our message today is on the subject of the hundred and forty-four thousand Shepherds that follow a lamb now you've probably heard you know different presentations on this subject and the number kind of like there's certain numbers like 666 you go into public places you talk about six six six and people go and on they don't know what it means but they know it's a unique number and that's also the case with that number the 144,000 peers in the same book in Revelation this group is spoken of a couple of times in our scripture reading this morning we began by reading one of those passages in revelation 7 now I remember when I was looking at history about Alexander the Great one reason he was able to conquer so much of the the world back then from Greece and the Balkan Mountains all the way to the Himalayas he marched his soldiers someone told me once he had it all up it was like twenty-one thousand miles in ten or eleven years and but they were willing to follow him anywhere because he would go into battle with them and was willing to lay down his life in the battle and so they loved him so there was great dedication there the Bible speaks of a great dedicated force in the last days and they're known as the hundred and forty-four thousand so let's turn back to that verse again in Revelation 7 we're gonna first find out about these four angels that are doing something just before the end of the world comes if you take your Bible two principal passages we're gonna look we're gonna look at is revelation 7 and then Revelation 14 that's easy 2 times 7 is 14 so you remember revelation 7 144,000 revelation 14 144,000 and he says after these things he's talking about these plagues and the things he sees in Revelation chapter 6 I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth four four four four angels four corners holding the four winds now the reason it talks about four corners is they're thinking about the direct of the compass they like we divided it into north south east and west and they're holding these winds winds often stir up storms trouble strife that the wind should not blow on the earth or the sea or on any tree you know in Revelation it talks about the trees the earth and the sea and it's talking about the nations and the people and the areas of the world and then I saw another angel ascending from the east coming as the Sun of righteousness arises it talks about a little cloud that will come from the east having a seal of the Living God and he cries out with a loud voice to the four angels don't miss that word loud voice that phrase to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth all right you tell what the winds are gonna do now the winds are gonna harm great time of trouble these this messenger with a loud voice says to the angels that are going there holding back these winds of strife do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads and the angels speak of God is their God and in the forehead and I heard the number of those who were sealed all right let's read this and we're gonna then we'll go back and review it 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel of the children of Israel were sealed verse five revelation seven says of the tribe of Judah 12,000 of the tribe of Reuben 12,000 were seal of the tribe of GAD 12,000 were seal of the tribe of Asher 12,000 were seal of the tribe of Naphtali 12,000 were seal sounds like The Book of Chronicles now doesn't it you ever read The Chronicles it uses the number every time of the tribe of Manasseh 12,000 were sealed of the tribe of Simeon 12,000 were sealed of the tribe of Levi 12,000 were sealed and then it goes on Issachar and Zebulun Joseph and Benjamin 12,000 from these twelve tribes and after this I looked and behold a great multitude that no man could number of all nations tribes and peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms ranches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb and the angel stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their face before the throne and they worshiped God saying amen blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving an honor and power and blood and might be to our God for ever and ever amen then one of the elders answered and said to me who are these arrayed in white robes and where they come from and I said to him sir you know you live here so he said to me these are the ones who have come out of Great Tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb now actually I left a word out I don't know if you spotted it so these are the ones that came out of the Great Tribulation now is there a difference between Great Tribulation and the Great Tribulation if I say hand me a pencil that would be any pencil in the room if I say hand me the pencil that means there is a definitive pencil so there is a Great Tribulation at the end of time it's speaking of this great multitude has come out of that therefore they are before his throne of God and they serve Him day and night in his temple he who sits on the throne will dwell among them they will neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore the Sun will not strike them by day nor any Heat for the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will Shepherd them that's where I get the title doesn't that sound like a paradox a lamb will Shepherd them Shepherds usually take care of Lambs lambs not usually Shepherd Lambs but Jesus of course the lamb the lamb who is in the midst of the throne that you saw in chapter 5 will Shepherd them and leave them unto fountains of living waters like David says in Psalm 23 and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes as it says in Revelation 21 so here you a special group that's described in the last days and there's been a lot of discussion and mystery about who are the 144,000 so we've talked a little bit about these four angels we're living in a time right now and I think you can sense it when it seems like something is just holding back the winds of strife that almost the sneeze of a butterfly could set a chain-reaction loose that would just have the whole world unravel right now there is an outside supernatural force that is protecting the world from calamity we already see a lot of problems and calamities but these angels have been given instruction that they're to hold back these winds until something's accomplished and that's until these angel seal the servants of God in their foreheads and so they have a special seal now the seal of God what does that mean well maybe I should talk them first of all what does it mean a sign in the hand or in the forehead there's so much misunderstanding about the hundred and forty-four thousand are what does it mean in the Bible when it says the people are gonna get a mark in their hand or in the forehead does that mean the beast power and the last days is going to come along and grab everybody and tattoo them is it my imagination or do people have more tattoos now than any other time in history just I forget where I was yesterday and yeah people that yeah I was in Chicago yesterday I was in Tennessee but I saw somebody there that they looked a little ancient to me and they had a tattoo and I thought man I think you would be too old for that but really everybody should be anyway so some people think the beasts power is gonna be tattooing everybody with this you know infamous mark or 666 or something that's not what all at all what it means in Revelation everybody gets something in the forehead you even read in revelation 17 there's a woman with a paragraph in her forehead obviously it's a symbol what does it mean in the hand or in the forehead Deuteronomy 6 8 you shall bind them talking about the law of God as a sign on your hand and they will be as what's between your eyes some of you maybe have been to Israel or you've seen pictures of the Orthodox Jews that have the phylacteries they will have a little strap around their head in a box on their forehead they'll have ribbons of leather around wrapped around their wrists and there's a little scripture and they have put the law of God or pieces of the law in these little boxes on their forehead because of this versa that Moses wrote Moses did not mean for them and there's no example after Moses said it of anybody up until the Pharisees that literally was sticking the Word of God on their forehead and on their hand Moses and that same passage passage said it shall be in your heart and on your hand and on your head obviously how do you put it in your heart it's talking about having the Word of God in your mind and in your actions to be surrounding you that's very important so if in the hand and in the forehead is symbolic for the mark of the beast then when it talks about in the forehead could it be symbolic for the seal of God it tells us what was to be in their forehead said they were to have a law of God go to exodus 13:9 it shall be a sign for you upon your hand and a memorial between your eyes and the Bible between your eyes didn't mean like where my glasses are it meant up here in the forehead in the forehead meant it was a center where did the stone sink in when David took down glass it's in his forehead and so it's that's a symbol for the mark of the beast in the forehead there um what is that seal Isaiah 816 bind up the testimony and seal the law among my disciples the law of God contains the seal of God and in the middle of the law of God you find the name of God says the 144,000 have their father's name in their foreheads in the fourth commandment is the only commandment where you find the word holy and a Bible seal has several elements it's got the title of the ruling power it's got their the name and it's got their territory and all of these components can be found in the fourth commandment you've got the name of God for in six days the Lord Jehovah his title the Lord the creator he created his territory the heavens and the earth so you've got all of the components of a seal in the fourth commandment the longest command that the middle of God's law the only place where you find the word holy and so here these people have the holy law of God and the Holy Spirit of course is a seal do not grieve the spirit of God wherewith you are sealed for the day of redemption Ephesians 2 tells us now turn with me don't lose this spot here but go with me to Ezekiel chapter 9 and I want to read something to you I think you're gonna find interesting if you go to Ezekiel 9 here the Prophet is talking about a special judgment in a seal that comes on people in the last days and I want you to notice this this is troubled folks but it's related then he called out in my hearing with a loud voice saying let those who have charged over the city draw near each one with a deadly or a destroying weapon in his hand and suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces east each with a battle-axe some destroying weapon in his hand one man among them was clothed with linen now that's talking about a seventh man that means among the six there was an additional man who was clothed in linen this is what the priests were for intercession it's like these walk the six men have got a weapon for destruction judgment but one among them he is clad with mercy he has a writer's inkhorn at his side in ancient times the attorneys and scribes used to carry a portable writing kit and they win it and they stood beside the bronze altar it's happening in the place of intercession now the glory of the Lord had gone up from the cherub where it had been to the threshold of the temple and he called to the man with Lenin who had the writer's inkhorn to decide and Lord said go through the midst of the city through the midst of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads where's the mark put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done in the city that means God has his people that are sorry about sin they're grieved about sin they want to see revival in the church you remember what it said about lot lot was vexed with the wickedness of Sodom and I think Matthew Henry he's got an interesting statement on this in his commentary it says for those who keep themselves pure in times of common iniquity God will keep them safe in times of common calamity he puts a mark on those a judgment is getting ready to happen and if you want to survive the judgment you needed the mark is there gonna be great judgment and plague and a time of trouble in the last days then we need to have that seal how do we get that seal by yearning for holiness by being grieved by sin where's Jesus sorry about sin was he it hurt him it broke his heart and it says there sighing and crying for the abominations that are done to the others the ones were the battle weapons those other six he said in my hearing go after him go after the one who is marking the ones who are to be spared and do not spare those that don't have the mark utterly slave old and young maidens and little children women but do not come near any one upon whom is the mark now when you say in the mark in the Bible if you say hey do you want the mark I don't want the more nobody wants the mark but they don't know their Bibles very well there is a mark you do want because if you don't have the right mark you're in trouble and you've got to have that or you're gonna be these destroying weapons you remember when the angels were placed by the entrance of the Garden Eden to guard the way to the Tree of Life and they had a flaming sword we don't know what the weapon is some of you saw our video we did called cosmic conflict and the producers were struggling what exactly do we give the angels to fight with and ended up looking like Star Wars swords or something but what do indels use it's so hard to depict that and then they go after and he said defile the temple fill the courts with the slain go out and they went out and they killed in the city and this is great judgement have you read in the Bible judgment must begin at the house of God it said begin notice what he says here so they began with the elders who were before the temple many of you remember when this woman some believed was Mary Magdalene caught in the act of adultery was brought into the temple and they stood around getting ready to throw stones at her and Jesus stood up he said he that is without sin among you let him cast the first stone then he stooped down he began to write again on the dust in the temple floor and it says beginning at the eldest even under the least one by one they dropped their stones and they went out but it began at the Elvis there's a judgment that begins at the house of God this is what happened in John chapter 8 a judgment at the house of God happens in Ezekiel 9 and there's a judgment for the house of God that happens in the end of time judgment begins but let me put it this way you ever heard of the pre-advent judgment that means a judgment that happens before Jesus comes that makes sense you maybe never even realize how much it makes sense how many know that Jesus is going to know who is saved when he comes that he will reward people when he comes Lord knows everything right now okay if the Lord is distributing rewards when he comes the dead in Christ rise those who are alive and remain that are saved are caught up the wicked are destroyed by the brightness of his coming if some kind of execution is taking place when he comes if some kind of reward is taking place when he comes does it make sense there's some kind of judgment before he comes that's what it's talking about so this is this judgment and only those that have the saving mark are spirit during that time so we found out that it is spiritual mark in the hand in the forehead doesn't mean up - or a computer chip how many of you heard that one under the skin you adopt a dog today they'll put a chip under his collar and I hear that there are some people that are getting these chips for medical purposes so they can be scanned and find out what their ongoing problem is very quickly that is not the mark of the beast the mark of the beast is obeying the laws of the Beast instead of the laws of God obey the laws of God in your heart you have the seal of God that's it's not that complicated by the way that verse 1st Peter 4:17 judgment will begin at the house of God if God if judgment begins first with us what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel that says there's a special number and this is very interesting to me 144,000 why a hundred and forty-four thousand first of all let's get this out of the way people worry about the subject of 144,000 because they think are there only a hundred and forty-four thousand that will be saved when Jesus comes and I did some math I'm not real good but I have a calculator and I do know there's about seven point four to five billion people in the world now and it must be growing fast because I looked at my old notes and I said there are six billion people in the world and wow it's going 1.5 billion since I did this sermon six seven point five billion if only 144,000 are saved that means your chances are about one in 52,000 that would mean it's a little better than winning the lottery but not a lot so if only one out of it I know the gate is straight and few there be that find it but only one out of 52 thousand I don't believe that the hundred and forty four thousand are the only ones that are saved I believe the key to understanding who are the 144,000 is in the number how many disciples did Jesus have 12 how many patriarchs were there in the Old Testament 12 twelve sons of Jacob right Moses appointed twelve princes of Israel after the Exodus and so the number twelve represents leadership in the Bible and did you know that if you look for instance in first chronicles 25 you might want to look this out first chronicles 25 that's a book you often skip over because there's a lot of numbers in it but this is where it comes in handy knowing those numbers so so the number of them with their brethren who instructed in the songs of Lord all who were skillful was 288 in the temple of the Lord they had priests that would sing and they were divided in two groups total number 288 what is half of 288 144 their job was to praise the Lord and some said they had son that prays during the night hours and some prays during the day others said no they were some they had the Jewish calendar was divided into the spring feasts and the fall feasts and some were responsible during the time of spring others said they alternated monthly I'm not sure in the New Testament when John the Baptist father is in the temple it says he was ministering in his course he was fulfilling his schedule they had the priests and they have the musicians broken up to praise God in numbers but David very interesting 288 two groups of 144 not only for the ones who were praising God in the temple but if you look in first chronicles 27 15 you got to read the whole chapter and it's kind of like revelation 7 it itemizes the 12 captain for the 12 months was hell di the NIF real fight of AA Finnell and his division was 24,000 now you add that all for every month I just read one verse to you they had 12 captains with 24,000 comes to 288,000 these were the full-time soldiers of David and the soldiers have families they couldn't be on job all the time and so he divided them up into two groups of you got it a hundred and forty four thousand so in the temple praising God and the military now that would be pathetic if Israel only had two hundred and eighty eight thousand soldiers these were the full-time soldiers when there was a battle they would blow a trumpet in every farm person would get his sling they would get their bow sometimes they would get their farm implements and look like a mob and they would join the military and they would go out in mass against the enemy but there were leaders that were full-time see what I'm saying did the Apostles follow Jesus part-time or did they leave their nets and follow him but there are other disciples had followed as they could they would go whenever there was a program they'd go to and they were spreading the teachings of Jesus he had 70 that he sent out one time but he sent the twelve out a different time and so the key to the number is the hundred let me just sum up the whole study for you but I'm not done the key to understand 144,000 is they are in the last days what the Apostles were at the first coming they follow and they fulfill the characteristics of the Apostles they are leaders they are not the only one saved anymore then the Apostles were the only ones that were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost there were twelve apostles in the Upper Room matter of fact why don't we jump there real quick I think this is interesting an interesting fact if you go to Acts chapter 13 Acts chapter 1 sorry verse 13 and when they entered they went into an upper room where they were staying Peter James John Andrew Philip Thomas Bartholomew Matthew James the son of Alphaeus Simon the zealot Judas the son of James they just named 11 apostles why did they name 11 because one of them hung himself Judas so before the holy spirits poured out one thing happens in the book of Acts he told him to wait in Jerusalem till you received the Holy Spirit the last thing that happens in the book of Acts it says they wanted to pick one of the number you look at verse 17 let's pick one among us who was who had gone in and out that heard Jesus had Psalm at the resurrection that has been exposed to all of his teachings and he was numbered with us and he obtained part of this ministry see there was a number Jesus our Peter says in acts 1:17 so finally the cast lots and they picked Matthias and that means gift of Jehovah and you know what it says in the next verse you know it says he was numbered with the eleven so when you add one to eleven what do you have as soon as they get to the number twelve the next verse says and they were all assembled together in one place and it was shaken and there was a sound of a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire came and appeared on each of them and they began preaching so when they got the number twelve they weren't the only ones filled with the Holy Spirit the Apostles were in the upper room but how many others were there it's 120 so there were 10 times more than just the Apostles see what I'm saying who wrote the book of Revelation an apostle and what did Jesus say to the Apostles Matthew 19:28 verily I send you that you who have followed me in the regeneration in the resurrection when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory you will also sit upon twelve Thrones now was that Judas did he get one of those Thrones so who's gonna get that throne will it be Matthias some have said well they kind of ran ahead of the Lord there you know they cast lots and they said we need to pick someone and you never hear from Esaias again but you sure do hear a lot about a guy named Saul later changed to Paul later on who is then numbered one of the Apostles Paul calls himself Paul may have filled in I still think that when they replace Judas God was in it because they get to the number twelve the Holy Spirit and the whole thing changes the church basically fires out of a cannon right after that everything changes right after that isn't that interesting and so the hundred and forty-four thousand are like your last day apostles the Lord is going to fill with his spirit this group in the last days that does a special work alright now this is another point and one reason I'm doing this sermon is not just for you but I'm trusting people will watch and I may tell you more about it sometime but this just last week I was at an unusual meeting with Christian leaders from all over north Eric and even actually some flew in from overseas and lovely people but they have some different beliefs and they believe that you know Jesus isn't going to come back again until 144,000 literal Jews are raised up and they believe because it does say there in Revelation you go back to chapter 7 these 12 tribes it's a special nation from the tribes of Israel now if you know your Bible how many tribes are there 12 was ephraim one of the tribes yeah what's Manasseh one of the tribes you do the math and you're gonna end up with 13 let me tell you how that happened Joseph was sold by his brothers you all remember the story he was separated from his father for many years Joseph then had to Boise from and Manasseh Jacob before he died he said Joseph because you've been separated from your brothers I am going to split your inheritance and number your two sons as one of my sons so you'll end up with a double portion not only that Joseph you're the firstborn was supposed to get a double portion and Joseph was the firstborn of Jacob through Rachel Rachel's firstborn right the only wife he ever wanted was Rachel he get ended up getting this whole other string of wives but he just wanted Rachel he got tricked got tricked several times not very smart when it came to that but um so but how do you get the number 12 then well when they Exodus happen Moses said Levi is gonna be the price he will be the nation of priests for the rest of the other 12 tribes you have the twelve tribes and the tribe of Levi or the priests when you read the list of the 12 tribes in Revelation 7 there is no other list where they're listed this way anywhere in the Bible it's a list that doesn't make sense well it doesn't but I can tell you why just yet first of all the firstborn is Reuben Judas listed as the firstborn Reuben is the second board then is left out Ephraim is left out Manasseh is included Ephraim is not called Ephraim he's called Joseph it is an unusual list in the way that it's given and it is true it starts with Judah but Benjamin who was the firstborn he's second or rather Reuben who's the first one in a second Benjamin who's the last he's at the end and why is that first of all these are not going to be 12,000 literal Jews from these twelve tribes why do I know that the names in the Bible are all symbolic in Revelation let me restate it the names in Revelation are always symbolic when it talks about Balaam and Jezebel a nepali in' and michael and the dragon they represent things and so these twelve tribes their names means something but is it talking about 12,000 literal Jews it can't be why you look in the Bible and you'll find out that hundreds of years before Jesus was born I'm gonna give it to you second King 17 it's like during the time of King Hezekiah five hundred years before Christ was born it says in the ninth year of Hosea he was a king of Israel no I think I'm confusing you the Kingdom of Israel ended up having a civil war and they split into two groups for hundreds of years David and his descendants ruled the southern kingdom that comprised of Judah Benjamin and the priests Levites they stayed in the southern kingdom the northern kingdom went towards idolatry in the days of Jeroboam the other ten tribes were up there three and Tenace 13 you with me they called the Northern Kingdom Israel the southern kingdom they called Judah that's where we get the word Jew today there was no tribe called Jew that's a derivative of a shortened form of the tribe of Judah they Judah was the biggest tribe by far and so you they called that the land of Judah David was from the tribe of Judah Jesus was from the tribe of Judah the northern kingdom because they went to idolatry God withdrew his protection they had a whole bunch of different Kings they were all from different monarchies and dynasties they're all killing each other all in the southern kingdom it was always a descendent of David always a descendant of David so finally God with Jewish protection and during the time when Hezekiah a descendant of David was in Judah the Assyrians came from the north to the ten tribes conquered them carried them off were they largely intermarried and were diluted and dispersed some of them came back and they were sort of half-breed Samaritans that was a combination of a Syrian and a little bit of you know sort of like the Mongols of everybody but they were not purebred Jews anymore so here we are now 2,500 years later and when you read in Revelation 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh where is he gonna get 12,000 you sitting out there you may have a little bit of those tribes in your blood everybody's getting into DNA ancestry now wanting to trace their ancestry and I've seen a few commercials where people say well here all my life I thought I was German I had a test and now I'm Italian what the world am I gonna do I think a big deal who cares well what does it change well now I'm gonna have to learn about my Italian roots instead of my German roots and what a waste learning about my German roots and you know what I'm talking about I guess it's interesting it's not that interesting to me it's but it's kind of trivia you are what you are but people are finding out you can do a DNA test I was New York had dinner with my cousin she said we did a DNA test and she was really surprised to learn about you know some of her ancestry and and you know if you did a DNA test you would be shocked how many of you have Hebrew in your DNA because the Jews have been scattered around the civilized world for two thousand years and they have communities everywhere how many of you know that you say all but I'm from Germany you don't think there's G's there oh but I'm from South America a lot of G's there the Caribbean you'll find synagogues there matter where you go and so when people argue that they have to be 12,000 literal Jews I think it doesn't mean that furthermore the Bible is pretty clear looking Galatians 3:29 if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed if your believer you're part of spiritual Israel Romans 2:28 29 he is not a Jew which is one outwardly nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh he is a Jew which is one inwardly Romans 96 but it is not that the Word of God has taken no effect they are not all Israel who are of Israel Mathew 3:9 John the Baptist said do not think to say within yourselves we have Abraham as our Father for I say God is able to raise up children to Abraham from the stones and I could go on and read you about 20 other verses that make it very clear that from the time of Christ any Gentile could be grafted into the stock of Israel now I've got some folks watching now they're gonna say pastor Doug you don't think God has a special work you think he's forsaking Israel you don't think he has something special for the Jews absolutely not there's a teaching out there called replacement theology that God has no plan for the Jews now and it's gonna be clip stand replaced by spiritual Jews I don't believe that what I read in the Bible is quite the opposite when you become a Christian you are grafted into Israel and you basically become a told you there are a lot of Jews that become spiritual Jews by accepting Jesus and Paul makes it very clear but you are not safe God doesn't discriminate God is not saving people because he looks at your blood and says oh you've got Hebrew blood I've got to save you you're chosen what did Jesus say to the religious leaders they thought we're children of Abraham we're gonna be saved he said you're not children of Abraham you're children of the devil because you're trying to kill me the Messiah and Abraham wouldn't have done that but it's amazing to me how mixed up people get they're waiting for a hundred and forty-four thousand literal drupes from these tribes that are dispersed and extinct now among the 12 apostles were they from the 12 different tribes no Matthew had some Levite he was called Matthew Levi Paul says he's from the tribe of Benjamin the majority were probably from the tribe of Judah and so you had those three tribes of the southern kingdom that were represented among the 12 tribes of the 12 apostles rather and so they still preserve the number 12 but ten of the tribes sort of evaporated because they abandoned God you may be raised in the church you may have generations of church history and heritage do you think God's impressed with that hey Lord look at this i i've got fourth generation my great-grandfather was a pastor do i get extra points where do i get to sit in heaven we've got generations of church history it doesn't do you any good in the Judgment Day you need a personal relationship with Jesus that's what matters God has no grandchildren you ever heard that you you don't connect with God because of a second generation you don't do it through marriage I'm married to a Christian that makes me one you might pray for your spouse and there is a sanctifying influence 1st Corinthians chapter 7 says that the believing wife or believing husband can have a sanctifying influence on their spouse in the family but they're not saved by it it might be converted by the prayer I won't ask Susie how long she's been praying for John God answers those prayers right there's a sanctifying influence through that I'm sorry did I hope I didn't embarrass you they have a special work to do so is it clear that it's not literal Jews all right I'll move on to the next point they have a special work what was the work of John the Baptist he went to prepare people for Jesus first coming said I'm the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord now when it came to John the Baptist people said to Jesus was this Elijah and Jesus said Elijah has come and Elijah will come meaning Elijah came in the person of John the Baptist John the Baptist came in the spirit and the power of Elijah to prepare the world for Jesus first coming but Jesus said some others are going to come in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the world for Jesus second coming this is the work of the hundred and forty-four thousand and they've got a special work to do they got special names now why did it use the names in the list that you've seen when you in the Bible when you name your kid they didn't get a Bible name book you know I've noticed the names go through trends and I forget what the modern trends are now but there are certain names that if I name them I won't one Barriss anybody here nobody I haven't met too many Matilda's lately someone but that used to be the name and there's all these different names sometimes it depends on who's the king at the certain time everyone was named George when King George was there and and different things different trends names change why do you even pick that name I like the sound but in the Bible they named their children with a meaning the name had a meaning it often talked about them in some way so when you look at the names of the Twelve Apostles that are listed in the list of the hundred and forty four thousand and I suppose I could put these notes online if anybody's interested let me just tell you what the names mean this is the list in Revelation Judah means I will praise the Lord Reuben means he has looked on me GAD given good fortune Asher means happy Am I NAFTA ly means my wrestling Manasseh making me forget Simeon God hears me Levi's attached or joined to me yes a car purchased me Zebulon dwelling Joseph God will add see when when Rachel hen Joseph she said God will add to me another son she named him Joseph Vinci God did it was a prophecy Benjamin was his name Benjamin means son of his right hand there's your list that's what the means are you can look this up for yourself in your Bible when Rachel and Leah and their handmaids were having their babies they made a statement with the birth of every boy now what happens if you take these names and you put them in the order they're given in Revelation and patched together of paragraph' this is what it says I will praise the Lord for he has looked on me and granted good fortune I am happy because my wrestling God is making me forget God hears me and is a joint to me he has purchased me a dwelling and will add to me the son of his right hand it is the story of salvation that is hidden in the names of the hundred and forty-four thousand because they have experienced this wrestling and being joined to the Lord now I've seen different scholars will take the paragraph and you add the word for and the and and we've taken the liberty to do that to make to tie it all together and some have come up with slight variations of it but basically it is telling the story of salvation isn't that neat I think that is that just tells me about the inspiration of the Bible and why God used these names that he used they have special white robes that they wear there's something unique about their clothing who wears the white robes revelation 3:5 he that overcomes jesus said the same we'll be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels you can read revelation 19:8 and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints those white robes are a symbol of God's righteousness and then it makes an interesting statement and if you read in Revelation 14 matter-of-fact turn with me to Revelation 14 III didn't really read this to you yet I looked and behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him 144,000 having his father's name written in their foreheads everybody's got something in the forehead and I heard a voice of from heaven like the voice of many waters and like a voice of loud thunder and I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps and they sang as it was a new song before the throne before the four living creatures and the elders and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth these are the ones who are not defiled with women for they are virgins or any good applause the term they're virgins is a feminine term does that mean 144,000 are all women no in Revelation you've got two principle women you have the woman in Revelation 12 who is pure light Sun Moon Stars she is the Church of God you've got then the opposite woman in revelation 17 who is called a harlot and she is clothed with earthly adornment gold and pearls and purple and scarlet and so forth it is contrasting the two religions of the world God's church his bride cold with light and of course a lot of men are part of the Bride of Christ it's not talking about gender here it's talking about his bride the hundred and forty-four thousand hour virgins they are pure spiritually they are not defiled with the false teachings of Babylon the mother of harlots yet does that is that clear in the parable of the ten virgins that Jesus shares does that mean everybody saved in the last days a virgin or is he calling the the virgins our symbol for his church same thing happening here in this verse so it says that they're virgins they follow the lamb wherever he goes they were redeemed from among men being the firstfruits they're not the only one saved they are the firstfruits to God and to the lamb and then their mouth was found no deceit for they are without fault before the throne of God and now right after it describes this group again it describes the final events and their message you've heard of the three angels message what is it exactly that the the 144,000 is talking about their angel going through heaven with a loud voice by the way didn't I didn't bring it out but when I read Ezekiel 9 to you it also says a loud voice they're just like you're finding in Revelation and these angels have a loud voice it says fear God give glory to him Babel and has fallen do not worship the Beast in his image you've heard of the three angels messages this is the message that's given by the hundred and forty-four thousand why are they giving the message cuz they're not the only ones saved there is a great multitude that is converted as a result of their preaching does that make sense because he says the the angel our angel says did John who are these away arrayed in white robes said these are the ones who have come out of Great Tribulation it is a great multitude that no man could number so is the hundred and forty-four thousand a literal number well the jury is out on that I have been inclined to think yes because the names in Revelation are typically symbolic the numbers have real value case in point how many foundations in the New Jerusalem 12 and it doesn't tell us what the stones are is that real or is that just imaginary how many gates are there really twelve gates and the Tree of Life has how many kinds of fruit twelve how many times a year twelve it's better than baskin-robbins did all those varieties if they've got is that literal so the numbers in Revelation have real value the names are symbolic I'm inclined to think that it's a real number did Jesus literally pick 12 and when Judas was killed that they feel some desire to replace that one that one number then the numbers meant something now I could be wrong and I'm like I said I'm not gonna die on that mountain but this for those of you who are seventh-day Adventists if you want to know what the spirit of prophecy says you look in early writings page 16 the living Saints 144,000 in number knew and understood the voice speaking of the second coming you can go to early writings page 19 oh that I could speak in the language of Canaan I would tell a little of the glory of a better world I saw there the tables of stone in which the names of the hundred and forty-four thousand were engraved in letters of gold it's naturally got specific names sounding like theirs it's a literal group and then in the Bible Commentary to keep us on the straight and narrow she adds this it is not his will that we should get into controversy over questions that will not help spiritually such as who is to compose the hundred and forty-four thousand and so you know even she said and don't argue about that whether the number of spiritual literal what I do know is the characteristics of the hundred and forty-four thousand were the characteristics of the Apostles the Apostles who learned from Jesus and then taught the other disciples are the characteristics we are to have so what we're reading about the 144,000 is what we need to be so as they follow the lamb wherever he goes for one thing we need to be doing that they have a purity it uses the word virgins it's amazing how God could take Mary Magdalene and purify her he cast out the Seven Devils right they sing a special song revelation 14 three they sung as it was a new song before the throne before the Beast and before the elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth in Deuteronomy 31 22 Moses writes a song whole chapter as a song it's a song of God's leading and deliverance and warning that's in there and I told you about David had a choir with 288 and two groups of 144 and Mace had a special training and they would actually play on instruments that David had made did we just read about the harps Harper's harping they're in Revelation chapter 14 you still with me what am i jumping around too quickly you know there's only one time it says Jesus saying in the Bible at the Last Supper with the twelve I guess at that point that may have been eleven it says they sang a hymn and went out I'm sure Jesus saying other times but it's only recorded one time it was with the twelve that he's saying and it also says that they're honest they have no guile there you ever heard the word guile before it's an old English word it means the seat in their mouth was found no deceit they're honest they are without fault before God their holy now you might think well that's impossible how could I be that jesus said that of one of the Apostles when he first met Nathanael and Nathanael was coming towards him jesus said and just as this is in John 147 behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile no deceit so the terms that are being used by the way John who wrote revelation wrote that verse the terms that are being used to describe the 144,000 is the same language that's used regarding the Apostles and what the apostles were is what they taught the disciples to be so they're models for all of us right because once they died off the next generation was to do the work of the Apostles and the disciples in holiness and honesty in purity in following the lamb wherever he went and that's our last point it says they have a special relationship these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes you know when John wrote that he had a right to write that because when Jesus was betrayed and the mob came to arrest him all of the disciples forsook Jesus and fled after he was initially arrested two of the disciples began to follow the Bible says Peter followed at a distance but John caught up and he went right with Jesus into the judgment Hall John followed him all the way in Peter he stayed kind of out with his servants because he followed at a distance he ended up denying Jesus the hundred and forty-four thousand will not deny Christ when they're being mocked in the last days we follow the lamb wherever he goes jesus said whoever would come after me let him take up his cross and follow me and where did Jesus take his cross to his crucifixion I am crucified with Christ yet I live these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes and if we want to follow him there we must first follow him here on a day-to-day basis so the message of the hundred and forty-four thousand is a message of high calling for God's people he is joined to us he's talking about it's like a marriage relationship we love the Lord and are connected with him and he's our Shepherd we are his sheep and we follow wherever our Shepherd leads that's why it's great that we're gonna close with that hymn Savior like a shepherd lead us and I'll invite our singers to come out if you've got your song books it's 5:45 and we'll stand as we sing you'll also probably see the words up on the screen as well so let's sing this song together save you're like a shepherd I want to be among the 144,000 even if I'm not one of that number I want to be saved amen let's see [Music] Pleasant pastures [Music] Jesus Jesus [Music] Jesus Jesus [Music] we are [Music] jeez [Music] merci [Music] jeez [Music] jeez we will [Music] might be good for us to end where we started those four angels are holding back the four winds of strife that they should not release them to blast upon the earth until God's servants are sealed I believe that God's servants are being sealed I believe the message is going out in the world and we're thankful here we believe we have a part in that and sharing the message what that seal is and what it means to follow the lamb wherever he goes and but someday those angels are gonna release their grip and when you look at what's happening in the world today I don't think that day is very far away I want the seal of God don't you friends I want the Holy Spirit I want his law written in my heart and I want to be one of his children and whom there is no guile and I want to follow the lamb wherever he goes is that your desire father in heaven we are so thankful that you sent your son the great Shepherd of the flock to be our example we see Lord how much he loves us and I pray that we will completely and fully consecrate our lives to you and be willing to follow Jesus Lord we want to not only receive your seal to have your name written in our hearts to have your law in our minds but we also want to share this with the world it's not just about us 144,000 have a work of proclamation giving the three angels message to the world help us be among those that do that and Lord I pray that you'll help us to be faithful bless this church forgive us for our sins and I pray that you will clothe us with the robes of righteousness that the redeemed will wear and be with us as we go from this place so that in the little things of life we might be faithful to follow you that will listen to the voice of the Spirit and be willing to represent you and we know that in the world Lord that there's going to be compromise that there's going to be pressure to turn away but I pray that we'll learn from the mistake of Peter and that we just won't follow you from a distance but we'll follow you full-on all the way and we'll share the good news help us be ready Lord for that day when you'll come it says in Revelation 14 then I looked and behold upon a cloud one sat liken unto the Son of Man we know that after this message goes Jesus comes we want to be ready for that day bless us for that purpose to that end fill us with your spirit bless the families in this church Lord we thank you and pray this in Jesus name Amen god bless you in good Sabbath
