The one hundred and forty-four thousand Jews

When disaster kicks off, the Lord asks His people to look up, and lift up their heads as the day of their redemption is drawing near.

Earlier, He had instructed four angels that would permit destruction through deception to hold on. The Morning Star must first finish sealing the chosen Jews with the Holy Spirit. It is only after He seals the last Jew, the angels will unleash destruction. It will also coincide with the saving of the last gentile.

The Lord had foreknown the elect even before the foundation of the world. They belong to the Seed who is Christ as per Paul’s letter to Galatians. The believing generation has continued from the faithful Abraham. Abraham was looking for a heavenly city. The twelve tribes of Israel are the gates to this city New Jerusalem. It is through these gates that the faithful Jews and gentiles will enter in. Salvation is of the Jews.

Sadly, not all Jews would receive this seal. There is a finite number - it is only the faithful remnant. And it need not be exactly 144,000 because it is 12 x 12 x 1000 – a huge number and a multiple of God’s number for government. Dan is missing in the list because of some unknown reason. The Lord also did not want to mention Ephraim by name. These might be the reasons: Dan was the first to commit spiritual harlotry. This tribe choose to worship idols, leaving behind their Deliverer. The idolatry of Ephraim also earned the wrath of God. Israel set up substitute alters for idols in territories belonging to these tribes. Those who were gateways to idolatry cannot be gateways to God's own city.

The great multitude of gentiles

Meanwhile, the Lord has been preparing a place and building His city New Jerusalem for a long time now as per John 14. It is this long period when the Old Serpent could not deceive the world with his lies. An angel had chained and had cast him into the bottomless pit. This happened during Cornelius’s time. It was the end of the time of the Jews’ seventy weeks and the beginning of the time of the gentiles. It was also the beginning of Satan’s confinement. Only his deputies were holding fort to keep people in the kingdom of darkness; they will fail miserably. The people who have set out to conquer lost souls also enable the conquered to further conquer lost souls. These bring multitudes into the kingdom of God’s dear Son and into His marvellous light. These will eventually reach the end of the world with their conquests. This began in old Jerusalem, spread to Judea, entered Samaria and would ultimately reach the end of the earth.

The Lord is the Cornerstone for this city New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, and the Church of God. The Apostles' doctrine of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the wall / framework while Jesus Christ Himself is its sure foundation. He holds firm the whole structure. The Lord has been saving innumerable people belonging to various nations, tribes, people and languages. He is their righteousness. He has been adding them to His Church. This will happen till the last gentile is set in His Church. Soon, the time of the end will begin. (In fact, it began in1967 when entire Jerusalem came under Israel’s control). The hour of temptation would also have begun by then. (After the end of the eleventh hour?) Destruction after destruction, calamity after calamity, catastrophe after catastrophe will follow and become progressively more frequent much like the labour pains for a woman who is about to give birth! By the end of this hour the long-anticipated culmination of the ages would have arrived.

By then, the Lord would have come with great power and glory, and His saints would have glorified Him. He would have sent His angels to gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven (airborne / fliers?). They would have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air. It would have been rapture for the dead in Christ as well as for those faithful who are alive. This is the train of believers who would go to welcome the Lord. It is from this moment onwards that they would be with the Lord for ever in their glorified bodies. The Lord would have saved them from the day of wrath that will bring an end to everything on the earth and the sky. This last day will commence immediately after the hour of temptation. The end of these wonders would have arrived!
The Lord will descend on the earth with His saints. His Church will come down with Him to judge the earth and the fallen angels. The faithful will be rewarded and crowns would be presented to every believer. Crown of life! Crown of righteousness! Soulwinner’s crown! Incorruptible and glorious!

The great get-together

After the final judgement, this multitude of gentile believers and the sealed Jews will gather together before His throne in heaven. They have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are overcomers who have followed the path of the Victor. He first swallowed up death in victory. They have subsequently defeated death. They acknowledge with a loud voice that they owe their victory to God and the Lamb. Everybody in heaven cast their crowns before Him, fall before the throne, and worship God. Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

The redeemed ones will serve Him continually. He will dwell among them for ever. No hunger, no thirst, no need of the sun and no heat would affect them. The Lord would feed them; He is the Bread of Life. He will lead them unto living fountains of water. The Holy Spirit is the spring of living water. His sheep shall not want. The Lord is the great and the chief Shepherd. He will wipe away all their tears.

Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return
And come with singing unto Zion
Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.
They shall obtain gladness and joy
And sorrow and mourning shall flee away. -Isaiah 51:11-13.