Rick Hedrick (11 Mar 2008)
"The 144,000, and a note to Marilyn Agee"
I am reiterating what I said in a previous letter about the 144,000 not being the Bride or any part of Her.
Rev. 7:3 says that an angel having the seal of God is telling 4 other angels to not do their work of destruction until the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads. And the angel commences to seal the 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each tribe. They had already experienced the the first six seals. Notice that Chapter 7 starts with "After these things...." That means that the 144,000 were sealed after the first 6 Seals of the previous Chapter were opened and were accomplishing their purpose.
Why are the 144,000 sealed by God? They are not raptured during the Tribulation period. They are sealed by God so that they are able to survive the Tribulation events, remaining alive, and enter the Millenial Kingdom. I believe these will be the only Jews that survive the Tribulation and enter the Kingdom.
The vision in Rev. 14:1-5 of the 144,000 is the same 144,000 Jews that were sealed in Rev. 7:2-8. And they are not in Heaven in this vision. Rev. 14:1 says that they are standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb. Mount Zion is not Heaven. It is the Promised Land here on Earth, the land promised to the descendants of Abraham. That is why modern day Jews who want to defend their land and not give any of it to the Palestinians are called "Zionists."Rev. 14:1 shows them with their Messiah standing in the Promised Land....Mount Zion. And the name of the Father is written on their foreheads, which was how they were originally sealed in Rev. 7:2-8.In the previous chapter (13) it talks about the second beast causing all to recieve "the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name" on their hand or forehead. This seals their fate. It is Satan's seal of doom meant to copy God's seal of redemption. Then in Chapter 14 John says he saw the 144,000 Jews with God's name on their forehead. First, God sealed His 144,000 Jews, then Satan begins to seal those who give their allegiance to the beast.Rev. 14:3,4 says that the 144,000 are redeemed, NOT resurrected or raptured. They were chosen (redeemed) and sealed by God. And as I said earlier, they are seen standing on Mount Zion, the Promised Land here on earth, with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1). And notice in verse 2, after seeing the 144,000 with the Lamb on Mount Zion, John says he heard a voice from Heaven. He heard it from Heaven. That means that the previous part of the vision of the 144,000 with the Lamb on Mount Zion was here on Earth. John saw the vision in 14:1 here on Earth, and then he heard a voice from Heaven, and saw another part of the vision taking place up there. And before you say that the word "they" in 14:3 is referring to the 144,000, and that it says "they" sang a new song before the Throne, which proves "they" are in Heaven, please notice that verse 2 says who "they" really are. Taken in context, the ones singing a new song in verse 3 are the harpists of verse 2. The 144,000 aren't the ones singing in Heaven. They are here on Earth learning the new song, as verse 3 continues to say.-------------------------------------------------From: Marilyn AgeeTo: Rick HedrickRe: "The 144,000, and a note to Marilyn Agee"Hi:> > Chapter 7 starts with "After these things...." That means that the 144,000 were sealed after the first 6 Seals of the previous Chapter were opened and were accomplishing their purpose.You're right, the setting is after the Day of God's Wrath has begun. Rev 6:15-17 says, "the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from THE WRATH OF THE LAMB: FOR THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME; and who shall be able to stand?" Probably, no one. the earthquake that is coming is worldwide. Every wall will fall (Eze. 38:18-20). The cities of the nations will be in shambles (Rev. 16:18,19). They are looking up in the sky at the Sign of the Son of Man.It is also the day of the Pre-Wrath Rapture. Christ will not leave one believer on Earth to go through the terrible things that are about to happen to Earth. Two asteroids will hit Earth. The fiery mountain of Rev. 8:8 will impact the Mediterranean Sea. The aster of Rev. 8:10,11 is Satan's asteroid called Wormwood. It will destroy rebuilt Babylon, the costliest city the world has ever seen.Quickly, the 144,000 Israelites must be sealed. Then the 144,000, plus a great multitude from all nations that can't be counted (Rev. 7:9) will be caught up to Heaven, where Christ and his literal throne are located.Rev. 7:14-16 says, "These are they which CAME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (confessed their sins, I John 1:9). Therefore are they before the throne of God (which is in Heaven), and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. THEY SHALL HUNGER NO MORE, NEITHER THIRST ANY MORE; NEITHER SHALL THE SUN LIGHT ON THEM, NOR ANY HEAT."> > Why are the 144,000 sealed by God? They are not raptured during the Tribulation period. They are sealed by God so that they are able to survive the Tribulation events, remaining alive, and enter the Millenial Kingdom. I believe these will be the only Jews that survive the Tribulation and enter the Kingdom.They are raptured. The sealing is at the end, just before they are caught up to Jesus' throne in Heaven. After the Last-trump Rapture, the Sun won't shine on them, because the cloud cover on Saturn is too thick. They won't hunger any more, because they will be in their resurrection bodies.All saints will be standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ in Heaven while the asteroids hit Earth.Rev. 11:15-19 says, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices IN HEAVEN, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and ART TO COME (the Second Advent is 7 months future); because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast REIGNED. And the nations were angry, and THY WRATH IS COME, and the time of the dead, that they should be JUDGED (at the Judgment Seat of Christ in Heaven), and that thou shouldest GIVE REWARD UNTO THY SERVANTS THE PROPHETS, AND TO THE SAINTS, AND THEM THAT FEAR THY NAME, SMALL AND GREAT; AND SHOULDEST DESTROY THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH. And the temple of God was opened IN HEAVEN, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament (now, the two rocks are dumped on Earth, because the commandments were not kept): and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an EARTHQUAKE, and great hail."
> > The vision in Rev. 14:1-5 of the 144,000 is the same 144,000 Jews that were sealed in Rev. 7:2-8. And they are not in Heaven in this vision.They're in Heaven, because they are before Christ's throne. The Second Advent is 7 months after the Day of God's Wrath, which is on Tishri 1, the Feast of Trumpets (probably Tishri 1, 5776, Sept. 14, 2015).Eze. 39:12,13 says, "SEVEN MONTHS (Tishri, Cheshvan, Kislev, Teveth, Shevat, Adar and Adar II, because it, probably 5776 [2015], is a leap year) shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD." The Lord will be glorified at the Second Advent. The Wrath of God will take place on Tishri 1, and the Second Advent will be on the following Nisan 1, the first day of the regnal and sacred year, regnal because Jesus is King of kings, sacred because he is Lord of lords.Only the 144,000 Israelites can sing the NEW SONG that the Bride sings after the Pre-Trib Rapture in Rev. 5:9.Rev. 14:3-5 says, "they sung as it were a NEW SONG before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders (seated on their thrones in Heaven in Rev. 4:4): and NO MAN COULD LEARN THAT SONG BUT THE HUNDRED AND FORTY AND FOUR THOUSAND, WHICH WERE REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH (i.e., they are in Heaven). These are they which were not defiled with women; for THEY ARE VIRGINS (i.e., they are added to the Bride group, and no other Tribulation saint can be added to the Bride group). 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" (which is still in Heaven).> > Rev. 14:3,4 says that the 144,000 are redeemed, NOT resurrected or raptured.Since they are part of the Tribulation saints in Rev. 7:14 and 14:3-5, they are in Heaven. They are redeemed and raptured.> > The 144,000 aren't the ones singing in Heaven. They are here on Earth learning the new song, as verse 3 continues to say.Mark 13:27 says of the Day of God's Wrath, which is also the Day of the Lord, "And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."Those that were taken to Heaven in the Pre-Trib Rapture are gathered from one end of Heaven to the other to the general assembly where Christ is to be crowned, after which he will sit as judge at the Judgment Seat of Christ. At the same time, the Tribulation saints are gathered from Earth in the Pre-Wrath Rapture.There is a heavenly Sion and a heavenly Jerusalem. Heb. 12:22-25 describes Tishri 1 in Heaven when it is the Day of God's Wrath on Earth. It says, "But ye are come unto MOUNT SION, AND UNTO THE CITY OF THE LIVING GOD, THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the GENERAL ASSEMBLY (or festal assembly) and church of the firstborn, which are written IN HEAVEN, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from HIM THAT SPEAKETH FROM HEAVEN".No one on Earth will be learning the new song on the Day of God's Wrath. Rev 14:1 says, "I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion (the heavenly one), and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads."Rom. 11:26 says, "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of
Sion (the heavenly one) the Deliverer (Jesus, 7 months after the Day of God's Wrath), and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."Psa 149:1-9 says, "Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a NEW SONG, and his praise in the congregation of saints (i.e., in Heaven on the Feast of Trumpets, which is the Day of the Pre-Wrath Rapture and God's Wrath on Earth). Let Israel (the 144,000) rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory (i.e., in Heaven): let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD."