Today's reading in church was about the 144,000 that really for the first time I realized that it was not 144,000 but 144,000 x 12 marked. I am curious as to what you think this is referring to? Is there really only just shy of 1.8 million people that will be marked at the end to be protected? If so that is really disheartening.
It hit me from this passage today but maybe I am wrong??? But how it was worded seemed like 144,000 from each of the tribes of Israel and we know there are 12 tribes. I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.
I picked this up from another forum but it expresses what I have always understood: From Hebrew numerology: 12 = God's chosen people, number of Apostles, part of His covenant, societal perfection 1,000 = Big number, gigantic scale, ultimate Any number squared = The meaning of that number, but perfected 12 X 12 = 144 = The perfection of God's covenant with man 144 X 1,000 = 144,000 = The perfection of God's covenant with man on a gigantic scale (= an immense number)
Ya, that pretty much ties in with the Haydock commentary. Ver. 4. I heard the number of them that were sealed. By these determinate numbers need only be understood a great number of Jews converted and saved, though much greater was the number of the saved taken from among the Gentiles of all nations, of which it is said, I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, &c. (Witham) --- The number of one hundred and forty-four thousand is not to be taken in a literal and strict sense, but to express in general terms the great number of the elect; http://haydock1859.tripod.com/id293.html
cool! Gives me great hope! I feel sorry for the Johovah's witnesses. They believe it literally. So it is one long climb over each other to the top!!
That was the number of Jehovah Witnesses that were to be saved. Well, that was until there number grew more than that.
