John Thiel Mp3
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed to thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
Trim your lamps. That is your lamp, star, the Word of God, that is to be studied. Our study and our meditation this morning has to do with trimming our lamps in correctly understanding what the Bible is saying. And the title of our meditation continues from last week on the 144,000. It’s the intellectual understanding regarding the 144,000. From our previous Sabbath meditations, we continue with the thought of Early Writings, page 44 so we may see the connecting links of what we have been studying and what we need to understand:
I saw that Satan was at work in these ways to distract, deceive, and draw away God’s people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet sliding, because they were not firmly planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over them while they were thus trembling. EW 44.1
Here you see that what is essential for us is to trim our lamps as it says that we must not be trembling and but stand stiffly for present truth. We must be firmly planted on the truth because Satan is trying to deceive us in such an important time as the sealing time. When Sister White wrote that, it was very early in the Adventist years. They understood that the sealing time of the 144,000 commenced back there.
Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God’s people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. God has begun to draw this covering over His people, and it will soon be drawn over all who are to have a shelter in the day of slaughter. God will work in power for His people; and Satan will be permitted to work also. EW 44.2
Very clearly, as we had studied last week, the 144,000, the sealing of these of these people was something that took place already in Sister White’s time. Gods people were to stand stiffly for the truth through that time to our time now. In fact, the sealing of the 144,000 has to do with a very important exercise of diligence in the study of God’s word.
Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads… 4BC 1161.6
What does it mean to be sealed in the foreheads?
Intellectually
…it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming. 4BC 1161.6
That was written in 1902. To be sealed in our foreheads means to be settling into the truth, not only spiritually, not only in our deep, affectionate love to God, but intellectually as well. This is unfortunately where many people are very lazy. They don’t want to study into the depths of God’s word intellectually. It means working those cogs in the brain a bit much and many people think that that’s too hard. But it is a very important exercise not only to be affectionately, spiritually in tune with God, but also intellectually. This is our focus at this time because in part 1, we spent time on the spiritual of the 144,000. Now we want to get it very clear this hour intellectually. Why is it necessary to settle into the truth intellectually? Our scripture reading described it very well. We are to take heed unto ourselves and unto the doctrine. Why? Take heed unto the doctrine.
1st Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Doctrine means teaching, and that requires intellectual exercise. To take heed to the doctrine intellectually has something to do with being saved, both for the person who is receiving it and the person who is giving it. Apostle Paul addresses this to Titus:
Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Were they within the profession of faith? Is it important to have an intellectual correct knowledge of doctrine? According to Timothy and Titus, we need to have it so that we can have sound doctrine to exhort and convince the gainsayers to convince the people that are arguing and deceiving people. We need to have an argument that is intellectually correct so that we can affectionately have a correct application of our affections to God as well.
The 144,000 doctrine has many distracting teachings today, many different varieties of ideas that have come up. What is the true doctrine in reference to the 144,000? In reference to the number, in reference to Israel, let us turn to the scriptures for what we are actually seeking to correctly understand.
Revelation 14:1 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. 2 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 3And 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. 4These 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 firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Revelation 7:3 Hurt not the earth, neither the sea till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed. And there were sealed, an 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
The points that we want to have very clear before us and correctly understood is:
- The number of the 144,000
- Israel, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. The correct understanding of that.
- To be from among the living
- When do these peoples become sealed? When is the sealing time?
We touched on that ever since 1848. Is that all that will be saved since 1848? That’s another question. We want to have many answers here, and we will follow them through very carefully.
- They have no guile in their mouth.
- Not defied by women
That’s an important subject.
- Sealed from the time of the pioneers
- Can only 144,000 be saved from that time onwards?
Before I go any further, I want to nail a nail in the sure place in reference to what I am here sharing with you. Please note that I am not going to present before you any of my own ideas. This is not my own doctrine that I’m showing you, but I am relying upon what was taught in the past. I’m sharing with you that which has been covered over by a lot of deceptive teachings to cause people not to know anymore what used to be taught.
Contend for the Faith
We are commissioned here living in this time to be very careful to do anything but this:
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints.
This is my contention, to deliver only that which was once delivered to the saints. I have nothing of my own fabrication to present to you. It is what has already been taught by those who have been before us.
People do not consider that the truth has been set forth at the appointed time by the very men whom God was leading to do this special work. These men followed on step by step in the very fulfilment of prophecy, and those who have not had a personal experience in this work are to take the word of God and believe on their word who have been led by the Lord in the proclamation of the first, second and third angels messages. These messages, received and acted upon, are doing their work to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God. 2SM 111.2
If we search the scriptures to confirm the truth God has given His servants for the world, we shall be found proclaiming the first, second and third angels messages. It is true that there are prophecies yet to be fulfilled, but very erroneous work has been done again and again and will continue to be done by those who seek to find new light in the prophecies and who begin by turning away from the light that God has already given. 2SM 111.3
God has already given it, and many people have arisen and turned away from that which the Lord had given to these men back in the in the past and have raised up new ideas. I refuse to do that. I am one of those people who have not had the experience of our brethren in the pioneer years and so I have listened to what this testimony of Jesus says. It says that those who have not had their experience in the rising of these messages are to take what? To take the word of those whom God had led back there. And this is what I’m going to be sharing with you here. Not something fabricated by me who am only just the fourth or fifth generation from the early pioneers. I have read widely.
For those of you who wish to have a clear reference on this subject, refer to “Where are the 144,000 First Spoken Of” in (Review and Herald, July 27 & August 3, 1905.
There is a pioneer or one of the brethren from the pioneer years by the name of HR Johnson. The Lord has preserved this article on the continuation on the page where Sister White wrote. It concludes there to be concluded. It’s fascinating to find that on the next reading in its fullness until its conclusion. Nothing is missing. I thank God for this because here like a Sabbath school lesson, we are taught exactly what they believed and what they taught on the 144,000.
When we look at the book of Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith from which I’m going to read a little portion in a moment, we have the writings of the pioneers who had all the doctrine very clear before them and Sister White’s writings. For brevity’s sake, I will be placing as short as possible enough to occupy our minds in this divine service.
You can always check it further as we, as you want to understand the detail. What are the facts? What are the intellectual facts in reference to the 144,000? The first question comes up in Revelation 7.
Revelation 7:4 I heard the number of them which were sealed and there was sealed an 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
National Israel
From this reading many have arisen who have taught that it is national Israel. That the 144,000 are coming from and they go into great detail of research to show that the twelve tribes of Israel are still in existence. They claim that British Israel is part of the seven of the of the 12 tribes. They also highlight people living in India who dwell up there in the highlands of India who are of the tribes of Israel, and they claim that this statement is in reference to the national Israel. National Israel has all fallen. They are no longer part of the Israel of God. We have much in writing on that matter. See who James is writing to. He is addressing the Christian church and writing to them.
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greetings.
Who did he write to? To the twelve tribes. Where were they? There were only the Jews and the Benjaminites as the national Israel. The rest of them were scattered everywhere without any recognition who they were at that time. He is writing to the Christian church. This is we all read this part applicable to us as the Christian church. The twelve tribes of Israel were the Israel of God, the true Israelites, the true spiritual Israelites, you and me, who have joined themselves to Jesus Christ. We read in reference to who is the Israelites
Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 29 And if you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
If you are a receiver of Jesus Christ in your heart and you follow him obediently, you are of the seed of Abraham. You are an Israelite.
Romans 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Who are Israel? The true Israel are the people who at heart, in spirit, are in tune with Jesus Christ. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, but he which is one inwardly, who is circumcised in the heart. The 144,000 are derived from spiritual Israel, the true Israel, not the fallen national Israel. Many people say, yes, that is true. I agree with you there, and we come to the number now. And that question is, well, if this is spiritual Israel, then isn’t the number spiritual too? The arguments are very strong because you can go to numerics and you can use it as you see people using symbolisms of numbers, what they mean. They convince you that the 144,000 here is not a literal number because it’s not national literal Israel. It’s spiritual Israel, so it’s a spiritual number.
Symbolic Number
It’s a symbolic number. When you read the Bible as it reads without adding or taking away from it, what did we read as to the number of these true Christians that are to be sealed, what was it there in Revelation 7:4? It said and I heard what? I heard the number of them which were sealed, and they were sealed an 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
An 144,000
How clear do you want it? Is this not plain that a number, a literal number is mentioned here? He heard the number of those who were sealed. There was sealed and 144,000. What does the language say? If you say here are a number of people they are an 144,000. Does that mean a literal number? Well, let’s go also to Revelation 14 verse one and see whether this is a correct rendition.
Revelation 14 verse one and I looked and lo a lamb stood on Mount Zion and with him what? What’s the language? Does it say with him the 144,000? If it did say that you could conclude maybe it’s a symbolic number, but it says how many were with him? An 144,000 having His father’s name written in their forehead.
We do not need to argue the point with these people who say it’s not a literal number. It’s just what it says. This is the intellectual reading grammar of the language. There were an 144,000.
Soon we heard the voice of God, like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus coming. The living saints 144,000 in number knew and understood the voice while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. EW 14.1
How many were there? 144,000 in number, an 144,000, not symbolic. A literal 144,000 in number. That’s another important intellectual doctrine that we need to be able to clearly understand to oppose the gainsayers who will put a smudging thought upon this subject.
Only Men?
Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins.
Not defiled by women. There are teachers going around teaching that only men will be part of the 144,000 because of what they read here. They are not defiled by women. They are men. They are not more women are not included among the 144,000. This is what is being taught. What is meant with not being defiled by women?
Read Revelation 17:5 to get our bearings on this intellectually correct. Here is the story of Babylon, the fallen Catholic church and her the produce of her as well.
Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Women
Woman drunken, a harlot, not defiled by women. Can we get the picture? The women that defile the children of God are the false churches, the churches that are fallen, that have played harlotry with the world. These people are not defiled by these fallen churches, these women who have affected God’s people. In Revelation 18:4, we read it very plainly here that there’s going to be a people standing on earth who are not defiled by Babylon and her children, her daughters.
Revelation 18:4 I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues.
Come out of the false churches so that you will be among the 144,000 that are not defiled by these false churches. To draw the picture very clearly from another Bible text and Song of Solomon, you can see the picture here of women identified as churches.
Song of Solomon 6:8 There are threescore queens and fourscore concubines and virgins without number. 9 My dove, my undefiled.
They were not defiled by women.
Song of Solomon 6:9 My dove, my undefiled is but one. She’s the only one of a mother. She is the choice one of her that bear her. The daughters saw her and blessed her. Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
Here are all the women and there’s only one pure one and they are the 144,000 undefiled. My undefiled is but one. There is another clarification.
No Guile
We also read that in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God. In the atmosphere of modern Christendom and modern Adventism, there is a teaching that says you’ll never be perfect. But here are a people who have no guile or have and have no fault. The work of the gospel to produce such a people is the work of purification so that they will be without fault.
Jude 1:24 Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
God in His labour for our salvation, is preparing a people to stand without fault before His presence, and it is the 144,000 who are to be found on earth without fault at all.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
A people who will be like Jesus, practicing the faith of Jesus, and like Jesus will be without fault. We conclude that thought in James.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? In the perfection, in the faultlessness, there is nothing wanting. They are absolutely perfect before God. The 144,000 are a people that are without fault before the throne of God. They have no guile in their mouth. What identifies them here in regard to guile? Not only do they not lie in terms of saying falsehoods in terms of their everyday life, but come over to Proverbs 30 to identify them better still.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure. He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar.
Pure Doctrine
Here are a people who are not defiled by the churches. They have pure doctrine. They do not teach anything different but a plain non added, nor taken away of God’s word. They have no guile in their mouth. They are preaching pure doctrine. To help us in reference to these people being like Jesus, perfect without any falsehood in their life, we read in The Youth Instructor.
It is God’s purpose that the glory of Christ shall appear in his children. In all his teaching, Christ presented pure principles. He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Constantly there flowed from his lips holy, ennobling truths. YI July 26, 1900, par. 5
It was truth. There was no guile in His mouth in what He taught. Very plain and straightforward here as it reads.
The truth never languished on his lips. With fearlessness he exposed the hypocrisy of priest and ruler. YI July 26, 1900, par. 5
In the time in which false doctrines are being taught, these people have no guile in their mouth, no false doctrine. That is another very important identification point.
It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths…. The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy (Letter 55, 1886).
They stand without guile in their mouth by the fact that the truth is so pure that they are able to purify their lives according to the truth. They exhibit this in the midst of apostasy, in the midst of false teachings that have apostasy means turning away from the truth. These people have no guile in their mouth in regard to the doctrines of God’s truth.
Among the Living
Then the other question that arises in this subject and that is being taught differently to what the pioneers taught was that the 144,000 are from among the living when Jesus comes so they can’t be from the time of 1848. They can’t be from there because they are from among the living. Well, these are two questions here. First of all, to show intellectually that these people have been sealed from the time of the pioneers of the third angel’s message. The angel that is waving something up and down as we read last week, is who? What is the angel that is doing the work of sealing when he said it there in Revelation 7 saying to the people, to the angels, hold the winds of strife until what? Until we have sealed the servants of our God in their forehead. There are multiple angels at work, and the third angel is the one who is the leadership of this.
I asked the angel if there were none left EW 88.3
Because she saw the whole world going to petition.
He bade me look in an opposite direction and I saw a little company. EW 88.3
What was that? A little company travelling a narrow pathway.
All seemed to be firmly united, bound together by the truth, in bundles, or companies. Said the angel, “The third angel is binding, or sealing, them in bundles for the heavenly garner.” EW 88.3
The third angel is doing this work. When did the third angel begin his work to cause the people to settle into the truth both intellectually and spiritually? When was his work started? 1848. That’s when the third angel’s work came into action.
I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, fearful, is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares and seal or bind the wheat for the heavenly garner. EW 18
These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention because the 144,000 need to understand the truth of this and need to place themselves under the third three angels’ messages. You will remember what I read in Early Writings page 44.1-2 that the sealing was a present situation in this sealing time when she wrote that, and that the covering of God was already being drawn over God’s people in Sister White’s time, the sealing. It is very clear from the understanding of the doctrines that the ceiling work commenced by the third angel. But why then does it say what is written in Great Controversy on page 648? This is what these teachers are teaching today, that it can only be the people that are alive when Jesus comes, and they don’t understand correctly what is written here. In GC 648.3 Sister White makes a very clear statement:
Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass GC 648.3
Who is standing there?
…as it were mingled with fire,—so resplendent is it with the glory of God,—are gathered the company that have “gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name.” With the Lamb upon Mount Zion, “having the harps of God,” they stand, the hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men; and there is heard, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder, “the voice of harpers harping with their harps.” And they sing “a new song” before the throne, a song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand. It is the song of Moses and the Lamb—a song of deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience—an experience such as no other company have ever had. “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” These, having been translated from the earth, from among the living, are counted as “the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.” GC 648.3
Where did they come from? From among the living. But if the 144,000 include the people who’ve been sealed by the angel among the pioneers, when Jesus comes, they will have died already. They are not among the living when Jesus comes. This is what the people teach. They can’t be among, there can’t be any of the pioneers among them. That’s what we hear them preaching. That’s the gainsayers to what the original pioneers taught. How do we show that these are people who include the people who have died? There is something very special that the third angel’s message, identifies for the reader.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them.
The people who have been under the third angel’s message but have died, the third angel is saying, you’re especially blessed because your work that you have been doing is going to follow you. What have they been doing? They’ve been proclaiming the third angel’s message. They have been used as the angel representing the angel of Revelation 14. They have been preparing a people to be among the 144,000 settling into the truth both spiritually and intellectually. Their work will follow them. Blessed are they who die.
Among the Living
People then say, well, then how can they be among the living if they’ve died when Jesus comes? Come to Daniel chapter 12. Here we have a very clear understanding of what will happen. At the time when Jesus finishes his work in the most holy place.
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
When Jesus stands up and the time of plagues, the time of trouble such as never has been before takes place, what also takes place during those plagues? Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Now just pause here for a moment and think when Jesus comes, there’s going to be a resurrection, isn’t there? What resurrection is that? It’s the resurrection of the just, those who have sleep in Jesus. He says, arise, and He blows the trumpet. Those who are asleep in Jesus will arise. Are there any among them that will be lost? Not at all. But what’s this one say? There’s going to be those who will be who are faithful and those who are unfaithful amongst that resurrection. What resurrection is that? Well, we’ll let the spirit of prophecy clarify it for us. This is the argument of truth in regards to this point. Here she gives the seventh plague announcement in Revelation 16 verse 17. She describes here the scene.
Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying: “It is done.” Revelation 16:17. GC 636.2
That was paragraph two. Now paragraph three.
That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, “such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Verses 17, 18. The firmament appears to open and shut. GC 636.3
This is the description of the seventh plague. The firmament opens and shuts.
The glory from the throne of God seems flashing through. GC 636.3
She describes all the terrible detail of this earthquake that covers the whole earth. The whole earth heaves and swells like waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up. She goes on to describe in in paragraph four.
Graves are opened, and “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth … awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. GC 637.1
They will join the others that are alive at that special resurrection. And who else is going to be raised as well? Some to everlasting damnation?
“They also which pierced Him” (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient. GC 637.1
This is a resurrection that satisfies what Jesus said to the Pharisees when He was there in front of them. He said, behold, you will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. So for them to actually see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven, what has to happen to them? They have to be resurrected. The other people that wanted to see Jesus coming who were the 144,000 will be, they are blessed as we read there. They will be raised in that special resurrection of Daniel 12:1-2. They will then be there. They have come up during the plagues. This is the seventh plague, and all the other plagues are still raging around the world. They are there. When Jesus comes, they will see Him coming. The people who are dead in Christ, they don’t see Jesus coming. Jesus will be there, and the trumpet will sound and they will wake up and He’s right there. But these ones see Him coming.
God would be honored by making a covenant with those who had kept His law, in the sight of the heathen round about them; and Jesus would be honored by translating, without their seeing death, the faithful waiting ones who had so long expected Him. {EW 282.2}
All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. GC 637.1
I want to summarise that in the quote from Daniel and Revelation 1909 edition, he puts a beautiful summary on all this.
Those who die after having become identified with the third angel’s message are evidently numbered as part of the 144,000. For this message is the same as the sealing message of Revelation 7 and by that message, only a144,000 were sealed. But there are many who have had their entire religious experience under this message but have fallen in death. They die in the Lord and hence are counted as sealed for they will be saved. But the message results in the sealing of only a 144,000. Therefore, these must be included in that number being raised in the special resurrection of Daniel 12:2 and Revelation 1:7, which occurs when the voice of God is uttered from the temple at the beginning of the seventh and last plague. They pass through the period of that plague and, hence, may be said to come out of great tribulation. And being raised from the grave only to mortal life, they take their stand with believers who have not died, and with them receive immortality at the last trump, being then with the others changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. Thus, though they have passed through the grave, it can be said of them at last that they are redeemed from among men, from among the living. That is from among the living, for the coming of Christ finds them among the living, waiting for the change to immortality, like those who have not died and as if they themselves had never died. DAR
That answers that question. How can they be from among the living when they’ve died? Very simple. They have been resurrected to be among the living when Jesus arrives. And then comes one more question.
Only 144,000
If you believe that, then only 144,000 can be saved from 1848 onwards. Is that right? Only a 144,000 from all the millions of people that have passed from 1844 to this time. Only that’s not fair. Well, let’s clear that one up too.
Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded. EW 16.1
They the 144,000 have now seen Jesus coming and He is right there. Not touching the earth, just above the earth.
Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried “Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise.” Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, “Alleluia!” as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.. EW 16.1
What does that tell you? The 144,000 which included those who had died in the faith of the third angel’s message see their friends who have been torn from them by death. So does that not say that there are people who have not been under the third angel’s message since 1848 onwards who have not yet received the message of the third angel? But they were the friends of those who were giving the third angel’s message. As they give the them the studies on the third angel’s message, and it takes time to convince people of those messages, these people were faithful people who loved Jesus and obeyed Him to the light that they had. When they die, they can’t be among the 144,000. But they will be saved because they will come up in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The 144,000 recognised the people that they knew as their friends. Friends of the believers who were affected by the believers to understand truth but were not yet tested on the Sabbath. They will also be saved.
In summary, the 144,000 are the people who received and proclaimed the third angel’s message. They received the Sabbath in their foreheads. They will experience the final troubles of earth, the plagues, and will see Jesus coming in the clouds. They will be the only ones alive at that time when Jesus can be seen coming. The only faithful ones who will be saved. They are made up of all those since 1844 onwards who have truly received the keeping of the Sabbath in the face of death and majority persecution. At the time of the plagues, they are the only ones that are saved that will be alive at that time.
All the time before, there were plenty of others but they have been ripped away by death. It is for us now in the night of this intellectual argument of truth that we reach out to God for help so that we will be under this truth that will render us loyal and faithful at this time.
Revelation 7:9-17 quoted.] Those whom the Lamb shall lead by the fountains of living waters, and from whose eyes He shall wipe away all tears, will be those now receiving the knowledge and understanding revealed in the Bible, the Word of God…. 7BC 970.8
As we started in the beginning, they are the people who do not twist the word. They are without guile. They receive the knowledge and understanding revealed in the Bible.
Let us strive with all our power that God has given us to be among the 144,000. This is the call because we have studied and we get a clear truth and we therefore must strive with all our power that God has given us to be among that people. May this be the reality for us.
Amen.
