Yahweh's Truth in New Jerusalem

In this Bible Study we will follow on a little from the previous article “Eternal Life”.  In this case I would like to discuss the 144,000 or 144,000 Saints as they are occasionally referred to.

To start this Article off I would like to present, once again some scriptural verses from Matthew 5, covering comments made by Christ Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount.

NJB Matthew 5:3-12

3.  How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4.  Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance.

5.  Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.

6.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill.

7.  Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.

8.  Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.

9.  Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God.

10.  Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11.  `Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account.

12.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

As pointed out in the previous article about Eternal Life, Christ Jesus mentions himself quite specifically that there are 2 places that will be allocated humans after judgement.  One being the Earth and one being the kingdom of Heaven.

Many of you may ask why or how it is known that there will only be 144,000 people will receive a Heavenly existence. This can be seen from various other Scriptural references from the Bible which I will present shortly.

The first reference I would like to present regarding this point is the following:

NJB Luke 12:22-32

22.  Then he said to his disciples, "That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it.

23.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

24.  Think of the ravens. They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouses and no barns; yet God feeds them. And how much more you are worth than the birds!

25.  Can any of you, however much you worry, add a single cubit to your span of life?

26.  If a very small thing is beyond your powers, why worry about the rest?

27.  Think how the flowers grow; they never have to spin or weave; yet, I assure you, not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of them.

28.  Now if that is how God clothes a flower which is growing wild today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he look after you, who have so little faith!

29.  But you must not set your hearts on things to eat and things to drink; nor must you worry.

30.  It is the gentiles of this world who set their hearts on all these things. Your Father well knows you need them.

31.  No; set your hearts on his kingdom, and these other things will be given you as well.

32.  `There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.

Firstly, notice 2 things from these verses.  Besides the fact that to accomplish all that he has written and asked of you, you would most certainly have to be exceptionally devout and have great faith in God, if you do this he tells you to set your hearts on his kingdom.  The "his" in this scripture represents God. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to God.

Also notice that that in the last verse, Jesus uses the term "little flock" when he refers to this group of people and that it is this little flock that God (your Father) gives you the kingdom.

This term "little flock" is important, as you will see in another scripture later on.

The next section of Scripture that I would like to present to you is the following:

NJB Revelation 5:7-10

7.  The Lamb came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne,

8.  and when he took it, the four living creatures prostrated themselves before him and with them the twenty-four elders; each one of them was holding a harp and had a golden bowl full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.

9.  They sang a new hymn:

You are worthy to take the scroll

and to break its seals,

because you were sacrificed, and with your blood you bought people for God of every race, language, people and nation

10.  and made them a line of kings and priests for God, to rule the world.

Firstly take note of verse 7. I believe that pretty much every Christian can accept that the "Lamb" mentioned here is Christ Jesus. I wanted to ensure that you were aware of who was coming forward before the One (this being Yahweh God) sitting on the throne.

In verse 9 and 10 you notice that the Lamb was sacrificed and with his blood he bought people for God, and made them a line of kings and priests for God. These people are the "little flock" mentioned in the previous verses in Luke 12.

NJB Revelation 6:9-11

9.  When he broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of all the people who had been killed on account of the Word of God, for witnessing to it.

10.  They shouted in a loud voice, "Holy, true Master, how much longer will you wait before you pass sentence and take vengeance for our death on the inhabitants of the earth?"

11.  Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little longer, until the roll was completed of their fellow-servants and brothers who were still to be killed as they had been.

The white robes in these verses indicate the Saints. These verses and those killed on account of the Word (this being Christ Jesus) of God, and for witnessing for it. These are those of the "little flock" again. This will become clearer further on. It’s also interesting to note that they are told to be patient a little longer "until the roll was completed of their fellow-servants and brothers who were still to be killed as they had been". These other Saints will be killed for witnessing about the Word of God. Very few could do that knowing that they would die for witnessing about Christ Jesus.

NJB Revelation 7:1-4

1.  Next I saw four angels, standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the world to keep them from blowing over the land or the sea or any tree.

2.  Then I saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea,

3.  `Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."

4.  And I heard how many had been sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

The Angel commands the four angels to wait before they do any damage until the seal has been placed on the servants of God. The number mentioned is 144,000. You will also notice that it says "out of all the tribes of Israel". This does not exclude Gentiles and it most certainly doesn't mean the 144,000 will only be Jews / Hebrews. Remember that Israel is now all those that come to Yahweh God through Christ Jesus.

Finally, I want to present one final piece of information for you.

NJB Revelation 14:1-5

1.  Next in my vision I saw Mount Zion, and standing on it the Lamb who had with him a hundred and forty-four thousand people, all with his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

2.  I heard a sound coming out of heaven like the sound of the ocean or the roar of thunder; it was like the sound of harpists playing their harps.

3.  There before the throne they were singing a new hymn in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, a hymn that could be learnt only by the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the world.

4.  These are the sons who have kept their virginity and not been defiled with women; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they, out of all people, have been redeemed to be the first-fruits for God and for the Lamb.

5.  No lie was found in their mouths and no fault can be found in them.

Firstly notice that in verse 1 it mentions specifically 144,000 people, standing with the Lamb, all with the Lamb's and his Father's name written on their forehead.

Then notice that these 144,000 are singing a new hymn that could be learnt ONLY by the 144,000 who had been redeemed (to set free; rescued or ransomed) them from the world.

Next you will notice in verse 4 that these people, the 144,000, are those that have kept their virginity, virginity represents that they have not been defiled by Satan, or that they have not (if men in this case) committed adultery or fornicated without being married. In verse 5 it also mentions that no fault can be found in them and that interestingly enough, no lie was found in their mouth.

This lie being found in their mouth could be any lie, but it could quite possibly be any lie relating to the word and Word of God.