <div> These 144,000 will be translated to heaven just as all of the other Christians were before the great tribulation. I say this for the following reasons.</div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">John does not describe the 144,000 as having overcome the beast, his image or the mark. This indicates that this event happens prior to the edict to receive the mark.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">John describes the 144,000 as being redeemed from the earth. The term redeemed here is indicative of a market place. For example, when you have something on layaway and return later to pick it up, you redeem your product. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The location in the timeline of Johns vision places this event prior to the statement by the third angel when he states, <I>"</I><I><B>Rev. 14:13.</B></I><I> </I><I>Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."</I> This statement is given as a supplement to the same angels warning to all who receive the mark or worship the beast or his image. It indicates that those who do not worship the beast will be greatly afflicted even unto death. But in the end they will be blessed.</div> <bR> <div> Once again, the 144,000 witnesses will all be men because: </div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">They will not have defiled themselves with women. This definitely suggests men.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">", …for they will be virgins". The conjunction "for" is used so to clarify that they are virgins who have not defiled themselves with women and thus they are male virgins. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The 144,000 witnesses will also be redeemed from among men. This is not conclusive in of itself since the word `men' can also mean `mankind' or the human race. But when taken with the first two parts of the description it is fairly certain that John is speaking of men as a gender. </div> <bR> <div> The 144,000 will follow the Lamb and so they must by definition be Christian. </div> <bR> <div> These men are also described as being the first fruits unto God, which seems to conflict with the fact that they are the second host of Christians seen in heaven. If you remember though, they were sealed prior to the great host from many nations being seen in heaven and so are set apart as the first fruits unto God.</div> <bR> <div> In their mouth is no guile (they speak no lies), and they are without fault before the throne of God. Again apart from the atoning sacrifice of Christ there is no way those mere men can be faultless before the throne of God. Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>