Two questions about Revelations?

Question

1. Am I reading it right when it says only 144,000 people will go to heaven? Is that from everyone ever, or just when it occurs? Either way those aren't good odds.

And

2. "Revelations 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree."

Where on a sphere do you find 4 corners?

"These passages are symbolic."

Sorry i left my guide on what parts of the Bible are literal, and which aren't at work, can I borrow yours.....moron.

I have never ever got such a wide range of answers, turns out no one has a clue.

Answer 1

From a theological (not faith-based) point of view, you cannot take the bible literally. 10 people will interpret 10 different thngs from the same passage (as you can see by all the responses). But I will attempt to give you as best an answer as possible.

first off, it isn't the 144000 members of the 12 tribes of Israel, specifically because Jews do not follow the New Testament (of which Revelations is a part). Jews do not believe in the the Son of God. So why would they be standing beside him? The 144000 is referencing the heavenly hosts; Archangels, Seraphims, Cherabims, etc.

However, in Islam, the 144000 are considered to be all of the Prophets who received the word of God for dissemination among people, but who's messages have, over time, been twisted by man. This would include, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, Muhammed, The Buddha, Zoraster, etc. According to Islam, they all came to teach the oneness of God but there word was distorted.

As for the 4 corners; up until 1492, the majority of the western world believed the Earth to be flat. Even in roman times, they believed the world to only exist in areas around the Mediterannean. You must remember that the books of the New Testament were written by men and they thought the world was flat, not spherical.

Answer 2

Am I reading it right when it says only 144,000 people will go to heaven?

No... that's just the way the jehovah's witnesses take it.


Is that from everyone ever, or just when it occurs? Either way those aren't good odds.

It's an "endtimes" thing. They are sealed for a special purpose of God. It has no bearing on the general population that will be in heaven.



RE: "Revelations 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree."

Where on a sphere do you find 4 corners?

The answer is: ANYWHERE lol anywhere you stand you will find north, south, east and west!

Those were easy, ask a hard one.

Answer 3

Well, I am not a christian, but can possible explain this. Revelations is supposed to be a prophesy about the "second coming/ Armageddon/ The End of Days". It is supposed to outline what is supposed to happen.

Now, given the world "was flat" during the time it was written, it makes sense to think the world would be a geometric shape such as a square or rectangle. But, one could also consider the "four corners" as the two poles and the two intersections of the prime meridian and the equator.

Concerning the 144K. You should look that up somewhere. The explanations about what that means are limitless. That would be a lot of typing in here, and choosing one explanation over another would be tough.

Answer 4

*Please read and look up cited scriptures, so you can see that I'm not just typing for my health :0)*

1. Yes, the 144,000 is a literal number of those who are going to heaven. The way to heaven was opened after the death of Christ at Pentecost 33 CE, when those disciples in the upper chamber were anointed with tongues of fire, symbolizing their spirit anointed status. This was foretold in the scripture that says that the tent of the "Most Holy" was ripped in two.

The Most Holy was the part of the Jewish tabernacle that was reserved for only the High Priest, and only at certain times. It signified being in the presence of God Himself. So the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, who presented himself as the ultimate sacrifice, opened up the "Most Holy" to the 144,000 after his death and resurrection.

This is not a bad thing though! That same scripture in Revelation goes on to bring out the "Great Crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all tribes and peoples and tongues. . . ." This great crowd of an unlimited number are the ones who will "inherit the Earth, and they will reside forever upon it."

Can this number mean the literal 12 tribes of Israel? After all, the number 12 is used to denote a divinely constituted organization in heaven or on the Earth. (See Revelation 7:5-8, 12:1, 21:12,16, and 22:2) But if you read the original listing of the 12 tribes of Israel at Numbers 1:17, 47, you will see that the two listings differ. Why would Revelation name tribes that were incorrect to signify literal Israel? The twelve tribes are used to show the organization that will exist between the 144,000, just as it did among the fleshly Israelites. True, the Jews were God's chosen people, but the way was opened to Gentiles as well, or any that truly followed Christ, after the nation as a whole rejected Jesus. (See John 1:10-13, Acts 2:4, 7-11, and Romans 11:7)

2. The four corners is not a statement on the shape of the Earth, but rather a statement of how far reaching the four winds, or judgements on the Earth, would be. If something reaches the four corners of the Earth, we take that to mean that it covers, or encompasses, the entire Earth. And for those who are incorrectly stating that the Bible writers believed that the Earth was flat, they should read the scripture in Isaiah where the "circle of the Earth" is discussed.

As I stated before, the four winds symbolize destruction. In Jeremiah 49:36-38, God used the four winds to destroy the ancient Elamites. So the four winds expression here in Revelation is again used in a destructive sense, but on a larger scale, indicated by the four corners.

Answer 5

Mr. Fypos,


Revelations is the most problematic of all of the NT books.

We know a John wrote it, but unsure of exactly who.

It barely made it into the NT - first and second Nicene councils

You also have to remember that this was written around 50 - 100AD. so the perspective of somebody is much different than today.


Also it was written in Ancient Greek, and you are reading a translated copy.




144000 people as in souls.

I think it means not too many - as it is not easy, one has to struggle and struggle and struggle, but only JC will judge who is worthy or not.


You should not worry about it, just be a good person, try to be as virtuous as possible.

I think Revelations is not as important for you to really understand until you have understood the main 4 Gospels.



as far as 4 corners... here is a thought:

What if he meant 4 dimensions? then four corners is correct.

According to Einstein the fourth dimension is time.

God can see the timeline from beginning to end all at once (if you are a10th dimensional being this would be easy for you as well)

Answer 6

144,000 is in revelation 7:1-5 and 14:1-5 is in the last verse that said that only them are going to be redeem from earth but if you read the whole book of revelation you will not going to find that says that the great crowd is redeem from earth so we are nothing to say that they are redeem if the bible doesn´t say it we can´t say it. and four corner are talking about the North ,south ,east and west, in revelation 7 said that when the 144000 are sealed then the armaggedon so that means they are not sealedd yet.

They are not only Jews in chapter 7 looks like they are only Jews but in chapter 14 said they are from all the earth, including gentiles.

Answer 7

1. They were talking about Jews... since it was a vision 144,000 could be symbolic. 144 is 12 times 12. 12 Tribes of Isreal. 4 (man) x 3 (heaven) = 12
Jehova witnesses think the passage was talking about them. I keep inviting them inside my house but they won't go in. What happened to faith? I want to ask them why only a portion of them is going since there's more than 144000 Jehova witnesses.
Anyway...
2. Man has always been represented as the number 4 in the Bible. The four directions.

Answer 8

The 144,000 refer to 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. After the rapture, the spirit of delusion will be removed from Israel and 144,000 will become evangelical Christians.

The "four corners" is a figure of speech will still use today. The marines ran an advertisement, "Our marines are stationed on the fourn corner of the earth." The bible has been clear from the old testament, Isaiah and Job, that earth is a "sphere" that "hangs on nothing". And that was written back when man believed earth was flat.

Answer 9

Revelation 7:9 and 19:6 speak of a great multitude of every nation and tongue that are in heaven praising God. The 144,000 are Jews who serve as witnesses for God during the final generation. There tribal memberships are listed in Revelation 7. They do make it to heaven, but they are NOT the total population of heaven. Only one group among those who make it.

The "4 corners" is a reference to the four points of a compass: north, south, east and west. Those exist whether you are on a flat or a spherical surface.

Answer 10

1. The number 12 is considered a special number because you can divide it evenly so many ways. So, 12 x 12 is even more special. You multiply that by 1000 and you get a very large number of very special people. It's a symbolic, very large, number, not a specific number.

2. Of course, there are not four corners on a sphere, but John didn't know the world was a sphere. The angels stood at the farthest reaches of the world as he knew it.