Jehovah's Witnesses believe only 144,000 go to heaven because they interpret Revelation 7:4 and Revelation 14:1-3 literally, seeing this number as the total of "anointed" Christians chosen to rule with Christ as kings and priests. The rest of God's faithful followers, the "other sheep," have a hope to live forever on a paradise earth, not in heaven. This belief stems from these specific biblical passages, contrasting with other interpretations that see these numbers as symbolic or encompassing a larger heavenly group, alongside the "great crowd" from every nation.
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.
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.
The number 1,000 signifies completeness or a great number. This number, then—144,000—is the great and complete multitude of God's people! This is a much more fitting way of reading Revelation and the message it conveys. Let's not constrain God only to saving 144,000 with him in heaven.
That's why Revelation chapter 14, “There before the Lamb, the 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.”
During the time when the church is gone, a remnant of 144,000 ethnic Jews is converted (12,000 from each tribe). These Jewish converts, in turn, evangelize the Gentiles who make up the great multitude in white robes in v. 9. That's one understanding of Revelation 7.
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.
[3] And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. [4] These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
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.
The 144 000 is a literal number. These are God's workers who, prior to the great time of tribulation, will go forth calling people out of Babylon. 12 000 from each tribe. The great multitude are they which both sleep in the dust and are alive upon Christ's coming.
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.
Scholars differ on identifying the 144,000. Some say the number is literal and records Jews from each tribe who become believers in Jesus Christ. Dispensational interpreters think the number refers to Jews who are saved during the final seven year tribulation period.
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.
The answer is "Yes", Revelation 14 says " These have been purchased from mankind as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are celibate.
According to this view, these individuals are seen as a select group of Jewish believers chosen for a specific purpose during the end times. Other interpretations understand the 144,000 symbolically, representing completeness or perfection.
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.
Michael Jackson left the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1987, a decision influenced by growing tensions between his global fame and the sect's strict precepts. His Grammy-winning Thriller album and its accompanying video, which featured occult imagery, caused significant controversy within the organization.
The most reasonable view is that twelve, the religious number (see Introduction, "Numbers") multiplied by itself and then by one thousand, indicating fullness of completeness, represents the total number of saints on earth at any given time." If the number "144,000" is literal then the tribes are literal and that makes ...
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.
This number is increased dramatically by Revelation 7:9, which states there is a countless multitude before the throne. The number 144,000 is likely only a symbolic reference to the New Israel, arrived at by squaring the number of the 12 tribes of Israel and multiplying by 1000.
it's not a literal count .. its like 70 x 7 …. Symbolic, First of all these 12 Tribles are not the original.
Revelation 14. 1Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.