Israel in the End Times: The 144,000 Witnesses (Part 3)

TEXT: Revelation 14:1-5

In Revelation 7, the 144,000 are seen at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. In Revelation 14, it shows them in triumph at the end of the Great Tribulation.
 
One thing that has been made clear from our study of Scripture regarding Israel in the end times is that just as God had a plan for Israel in the past as shown in the Old Testament, God also has plans for Israel in the future. One phase of that future plan which we have already looked at extensively is the prophecy that many Jews will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah during the Tribulation period. Another phase of that future plan which we are looking at now is the fact that God will call 144,000 Jews -- 12,000 from each tribe -- to preach the Gospel to the nations during the Tribulation period. In Revelation 7, we saw how God places His seal in the foreheads of these Jewish evangelists, marking them as His own. We also saw the amazing results of their evangelistic efforts in the end times. Even as many will be bowing down to the antichrist and coming under the influence of Satan, there will still be "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" who will receive and believe the Gospel. Many of them will be persecuted and killed for their faith, but the celebration in Heaven makes the pain experienced on earth worth it for these believers.
 
While on last week we focused on those who were won to Christ by the Jewish evangelists, our passage this week shows us what becomes of the evangelists themselves. Verse 1 reads, "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." In John's vision, we see all of the Jewish evangelists gathered with the Lamb Jesus Christ who is standing on "Mount Zion." ...