No one knows the exact number of people who will go to heaven, as different religions and denominations offer varied interpretations, with some Christian views focusing on a specific group like the 144,000 in Revelation (symbolic or literal) but many believing it's all who follow Christ; Islam speaks of a large number entering Paradise (Jannah), though often referencing a ratio to Hell, while other beliefs emphasize universal salvation or God's mercy.
You will be in heaven if you follow Christ. So much happier, but not one bit more secure than you are right now, having been chosen by God and sealed by His spirit and counted among the 144,000 of his redeemed people.
Fifth, in Revelation 14:3 the 144,000 are described as those “redeemed from the earth” and in Revelation 14:4 as having been “redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb.” The redeemed are most naturally interpreted to refer to all the redeemed, both Jews and Gentiles.
The Spiritual Revival of the 144,000
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29). By the power of the Holy Spirit, the 144,000 witnesses will spark a miraculous revival during the Tribulation.
The Bride of Christ will be raptured before the Tribulation, and the 144,000 will be raptured during the Tribulation Period, caught up to be with the Lord. The Bible plainly tells us that when John saw them before the throne they were redeemed from men, the first fruits of the harvest.
144,000 chosen and sealed during the Great Tribulation
It thus seems that the 144,000 will be people who, during the Tribulation, repent of their sins and dedicate their lives to God through faith and obedience in order to be sealed for salvation.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians from Pentecost of 33 AD until the present day will be resurrected to heaven as immortal spirit beings to spend eternity with God and Christ. They believe that these people are "anointed" by God to become part of the spiritual "Israel of God".
The sealing represents authentication and ownership. The sealed are those who are truly the people of God. This will be contrasted later in Revelation 13 where we will read about those who have the mark of the beast (13:16-17). That marking shows that those people belong to the beast.
As we shall see later, the Bible does promise that the church will not enter the time of God's wrath, which is another term for the tribulation. Many biblical passages teach the pretribulational rapture of the church.
490 is the numerical value of the biblical Hebrew word “tamim” which means to “complete,” “perfect,” or “finished.” A person who can't forgive will always live an imperfect, and incomplete life that lacks a true understanding of the “finished” gracious work of the cross.
Jesus speaks of forgiveness beyond what anyone had ever considered before: seventy times seven! Many commentaries understand this to mean that Jesus was telling Peter that he should forgive his brother a limitless number of times.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians go to heaven to rule with Christ in the kingdom of God, referencing Revelation 14:1-4.
Fourth, the 144,000 mentioned later in chapter 14 are those who have been “redeemed from the earth” and those who were “purchased from among men.” This is generic everybody kind of language. The 144,000 is a symbolic number of redeemed drawn from all peoples, not simply the Jews.
The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that three other persons were taken bodily into heaven: Enoch and Elijah (Elias) entered without dying.
While there are similarities there are also differences. The 144,000 of chapter 7 are Jewish as indicated belonging to the 12 tribes with the seal of the Father. The 144,000 of chapter 14 have the Father and Son's seal and were redeemed from the earth.
The term "144,000" is symbolic. '12' is the number of Tribes of Israel multiplied by '1000', a way of expressing completeness. Therefore we can see that John sees that the "144,000" simply signifies the 'entire body of the redeemed' of God.
Therefore, when it says that the 144,000 have not been defiled with women, it means that they did not participate in false religion. Their worship is pure. They are symbolically all males because Revelation 7 uses the imaginary of Israel's army (cf.
The 144 000 are not the Elect of Mathew 24. The Elect are believers from all nations, men and women. The 144 000 are men only from the tribes of Israel.
A: No, this isn't what the Bible teaches. The Bible tells us there will be a vast number of people in heaven — so many that no one could count them (see Revelation 7:9). The Bible tells us many truths about heaven — but the most important is that heaven is the place where God is.
The 144,000 and the great multitude are the same group portrayed from different perspectives. The first designation is a symbolical term, the latter describes reality. The answer to the question of who will be able to stand (6:17) is provided by the entire seventh chapter.
From a Catholic perspective, the 144,000 in Revelation (Rev 7:4–8; 14:1–5) is not taken literally as a limit on who gets to heaven. It's symbolic—12 tribes × 12 apostles × 1,000 (a biblical number for magnitude)—meant to signify the fullness or completeness of God's people.
2) Revelation 14:3-4, “The hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth… These are they which were not defiled with women; for they were virgins.