Who are the 144,000?

Welcome to Midway Church of Christ

What’s Your Question? for July 2

The Watchtower Society teaches this is a literal number of those who will go to heaven. Revelation is written in figurative language (Rev. 1:1). If the number 144,000 is literal, its composition must also be literal, which means the number is composed of 12,000 Jews from each tribe mentioned, and none from Dan (Rev. 7:1-8). The number was sealed, probably indicating God’s protection of all His people on earth; the great multitude had white robes, probably indicating victorious saints in the keeping of God (Rev. 7:4,9). John identified the great multitude as in heaven (Rev. 19:1). This is figurative language, but the Bible plainly teaches that there is ultimately one hope (Eph. 4:4); that hope is reserved in heaven for the faithful (1 Pet. 1:3-5). The Bible knows nothing of an earth class and a heaven class in eternity.