Good morning Donna, 
 
 I have long believed that the THE STARTLING IDENTITY OF THE 144,000 OF REVELATION can be found in Ezekiel 37: 

Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will                                               open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
 
  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you                              up out of your graves,
 
  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then                                                  shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.  (Ezek 37:12-14) 

From these passages it is clear that the Lord will RESURRECT Israelites (12,000 from each tribe?) and bring

them into the Land of Israel.  This event includes the 144,000.

 

And yes, in all likelihood this resurrection preceeds the rapture.. and is a similar event to the many saints" of Matthew 27:52-53 who came up out of the gound when Jesus was raised up.

 

They come up out of the Earth and we go up from the Earth.

 

Hallelu-YAH,

 

Alan Trombetta