Who are they?

This will almost entirely be purely scripture proving scripture in the best way that I can conceive, through the help of the Holy Spirit, capturing the period of time when the wrath of the Lamb is nearly complete, before Jesus rides in with His army to execute judgment before His millennial reign begins.

This mainly serves to show who the 144,000 virgins are, how this period is another confirmation of the pre-tribulation rapture of the bride, and how it all fits together.

Let brotherly love continue

I feel it only appropriate to preface this section with the commandments Jesus reiterated to one of the scribes.

Mark 12

²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Revelation 3

⁷ And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

⁸ I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

¹⁰ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

¹¹ Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

¹² Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Romans 8

²⁵ But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

A door was opened

Jesus writes to Philadelphia, explicitly saying He has set an open door for us to keep us from the hour of temptation. I see no other thing that can be, but the door of the rapture before tribulation starts.

This leads to John going through that door in Revelation. after Jesus had finished writing to the seven churches, of which there is no further mention of the church until Revelation 19.

Revelation 4

4 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

⁵ And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

The Holy Spirit is seen in verse 5–seven Spirits of God, one for each of the seven churches.

Revelation 5

⁸ And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Psalm 149

¹ Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Isaiah 42

¹⁰ Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Revelation 5

⁹ And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

¹⁰ And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The hundred forty and four thousand

Before going further, let’s take a look at the Strong’s Greek and Hebrew for 144.

• Strong’s G144: αἴσθησις (aesthesis) – moral/ethical discernment, cognition, perception, and judgment
• Strong’s H144: אֲדָר (adar) 12th month, March-April

If you ask me, I’d say aesthesis sound pretty fitting for wise virgins! The month of Adar is likely involved here, but that study can be for another day.

Interestingly, the Strong’s G5359 Φιλαδέλφεια (Philadelphia – brotherly love) references the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 1, pg. 144.

Hebrews 12

²² 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,

²³ To the general 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,

Isaiah 8

¹⁸ Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

The verses in Hebrews 12 and Isaiah 8 give context to Mount Zion and show the connections between it, New Jerusalem, and the church, or the virgins/bride being shown in this time period. Now we get to Mount Zion, and what Revelation 5:9-10 will sound like, from the viewpoint of earth.

Revelation 14

14 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

² And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

Revelation 14

³ And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

⁴ These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. 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.

There are two implicit important elements here: being redeemed, and firstfruits of God and the Lamb, and one which is a bit more subtle, the virgin aspect of the bride.

1 Corinthians 6

²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 7

²³ Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

³² But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

³⁴ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

Isaiah 62

⁵ For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

2 Corinthians 11

² For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

James 1

¹⁸ Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Romans 8

²³ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

I have no reason to believe there are only 144,000 virgins, but then again, the gate is narrow that the church enters through. How much narrower is the door that Jesus has set open for the pre-tribulation bride?

With that thought, 144,000 indeed seems like it could be literal, especially when one considers the attacks and sometimes seething hatred we pre-tribulation Christians receive from other supposed brothers and sisters in Christ. Do they have demons, or are they just aware on some higher level that they’re tribulation saints and have one of several possible issues with it?

Now that the virgins have been identified, let’s go back to Revelation 5 up in heaven, where Jesus has just taken the book to open the seals.

Psalm 149

² Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

Revelation 5

¹¹ And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

¹² Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

¹³ And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

¹⁴ And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

The hour of His judgment is come

Psalm 149

³ Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

Revelation 19

19 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

² For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

³ And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

⁴ And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

⁵ And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

⁶ And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

⁸ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

⁹ And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

So where exactly has the wife made herself ready during tribulation–the wrath of the Lamb–if not in the place Jesus has prepared for us, the virgins, on Mount Zion? Note that she is now called “wife” and no longer “bride”, implying the marriage consummation (one week in Galilean custom, or seven earth years) has completed, and all that is left is the marriage supper and wedding feast.

Psalm 37

²⁸ For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Revelation 14

⁶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

⁷ Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Revelation 19

¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

¹² His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

¹³ And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

¹⁴ And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

¹⁵ And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Psalm 149

⁵ Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

⁶ Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

⁷ To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

⁸ To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁹ To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

Isaiah 62

¹¹ Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

¹² And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Strong’s Connections

There seems to be no end to the interwoven connections of the Bible, and that includes the Strong’s numbers of related words and concepts. They serve as yet another witness of another sort. Here are some interesting ones based on 144.

1 / 144 = 0.00694444…

• G69: ἀγρυπνέω agrypnéō – sleepless, keep awake, watch; circumspect, attentive, ready
• G4: ἀβαρής abarēs – not burdensome or heavy, light
• G44: ἄγκιστρον ánkistron – fishing hook (Matthew 17:27; coin in fish’s mouth is a silver stater)
• G444: ἄνθρωπος ánthrōpos – human
• G4444: πύργος pýrgos – watchtower