In the book of Revelation, who is the 144,000 and what is the new heaven and new earth?

Question

I've had Jehovah's witnesses tell me that the 144,000 are the "good" JW's and that the new heaven is for them and the earth is for the rest of the "good" people.
I also know that in more mainstream teaching says that the 144,000 will be from the original tribes of Israel, some say they will be the preachers to Israel during the tribulation. Can somebody fille me in on what the theories and beliefs are on this? Thanks.

Answer 1

Actually, Jehovah's Witnesses expect that many thousands of the 144,000 have never set foot in a Kingdom Hall or read 'The Watchtower'. The bible does not teach, and Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe, that the 144,000 are (by definition) more "good" than persons with an earthly salvation.


The fact is that the vast majority of Witnesses hope to enjoy life ON EARTH forever, rather than in heaven. Jehovah's Witnesses understand heaven to refer to the dwelling place of spirit creatures such as Jesus and the angels. They understand the Scriptures to teach that exactly 144,000 humans will join Christ Jesus as kings and priests to administer God's Kingdom (which will soon replace all earthly governments).
(Daniel 2:44) God of heaven will set up a kingdom... It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite
(Revelation 14:1) Lamb [Jesus] standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand
(Revelation 20:6) they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him

The men and women who make up the 144,000 are selected by God from among two thousand years of Christians. Over whom will they rule? Over the vast majority of mankind, most of whom will have been raised from the dead after Armageddon.
(John 11:23,24) Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”

Hell is NOT someplace/something mankind needs to fear; there is no suffering in the grave. Sometime after the resurrection, death and "hell" will themselves be destroyed.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all
(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]
(Revelation 20:14) And death and Hades ["hell"] were hurled into the lake of fire


Almighty Jehovah God selects those few who have the heavenly calling. Each person "feels" his own hope and each person's hope remains unquestioned by his fellow Christians. Still the vast majority (literally more than 99.9%*) of Jehovah's Witnesses expect an EARTHLY hope, the same hope given to Adam and Eve.
(Genesis 1:28) God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill THE EARTH and subdue it [caps added]
(Genesis 2:17) You must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die [so never eating from that tree means never dying]

Answer 2

The 144,000 is not just the original tribes of Israel.

Rev. 7:4-8: “I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: . . . Judah . . . Reuben . . . Gad . . . Asher . . . Naphtali . . . Manasseh . . . Simeon . . . Levi . . . Issachar . . . Zebulun . . . Joseph . . . Benjamin.” (These cannot be the tribes of natural Israel because there never was a tribe of Joseph, the tribes of Ephraim and Dan are not included in the list here, and the Levites were set aside for service in connection with the temple but were not reckoned as one of the 12 tribes. See Numbers 1:4-16.)

Rom. 2:28, 29: “He is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code.”

Gal. 3:26-29: “You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. . . . There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in union with Christ Jesus. Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise.”

The new earth is a new earth society...not a literal earth, with the new heaven being the heavenly government...comprised of 144,001 (including Jesus)

John’s vision refers to the passing away of “the former heaven and the former earth.” (Re 21:1; compare 20:11.) In the Christian Greek Scriptures, earthly governments and their peoples are shown to be subject to Satanic rule. (Mt 4:8, 9; Joh 12:31; 2Co 4:3, 4; Re 12:9; 16:13, 14) The apostle Paul referred to “the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places,” with their governments, authorities, and world rulers. (Eph 6:12) So the passing away of “the former heaven” indicates the end of political governments along with Satan and his demons. This identification of “the former heaven” harmonizes with the fact that shortly before the statement concerning the ‘former heaven having passed away,’ John had seen a vision of the complete defeat of Satan’s forces and the casting of Satan into “the abyss.” (Re 19:19–20:3) The earthly subjects of Satan’s rule are destroyed prior to his abyssing, as shown at Revelation 19:17, 18. (Compare 1Jo 2:15-17.)

Answer 3

Rev 7:3"....servants of our God" the bible states yes they are
appointed from the tribes of Israel 12,000 from each tribe.These are Jews who have now accepted Jesus as Lord and our sealed for service unto God and later raptured to heaven as recorded in Rev 12:5 whom is described as the manchild. Now because of this scripture in Rev 7 the Jehovah's Witness teach that only 144,000 are going to heaven. However, in Rev 7:9 the bible states" After this, I beheld and lo a great multitude WHICH NO MAN COULD NUMBER of all nations and kindreds and people and tounges stood before the Lamb clothed in white robes and psalms in their hands" Verse 10" And cried with a loud voice
salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb" These 2 scriptures alone blow that theory to shreds because all of these people which could not be numbered were before the throne of God and where is the throne of God? But in heaven.Rev 21:1 " And I saw a new heaven amd a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea."The new testament written in the greek used the word where the English translation states " were passed away" parerchomai
which actually means pass from one condition to another. Actually the bible is telling us that this present world and the heaven above will be renovated....it will be restored to the way they were prior to Satans rebellion in heaven and prior to man allowing sin to enter into the Garden.

Answer 4

In the book of Revelation, it states very clearly that the 144,000 that will be lifted off the earth at the last moments before total destruction are from the 12 tribes of Israel (found in Genesis in the story of Jacob).

It states that these 144,000 will be male virgins. It does not state that they are preachers, teachers or anything other than what it states, virgin males from the 12 tribes of Israel.

The new heaven and new earth replace the ones that are here now. Again if you go back to Genesis and read the story about the fall of Adam and Eve, you will see that before the fall they enjoyed total communion with God. After the fall, they were separated from God. Yes, they still talked with God after they had sinned, but they no longer were in singleness of thought, they were now in disobedience. Sort of like when your spouse gets hurt or upset with you. It takes a while to get back into communion with one another.

With the new heaven and new earth, we will once again be restored to complete fellowship and communion with God.

I do know how difficult the book of Revelation is to understand, but its a bit easier if we have read Genesis first to understand just why Revelation is taking place and what it is actually restoring for us all.

Answer 5

The Holy Spirit instructed (audio tape-recorded) us (plural) that the prophecies mentioned interior the e book of Revelation are occurring merely NOW. One specific factor which will happen very quickly is Revelation 9:18, to wit: "by ability of those 3 replaced into the 0.33 area of adult adult males killed, by ability of the hearth, and by ability of the smoke, and by ability of the brimstone, which issued out of their mouth." that's the nuclear worldwide conflict III which will start up on the disputed Spratly Islands claimed totally by ability of China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and partly by ability of Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. The Holy Spirit is calling people to alter their lives for the greater desirable and alter their incorrect ideals for the life of lots of them here in the worldwide will quickly come to an end. I even have mentioned this prophecy in my solutions to the question of many correct to the tip of the worldwide on December 21, 2012. I mentioned that the worldwide won't end yet yet there will be a great alleviation of its inhabitants.

Answer 6

Rev 7 lists 'spiritual' Israel, Compare fleshly sons of Israel, in Genesis, to the nation of Israel, in Numbers, to the list in
Rev ch 7 and you will notice they are not the same.

Did Jesus make a mistake in Rev. ch. 7 or is he refering to spiritual Israel?

Compare Rev 14:1-3 and Rev ch 5 and you will find that the 144,000 singing a new song are kings and priest from all nations. (Gal ch 6.) The Israel of God (only time this phrase is use) is called a 'new creation'

All anointed Christians are members of this new nation of spiritual Israel,

Romans talks about the Jew of the heart and not the jew of the flesh.

Answer 7

Revelation 14:1 states there will be 144,000 having the name of Jesus and of his father.
Revelation 7:9,14 states there will be a 'great crowd' which no man was able to number.

They are both to be taken literally.

The 144,000 - Rev. 14:4,5 state: "These are the ones that did not defile themselves with women; in fact, they are virgins. These are the ones that keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. These were bought from among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, and no falsehood was found in their mouths; they are without blemish."

The Great Crowd - Rev. 7:13-17 states: "And in response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one that knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down upon them nor any scorching heat, because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”

Answer 8

Definately not the jehovas witness but 12000 from each of the descendants of the 12 tribes of israel. Their teachings are corrupt at best.

Answer 9

The 144000 are what is called the Tribulation Saints. After the Rapture the tribulation in the world will be terrible and these 144000 will convert to Christ then they will be beheaded for their belief. I believe they are also Jewish.

Answer 10

Revelations was prophecizing the fall of Rome.

they got it wrong, and now that book is obsolete and outdated.