The Mystery of Revelation

By Pastor Doug Batchelor

He was born in a small, obscure village, the child of poor parents. He quietly worked alongside His father as a carpenter until He was about 30. He then, unexpectedly, set out on His own, traveling as an itinerate preacher for three-and-a-half years.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held office. He also never married or attended college. In fact, He never seemed to do any of the typical things that we associate with greatness today. Yet in the 20 centuries that have passed since His death, this man remains the most intriguing character of the human race. He is revered by billions.
Someone once said, “All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned have not affected the life of man on the earth as much as that one solitary life.”
During the three centuries that followed His death, Jesus’ teachings remained the central focus of the Christian faith, and the principles that He taught were the foundation of the church. Yet gradually, this religion became distorted as His followers adopted strange, mystic traditions such that, over time, the church that Jesus started bore very little resemblance to His simple teachings as found in Scripture.
As a result, a period of great darkness settled upon the Christian church, bringing bloodshed and fostering a lust for pride, power, and financial gain—all in the name of the humble Carpenter. What really happened?

The Revelation Chronicles

Within the book of Revelation, there are many vivid visions and prophecies that clearly foretold these things would happen, in addition to what is still to come upon the Christian church and the entire world in the future.
In fact, Revelation is one of the most spectacular books ever written. Within its pages, we see a kaleidoscope of bizarre beasts, mysterious women, and powerful angels. It is also a book of great contrasts, from the terrible trumpets and devastating plagues to the most beautiful pictures of heaven and paradise found in Scripture.
Yet many say that these mystic symbols are sealed—and that nobody, especially laypersons, could ever truly know what Revelation is trying to tell us.
But contrary to that notion, God Himself commands that Revelation not be sealed! “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Revelation 22:10 NKJV). And it never has been sealed. (By contrast, the book of Daniel was “sealed” for a short time.)
The very name “Revelation” means “unveiling,” “opening,” or “revealing”—the complete opposite of being sealed—and Revelation begins with the words, “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” The book reveals His last-day plans for His work and people. Moreover, a special blessing is pronounced upon those who read Revelation and obey it—“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
Does that sound like something God doesn’t want you to read or understand?
In fact, Revelation describes God’s end-time people and church with startling clarity. It makes the Bible come to life when you see the last-day events depicted in Revelation that have taken place—and some are taking place now!
Indeed, Revelation is written geared to the people of our time—just before Jesus’ return. It is written “to show His servants what must soon take place,” and “because the time is near.” All throughout, Jesus declares, “I am coming soon.” (For example, see Revelation 1:1–3.)

Decoding Revelation

Still, without some guidance, reading Revelation can be a frustrating and perplexing study experience, with all its deep spiritual content.
For millions, the symbols and language of Revelation are often enshrouded in confusing and contradictory interpretations. How are we, living nearly 2,000 years after it was written, to understand it? If the book truly is unsealed, how can we know the true nature behind such symbols as the two brides, the beast, and Babylon? How can we know which interpretation actually makes the most sense?
If you’ve ever Googled “Revelation,” you’ve probably heard of the three most common theories that guide students in their study of the book—called preterism, futurism, and historicism.
Preterism is the belief that the apostle John wrote Revelation as a book of history, a history that ends by AD 70, describing with symbolic elements the extreme challenges of the early church in overcoming the Antichrist power of pagan Rome and the influence of Judaism.
Futurism is the belief that John wrote primarily about events that have yet to occur even in our day, including the future rise of the Antichrist. Futurism is the interpretation put forth by the popular Left Behind series and today enjoys the most support from mainstream Protestant Christianity. Ironically, this theory was first put forth by a Jesuit—Francisco Ribera—in the late 1500s.
Historicism is the belief that John was writing future history as it would unfold from his day to the end of time, detailing through a panorama of prophecies the events of the church and major world powers all the way through to the second coming of Christ and the New Jerusalem. This is the theory that most Protestant reformers used in their teachings.
While each school of interpretation has its arguments, only one is logically and spiritually consistent.
For instance, preterism implies that because all biblical prophecy was fulfilled by AD 70, God has no prophetic message for Christians living today—and, worse, it implies that many prophecies simply did not and will not come to pass, such as the great Christian apostasy Christ warned would strike at the church just prior to His second coming in Matthew 24. And unfortunately, along with its inconsistent approach to symbols and dates, futurism promotes a fire-escape gospel that encourages a wait-and-see approach to salvation—and it is the one most commonly associated with the endless failed predictions of Christ’s return, such as the book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.
Amazingly, these false interpretations were subtly advanced in the Christian church by design, and both by the very same power at work today. Satan would rather have us continue to believe Revelation is sealed, because if you read it, you will learn about the strategies he has for God’s children, to leave you unprepared for his deceptions.

Historicism Unlocks Revelation

As mentioned, historicism was the view of the majority of the great reformers and preachers, including Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and Spurgeon, who each believed the Antichrist power had already arisen in their lifetimes. And it presents a case that is simple, providing a logical interpretation that makes identifying such characters as the two brides, the beast, and Babylon much more consistent with the evidence of Scripture and history.
Amazing Facts actually presents this case in our brand-new documentary called Revelation: The Bride, The Beast & Babylon, a 90-minute presentation that reveals Bible keys to help you make sense of Revelation in the way it was always meant to be understood, exploring key moments in the history of the Christian faith and its relationship to Revelation’s prophetic stories of Jesus’ church, and the rise of a dark power called Babylon.
In development for more than three years, Amazing Facts has created a professional and groundbreaking presentation featuring stunning footage from historic locations throughout Europe; professional reenactments of major events and Bible symbols; and compelling interviews with respected theologians and historians
The key insights explored in this feature-length documentary include:

• Identifies of the bride of Revelation 12 and the harlot of Revelation 17
• The conflict between the woman, dragon, and child
• The significance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in prophecy
• The persecution of the early church and how it survived
• The impact on Christianity with the reign of Constantine
• The adoption of Christianity in Rome and its consequences
• What happened when the church mixed with pagan traditions and philosophies
• The Dark Ages and the rise of the Reformation
• Our time in the chronology of Revelation

By the end of this feature, I’m sure you will be as confident as ever in your understanding of the core teachings of Revelation and know the real-world identities of the beast power, the harlot of Revelation 17, and the bride of Revelation 12, while also understanding the conflict between these great powers through history and how it affects your future—all just as the apostle John understood it.

Life-changing Bible Study DVD

God sent His Son into the world not only to save man from their sins and from a world of sin, but to teach us a new way to live and to love one another. As Jesus was about to ascend back to heaven, He encouraged His followers to teach “them to observe all things whatsover I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). These last words effectively started His church—the Christian faith.
Before his death the apostle Paul warned believers, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves (Acts 20:29, 30).
Just as predicted, these things happened as pagan customs and beliefs spilled into the church. Likewise, we can know that before Jesus returns, His church will once again shine with the profound yet humble principles that launched the Christian church. The clutter of human interpretations and teachings must now be swept away in order for the true and unadulterated church to thrive again.
Revelation: The Bride, the Beast & Babylon takes you on a thoughtful, whirlwind journey that illustrates the depths to which Christianity fell and the exciting restoration of truth during a period known as the Reformation, when the Bible, and the Bible alone, once again became God’s people’s source of faith and hope, ushering in a triumphant church that would be alive again until the end of the age.
While the breadth of information contained in this documentary will amaze and educate you, it is especially designed to show that God’s hand is clearly evident in the Bible and in church history, urging people to give their hearts to Jesus as a Lord they can trust.
So whatever your religious background, we promise you that this unique documentary will explain some of the most important questions of life and truth; we pray that you find it insightful and transforming.


http://www.amazingfacts.org/news-and-features/inside-report/id/849/the-mystery-of-revelation.aspx

The Promises of God

By Pastor Doug Batchelor
An Amazing Fact: William Penn, the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well-liked by the Indians. They once told him he could have as much of their land as he could encompass on foot in a single day. Early the next morning, he started out and walked until late that night. When he finally went to claim his land, the Indians were greatly surprised, for they really didn’t expect he would take their word seriously. But they kept their promise and gave him the large tract that today is part of the city of Philadelphia. William Penn simply believed what they had said. Should we do less with God?

You have heard the expression, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”

In the Bible, we’re told over and over again that God’s promises never fail.

That’s in stark contrast to the situation in which the United States currently finds itself: We’ve got an epidemic of bankrupt business and credit crises because of a failed financial industry that was built on the gelatinous foundation of men’s promises.

In the resulting monetary morass, people have lost their jobs and businesses. Ironically, they also signed contracts to make payments that they can no longer make. Cars are being repossessed. And in the wake of immense financial strain and blame, couples are rescinding their promises of “through good times and bad” and are seeking divorce.

It’s enough to make everyone wonder if we can trust anybody’s word these days. Does a promise still mean anything?

A Perfect Credit Record
A number of companies today evaluate our credit scores to determine our dependability in keeping covenants. I have some very good news: God has a perfect credit score. Even in this world of broken contracts and violated vows, you can still completely trust God’s promises. When God says something, it never fails. That’s why my goal is to encourage you to read your Bible more and help you believe in and take advantage of the wonderful array of promises found throughout His Word.

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; … hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” We humans are pretty weak-willed. Sometimes out of fear we’ll make an impulsive promise, even though we know we can’t keep it.

But God doesn’t need to do that. For one, He never feels threatened or pressured. But most important, the Bible says He simply cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). In Matthew 24:35, Jesus explains, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

In fact, God goes out of His way to guarantee Himself for all eternity: “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34). Then He backs it up by doing what He says.

You might be thinking, “Lord, you said you’re coming back; where are you?” Has His promise failed? Not at all. He promised to come the first time, and He did. It’s now about 2,000 years after that, and I think He is just about to come again. We might forget what He promises because we’re so impatient. But God is very patient. He doesn’t measure time the way we do. “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV).

You can trust the promises found in the Word of God — they are a solid, immense, immovable rock that we can stand on forever (Luke 6:47, 48).

My question is: Why do so few of us do so?

Unbelief in God’s Promises
Failure to believe God’s promises insults Him, His Word, and His character.

For example, after all the Lord did to bring the Jews out of Egypt, they wouldn’t believe He could take them all the way to the Promised Land. “In this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day” (Deuteronomy 1:32, 33). These fortunate souls had seen the Red Sea part, a fiery pillar lead them through the wilderness, and bread rain from heaven, but they still lacked faith.

When God brought them to the borders of the Promised Land, they sent in scouts to get a feel for the condition of the land. Ten of them came back to express overwhelming doubt about what God could do. But the Promised Land was called the Promised Land for a reason!

Their faithlessness ended up costing them dearly: “The LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth … saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers” (vs. 34, 35). They were not permitted to enter “heaven on earth” for their unbelief.

In the same way, if you want to get into the heavenly Canaan, you must believe in God’s promises. Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). The ironic thing is that if I were to ask a group of Christians whether they think Jesus was preparing a room for them in heaven, most would say yes. But if I were to ask how many believed they could have victory over sin, they would express doubt, even though God specifically promises it to them. (More on this promise later!)

I’m worried that many who have experienced the truth of God will get to the border of the Promised Land only to lose faith in the Lord. We’re often good at believing that God can do anything around us, but not in us. But if God can rain down brimstone and part seas, He can keep His promise of giving you a new heart. Hebrews 4:1 warns: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” We need to fear falling into an attitude of unbelief. We need to be “fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” in our hearts and minds (Romans 4:21).

Cashing in on His Promises
One of the most successful gimmicks of retailers is selling gift cards. They make a lot of money off people who fail to use the cards or lose them before they use all the funds on them. Retailers can make a 50 percent profit from them and, worse, sometimes they go out of business rendering the purchased gift cards useless!

By God’s grace, His promises have no expiration date. So how do we cash in?

For one, we have to know what those promises are. That means reading His inspired Word regularly. It’s thrilling to track the Lord through biblical history by His promises; His actions are always following His promises. So often we miss out on these stirring gems of hope because we don’t read them and wrap ourselves around them in study. The Word of God is everything; it must come alive in our minds and hearts. It must be seen and heard before it can be believed.

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were threatened with incineration by Nebuchadnezzar, I believe they remembered and claimed a Scripture found in Isaiah 43: “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you” (v. 2 NKJV). I imagine these faithful servants learned of this promise at their mothers’ knee, and when Nebuchadnezzar said, “I’m going to throw you into the fiery furnace,” the Holy Spirit reminded them of it.

Are you going to redeem His promises, or are you going to let His “gift card” disappear somewhere in your pile of papers?

Ask for and Believe in His Promises
Have you ever heard the ABCs of prayer — ask, believe, and claim? That’s a pretty good nugget of advice in experiencing God’s promises in your life. And there are literally thousands of promises in the Bible. I would have loved to include a list for you here, but there simply isn’t enough room. God’s promises are an inexhaustible mine filled with wealth. (I will list a few promises for you later, but you really need to search His Word to learn as many as you can. You have all the reason in the world to read your Bible.)

Next, you need to ask. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego claimed God’s promise when they said, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from your hand, O King.” Did God honor His word? I can see it now — as they were being tied up by soldiers, the three men were probably muttering the promise to each other: “Remember the promise in Isaiah. When we go through the fire, it will not burn us. Lord, you hear that? You said it.” They presented it to the Lord, and the whole world would have had to pass away before God failed in that promise. God miraculously protected them.

To receive a promise, we also need to pray in Jesus’ name. “All the promises of God in [Jesus] are yea, and in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Then you need to believe that God will come through for you. Of course, we don’t deserve a promise based on what we have done, but we can have it on the good name of His Son. How wonderful is the righteousness of Jesus Christ!

Your prayer can be as simple as, “Lord, I believe in your promise. I am asking you, in the name of Christ, to fulfill it. Thank you.” When you approach the Father like this, believing in the integrity of His Word, you honor Him, His promise, and His Son. What do you think your chances are of God honoring your faith? I think they are pretty good. Hebrews 11:33 proclaims that His people “through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises.”

Now, while I have a little room left, let me share some of God’s most powerful promises. The more you read your Bible, the more you will see that the promises of God are like stars. The darker the night, the brighter they will shine for you.

The Promise of His Spirit
It’s our most important need as Christians: God’s Spirit dwelling within us. In Acts 2:38, 39, Peter says, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (NKJV). God has promised us His Holy Spirit.

When anyone sincerely calls upon the name of the Lord in baptism, God offers the Holy Spirit in the same way it was given to Jesus when He was baptized. Indeed, part of the reason the Spirit came down was to empower Jesus for a life of holiness and ministry. God will also do that for you.

I wonder how many people have been baptized but have never received the Holy Spirit because they went through a baptism but neglected to claim His Spirit. Have you prayed and asked for His Spirit? Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13 NKJV). If you don’t think you have received the Spirit, it’s not too late. God can provide it even before baptism, as He did with Cornelius, or after baptism, as He did with the Apostles. If you’re still waiting for the Holy Spirit to come, maybe God has been waiting for you to ask.

The Promise of Everlasting Life
An elderly Christian was in much distress as he lay dying. “Oh, Pastor,” he said, “For years I have relied upon the promises of God, but now in the hour of death I can’t remember a single one to comfort me.” Knowing that Satan was behind this poor man’s doubt, the preacher said, “My brother, do you think that God will forget any of His promises?” A peaceful smile came over the face of the dying believer as he exclaimed joyfully, “No. No! He won’t!”

Of course, one of the best promises we can claim is the gift of eternal life. “This is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life” (1 John 2:25 NKJV). Just in case one witness is not enough for you, here is a second: “For this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant … that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15 NKJV).

“Oh,” you might think, “I’m not good enough!” If that’s your fear, stop trembling. God promises to fix that too. He knows you’re not good enough, but He promises to change your heart and prepare you for eternity. And if you lack the faith — well, He promises to give you faith.

The Promise for Holy Living
While you are believing in the promise of eternal life, believe this: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). This is a powerful promise — He has given power in all things that pertain to life, practical living, faith, and godliness.

These aren’t your run-of-the-mill promises; these aren’t even just great promises. They are “exceeding great and precious promises.” Through them, we can be “partakers of the divine nature.”  Whose nature is that? The nature of Christ Himself. Imagine that!

Sadly, many want to brush this aside and suggest it means that God merely looks upon you as if you had the nature of Christ. But that’s not what it says. “By these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4, emphasis added). Is that clear enough? Maybe it hasn’t happened because you don’t believe it, but the promise is right there. You can live a holy life.

Just to belabor the point, Jude 1:24 says, “Unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (emphasis added). Do you believe the devil can tempt you to sin? If so, do you believe that Jesus can keep you from sin? If not, then you actually believe that the devil is more powerful than God! Yet if you believe, all things are possible — even sinless living. Of course, you’re not trusting in your own word or abilities or promises. You’re trusting in God’s promises and depending on Him to see you through all things.

Total Trust
When the Apostle Paul was on his way to Rome, a horrible storm overtook his boat. Everyone on board thought they were going to die … except Paul. For 14 days, the crew had been lost at sea, and now it looked like the ship was going down. They even threw tackling overboard in an attempt to save themselves. Yet here was Paul, totally unfazed.

They wondered, “Why are you so calm?” Paul answered, “God said I have to talk to Caesar, and I haven’t talked to him yet — so I know I’m living through this storm.” God made a promise, and Paul was totally fearless. Instead of trembling in fear, he prayed for everyone else on the boat, and God heard his prayer and saved them. Not one perished because of the intercession and total faith on the part of Paul. You might have been jaded from promises from family members, friends, or even politicians. We sometimes break our covenants with one another, but God does not.

He’s in the Next Room
Robert Murray McCheyne once wrote, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.” How true is that? If you could know, right now, that Jesus is in the next room praying for you, would you be afraid of anything?

Yet McCheyne concluded his statement this way: “Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.” Christ lives to make intercession for you. Just because He’s a little farther away and you can’t see or hear Him, He is praying for you to trust in and to receive God’s promises.

There is an old rabbinical legend that when Joseph was prime minister to Pharaoh during the Egyptian famine, he emptied the chaff of his granaries into the Nile River. It floated far away on the moving currents. When the people on the shoreline saw it pass by, they were filled with comfort. It was only chaff, but it meant that there was plenty of corn somewhere. They only needed to trace it to its source. God has promises of plenty for you, but you must track them.

I hope you will bank everything you have on that truth and begin to read your Bible to locate God’s promises. You need to read them — underline them — and start asking, and believing, and claiming them in your life. No matter what your challenges are, you’ll experience a complete transformation and even total victory. Do you have a problem with your character, a problem with your child, a problem at work? God can take care of those. Don’t underestimate the power or range in the arsenal of His promises.

Finally, they say that in the contracts of men, “The big print gives, and the small print taketh away.” So what is the fine print of God’s promises? “All things are possible for those who believe!” If you’re not in the Promised Land, it’s because you didn’t believe that He could take you there. Unlike the disbelieving spies, Joshua and Caleb did believe. They said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30 NKJV). And God rewarded them the same way He wants to reward you.

Aliens, Angels, or Adopted? Who Are the Sons of God?

 

By Pastor Doug Batchelor
October 30, 1938. It was Halloween night, and much of America had tuned their radios to the Columbia Broadcasting System, which had just finished reporting on the weather and began playing music. Within moments, the broadcast was interrupted by a news flash about strange explosions on Mars. The announcer reassured the audience that as more information became available, more announcements would be made. Then the music continued.
As the night progressed, the music was interrupted frequently, now with terrifying reports of an invasion. Aliens from Mars had landed in New Jersey and in cities around the world. The Earth was under attack. Panic filled the streets as many people fled their homes.
But it was all fiction.
A young Orson Wells had adapted the H.G. Wells’ book War of the Worlds for broadcast and modified the script to present the story as though it was happening in real time. Many listeners took the fictional radio play to be real.
Those who panicked were operating with incomplete information. They had failed to hear the station announce at the beginning and the end of the broadcast that it was all mere drama. Coming in at the middle, hearing only part of the story, they had no context and ran off thinking the sky was falling.
Similarly, a passage in Genesis when read out of context has caused many to believe that Earth has been invaded by aliens from outer space. Let’s take a look at that challenging verse:

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose (Genesis 6:1, 2).

Some believe that the term “sons of God” refers to extraterrestrial invaders. They believe that these beings are fallen angels or aliens from space who took human females as wives and produced offspring. They rationalize this belief by saying that the progeny produced by these unions were “giants” (v. 4). They believe these unholy unions were ultimately responsible for the increased wickedness of man.
On the surface, this seems to be a reasonable explanation of Scripture. But as we shall see, without understanding the context that surrounds this passage, you can actually be confused into believing that certain fictions are real. Fortunately, we can clear up any confusion on the sons of God quite easily by gathering more information from the Bible.

Angels Are Spirits
The King James Bible uses the term “sons of God” 11 times in two primary ways. However, it never uses the term to refer to an angelic being.
“He who makes his angels spirits …” (Psalms 104:4). Angels are spirits; they are not flesh. They are all around us now, but we cannot see them. They generally remain in their spiritual form and have no physical integration in our world—they don’t go to school, get jobs, or raise families. They are here to “minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).
Even if they wanted to marry and have babies, they couldn’t; they don’t have human DNA. It would be easier for a jellyfish to marry a mountain goat than for angels to marry people. Thus, it doesn’t make practical sense to believe that our passage in Genesis refers to the marriage of angels, fallen or holy, to humans.
Angels are not born; they are created. If God wanted more angels, He wouldn’t need to marry them off to humans or other angels to reproduce. He could create them from scratch. Speaking of Lucifer, God said, “The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created (Ezekiel 28:13 NKJV, emphasis added).
Moreover, Jesus tells us plainly that angels do not marry. Marriage is a uniquely human institution, reserved for mankind. “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). Mark and Luke suggest the same thing: “Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God” (Luke 20:36; some translations render it “sons of God”). Notice here that Jesus makes a distinction between angels and sons of God. They are classified separately, which means they are not the same thing.
So if the sons of God are not angels, what are they?

Cosmic Life?
While the sons of God were not space invaders, the Bible does appear to teach that there is other life in the cosmos. It is clear in Scripture that Jesus made other planets: God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2 NKJV).
In the parable of the lost sheep, the Earth represents the one lost sheep, a wandering world that went astray, the one Christ came to save. It’s easy to imagine that God, in His infinite existence, created other worlds with other physical beings. Of course, we know He had seraphim and cherubim and other angels prior to our world, so at a minimum we know there are at least those extraterrestrial creatures. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth” (Colossians 1:16 NKJV). “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth ... I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ ” (Revelation 5:13 NKJV).
However, most of these other created beings do not visit this world. The Earth is infected with a deadly contagious disease called sin, and we are likely quarantined. The only ones allowed to go into a quarantined hospital ward are the hospital staff; in this case, God’s angels. They are ministering spirits.

Princes of Planets
Thousands of years ago, an intriguing meeting took place in heaven. “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them” (Job 1:6).
In attendance at this meeting are sons of God, as well as Satan himself. Satan says that he has come from the Earth. The sons of God were there representing their un-fallen worlds in God’s universe. Satan was there to represent the Earth.
Why would Satan be representing our world? Originally, Adam had dominion over the Earth. He was created by God to subdue and manage it. God said to Adam and Eve, “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth on the earth” (Genesis 1:28).
While Adam was in obedience to God, he enjoyed dominion over the world. But once Adam sinned and obeyed Satan, that dominion was forfeited to the enemy. “To whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness” (Romans 6:16 NKJV).
Even Jesus referred to Satan as “the prince of this world” (John 12:31).
In the Gospel of Luke, the genealogy of Jesus is traced all the way back to Adam. Notice what Luke says about this lineage: “the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God” (Luke 3:38, emphasis added).
The difference between Seth and Adam is the bellybutton. Adam was created by the hand of God; Seth was born of Eve. Adam was the son of God, created to have dominion over the Earth. Thus one definition for sons of God is those beings God Himself created to have dominion over the worlds He made. These beings were not born but were created directly by God.
Job 38:7 tells us that when our world was created, “the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy.” The “morning stars” are angels, whereas “the sons of God” are the leaders of other worlds. (See Revelation 1:20.)
With that cleared up, let’s talk about the second way the term “sons of God” is used.

Heirs of Righteousness
The other meaning of sons of God refers to human beings who have been recreated by God’s Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Matthew 5:9 adds, “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” (NKJV).
Here Jesus is obviously referring to human beings, but not just any human beings; these are peacemakers, the righteous children of God. In no way should this be construed to refer to angels or aliens.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). Notice that there were those who were not sons of God, but that through receiving Him became sons of God.
It should be mentioned that “sons of God” doesn’t mean just males. Many Bible translations render the phrase “children of God.” Galatians 3:26 says, “For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It is by faith that a man or woman becomes a “child of God.” (See also Isaiah 56:5; Philippians 2:15.)
The inescapable conclusion from these verses and others is that the sons of God in Genesis 6 refers to the righteous children of God.

Daughters of Men
The term “daughters of men,” therefore, refers to the unrighteous children of men, those human beings who do not call on the name of the Lord. In the context of our Bible passage, “daughters of men” refers to the offspring of Cain and his wife.
Originally, Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain murdered Abel, so God gave Adam and Eve another son, Seth. He began to have children of his own, and they “began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:25, 26). And from what we’ve seen in the Bible, those who call on the name of the Lord are called the sons of God.
Now Cain had been banished from God’s presence. He settled “in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch” (Genesis 4:16–18).
Here, before the Flood, we have the descendants of Cain living in cities and the descendants of Seth living in the country. As long as they remained separate, the sons of God remained pure in their religious beliefs and practices.
However, eventually they began to intermingle. Maybe the sons of God needed supplies that could be easily obtained in the cities where the daughters of men resided. The sons of God and daughters of men became familiar with each other, even friendly. Whatever the case, soon the descendants of Seth, or sons of God, began to marry the daughters of men, or the descendants of Cain.

Mixed Marriages
It’s even quite possible the sons of God went into this situation with good intentions. Maybe they believed they could convert these daughters of Cain, introducing them to the Lord their God. However, the counsel of God is clear:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:14–18).

God does not want His children marrying the unconverted or the unbelieving, even if they have a pretty face, the nicest disposition, or a passionate belief in another religion. It makes no difference; God says that relationship will have problems.
So the result of these intermarriages was not only giants, but sorrow. Instead of the sons of God influencing the daughters of men, the daughters of men influenced the sons of God.
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4; emphasis added).
The Bible is filled with stories about the sons of God mingling with the daughters of men and the disasters that follow as a result. Samson, chosen by God, was derailed by the Philistine women. His parents pled with him to avoid marrying a pagan bride, but he insisted on having what he wanted (Judges 14:3).
Solomon no doubt believed that he could marry the daughters from pagan nations and convert them. However, those pagan daughters drew away Solomon’s heart. This is why God is so adamant about His children not marrying unbelievers. It is almost always the case that the believer is gradually transformed by the unbeliever, not the other way around.
Jesus likewise has a warning for us in these end-times:

But as the days of [Noah] were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that [Noah] entered into the ark (Matthew 24:37, 38).

Jesus here is likely referring to the mixed marriages of Genesis 6 that brought on the universal wickedness leading to the Flood.
As in Noah’s day, before the Flood, things that led to the destruction of the world with a deluge by water are going to happen again. They are a preview of what’s going to happen before the destruction of the world by a flood of fire when Jesus returns. History is going to repeat itself, but we don’t have to be among the repeat offenders.

Adoption Choices
Not everyone who thinks they are a son or daughter of God really is. The Pharisees boasted to Jesus that they were the children of Abraham. Jesus corrected them. “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39). This is a simple principle to test our heritage. Which “father” do we follow in our actions? Jesus told the religious leaders, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (John 8:44).
When we are born again and adopted into the family of God, we will want to imitate our heavenly Father. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6 NKJV).
If you are not a son or daughter of God now, the wonderful news is that you can choose a new family.
By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward (Hebrews 11:24–26 NKJV).
When called by God, Moses traded in his Egyptian adoption for a heavenly one. Through Jesus, you can too.
When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:4–7 NKJV).
Right now you can choose to be a child of the King, an heir of eternal life, and become a son or daughter of God in whom He is well pleased! Just ask Him.

Setting Dates for Christ’s Return

 

By Pastor Doug Batchelor

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”
—Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV)

Few things cause more sadness than failed expectations. Over time, many believers have been discouraged by failed predictions of Jesus’ coming.
Jesus cautions in Matthew 24:11, “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” It’s a straightforward warning that He repeats a little later in verse 24. He says, “If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not” (v. 23).
The subject of this article is extremely important: dealing with the danger of setting or embracing particular dates for Jesus’ return. Christians need to be reminded periodically what the Bible plainly says about this perilous practice, even now, when it seems like His return could come at any moment.
When anyone starts predicting the day and hour of the second coming, in light of everything Jesus said about what we can know and what we can’t know, it’s reckless.
Still, we’ve all been exposed to these false predictions, and it’s not going to stop. Probably one of the most well-known episodes in recent times was when Harold Camping, president of Family Radio, predicted that Christ would return May 21, 2011. When that date passed, he said it would be October 21, 2011—and obviously, if you’re reading this article, we’re still here. His adherents were so convinced that judgment day would occur that many sold everything they had to announce this prediction all across America.
Sadly, Camping had already once predicted that Jesus would come in September 1994. His followers did not learn from his first mistake, but had they known their Bibles, they would have seen the Word is very clear on the matter of date setting. That’s why it’s so important for you and I to be clear about it too.

A Brief History of Date Setting
History is replete with those who have set a date or two for Christ to return—and then watched those dates come and go. There isn’t enough space here to cover all of the false prognostications, but it would be good to cover a few high points.
But first, let me clarify that some of these date setters were well meaning, so I’m not judging their love for the Lord. Some of them just misapplied Bible verses and overzealously proclaimed it on a grand scale ...

• William Miller, a well-intentioned and godly man, said the Lord was coming October 22, 1844. He took Bible prophecies that talked about the sanctuary and misapplied them to the second coming. I believe he had an accurate date but the wrong event.
• Hal Lindsey wrote the bestselling book The Late Great Planet Earth, in which he predicted Jesus would come in 1988. Thousands got excited, but none of it happened. Today, Lindsey still has a TV program where he explains prophecy.
• Edgar C. Whisenant sold 4.5 million copies of his book 88 Reasons Why the Lord Is Going to Come by 1988. Trinity Broadcasting Network interrupted their programming to tell people how to get ready for the rapture. The next day, their normal programming simply resumed.

Non-Christians Aren’t Immune
It’s not just Christians who are interested in apocalyptic date setting. Remember Y2K? And once again a troubled world is asking questions about the end. You’ve likely heard about the Mayan calendar, which some say declares the last day on December 21, 2012. However …

Authors disagree about what humankind should expect. … Sandra Noble, executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, says, “For the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to mark the end of the whole cycle; to render December 21st, 2012 as a doomsday ... is a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in” (USA Today, 3/27/2007, emphasis added).

Did you catch that? It’s not only televangelists trying to “cash in” on date setting. It’s also people trying to sell books or tickets to a movie.
My wife Karen and I were in Belize recently and explored the Mayan ruins. At one point, I was sitting in a van with a driver who was Mayan and asked him about it. He just laughed and said, “It doesn’t mean anything.” So why do we get so excited about these things?

Do We Really Want to Know?
There’s a certain amount of insecurity we all feel about the future, knowing our lives are going to end. Perhaps some just want to know when their time is up so they can fit everything in on their bucket list before it’s too late.
Still, if you could know the day you were going to die, would you want to? What if I told you it was 100 years from now? Would you feel better about it? If it’s next week, would you want to know? Are you ready for it? For you, the jury might still be out.
What kind of attitude should you have about the second coming? Fortunately, the Bible tells us. Even in New Testament times, self-styled prophets were unsettling everybody by predicting dates for the end. Paul writes quite a bit about the second coming in 2 Thessalonians. He says, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord ... we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter” (2:1, 2 NKJV).
It’s interesting that he says not to be troubled. Everything else we read in the Bible offers a sense of urgency—“I am coming quickly”—yet Paul says here, “Wait a second! Don’t be shaken.” Even if you have a dream, hear it spoken by a famous evangelist, read it in a bestselling book, or even if a spirit appears saying it has the exact date calculated—don’t be troubled! Why? Because we don’t base our conclusions on dreams. It’s got to go along with what the Word of God says.

What Does God Want Us to Know?
Does the Lord want you to calculate the day of His coming? In Mathew 24, Jesus says, regarding the temple in Jerusalem, that not one stone was going to be left upon another. His disciples surely thought, “Wow! That must be the end of the world!” So they asked Jesus when these things would be. But see how Jesus answers them in verse 36: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
In Acts 1:6, we read, “They asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.’” Notice that emphasis—the Father has it in His own authority.
Instead, Jesus takes them from their focus on when He’s coming back and places it elsewhere. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me … to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJV). The reason Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit is not so we can untangle a mathematical secret and announce it in a book. No! He gives us the Holy Spirit so we can live godly lives and bring people to the cross.
“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them [food] in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing” (Matthew 24:45, 46). Jesus wants us to be feeding others the Word of God. He doesn’t want us to be running off to some wilderness hideout, holing up like hermits waiting for the end. You might have met people like this. They want to calculate a date because they want to know when to start liquidating their assets, running to the hills, storing up their ammo and dry goods. They want to know that they are ready for the end. Who are they thinking about? Themselves. They’re not thinking about helping the lost get ready to meet Jesus.
Christians ought to be as motivated to share the gospel now as His disciples were then. Christ has not withdrawn His commission simply because He’s closer to coming back than yesterday. Why do we need a date to stir us up? After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, our church had our best attendance in years. We had people spilling out of the sanctuary. They thought, “Maybe it’s the end; I’d better get back to church.” But Luke 12:40 says, “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”

You Might Not Know What You Think You Know
As a prophecy teacher, I’ve often been asked if the ongoing economic crisis is a sign that Jesus is coming. My answer is, “Yes and no.” (I’m not trying to hedge my bets, mind you.) Yes in that it shows we can’t put our trust in money. But no in that Jesus doesn’t say that after great economic stress He’ll come. He actually suggests otherwise: “As it was also in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded” (Luke 17:28). In the days of Lot, the citizens were out being industrious and investing their gold the same day the end came.
In a sense, the prophecies of Scripture are better understood looking back. For instance, we know Jesus prophesied His death to the apostles. How many times did He tell them plainly that He was going to be betrayed, crucified, and would rise again? How much good did it do for the disciples? In Luke 24:6–8, after the faithful women arrived at the tomb, the angels said,

He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words.

Typically, the truth of the future can be kind of fantastical—it goes in one ear and out the other because it’s beyond our understanding. Jesus says in John 13:19, “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” He’s saying He wants to reveal the future so that when those events happen, people will understand that Jesus is the point of all prophecy. Indeed, prophecy isn’t always about knowing exactly when this or that will happen.

What We Can Know Today
How can we be prepared if we don’t know the date? Jesus says,
When it is evening you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red”; and in the morning, “It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.” … You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times (Matthew 16:2, 3 NKJV).
If you’re in the south and you see the barometric pressure dropping, you know it’s time to batten down the hatches. You might not know exactly when that storm will strike, but you do know to be prepared.
In the same way, when we look at the confluence of everything happening in our world, it’s significant. Wars and rumors of war are a daily headline. Political and religious tensions are growing. Monstrous natural disasters seem to strike every other month. Doesn’t it seem to you that if Christ doesn’t come soon, all flesh would die? But knowing this isn’t about a date or hour—it’s about something else altogether.

How You Can Be Ready Even When You Don’t Know
First Thessalonians 5:1–3 is an impressive warning for the people of God:

Concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

The Lord is not coming at a time when people are looking for a fire escape. Rather, Jesus is going to come at a time when His people are serving Him because of their love for Him. Luke 21:34 says, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly” (NKJV). If we get caught up in the cares of the world, we won’t be preparing our hearts to meet Jesus.
If we’re living lives of consistent surrender and obedience and looking for opportunities to share our faith, we won’t need to worry about the date on the calendar because we’ll be ready every day for the Lord’s coming!

A Spiritual Rush and Depression
One of the major problems with date setting is that it’s like getting your vigor from eating a giant candy bar; sure, you’ll feel a surge of energy, but there will be lethargy afterward. Setting a date gives people an artificial spiritual high. When the date passes, there is a corresponding depression that follows.
The fallout for these false alarms can be an attitude of increasing doubt about the Word of God—like the boy who cried, “Wolf!” Read 2 Peter 3:4 and ask yourself how motivated you would be to live for Christ if you were to stop believing He’s really coming.

His Promise Is Sure
Thousands of date setters have failed, but that doesn’t mean the Lord has forgotten about us. He’s coming back; we might not know the day and the hour, but we know He is coming and the time is near. We just need to be ready for it.
Remember, the Lord doesn’t want us to get ready because we know the date. He wants us to be ready because we know Him. If you’re motivated to get ready because you know a date, you have the wrong motive. How would you live if you thought Jesus was coming in a week? I ask you to live like that now for the rest of your life. Just be the way He wants you to be because you love Him and know He is coming someday soon.
Maybe you haven’t truly accepted Jesus as your Savior, trying to wait until the eleventh hour to get ready. Don’t tempt fate. Wouldn’t you like to know that you’re ready now? God is coming to rescue us from the sin-stained world—that’s a promise.
My prayer is that the Lord will deliver all His people from our inclination to calculate and fix the date on our calendars. Instead, let’s invite Him into our hearts now so we can be ready at any moment.

Watching

By Pastor Doug Batchelor
Many years ago, when telegraph service using Morse code was still common, a number of young men had gathered to apply for a job at the local telegraph office. While they were all waiting in a reception area to be interviewed and chatting with one another, the faint sound of the “dot, dot, dash, dash, dash, dot, dot” from a nearby telegraph machine drifted into the room. Suddenly, one of the men jumped to his feet and ran through the door into the adjoining office.
He came back a few moments later grinning. He announced, “I got the job.”
The others wondered, “How did you get the job before we even got a chance?”
He said, “You were so preoccupied with visiting that you weren’t paying attention to the code.” He explained, “I was listening to the message, and it said, ‘I am looking for somebody who is alert, and the first person who hears this message and comes into the office will get the job.’ ” He was paying attention!
I think this is a timely parable to the members of the Christian church, who seem to be deeply distracted from the message God is trying to send us today.
In Mark 13, where Jesus highlights the astounding signs of the second coming, four times He says, “Watch.” That is, pay attention. The Greek word for “watch” in this passage comes from the word greguru, and it means “to keep awake, to be watchful, to be vigilant.”
Interestingly, the Bible calls us to watch in several different ways. Let’s take a few moments for a Bible study that should help wake all of us up.

Spiritual Vigilance
The first way to watch is to simply remain spiritually awake.
Jesus said that many people will be sleeping when the bridegroom comes, rather than watching. “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:5). The wedding party was to be watching for the bridegroom, but at that critical moment they all dozed off. Notice it says “they all”—100 percent, both the wise and the foolish—fell asleep.
Paul admonishes, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:5, 6 NKJV). This kind of watching is more than just watching, as if you’re gazing listlessly at the television. It requires being attentive and alert and clear about the happenings around us.

Watch and Pray
Not only are we to be awake and watching, Jesus said we are to watch and pray.
Have you ever been in a hospital keeping vigil because someone you love was going through a critical surgery? You kept praying for your loved one and nervously watched the operating room doors because the doctor could have come out at any moment with pivotal news. Your heart was really in it because you were praying for an outcome that meant life or death.
That’s what it means to watch and pray. That’s what Christians need to be doing now. “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Peter 4:7).
In the book of Nehemiah, the king of Persia tells the prophet to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. However, the Samaritans and Arabians did not want the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt, so they constantly tried to disrupt Nehemiah’s efforts, waiting to catch him off guard so they could sabotage his work.
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth” (Nehemiah 4:7). Nehemiah’s enemies were extremely angry at his progress. It’s the same way the devil feels when God’s church is being built up.
They also “conspired … together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it” (v. 8). Satan comes against us with great wrath to hinder God’s work. “Nevertheless we [Israel] made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them” (v. 9).
In response, God’s people didn’t just pray. They didn’t just watch. They did both night and day.

Watching Yourself
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was facing His greatest trial. There, at the very axis of the plan of salvation, He knew He was about to experience intense suffering and death on the cross. He made one simple request of His disciples while He left to pray: watch.
“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?’” (Matthew 26:40 NKJV). I suspect a lot of us watch like Peter. And the Lord says to us, Could you not watch with me one hour?
We are again at a critical point in history. Jesus is about to return to planet Earth. Probation is closing, and He’s asking us to watch. We don’t want Him to say, What? Could you not watch with me one hour?, but I would guess He just might say that today! So He warns, “Watch and pray” (Matthew 26:41).
Part of this watching is watching ourselves. “Examine yourselves as to whether you’re in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV). You need to be watching yourself and your surroundings. You need to be asking yourself, Am I growing? Am I becoming more like Jesus? “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3 NKJV).
Ask the Lord to watch your mind, your heart, your lips. We need to be guarding what we allow to come into our minds. This is one of the single most important things you can do in your own discipline as a Christian: guarding the avenues to your soul. You’re the combined essence of all those things that you take in. Some of those things have been Trojan horses. We think there’s no harm done, but once it gets into our minds, it becomes a disaster. “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3 NKJV).

Watching Others
We need to watch our brothers and sisters. I’m not talking about being judgmental and trying to catch people in sin. I’m talking about a genuine caring for other people’s souls. “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19, 20 NKJV).
We’ve got to watch each other! Some are spiritually drifting, and we need to care about that.
Children need watching. As they get older, they generally want to be watched less, but that’s usually when they need to be watched the most. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 NKJV). By watching in love, we can claim a brother or sister in Christ who would have been lost otherwise!
A man in Africa worked in a diamond mine. He was leaving work one day but happened to be watching the conveyor belt as it was taking rocks to the crusher. These were the worthless rocks, to be pulverized and dumped into the landfill. He happened to notice a hand-sized rock and thought it didn’t look right. He grabbed it off the conveyor belt and took it to his supervisor. It ended up being the 10th largest diamond in the world—616 carats. This diamond in the rough was going to be thrown into a landfill but for an alert worker who was watching. They gave him a reward of $15,000.
How great will your reward be if you watch? Every day we meet some of God’s diamonds who are on their way to the landfill. They might look like common rocks on the outside, but many are really bearing a diamond within. If we’re not paying attention, they’ll pass us on the conveyor belt to oblivion. “‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him’ ” (Malachi 3:17 NKJV).
You are your brother’s keeper. Watch yourself and watch others. Plus, you need to be receptive to others watching over you! “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account” (Hebrews 13:17 NKJV).
As Americans, we love our independence. We don’t want anybody in our business. We have been so bombarded with this idea, however, that when you talk about Christians watching out for each other spiritually, it seems invasive and nosey. But we should care enough about one another that we watch out for each other spiritually.

Watching the Enemy
I had a friend in the hills who once owned an ornery goat. One time when he asked me to care for his livestock, he warned, “Don’t ever turn your back on that goat. As soon as you do, he’ll butt you so hard you will need to change your ZIP code!” Well, the little beast never did get me, but I saw him knock someone else off his feet. He would graze peacefully like he didn’t care you were there. But just as soon as you took your eyes off him, wham!
The devil is like that.
We need to watch the enemy. Peter says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV).
Good pickpockets often work in teams. One of them will cause a distraction while the others pick the pockets. Long ago, when I was young and far from being a Christian, I worked with a friend to steal from grocery stores. He would go into a store and make a big ruckus. Of course, everybody turned to look, even the security guard. Then, while everyone was watching him, I would slip a steak under my shirt and head out the door. Soon my friend would calm down and walk out too. We never got caught.
Likewise, the devil is a master at diversionary tactics. He creates minor doctrinal distractions to get everybody looking away from the bigger moral problems. Let’s watch out for these tricks and do our best to keep Jesus and His Word as our focus.

Watching and Warning
What good is a blind, deaf, and mute watchdog? This is how Isaiah describes religious leaders who don’t warn people when the enemy is near. “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” (Isaiah 56:10).
When war was eminent, Israel would position watchmen strategically on the wall for maximum visibility of their surroundings. Approaching armies often kicked up a thick cloud of dust, which you could see from miles away. Sometimes, you could hear the ground rumble.
Should a watchman see the dust and hear the rumbling of an approaching enemy army, he would blow a trumpet to warn all the people in the surrounding farms to flee into the protection of the city walls. Everybody’s life was in the hands of the watchman; if he did not give warning of the enemy’s approach, they would overtake the unprepared still in their fields. Property and lives would be lost.
But did you know that failure to give a warning could be fatal for the watchmen as well?
“When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. … But he who takes warning will save his life” (Ezekiel 33:3–5 NKJV). You are expected to act if you hear a warning.
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.” (Ezekiel 33:6 NKJV). If the watchman failed to blow the trumpet, he was held responsible for any who died.
You and I are a type of watchman. God has given us life-and-death messages in His Word. We know the sword is coming. He says to you and me:

So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, “O wicked man, you shall surely die!” and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul (Ezekiel 33:7–9 NKJV).

Toward the end of his ministry, Paul wrote, “I am innocent of the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26 NKJV). Why did he say that? He added, “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (v. 27). He had faithfully blown the trumpet. He had given fair warning.
The Bible says, “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1 NKJV). Are you blowing the trumpet? I’m not suggesting marching up and down the street being obnoxious for Jesus, but God does bring people within our sphere of influence every day. The Holy Spirit will impress us to say a word to this person or that person. But you have to be watching.
Not long ago, I called to have satellite Internet service installed in my cabin in the woods. This helped me stay in touch with the office when I was out of town. The satellite company sent up some installers from Sacramento, a four-and-a-half-hour trip one way! After these two fellows pulled up to my yard in their company truck, one of the first things they asked was, “You got any pot?”
I said, “Sorry guys. You’ve come to one of the few pieces of property out here where you’re not going to find any pot growing.” They were disappointed but went on with their work getting the satellite installed and working for me. As they were leaving, I felt impressed to say something.
“Let me show you a neat website,” I said. I showed them the Amazing Facts website.
They saw my picture and said, “Hey, that’s you! You’ve got TV programs.” We talked a little bit, they asked questions, and I gave them some books and sent them on their way.
What if I had ignored the impression of the Lord, thinking these guys were hopeless potheads? According to Scripture, their blood could be on my hands. (I knew they weren’t hopeless because I used to be just like them!)
Of course, I have also missed many opportunities—neglecting God’s prodding to speak up for Christ. If that happens to you, repent and ask God to help you be a faithful watchman. Don’t be frightened and don’t let it become inconvenient to rescue a soul. Just blow the trumpet!
I’m sure you have felt the impression before: “Say something for Me to this person.” So you blow your trumpet and … they didn’t read the book. They didn’t accept Christ. Well, that’s not your job. Your job is to blow the trumpet and pray for them. They still must choose as the Holy Spirit prods their hearts. Remember, the Bible doesn’t say that “before Jesus comes, the gospel will be preached in all the world and then everyone will believe.” It says only that the gospel “will be preached in all the world as a witness” (Matthew 24:14 NKJV). We just need to do our part.
God has called us to be watchmen on the walls and to warn the wicked to turn from their way. We also have such good news: turn and live! It’s a message of hope, and so many people want to hear it.

Watching the Signs
Last but not least, we should be watching the signs of the times.
“He answered and said to them, ‘When it is evening you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red”; and in the morning, “It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.” Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times’” (Matthew 16:2, 3 NKJV).
God wants us to be watching and waiting for Him. To be alert, to be praying, to be in a sense of expectancy and even joy. “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28 NKJV). But this watching of the signs should motivate us into action—to watch where we are and to watch where others are to make sure that as many as possible are in the kingdom when Jesus returns to this world.
Many of the things Jesus spoke about are coming to pass. Let us not repeat the mistakes of God’s people in the past, of sleeping at the critical moment. If the Lord commands us to be awake and to watch, we can be awake and watch. He wouldn’t ask us to do the impossible. But we do need the Holy Spirit, more now than ever, to wake us up. We need revival.
Be a faithful watchman for the Lord. Watch yourself. Watch out for your brothers and sisters. Watch what the enemy is doing. Watch what’s going on in the world. Watch for the blessed hope and appearing of our Lord. Amen.

Who Will Sing the Song? The 144000 of Revelation 14

An Amazing Fact
During the Gulf War, a small team of U.S. Navy SEALS created a diversion so convincing that it completely fooled the Iraqi army. About a dozen SEALS stormed the beaches of Kuwait and created such havoc that Iraqi generals believed the U.S.-led attack was coming from the sea. Iraq sent the majority of their army to repel this fake attack—only to find they had been duped as the main U.S. force came through the Saudi Arabian desert! Within hours the war was over, and it all started with less than 20 soldiers!

Each branch of the U.S. armed services has one or more elite teams of commandos that fight using covert guerrilla warfare tactics during special combat situations. To serve in one of these select units, a soldier must be highly disciplined and pass through incredibly difficult physical and mental training. Only those who demonstrate unflinching self control and perfect obedience qualify. These Special Forces commandos are given dangerous and complex missions; they rapidly attack enemy troops and raid behind enemy lines to clear the way for the main attacking force. Even a small team of these commandos, because of their intense training, can achieve great victories—defeating entire columns in short time.

God’s Special Forces
The 12 Apostles were a type of Special Forces during the time of Jesus’ first coming. After three-and-a-half years of intensive personal training with Jesus, the Lord was able to use them to achieve great victories. They penetrated Satan’s dominion to spearhead a great revival and expansion of the Christian faith. But the book of Revelation tells us of another Special Forces unit, a vast “army” of 144,000. They have a special relationship with the Lamb, and they are sealed with a special name. They also sing a special song. Why are the 144,000 so important? It’s because they are commissioned with the greatest missions in the last days: to prepare the world for Jesus’ return. Yet many are bewildered by obvious questions; who exactly is this holy army and who will fill its ranks before the end?
Though it may not be critical to one’s salvation to understand all the specific details of this prophetic subject, the study of God’s Word is always accompanied with great blessings. I should add that when we study these themes, we venture onto holy ground. Though I share this topic with great confidence, I also realize and respect that others may have a different understanding. So I would encourage you to pause now and pray for understanding as we begin this adventure in mining for truth.

Where to Begin?
To really understand the identity of the 144,000, we must first consider them from the two primary pillars of truth in Scripture that describe this grand assembly. The first passage is found in Revelation 7:1–4:“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel asending 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” (NKJV). The Scripture then explains that this distinctive sealed body is comprised of exactly 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, which are; Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin. It should be carefully noted here that this listing of tribes is unique, because it is the only time in Scripture that the catalog of tribes appears in this particular order (but more on that later).
The second main passage comes in Revelation 14:1–5: “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. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

The Samaritans & Ten Lost Tribes
Perhaps our first concern should be to determine whether or not this 144,000 are actually 12,000 literal Israelites from their 12 respective tribes. Even though this belief is common in many Christian circles, after a closer look it becomes obvious that this is simply impossible. Even a casual look at the Old Testament reveals this important clue. Because the 10 northern tribes gave themselves completely over to idolatry, God allowed the Assyrians to carry them away in 722 BC. “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes” (2 Kings 17:6). When the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were later carried off to Babylon, after spending 70 years in captivity, thousands returned. But with the 10 tribes, history never records any mass exodus from Assyria back to Israel. Instead, the King of Assyria transplanted an assortment of people from pagan nations in the land of Israel in the region of Samaria.
“And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof” (2 Kings 17:24).
The King of Assyria did send one Hebrew priest back from Assyria to teach these transplanted pagans about the God of Israel, but not from the exiled 10 tribes (2 Kings 17:27). They eventually became known as the infamous Samaritans. As is evident even in the New Testament, the Jews detested this group. Why? They were no longer pure Israelites in blood or religion. History also records that long before the time of Jesus, the 10 exiled tribes intermarried with the Assyrians, therefore losing their distinct identity. Today, a genealogist would be hard pressed to find even one vaguely pure descendant from the tribe of Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, or Simeon—much less 12,000! In fact, because these tribes were so thoroughly scattered around the world and assimilated by their host nations, it is very possible even you have traces of Abraham in your bloodline!
“And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries” (Ezekiel 12:15).

Who Is a True Israelite?
On the surface, it still might be easy enough for one to believe that the 144,000 are from the 12 tribes listed in Revelation 7. But a closer reading quickly reveals that from the time of Jesus, most of the prophecies speaking of Israel are focused on the children of faith—or spiritual Israel regardless of whether they were Jew or Gentile by blood. Here is a small sample of the many texts that establish this truth. “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit” (Romans 2:28,29). “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). The Lord told the ancient Israelites, “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Notice in the New Testament, Peter applies that title to spiritual Israel or the church: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9).James gives one of the most convincing Scriptures that proves that the Apostles viewed the tribes in a spiritual sense. “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad, greetings” (James 1:1). The content of James’ letter is clearly addressed to Christians, and yet he plainly refers to them as spiritual Jews from 12 spiritual tribes.

How Many Tribes?
I do not want to be tedious—but to really understand this subject, a short lesson on the Old Testament tribes might be necessary for clarity. In reality, did you know there were actually 13 tribes—that’s right! You see, the 12 original tribes all came from the 12 sons of Jacob, whom the Lord had later renamed Israel. When Joseph’s older brothers sold him into slavery, it was the beginning of a long and painful separation from his family. After reuniting with his father, Jacob promised to compensate for Joseph’s years of separation by adopting two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as his own to be numbered with his sons in place of Joseph. “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine” (Genesis 48:5). Let’s do the math. When Joseph’s two sons were counted as tribes in the place of their father, you now have 13 tribes, technically. One reason that you still continue to hear of only 12 tribes through the Bible is because after the Levites were chosen to be the priests for all Israel, they were excluded from receiving any specific territory as inheritance. Instead, they were to defuse among all the tribes as teachers and priests. “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel” (Numbers 1:49).
As a connected point of interest, we can also ask how many were seated at the Last Supper. The answer is 13—the 12 Apostles, and Jesus sat among them as their high priest. During the Passover, 13 tribes presented themselves: the “regular” 12 tribes and then the Levites serving as the priests.
Also, if it were important to the Lord to only use the 12 different literal tribes in equal numbers to comprise the 144,000, wouldn’t we expect Jesus to choose His Apostles in a similar fashion? But it does not appear to have mattered to Jesus that his apostles were from the 12 different tribes of Israel, for most of His apostles were from the tribe of Judah. The exceptions are Matthew-Levi, who was probably from the tribe Levi, and Paul, who was from the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1).
Additionally, the 12 tribes in the Old Testament were very unequal in population size. Judah was very large, while Benjamin was very small. Indeed, God divided the Promised Land amongst the tribe according to the proportion of their population needs. Yet with the 144,000, it’s exactly 12,000 per tribe across the board. This is another strong clue that it is not speaking of the literal tribes of Israel.

What’s in a Name?
So why did God go to the trouble of specifically naming the 12 tribes when listing the 144,000? This is one of the first and most compelling clues that there must be some hidden spiritual meaning to the tribes listed in Revelation 7. Remember, this is the only time the sons of Jacob are arranged in this order—and even more specifically, the way in which they are ordered says something too. First, Joseph and Levi are included, while Ephraim and Dan are left out. Why? Well perhaps it is because the names are symbolic in meaning and prophecies state: “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path” (Genesis 49:17). It may also be because the name Dan means “judge,” and the 144,000 are a special group who are sealed and vindi- cated at this point. As far as Ephraim, the Bible declares, “Ephraim is joined to idols, Let him alone” (Hosea 4:17). And curiously, Ruben, the firstborn, is listed as second, while Judah, the fourth offspring, is listed as the first!
So the order of these names makes no sense unless we allow the names to speak for themselves; then, perhaps, we will see God is trying to communicate a special message to us through these names.
When Jews named their babies, the names nearly always had some definite meaning that depicted some characteristic of the child or event connected with their birth. Notice how the wives of Jacob, Rachael, and Leah proclaimed a statement defining the meaning of the son’s names as they were born. In Genesis 29:32-35, we read, “So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, ‘The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.’ Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, ‘Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.’ And she called his name Simeon. She conceived again and bore a son, and said, ‘Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.’ Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, ‘Now I will praise the LORD.’ Therefore she called his name Judah.” As you continue reading the narrative of each of the births of Jacob’s sons, Rachel and Leah made similar prophetic statements for all 12 of the sons regarding the meanings of their names.
Here are the names of the tribes listed for the 144,000, in the order in which Revelation 7 lists them, and their corresponding Hebrew meanings as found in Scripture:

1.	Judah means	“I will praise the Lord”
2.	Ruben means	“He has looked on me”
3.	Gad means	“Given good fortune”
4.	Asher means	“Happy am I”
5.	Naphtali means	“My wrestling”
6.	Manasseh means	“Making me to forget”
7.	Simeon means	“God hears me”
8.	Levi means	“Joined to me”
9.	Issachar means	“Purchased Me”
10.	Zebulun means	“Dwelling”
11.	Joseph means	“Will add to me”
12.	Benjamin means	“Son of His right hand”

Now here is the amazing part. Notice what happens when you line up these meanings of the names according to the way they appear as listed in Revelation. It forms a very remarkable statement declaring how God saves the church as His bride!
“I will praise the Lord for he has looked on me and granted good fortune. I am happy because my wrestling, God is making me to forget. God hears me and is joined to me. He has purchased me a dwelling and will add to me, the Son of His right hand.” (As in Scripture, the words in italics are supplied for flow of thought.)
These names presented in this order describe a brief story summarizing the church’s struggle, redemption, victory, and ultimate marriage to the Lamb. It seems evident that this is a special message of encouragement for those who are in the Church, believers in Christ, and not necessarily just Jews.

Exactly How Many?
Now we can address the next big question: Is the figure 144,000 a literal number? Perhaps I should answer that question with another question: Are the other numbers in Revelation literal or just spiritual?
For instance, will there be 12 gates and 12 foundations? Are there really 12 different kinds of fruit on the tree of life? Yes, of course! There are many prophetic time periods given in Revelation, but the numbers are not just nebulas numerical symbols—they are precise measures of time. The numbers would be useless for reckoning if they were merely symbolic. All of our understandings about the dimensions of the New Jerusalem are based on the assumption that these numbers have real literal value.
However, please keep in mind that though the number of the 144,000 might be exact, most people in the world might never know who they are or take a census. When Jesus walked the earth in Israel, it was no problem to count 12 literal apostles following the Messiah in the Holy Land. But the 144,000 in the last days are spiritual Jews—scattered across the circle of the earth leading in a magnificent revival. But they will not each be wearing a marathon running number.
Now you might be thinking, “How can you say that the names are symbolic and the number is literal?” Simple, Jesus did. It doesn’t seem to matter to the Lord what tribes the 12 Apostles sprang from, but it did matter that there were 12 of them. Also remember that while most of the numbers in Revelation depict a real value, all the proper names in Revelation are symbols (e.g., The Lamb, The Dragon, the Lion, Balaam, Jezebel, etc.).

The Number 12
In fact, the secret key to unlocking the mystery behind the 144,000 might be in the number itself. You mathematicians are going to love this section! Twelve is a perfect number for building, because it is one of the most versatile numbers. It can be evenly divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and of course 12.

An Amazing Fact
The reason there are 12 inches in the standard foot measurement is because the foot used to be based on the length of the English king’s physical foot, and that measurement constantly changed through various kings. This is also why a 12-inch measuring stick was called a “ruler.” The number 12 in the Bible almost always represents leadership of the church. There were 12 patriarchs from Shem to Jacob. In addition, 12 spies led the way to the Promised Land, and there are 12 judges from Joshua to Samuel. In Scripture, the number 12 is also often associated with God’s church, which is typically symbolized by a woman.
There is also an interesting story in the Gospels concerning the number 12. In just one hour, Jesus healed two females with miracles associated with the number 12. First, He healed a woman who had been bleeding 12 years. From that event, He went directly to resurrect a 12-year-old girl. The first woman represented the Old Testament church with a continual flow of sacrificial blood. The young girl symbolized the New Testament church that came to life after a resurrection. They both touched Jesus that day and were made whole (Mark 5:25-42).
In Revelation 12:1, we read, “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.” God’s church pictured here has 12 stars above the head; these stars are a symbol of the inspired leadership of the church (1 Corinthians 11:10).
Another interesting clue related to the 144,000 is found in 1 Chronicles 27:1-15. Here we read that David’s army was comprised of 12 sets of 24,000, totaling 288,000. That’s two teams of 144,000.
First Chronicles 25 tells of a literal group of “24 times 12” Levities that were to lead in praise music of the temple—that’s two times 144, which equals 288. And of course, you have two times 12, or 24 elders on thrones around the throne of God in Revelation 4:4. This represents the 12 patriarchs in the Old Testament and 12 apostles in the New Testament!
In Matthew 19:28, Jesus says to the Apostles, “You who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” He then makes a promise to those who will come out of the last age of the church known as Laodicea, which means “judging the people.” “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21). This is because the 144,000 live during the last age of the church and share the experiences of the apostles.
In heaven, it seems that at times there will be an expanding square formation around God’s throne. First, the Lord Himself sits on His throne. Outside His throne sit the four creatures, then the 24 elders in a square around them (six to each side), and then finally the 144,000 in a perfect square (36,000 to each side). The great multitudes of saved are the last group that surrounds the 144,000. The perfect and symmetrical math of this assembly is far beyond the fisherman who wrote Revelation.
As a final point of interest for our math majors, did you also know that in addition to the 144,000 being calculated as 12 times 12,000, it can also be achieved this way: 12 x 12 x 103 (or 10 cubed). In this way, you have God's kingdom number (12), God's number of completeness or wholeness (10, as in commandments), and God's number (3 as in Godhead). I think this might be another fascinating example of God’s perfect design.

Precious Stones
Another reason for the number 12 is found in the breastplate worn by the High Priest bearing the 12 different precious stones. This reminds us that God’s church is made up of many different personalities all near to the heart of our High Priest. The Bible reveals the diverse temperaments that make up the 12 patriarchs and apostles. God chooses leaders of every type, that He might use them to reach all kinds. Exodus 39:14 says, “There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes.” These stones also appear identical to the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, as described in Revelation 21:12,14: “Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
For these reasons and others, I believe the number 144,000 is a precise figure. Just as there were 12 literal tribes in the Old Testament and exactly 12 apostles in the New Testament, and as the walls are truly 144 cubits thick, and as there will be exactly 144 different kinds of fruit on the tree of life each year (12 different fruits each month), there will be 12 times 12,000 apostles in the last days.
So let’s assemble the clues we have uncovered. In Scripture, the numbers 12 and 144,000 are associated with Judges, David’s army, praising priests, and precious stones. In the same way, the 144,000 are an army of judges and priests that Jesus values as precious stones.

Only 144,000 Saved?
But then the natural thought is, “If this number is not just a symbol, will the 144,000 be the only ones saved in the last days—and if only 144,000 will be saved, what are my chances?” Lets do some simple figuring. If there are 6 billion people in the world when Jesus comes (roughly today’s global population), that would mean that 1 in 41,666 would be saved. It is still much better than the odds offered by most state lotteries, but it still offers a pretty slim hope of salvation! But praise God! Though the 144,000 might be an exact number, the Bible does not teach they are to be the only ones saved in the last days. If we read on in Revelation 7:9, immediately after the listing of the tribes and the 144,000, the prophet sees “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.”
Then in verse 13, one of the 24 elders asks John, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” In verse 14, he answers his own question: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Now the Bible speaks of two great tribulations in prophecy. One was during the Papal persecution of the Dark Ages when millions of Christians were slain. But the pri- mary “great tribulation” must refer to the time just before Christ’s second coming as referred to in Daniel 12:1, 2. “And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Evidently, this great multitude who come out of great tribulation are converted under the preaching and influence of the 144,000. Shortly after Pentecost, the 12 apostles reached a great multitude, then there followed a great persecution (Acts 8:1). Shortly after the Holy Spirit is poured out on the 144,000, a great multitude will be converted and then comes the great tribulation.

The Seal of God & the Father’s Name
One of the most important and prominent characteristics of the 144,000 is the special seal and name they bear in their foreheads (Revelation 7: 1-4; 14:1). Shortly after this special seal is secured, the great tribulation and seven last plagues blast onto an unrepentant world. Typically in Revelation, when we think of someone being marked or sealed, it conveys a very negative connotation. In reality, all the saved and lost in Revelation bear some form of mark or seal in their foreheads or hands. Ezekiel 9 records a vision where only the saved are marked. The criteria that allow them to receive this saving mark is that they are grieved by sin and long for purity. “And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Ezekiel 9:4). Then, only those who have this mysterious mark are spared the awful plague of slaughter that follows.
So what is this seal found on the foreheads of the 144,000? Principally, it must be the Holy Spirit “in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13). “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). Obviously, whoever has the “good” mark has the Spirit of God. But beyond the Holy Spirit, there is something more distinctive about this unique seal. We also see that the seal of God involves the law of God. As Isaiah 8:16 records, “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” This also should not surprise us, because three times in Revelation, the saved are identified as a people who keep the commandments of God (Revelation 12:17; 14:12; 22:14).
That’s also why Moses urged God’s people to have God’s law in their hands and their foreheads three different times. “And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes (forehead), that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth” (Exodus 13:9; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18).
But this seal or sign with the Father’s name goes even deeper.

It’s About Time
All government seals contain three common elements: the name, title, and territory of the ruler. For example, Daniel 1:1 reads, “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” You have the name, the official title, and his area of dominion. Within the 10 Commandments, only one has all the characteristics of a seal—the fourth. There we read, “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11). Here in the Sabbath commandment, we have God’s name (the Lord or Jehovah), His title or office (the Creator) and His territory (the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them). The Sabbath Commandment is the only one that is repeatedly referred to as a seal or sign of God’s creative, redeeming power. For instance, Exodus 31:16,17 says, “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”
Furthermore, “I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them” (Ezekiel 20:12). “And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20:20). Keep in mind, the Bible never calls it the Sabbath of the Jews. He calls the Sabbath “My Holy Day” (Isaiah 58:13) and “the sabbath of the LORD thy God (Exodus 20:10). We all know that every real love relationship needs a regular investment of quality time. Throughout history, the devil has tried to erode the relationship of God’s people with their Creator by leading them to neglect or ignore His holy Sabbath. Every Sabbath, the 144,000 demonstrate that God has His seal and name in their minds, because they recognize all their time belongs to God. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Keeping the Sabbath demonstrates that they are resting from their own works and are trusting in Jesus.

So Who Are They?
At the time of Jesus’ first coming, He chose 12 men to reach Israel. “These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: ‘Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Matthew 10:5, 6). With the out- pouring of the former rain, the 12 apostles reached thousands during the Pentecost revival. At first they were all Jews. “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). And at the time of Jesus’ second coming, from the outpouring of the latter rain (the Holy Spirit), 12 times 12,000 will reach a great multitude around the world. The great multitude is converted under the influence and preaching of the 144,000!
In Joel 2:28, 29, we read “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
Please keep in mind that the 144,000 are not the only ones that Jesus is using to preach in the last days—just as the 12 apostles were only part of the 120 in the upper room that led out in the Pentecost revival (Acts 1:15). Not only did Jesus send out the 12 to preach in Israel, but another time He sent out a team of 70 to preach (Luke 10:1). The 144,000 are the spiritual leaders in this revival and not the only ones preaching.
For further clarification, lets look at some of the many parallels between the 12 Apostles and the 144,000:

12 Apostles
Literal Jews
Time of first coming
Number is complete and they are sealed with the Spirit (Acts 1-2)
Work with former rain of Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17)
Firstfruits of Jesus first coming (James 1:18)
Thousands of Jews converted (Acts 2:5)
Have Jesus Name (Acts 3:16)
No Guile (John 1:47)
Follow Jesus (John 1:37)
Lead thousands in loudly proclaiming
Jesus King with palms (Mat 21:1-9)
Work before a great persecution in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1)
The 12 Sing a song with Jesus (Mat 26:30)
Rested on the Sabbath (Luke 23:56; Acts 17:2)
Not defiled with leaven of Pharisees (Mark 7:1-15)
Will sit on twelve thrones Judging (Mat 19:28)

144,000 Apostles
Spiritual Israel (Gal 3:29)
Time of second coming (Rev 7)
Number is complete then sealed (Rev 7; Eph 4:30)
Work with latter rain of Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28)
Firstfruits of second coming (Rev 14:4)
Great multitude converted (Rev 7:9)
Have Fathers name (Rev 14:1)
No guile (Rev 14:5)
Follow the Lamb (Rev 14:4)
Lead great multitude in loudly proclaiming Jesus King
with palms (Rev 7:9,10)
Work before a great persecution in the world (Dan 12:1)
The 144,000 sing a song with The Lamb (Rev 14:3)
Have the Sabbath seal of God and Father’s name (Rev 7:1; 14:1)
Not defiled with doctrines of Babylon (Rev 14:4)
Will sit with Jesus on 144,000 thrones
judging (Rev 20:4)

The most important factor is the Bible’s emphasis on the holy condition of this group. It is a reminder to all that Jesus is calling each one of us to be holy. “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Revelation 14:4).
If we would follow the Lamb wherever He goes to heaven, we must first follow Him all the way here now. And then we can sing together the song of Moses and the Lamb.

Conclusion
Just before the Lord poured out the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, something interesting happens in Acts 1. The assembled disciples watch Jesus ascend and listen as the angels promise Jesus’ return (verse 11). Then they pray and put aside their differences in the upper room (verse 13). One of the 12 apostles, Judas, was dead and he needed to be replaced to restore the number 12 (verse 26). Then as soon as the number is complete, the Holy Spirit is poured out. Jesus blessed, trained, and filled with the Spirit 12 people to lead His disciples in reaching the house of Israel for His first coming. He will bless and choose 12 times 12,000 to lead His church in reaching the world for His second coming. Then there will be a great multitude converted as a result of their preaching.

DOUG BATCHELOR