The 144,000 in the Last Days – Sadly, I did not make the Cut! Who will these people be? What do the Scriptures Tell Us?

As I continued to study the 144,000 that will instrumental in spreading the gospel, and acting as God’s servants in the last days, I’ve come upon a list of qualities from the scriptures that unfortunately disqualifies me from the position. I am seriously distraught.

Let’s take a look at who the 144,000 will be, while I sit on the bench and beg the coach to put me into the game. =)

Who Are the 144,000?

According to the King James Bible:

1. They Are From the 12 Tribes of Israel

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
— Revelation 7:4

• 12,000 from each tribe are listed in Revelation 7:5–8
• Tribes included: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin
• Tribe of Dan is missing, perhaps due to unfaithfulness.

“And the children of Dan set up the graven image… all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.”
— Judges 18:30–31

2. They Are Sealed by God

“Hurt not the earth… till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
— Revelation 7:3

• This sealing protects them from God’s judgments. This could indicate that they will proselyte perhaps during the time that God will pour out His wrath upon the earth.
• It’s a mark of divine ownership and protection

3. They Are Virgins (Spiritually and Likely Physically) And, I’m out! =)

“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.”
— Revelation 14:4

• Indicates sexual purity or complete devotion to Christ
• Some interpret this spiritually (undefiled by the world); others take it literally

4. They Follow Jesus Completely

“These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”
— Revelation 14:4

• Their lives are fully devoted to Jesus
• They’re obedient, faithful, and surrendered

5. They Are Redeemed as Firstfruits

“These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
— Revelation 14:4

• “Firstfruits” means they may be part of the first wave of believers during the Tribulation
• They could be a catalyst for bringing others to faith

6. They Are Without Fault and Speak No Lies

“And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
— Revelation 14:5

• Honest, blameless, and pure in word and deed
• Possibly symbolizing the restoration of Israel’s integrity before God

7. They Appear Early in the Tribulation Period (First 3.5 years)

• Sealed after the 6th seal (Rev. 6:12–17)
• Before the trumpet judgments begin (Rev. 8)
• Their sealing occurs in Revelation 7, before the wrath starts in full

8. They are not the Church — they are Israelites

“…of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
— Revelation 7:4

This clearly identifies them as literal descendants of Israel, not symbolic of the Church.

In Summary: The 144,000 Are…

Attribute	Scripture (KJV)
144,000 in total	Revelation 7:4
12,000 from each tribe of Israel	Revelation 7:5–8
Sealed in their foreheads	Revelation 7:3
Virgins, not defiled	Revelation 14:4
Follow the Lamb everywhere	Revelation 14:4
Redeemed, firstfruits to God	Revelation 14:4
No guile, without fault	Revelation 14:5

When will the 144,000 be Sealed, and begin their work as God servants and missionaries?

“And after these things I saw four angels… saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
— Revelation 7:1–3 (KJV)

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed… an hundred and forty and four thousand…”
— Revelation 7:4 (KJV)

📌 Notice the timing:

• This sealing happens before any more destruction (wrath) is allowed
• It takes place between the 6th and 7th seals

The 7th seal is opened and the trumpet judgments start — this is the official beginning of God’s wrath

🔎 So here’s the sequence, straight from the KJV:

1. Seals 1–6 = early Tribulation chaos (not yet full wrath)
2. Before the 7th seal, the 144,000 are sealed
3. Then the trumpets begin, and full judgment starts

The 144,000 are sealed early in the Tribulation, after the 6th seal and before the 7th, in order to be protected during God’s wrath. They will be chosen from people who are now living upon the earth.

They are not sealed after the Great Tribulation (last 3.5 years) — they are already on the scene before that escalation happens.

So, now you know about the 144,000 who will be instrumental in God’s work during the Tribulation Period. It is evident from this report that they will be protected from the Wrath that God has planned to pour out onto the inhabitants of the earth. This will happen during the last 3.5 years of the tribulation.

Oh, and one final note. We know that they will be protected from God’s wrath, but what about protection from the anti-Christ. Let’s dive back in to the scriptures.

The Antichrist (Beast) Has No Authority Over Them

The Antichrist is given authority to make war with the saints (Rev. 13:7), but not with the 144,000 — they are never mentioned as victims of his persecution.

Instead, we read:

“These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
— Revelation 14:4
“And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
— Revelation 14:5

• These descriptions show that they remain undefiled, uncompromised, and preserved — even in a time when the rest of the world is falling under the Antichrist’s control.

And there is this final scripture:

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand…”
— Revelation 14:1

They Are Seen on Mount Zion with Jesus. They are there to enjoy the victory that Jesus has accomplished in defeating evil.

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