[Darris McNeely] Of all the parts of the Book of Revelation, there's two passages that really create a lot of questions. They deal with the topic of a group of people called the 144,000. They are found in two places: Revelation 7 and Revelation 14. Let's read what it says in Revelation 7 about this. It occurs between times of the heavenly signs and the Great Tribulation that begins to unfold with the trumpet plagues of God that are cast upon the earth.

In verse 1, John writes, "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. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, and having the seal of the Living God. And crying with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and sea, do not harm the earth and sea till we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads."

Point number 1. There is a sealing that takes place and what this means is a setting apart. The scriptures just show us that this is what God grants a spirit and sets people apart or protects them at various times from other times of tragedy as in the Book of Ezekiel 9. Or even sealing people and sanctifying them into the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit. But here's a sealing of what is described as 144,000 people and it begins with verse 5 through verse 8. And what we find that there are 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel it says that are sealed, 12 tribes, 12,000 from each, that's 144,000.

Now, what are we being told?

Well, we're told they're being sealed. We're being told there's 144,000. They are being set apart at a particular point, a critical moment, in the history of the tribulation and this world-climaxing event that is unfolding upon the earth, where God sets apart a group of people, sealing them, protecting them, keeping them in some way and on this grouping He puts the name of Israel.

Now, all the students of the Bible understand that Israel was the nation that descended from the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 sons of Jacob, and with that group God had a very special covenant relationship. And here at this moment in time, God puts His name and the name of Israel upon this group. Why is that? Because of that relationship that He has always had with Israel, that covenant relationship that seems to carry on into this period of time, and frankly, even beyond, because we see them later on in the Book of Revelation referenced again in regard to the heavenly Jerusalem that comes down. And so 144,000 are set apart. Now, there is one other place that they are mentioned, Chapter 14. We will talk about that next time and try to draw some conclusions about what we can find and understand about the 144,000.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.