Following Seal 6, Chapter 7 begins with four angels about to release the "four winds of the earth", to cause destruction of natural things upon the earth.

• "Four" angels is the number associated with affairs on the earth.

• "Earth, sea, and tree" speaks of things that do not have spiritual life.

• "Another angel ascending from the east" indicates that God is in charge of both the timing and of all that is about to happen.

• "Four winds of the earth" reminds us of a statement in Ezekiel to the effect that the Spirit of God will emanate from the "four winds" to give spiritual life to Israel in the End Times.

However, before the destruction can begin, "144,000 of the children of Israel" must be sealed to protect them from the "destruction" to follow.

The act of sealing these "144,000 servants of God on their foreheads" at this time implies that they are already saved, but that special protection is required for their minds.

Like most of the other passages in Revelation, the text dealing with the "144,000" has been fraught with much controversy among Bible scholars. The primary issue concerns their identity, the dispute falling into two main schools of thought. One view reads the texts to mean biological Jews, i.e. descendants of Abraham through the biological line of Jacob, while the other view understands them to denote spiritual Jews, i.e. Church Age believers who are spiritual descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3.6-9). Using this issue as a starting point, let's see if we can deduce their identity:

1. The "144,000" could be Church Age believers.

   The assertion that these "144,000" could be "Jews" in a spiritual sense rests solidly on New Testament scripture. For example, the Apostle Paul confirmed the truth of such a connection in the following ways. 

   (Romans 11.13-24) 13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,  14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.  15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?  16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.  17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,  18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.  19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."  20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.  21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.  22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.  23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.  24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?  (I Corinthians 5:6-8) 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  NKJV

   Notice that Paul's first metaphor clearly conveys the the idea that Gentiles who have trusted in Jesus Christ have been grafted into the "good olive tree", thereby becoming a part "of Israel".  That second metaphor in Corinthians likens members of the Body of Christ to the "unleavened bread" used during Passover, again establishing their connection with "Israel". Therefore, these statements identify Church Age believers with the saved remnant of Israel in a very real sense. Still, we are cautioned not to view Church Age believers as having totally replaced Israel, for that would leave no place for a revived Israel in their Promised Land during the Millennium.

2. The time of their "sealing" requires the "144,000" to be Church Age believers.
   
   The very fact that these "144,000" first appear and are sealed immediately after the advent of Apocalyptic Times must mean that they were living on earth prior to that time, i.e. during the Times of the Gentiles. Furthermore, we are attentive to the fact that Apocalyptic Times should have begun in 1988 with the advent of Daniel's 70th Week, yet the body of Church Age believers remain on earth to the present year. Since these are presently the only ones who have been born-from-above, thereby providing assurance of their redemption, and enabling promises for their protection from influences that could harm their relationship with their Lord, the "144,000" must be of their number.
   
   

3. The sealing of the "144,000" recalls the text of Psalm 87/1987, pertaining to Church Age believers.
   
   The study of the Psalter in Seal 5 detected that Psalm 87/1987 should have depicted the final year of the Times of the Gentiles just before the start of Apocalyptic Times. It was Psalm 87 that described the time when those of Zion would be counted and registered. Now we discover here that just before the beginning of a series of Trumpet judgements against the "earth, sea, and trees", "144,000" are sealed to protect them from what is to come. Such a conjunction of actions seems to imply that some of those previously counted and registered were of the Lord's "sheep", who are now being sealed to protect them from spiritual attacks during Daniel's 70th Week.
   
   

4. The specific Tribes associated with the "144,000" preclude their being of Millennial Israel.
   
   A simple comparison between the 12 Apocalyptic Tribes listed in (Revelation 7.5-8) with the 12 Millennial Tribes listed in (Ezekiel 48) will reveal that the Revelation Tribes cannot be equated with the Millennial Tribes. Compare the Tribes of Israel listed in the following chart pertinent to (a) the 12 sons of Jacob, (b) the Old Testament Tribes that entered the Land at the time of Joshua, (c) the Millennial Tribes listed in (Ezekiel 48), and (d) the "144,000" of the Tribes in (Revelation 7).

It would seem that something as simple as naming of the 12 Tribes of Israel should not be in conflict when comparing them in different places in the Bible, however notice that only the two lists in the center of the chart are the same. That is, only the 12 Tribes who occupied the Land during Old Testament times are identical with the 12 Tribes who will occupy it during the Millennium.

A brief review of the original formation of those Tribes shows why both of these lists are different from the 12 sons of Jacob.

1. Although Levi was one of the 12 sons, he became the progenitor of the priestly tribe who officiated in the Temple. They received no allocation of the Land as such, for their portion was to be God Himself (Numbers 18.20). They were to reside in 48 cities set apart for them within the regions allocated to the remaining Tribes.
   

2. Joseph, another one of the 12 sons, is not mentioned among the 12 Tribes who occupied the Land, because he alone received the special blessing of a double portion of that inheritance. That double portion was awarded through his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who of course were grandsons of Jacob.
   

3. With respect to the 12 Tribes listed in Revelation, it is clear that they cannot be referring to Millennial Israel, because the Revelation list includes Levi who is to be allocated no Land during the Millennium, but does not include Dan and Ephraim who will.
   
   If the "144,000" can be identified with born-from-above Church Age believers, the omissions of Dan and Ephraim could be explained on the grounds that both of those Tribes were guilty of excessive acts of idolatry after they entered the Promised Land of their inheritance. That earlier study of the Seraphim of Isaiah, and "Living Creatures" of Revelation showed that Dan's hallmark was one of lawlessness, while Ephraim's was one of dissension and strife. Therefore, these "144,000" believers are not to be numbered from those guilty of idolatry, lawlessness, or strife, all of which are acts of direct  disobedience against God.

5. The "144,000" are sealed like the believers of John's Epistles, known to be Christians.

   It seems more than coincidental that the only other group of believers awarded such a special anointing are certain Christians identified in John's Epistles, who must be protected from the deceptions of antichrist(s). 

Since John continues to write to the "children of God" just as he did in his former Gospel, it is certain that this anointing has to refer to Christians, whether they are living among the gnostics in the first century or some other group of deceivers during the End Times. The fact that only the 144,000 are given special protection during the initial phases of Apocalyptic Times, and the fact that such special protection is afforded only to Church Age believers, provides strong circumstantial evidence that the 144,000 must be Church Age believers.

6. The "144,000" have the same attributes as the Body of Christ portrayed in the Church Epistles.

   It is fortunate that the attributes of these 144,000 are detailed in (Revelation 14) at the time of their final redemption, so that they may be compared with the attributes of the Body of Christ.

7. The "144,000" are uniquely associated with the New Jerusalem.

Of all the connections between the 144,000 and the Body of Christ, this one is perhaps the most demonstrative.

The numerical value of these "144,000" has been a matter of consternation among Bible scholars. Here are the remarks from one of many commentaries who see the "144,000" as somehow representative of the Church.

You see that these particular scholars do strive to relate the "144,000" to the Church, yet seem to struggle with the proper numerical requirements to make the connection. Although their manipulations do seem almost contrived, it is nevertheless correct that the Church's association with the New Jerusalem is well founded in scripture.

Paul's allusion to the Heavenly Jerusalem in Galatians is reinforced by the angel's assertion in (Revelation 21.2, 9) that the New Jerusalem is actually the Bride of Christ. Therefore, we are prompted to consider this "edifice", not as a literal city with physical streets, buildings, gates, walls, and the like, but rather as a particular group of God's people who have attributes symbolized by its description.

In particular, the dimensions of the city must also be contemplated in symbolic terms. This can be done with the following depiction of the New Jerusalem as defined in (Revelation 21.16). The specific units, e.g. stadia, furlongs, miles, etc. of the city's dimensions have been intentionally omitted so that its shape and the numerical value of its dimensions may become the subject of focus. Consider the following two facts about its geometry.

1. The New Jerusalem is a cube.
   
   We would certainly be hard pressed to  accept such a strange description of the New Jerusalem in other than a symbolic sense, for here is a "city" with the name of the "Bride of Christ", having the dimensions of a perfect cube. What can possibly be the meaning of this puzzling description?
   
   Actually, the meaning of this symbolism can be easily understood from two references.

1. The Holy of Holies in the Old Testament Tabernacle was a perfect cube, as observed by the following Bible commentator.

2. The Body/Bride of Christ is also referred to as the "Holy of Holies".

Paul refers to that mystic Body/Bride of Christ as the "temple" on numerous occasions, e.g. (I Corinthians 3.16-17, 6.19; II Corinthians 6.16; Ephesians 2.21; II Thessalonians 2.4). On all of those occasions, without exception, the Greek word used is "naos" (3485), which refers only to the Holy of Holies, that cubical innermost room within the Temple to which Sidlow Baxter referred. This very special association between the Body/Bride of Christ, and the "naos" is never used anywhere else in the Bible in connection with a group of people.

The combination of these two facts permits a definite, though rather surprising, conclusion. The New Jerusalem symbolically pictured in (Revelation 21), is not a general portrayal of all believers in Heaven, but refers only to the Body/Bride of Christ. Therefore, all believers identified with that "city" must necessarily be members of the Body/Bride of Christ.

2. The "144,000" define the "city limits" of the New Jerusalem.

   Based on the above evidence, it is now possible to make an absolute connection between the "144,000" and the Body/Bride Christ, for that number clearly defines the perimeter of the New Jerusalem. Furthermore, the symbolism continues to be scrupulously correct, for these 144,000 of the Body/Bride of Christ constitute the "city limits" of the New Jerusalem. That is, the 144,000 of the Body/Bride of Christ are the very last ones to be included within its population, living in the post-Church Age Apocalyptic Times, shortly before their Rapture.

In addition to the "144,000" who are sealed immediately after the opening of Seal 6 and advent of Daniel's 70th Week, there is also a "Numberless Multitude" seen standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb.

Clearly, here is yet another group of people at the advent of Apocalyptic Times who are not a part of the Seven Churches or the 144,000, yet they stand redeemed before the throne of God, and given eternal life.

• There is a large number of them.
  
  

• They are from among all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues.
  
  Like the "24 elders", these cannot be numbered with Israel, because the line of Jacob is one nation and people. Moreover, they cannot be members of the Church during the Times of the Gentiles, because the Church is also "of Israel", and have already been accounted for in the Seven Churches. Finally, they are obviously not of the "144,000" of the Body of Christ, , because they are countable, and are likewise "of Israel".
  
  

• They stand saved at the advent of Apocalyptic Times.
  
  They are seen at the advent of Apocalyptic Times, appearing in the same time frame as the "144,000", so they could not have been saved through the period of the 70th Week but must be Gentiles saved prior to Apocalyptic Times.
  
  

• When John asked who they were, the Elder was unable to identify them initially. However when John was likewise unable to identify them, the Elder was then able to do so.
  
  The verbal interplay between John and the Elder is very instructive. It has already been established that the 24 Elders should depict those Old Testament Gentiles who were saved prior to the arrival of the New Testament Age of Grace. The fact that the Elder could not initially identify the Numberless Multitude implies that they were not Gentiles who lived during his time. Furthermore, neither could he identify them for any subsequent time period until John, who was of the New Testament Church,  first established that they were not Church Age believers. Then the Elder was able to deduce that they must be Gentiles, like himself, but saved during New Testament times. 
  
  

• They have come out of "the great tribulation".
  
  If "the great tribulation" from which they have come refers to The Great Tribulation mentioned in the Olivet Discourse and identified earlier as World War II, they must have lived during The Times of the Gentiles. 
  
  

• The scene has the character of a post-Millennial one.

1. The "Numberless Multitude" are portrayed as persons, not disembodied spirits. 

2. The Elder's explanation of their final reward is followed by a description that appears to be post-Millennial, for he speaks of how they will serve God day and night (Revelation 21.22-26), how there will be no more tribulation for them (Revelation 21.1-4), and how the Lord will lead them to fountains of living waters (Revelation 21.6, 22.1-2). 

These depictions cannot be reconciled with the period of the Millennial Kingdom, when tribulation and death will still occur, but can be reconciled with a post-Millennial new heaven/earth.

We seem to be forced into a conclusion that the Numberless Multitude were saved during the New Testament Age of Grace, during the very same time frame when the Gospel of Jesus Christ was being proclaimed throughout the world! 

Such a conclusion at first may seem so extreme that it must be challenged. Is it possible to defend a view that suggests there will be a very large number of Gentiles who will inherit eternal life in the new heaven/earth, even though they were never recipients of God's beneficence according to His Covenant of Grace? Can such a conclusion be defended? 

This issue was addressed previously in a Web Forum topic titled, "What about people ignorant of the Gospel?". Although it was possible at that time to treat the subject only in the abstract with respect to the possibility of such New Testament Gentiles, it would now appear that the Numberless Multitude may constitute such a group. The reader will be left to decide whether or not they fit the paradigm presented in the above Web Forum topic.