Dear Gino,

Thank you for this question, I've pondered it as well, but haven't come to any satisfying conclusion.

I think there's at least two possible explanations, one would be that the vision in Rev. 14:1 is actually a glimpse to the end of the Tribulation or Daniel's 70th Week as I like to call it. Rev. 14:8 it says that "Babylon is fallen" which takes place later on at the seventh bowl of  judgement at Rev. 16:9. Rev. 14:4 can also be a reference to the Second Coming of Christ described thoroughly in Rev. 19. I think there's no doubt that the 144 000 in Rev. 14 wouldn't be the same 144 000 then in Rev. 7 since they are both marked with the seal of God on their foreheads, as you said. So, the 144 000 and Christ the Lamb would be standing on Mount Zion at His Second Coming on Earth.

On the other hand, if the scene takes place in Heaven, then this would mean that the 144 000 are Raptured at some point of the End Times as you suggest, but when? The possibility is that the 144 000 Israelites are actually one of the Two Witnesses, them being "the two olive trees and the two candlesticks" (Rev. 11:4) so possibly the "the good olive tree" of Israel (Rom. 11:24) and the candlestick (Rev. 1:20) of an End Times Church of Israelites.

If the 144 000 are one of the Two Witnesses (the other being non-Israelites End Time believers) this would mean that they are martyred, resurrected and Raptured to Heaven before the judgement of the Earth. This is on the other hand reasonable, because of course they shouldn't be under they're own Lord's Wrath, but being martyred doesn't fit their "profile" in my opinion.

So, I'm not sure which explanation is more rightful, and there are also other things to consider such as Zechariah saying that Jesus would stand on Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4), not on Mount Zion, but of course Zion is generally referred to as the City of David ie. Jerusalem.

Yours in Christ,

E.L.