1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Satan is not the only one who uses an identification system. God also marks those who are His own. God will write His name on us. We will actually have a double marking, both Jesus and the Father will write on us. We will be marked for protection and security. Those who are His will be known. Notice that the writing is visible for everyone to see. God writes on our forehead not our lower back. He wants His own to be known. Some cults over the years have claimed to be the 144,000 written about here. But as soon as their numbers reached past the 144K, they changed their story. The ‘truth’ they claimed to be proclaiming suddenly wasn’t so true and they had to get some new revelation from god. Jehovah’s Witnesses come immediately to mind. They have a distinct history of claims that later had to be changed to fit reality. If my memory serves me correctly, stoning was the proper Old Testament punishment for being a false prophet! I think the number mentioned here is a symbolic number, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. This gets spelled out later in the book of Revelation. It demonstrates the connection to the promises of God in the Old Testament. Everyone who is part of the covenant community will be included. None will be left out. There are no missing tribes, no extra revelation of truth. This number does not represent the total number of humans that end up in heaven. This number is simply the first harvest, the first fruits. These are marked so that people know they are God’s. Even now, others should be able to watch our lives and see that we are God’s. Our lives should reflect His character. When people watch us, what do they see, honestly? Are they seeing someone who genuinely cares about their welfare? Do others see a servant or a master? Jesus said He came to serve and that we should follow His example.
The Arnold Journey 