There's a lot of misconception with things relating to the Tribulation. Until recently, descriptions in the Bible referencing that time period were difficult to understand. How could nations view the dead bodies of two men on the streets in Jerusalem before the advent of satellite TV? The truth is that we are just now catching up to some things mentioned in the Bible.
One of those misunderstood things is the 144,000 mentioned in the book of Revelation. If you've ever run into a Jehovah's Witness, they more than likely told you that they were one of that number, even though there have been more than 144 thousand JW's!
So, what does the Bible say about them?
Revelation 7:4- And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
The Bible says that God has 144,000 people that He seals. They are 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel.
Revelation 14:1-5- And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
God defines these as male (not defiled with women) virgins.
These Jewish male virgins show up at the beginning of the Tribulation. They will be converted like Paul was on the road to Damascus- called by God personally to preach His Word to the people left behind.
Revelation 12:1-2- And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Many people say that this is Mary giving birth to Jesus. That's not correct. If you look back in Genesis when Joseph is having his dream, the interpretation was the sun is their dad, the moon is their mom, and the twelve stars were his brothers. So, this women in Revelation is national Israel.
Revelation 12:5-6- And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
This man child is the 144,000 Jewish male virgins. They are raptured up to heaven in the mid-tribulation rapture (caught up to God and to his throne) and the nation of Israel enters the Great Tribulation where Moses and Elijah show up to preach the last three and a half years.
The Bible is an amazing book where God has some mysteries hidden for those who will search. He will sometimes put both the first and second advent into one verse, and those who study can learn to rightly divide and find the secrets that God has for those who will endure the time and effort that it requires.
Micha 5:2-3- But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
This verse is a perfect example of this concept. The first verse (2) is Christ which the Bible tells us in Matthew 2:6. The second verse, however, is the 144,000. The woman travailing in labor is almost always a reference to the Jews in the tribulation, as is the mention of a remnant.
Jeremiah 30:6-7- Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
National Israel travails in the Tribulation and the 144,000 are born from the nation. As God pours out his wrath on the world, there will be those who will spread His Word to those who are still here. God will take those men from the world during the worst part of the Tribulation- the reign of Satan as the Antichrist, the man of perdition.
Isaiah 26:16-21- LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
But God won't leave those left without a witness. When the mid-tribulation takes those who have oil in their lamps; He sends Moses and Elijah to preach to those left behind.
