Who Are The 144,000 Witnesses of Revelation?
By Helena Lehman

When it comes to deciphering who the 12 X 12,000 Israelites who become the 144,000 Witnesses are, there is not much in the way of detailed studies that would clarify their origin and ministry. As a result, we have to determine the truth about the 144,000 by actually reading and analyzing the Scriptures concerning them in Revelation Chapter 7 and 14, doing word studies of some of the Greek words that refer to the 144,000 who are chosen out of Israel, and praying to God for guidance from His Holy Spirit to help us understand His Word in the Bible.

Upon doing this, most note that Revelation 7:4 clearly indicates that the 144,000 are taken from the Twelve Tribes of Israel. However, this does not mean that the 144,000 are strictly modern Jews. Indeed, there are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel to consider. These Ten Tribes are spiritual Israelites adopted into the Kingdom of God through acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross for their sins. In addition, they can allegorically be associated with several Middle-Eastern, European and British nations that absorbed three waves of fleeing Israelites and Jews. These waves occurred successively after the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah fell, and later when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The remaining Two Tribes represent the majority of ethnic Jews today, who are purportedly descended mostly from the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin (or Levi, depending on which source you go to).

Revelation 14:4 also tells us that the 144,000 are Firstfruits and virgins who have not “defiled” themselves with women. Now, the term “Firstfruits” is referring to the First Resurrection, which started when Yahshua rose from the dead, bringing many righteous saints from their tombs along with Him (Mat. 27:52). This Firstfruits action of resurrection into immortal life occurs again in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, possibly again in the middle of the Tribulation, and still again at the end of the seven-year Tribulation period. In contrast, the Second Resurrection occurs only once. This is at the end of the world - just before the New Heaven and Earth are created (Rev. 20:5, 11-12).

As Firstfruits, the 144,000 are part of the Firstfruits of the Resurrection, meaning that they are immortal saints that have been chosen at the Rapture that occurs before the last dreadful half of the Great Tribulation. Also interesting to note here is the fact that neither Revelation Chapter 7 nor 14 calls these set-apart saints “witnesses,” so that term for them originated out of association. Indeed, since these saints follow and serve only Yahshua the Lamb and His Father, they are very godly and Spirit-filled. From this, we can infer that they are also great witnesses of God’s righteousness, and that they truly reflect God’s character to a lost and dying world.

In addition to these things, Scripture tells us that the 144.000 are “sealed” (Rev. 7:4). Later in Revelation, we are told that this seal is on the forehead, and is called the Seal of God (Rev. 9:4). This is reminiscent of the “tau” or cross-shaped mark that an unknown Scribe allegorically put on redeemed Jews’ foreheads just before Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 9:2-4,11). By the way, this Scribe mentioned by Ezekiel may actually be Enoch, who is called the Scribe of Righteousness in the Book of 1 Enoch (1 Enoch 12:4, 15:2).

Rather than receiving a visible mark, these 144,000 saints may simply be marked by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within them, which serves as an indelible and invisible seal on their foreheads. In fact, the seal of the Holy Spirit guarantees the salvation of all who are truly redeemed in Christ (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). Before Christ, this invisible seal of the Spirit was still given to devout Israelites just as Ezekiel attested to, but they had to earn the right to receive it. In other words, they could not simply repent, believe and then be covered in the blood of Christ to sanctify themselves as humble Christians and Messianics mercifully may do today.

Next, we have to determine what the writer means by “virgin” and “women.” Rather than meaning that the 144,000 are all men who never slept with a woman, could the writer be suggesting that these saints were never loyal to any particular church, synagogue, and/or political party? For example, the “Woman clothed with the Sun” in Revelation 12:1 represents the righteous Jewish/Israelite bloodline that Yahshua was descended from. As an extension of that righteous bloodline, Yahshua made us into His Church and His Body by His shed innocent blood.

Meanwhile, the “Woman sitting on a Scarlet Beast” represents the apostate church of the Tribulation that is “married to” or in league with corrupt bankers and dishonest politicians (Rev. 17:3). This religious, political and economic group promotes the idea that all paths lead to God or that man is a god, denies the reality of sin, and does not see a need for repentance. Therefore, in referring to the “virgins not defiled by women,” Revelation 14:1 could be referring to saints that are not political or religious activists. In fact, this description suggests that the 144,000 are godly saints who live quiet and pious lives apart from worldly activities and riches.

If they are truly set-apart, saints who love God give themselves exclusively to Him. As a result, they no longer serve the world or any institutions that are of the world. In other words, these saints live more like hermits who are detached from the world rather than being active in church or politics, and they are definitely not social butterflies. In fact, they serve exclusively as God’s witnesses to their immediate families, friends, and acquaintances, and perhaps only reach the rest of the world through their own writings or books about their understanding of God and His desire for mankind.

When translated correctly (as in the NIV Bible instead of the KJV or NKJ), Revelation 14:1 says that the 144,000 have Christ’s name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads (instead of just the Father’s name as in other translations). This means that these saints have Yahweh’s and Yahshua’s True Names always in their hearts and minds, and have put themselves into subjection to both God the Father and God the Son, and follow their righteous Laws. This means that the 144,000 cannot be unsaved but genetically pure Jews, but must be either Spirit-filled Messianic Jews or devout Christians who keep the Jewish Feasts and are adopted into Israel by their active faith in and relationship with God and His Son.

As for the purpose of the 144,000 on Earth during the Great Tribulation, it is never actually stated in Scripture, so there is an undeniable air of mystery concerning them. Nonetheless, it seems logical to assume that - due to their being chosen at the beginning of the Tribulation period - these saints are meant to serve God by leading others to Christ during the Great Tribulation. As an example of this, we need look no further than the Two Witnesses, who are called to witness for God by preaching the Gospel, performing terrifying supernatural miracles, and then by being resurrected from the dead and ascending into heaven as the whole world watches (Rev. 11:3-12).

As a final note, one thing that few seem to have noted about the 144,000 is that they appear with Christ on Mount Zion in Revelation, Chapter 14, and Zion may be a name for the Great Pyramid, which represents a star in the constellation Orion’s belt stars, and may signify an invisible location in the Third Heaven where God dwells. In fact, Revelation 14:3 says that these 144,000 saints are taken up to Heaven before the end of the Great Tribulation so that they may sing a special worship song that only they can learn to sing. They do this before God’s magnificent throne that is surrounded by the four Cherubim or Living Creatures and the Twenty-four Elders representing twelve godly Patriarchs and the Twelve Apostles.

Could God’s throne be located in another dimension in the location of Orion? It is possible, since scientists have long speculated that the center of the Universe may be near to the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus, and Orion is a decan of Taurus. At this point, however, only one thing is certain: the 144,000 Witnesses are very special believers in God’s Kingdom, and they are given a unique position and a great purpose during the Great Tribulation that only Yahweh God understands fully at this time.

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Bible Scholar Helena Lehman is the author or four books, including The Language of God in Prophecy, part of a four book series that emphasizes understanding the allegorical language of God to understand both our past spiritual and temporal history and current events. Utilizing prophetic language found in the Bible, the Psalms, the Book of 1 Enoch, the Great Pyramid, and Sacred Astronomy, Helena Lehman expertly shows that we are definitely living in the End Times. The world we know is about to change in terrifying ways, and unless you know who and what to put your allegiance in, your chances of survival are slim. The Language of God” Book Series is a road map for your survival. Get the entire series today by visiting the Pillar of Enoch Ministry Bookstore.

The Power and Purpose of Prayer
By Helena Lehman
http://pillar-of-enoch.com

For those of you who aren't sure what believers are called to pray for, or want to be sure God hears our prayers, I created this summary of the many reasons why, when, and how we are called to pray. Here is a short list of causes taken directly from Scripture:

1. Here, Christ asks us to worship and praise God the Father without being repetitive and not by reciting meaningless memorized prayers (a warning not to simply say the rosary, or repeat the same prayer incessantly). Rather, we should pray to the Father in a conversational but reverent way for the Kingdom of God in Christ to be established on Earth, to ask for God to protect us and provide for us, to ask God to forgive us and keep us from sinning, and to ask God to help us forgive those who sin against us - while always remembering to praise our heavenly Father, His Son, and God’s Spirit for all their blessings:

"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." - Matthew 6:7-13 (NKJ)

2. Here, we are shown that we should to pray for deliverance of our brethren who are in prison or being persecuted:

"Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints." - Romans 15:30-31 (NKJ)

3. Here, we are called to give thanks to God for those who strive with us in the faith:

"Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." - Ephesians 1:15-17 (NKJ)

4. Here, we are shown how to labor for others by beseeching God with zeal to help us and our brethren to do God's Will and act righteously:

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis." - Colossians 4:12-13 (NKJ)

5. Here, we are shown that we should thank God in prayer, and ask Him to guide us and our political and religious leaders to live godly, peaceful, and reverent lives even as we pray for all people to find spiritual truth in Christ:

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJ)

6. Here, we are shown that we need faith to ask God for healing, believing that He will heal us, and that we can confess our sins to God and one another in prayer. Finally, we are told that we can pray for miraculous changes in the weather in order to do God's Will:

"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit." - James 5:14-18 (NKJ)

Note that this final Scripture about praying for healing includes the idea that we need to recognize our sins and ask God for forgiveness in order to be considered righteous before God and men, as well as to be heard when we pray. It also makes it clear that healing is a gift that is not ordinarily meant to be given in secret, but to give faith to others.

That is why - if at all possible - the sick should seek anointing, a laying on of hands, and the prayers of the righteous in their community when they desire healing. However, no matter what the circumstances, God can perform healing at any time when a person has faith that he or she will be healed, and asks God in a way that is pleasing to Him!

Remember - God doesn't like memorized or repetitious prayers! He wants you to talk to Him like He was your own human father, but with a tad more reverence, and a whole lot more love.

Finally, this last Scripture shows us that a righteous person who loves God dearly can miraculously control the weather if it is God's Will. This may not sound possible, but with God, "all things are possible for the person who believes" (See Mark 9:23).

This is not an exhaustive list, but was created to help everyone get an idea of how, when and why we should pray. Hope you find it helpful!


NOTES from Helena Lehman:

I hope you will consider sharing this article with your friends and family, and I encourage you to do so. Just be sure to let others know I wrote it by leaving the by-line intact. :-)

All Scriptures were taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Could the Prophecy of a Mid-East War in Psalm 108 Be Fulfilled on the 9th of Av This Year?

By Helena Lehman

Elmwood Park, Illinois, USA - August 6th, 2008 - Today, I thought I would take some time to write about an upcoming important date on the Jewish calendar that may be significant this year, especially in light of my past interpretations of the End-Time prophecies hidden in the Psalms.

This Sunday, August 10th, 2008 will be the 9th of Av on the Jewish calendar. Though few people know it, this is a major day of mourning for the Jewish people because of the destructions of the First and Second Temples that occurred long ago on that day.

As a result, many Jews in Israel and around the world will be in a somber mood remembering the loss of their temples this August 10th. In addition they will be mourning many other acts of Anti-Semitism that have occurred on the 9th of Av throughout history, such as the many pogroms and expulsions against the Jews in Europe, England, and other places around the globe.

Ominously, there is a prophecy in Psalm 108 about a war between the West and the Middle East over the dividing of Israel and Jerusalem. In fact, I wrote a detailed article about it last year called: “The Amazing Hidden Prophecy in Psalm 108 and the War on Terror - Are They Connected?” If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it.

In that article, I explained how Psalm 108 corresponds with the years 2008 and 2009. It is therefore highly likely that this prophesied war will occur this year or next - providing God doesn’t delay it for some reason. If there are no delays, some tragic event could occur surrounding the current surrender of portions of Israeli territory to those to whom it does not belong. Indeed, if authorities attempt to divide the city of Jerusalem anytime soon, it could precipitate a war in the Middle East between Israel and several other Middle Eastern countries this year, and it certainly could occur on the 9th of Av.

Regardless of what happens to Israel or the Jewish people this Sunday, there are signs that the war prophesied in Psalm 108 is very near on the horizon. These signs include the ongoing missiles and other acts of Terror being relentlessly directed at Israelis from the Palestinian and Syrian Terrorists, Russia’s recent military exercises via air and sea in the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean, Iran’s refusal to stop their nuclear enrichment program, Israel’s recent military air strike against Syria, and the worry expressed by the US Government in regard to Iran’s hatred toward Israel and the West, especially the USA.

It will be interesting to see what does unfold in Israel and the Middle East this year, and what part the United States will play in it, considering that Israel is having upcoming elections for the seat of Prime Minister, and there will be a Presidential election here in the USA this November.

With both countries anticipating new leaders at the helm, many changes may soon be on our political and economic horizons.