“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 Israel.” Revelation 7:4  

The word sealed means to stamp with a signet or private mark (for security or preservation), referring to a spiritual security or preservation.

“And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”  Genesis 32:30 

It is our spiritual life that is preserved, through which we enter an invisible wall of protection, the measure of which is 144.

“And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.” Revelation 21:17 

How does man reach this spiritual measure of 144?   By obeying Jesus’ instruction pertaining to the twelve tribes of Israel:

 “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  Matthew 19:28 

The word regeneration means anew; the process of forming again, referring to the forming of a new creation from within, “a new heaven and a new earth,”symbolizing a new mind and a new heart, through which “the first heaven and the first earth” (formed in a darkness we mistook for light; through lies we mistook for truth) passes away.

 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” Revelation 21:1

The twelve tribes of Israel are neither lost nor extinct, but existing within in the form of positive and negative aspects.  We are to judge the negative aspects of the tribes, which is to overcome them. The number twelve represents judgment, as we see in our own judicial system.  Judging the 12 tribes of Israel formulates to 12 x 12, which equals 144, “the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.” 

 An angel is a messenger. Those that hear (through obedience) the message of the angel of the first 6 churches in the book of Revelation reach the spiritual measure of 144.   As God’s physical creation was formed through 6 days of works (not to be taken literally), our new spiritual creation is formed through 6 (metaphorical) days of (spiritual) works.  A day is 24 hours, 6 days formulating to 6 x 24, which equals 144.  These spiritual works are the works of the spiritual judgment that is to take place within us— the act of overcoming all of our false religious and personal beliefs.

Those that reach the spiritual measure of 144 by executing God’s spiritual judgment upon themselves, enter the 1,000-year reign of Christ: 144 + 1,000 = 144,000.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them…  and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years…”  Revelation 20:7 

The reign of Christ begins within the individual when what constitutes christ (love and truth) rules their mind and heart.  These make up the 144,000 mentioned in chapter seven of the book of Revelation.  Notice that the tribe of Dan is not listed among the tribes.  That is because the word Dan means judge, and the 144,000 have already judged themselves.

Written by Sandra L. Butler © 2008