The bible says only 144,000 will enter the kingdom of god?

Question

what does this mean? should I cherry-pick and interpret it symbolically?

Answer 1

No, the Bible really does not say that. All the Gods people will go to heaven. The number is from 12x12, all God's people, tribes etc : )

Answer 2

Revelation 7:9-1 5. The great crowd Is a future people during a future time, the great tribulation.




The 144,000 rule "on" the earth. Revelation 6:10. The New World Translation says "over" but the Greek says "upon". The Watchtower insists a resurrected and glorified body could not go to heaven, so it tries to keep the kings and priests above the earth as only spirit creatures. Living Christians at the end of the great tribulation will populate the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ. Isn't It reasonable that the kings and priests will reign over them? Secondly, the 144,000 are never spoken of as being kings, priests or the bride of Christ In Revelation 7:3-8 or 14:1-6. They are a whole new group taken from Israel all at one time in the tribulation.

Answer 3

In Rev. it says 12000 Jews from each tribe will. Interpret literally, the reason being prophecy is interpreted literally. There is no reason not to.
Years ago, because Israel didn't exist as a nation, ministers thought and taught that all verses that referred to Israel as a nation in prophecy MUST have been symbolic, but the faithful believers in God's word knew it was literal. As impossible as it seemed, they believed Israel would one day be a nation again. In 1948, they were proven correct.
The prophecy concerning the whole world looking on the slain bodies of the two witnesses had been thought by many to be symbolic, or a figure of speech...this was before the development of the technology to enable anyone to see around the world in real time. So it was to become capable, and the faithful believer interpreting literally was proven correct again.
What the Bible says is always true, and it calls only for faith to believe it is literal...and it is proven correct.

Answer 4

The Bible does NOT say only 144,000 will enter the Kingdom of God! Read it more carefully (without a priori assumptions):
Revelation 14:1 -- Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads.

You are ASSUMING that these are the ONLY ones. But that is not what it says. It only says that these will be standing with Christ on the Mt. of Olives (Zion) when he returns. {And note, it does not say they go to heaven either.}

It also says that these were "sealed" for the day of trouble, that they would not be hurt by the horrors that will come upon the earth:
Rev 7:2-4 -- Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

In the same chapter we see an uncounted number of saved people, "of all nations" not just Israel:
Rev 7:9-10 -- After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

The distinctions are not a matter of salvation (entry into the Kingdom of God), but of who they are, what position they occupy and that they would not be protected (sealed) from the Tribulation.

The 144,000 will be Christians who are alive and zealous for the Word of God at the time of Jesus' return. There will be others, but they are probably not as zealous {this derived from Rev. 3:10 and 16 and 7:9-10}.
Rev 3:10 -- Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Rev 3:16 -- So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

When you read the Bible, think more and assume less.

Answer 5

The Bible does not say only 144,000 will enter the Kingdom of God. The Jehovah's Witnesses say that but the Bible does not say that. Yes I can that it says in revelation that God seals up 12,000 Jews of each 12 tribe BUT that in no way means that only 144,000 people will be in Heaven. I recommed you read "Apocolypse Code" by Hank Hannagraaff.

Answer 6

You mean the demonically inspired translation of Watchtower? Why not? They cherry picked the rest of that verse.

That verse should be interpreted literally as much as the context allows. The 144,000 are Jews who are saved during the last 7 years of world history. See, didn't need a cult to explain that for me.

Answer 7

No, it doesn't. Chapter 7 of Revelation does indeed speak of 12,000 from each tribe of Israel, but read on to verses 9 and 10:

"After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.'"

Answer 8

There were 12 tribes of Israel.

The number is refering to 12,000 Jews frim each tribe.

Its a literal number.

Only 8 people made the ark in Noahs time.

Answer 9

the kingdom of God will rule the earth during 1000 years in earth (Revelation 5:10) the majority of meek people will inherit the earth according to Jesus (Mathew 5:5) but only 144000 are redeem from earth to go to heaven as kings (Revelation 14:1-5) if all christians go to heaven then who will inherit the earth as Jesus said?

Answer 10

i do not see an answer so far.....so....

the 144,000 is the number of young jewish virgin witnesses (12,000 from each tribe) who will evangelize during the tribulation......they will be totally committed to God, and will preach the gospel to others to give them hope....they are virgins because of their youth, and innocence..

so this is only the STARTING number for those to be saved during this time....the bible later records a "multitiude" of saints in heaven, who have died for their faith or have survived the tribulation, as a result of their testimonies and efforts...