The 144,000 and the Tribe of Dan

Patriarch Jacob/Israel speaking to his twelve sons Genesis 49:1-28 (Ai-generated)

by Leonard V Johnson

Bright and Beautiful day, everyone! Our dear friends in Cairo, Egypt, Sohar, Oman, in Luxembourg, Sāo Paulo, Brazil, and here in the States, Fayetteville, N.C., and Salt Lake City, UT.

Within God’s living word ── the Holy Bible ── we read about our Lord Jesus’ twelve disciples, who when they became the twelve apostles, would someday be ruling over the TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. Twelve apostles – twelve tribes. So, each original apostle would be ruling over a particular tribe of people.

Today, and this article will possibly take me a little while to complete ── but today I would like to discuss the Book of Revelation chapter 7 and the understanding of the 144,000, along with why the tribe of Dan is not part of the 144,000. Sadly, so many just don’t appear to properly understand.

I have personally heard ministers up at their podiums preach that there will be “last minute repenters.” I don’t see God’s living word telling us this, because we never see where His word says, “last minute repenters,” in the Book of Revelation or elsewhere. In truth, there are about four or five verses that tell us that our peoples, as we near the end of this present evil age, will wax worse and worse. Like Revelation 9:20 ── “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.” As the end-time plagues come upon the peoples of this world, they become worse and worse──as it was in the days of Noah, their wickedness becomes greater and greater (Genesis 6:5; Matthew 24:37). They outright refuse to repent. So, no, I don’t see “last minute repenters.”

Let’s begin by turning in our Bibles to Revelation 7 ──

“After these things …”

What the LORD God has blessed me to come to understand is: After these things… meaning, AFTER the opening of the six seals of the scroll, which has been occurring for nearly 2,000 years. What our Lord Jesus Christ has called, “’ All these are the beginning of sorrows.’”

• First Seal: Religious deception, the false religion of Christianity (Revelation 6:1-2; Matthew 24:4-5). “Behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” – Revelation 6:2.
• Second Seal: Wars and Rumors of Wars (Revelation 6:4; Matthew 24:6-7). “Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.” – Revelation 6:4.
• Third Seal: Famines. (Revelation 6:5-6; Matthew 24:7). “And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.” – Revelation 6:5.
• Fourth Seal: Pestilences. (Revelation 6:7-8; Matthew 24:7). “And behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death and Hades followed with him.” – Revelation 6:8.
• Fifth Seal: The LORD God’s end-time prophets. (Revelation 6:9-11; Matthew 24:9-14). “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held” – Revelation 6:9. This, of course, is allegorical language. Throughout our history, many peoples were martyred doing God’s true work – and in the very near future, there will be many more martyred. So, the fifth seal talks about the martyrdom of God’s true servants – a group of “end-time prophets” who go out throughout the world as a witness to all nations and preach the living gospel message – the kingdom of God.

“’ Then they will deliver you …’” – here pertaining mostly to the final “end-time prophets” – cf. Revelation 11. “‘… up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10) And then many will be offended, will betray one another. 11) Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12) And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold’” – Matthew 24:9-12.

And they – possibly beginning with twelve final end-time prophets – will be given power from God Almighty and Jesus Christ to begin prophesying – testifying - to kings, to world rulers, to the captured and subjugated elect of God, to a great religious leader and political leader – standing before the god of the earth (Satan the devil) – WARNING for 3 ½ years! 

“’ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world AS A WITNESS to all the nations, AND THEN THE END WILL COME’” – Matthew 24:14.

• Sixth Seal: A Great Earthquake. (Revelation 6:12; Matthew 24:16; Zechariah 14:4). “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood” – Revelation 6:12. Logically, the moon appears “like blood” or reddish when it appears in an atmosphere full of dust, smoke, or smog! The atmosphere will be thick with volcanic ash towers from a great number of volcanoes erupting around the globe, possibly caused by the massive “great earthquake.”

So, continuing… “After these things …” so here, as we near nearly 2,000 years since the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come to verse 1 ──

“After these things I saw [in vision] four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2) Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom was granted to harm [or to damage the earth, as my margin says] ... and the sea, 3) saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’”

In essence, the LORD God is commanding the four angels not to ‘do any of this damage until they make sure they have sealed all 144,000 servants they had predestined to call over the 2,000 years.’ So, these are ‘children of God’ (Romans 8:14), who have properly repented, been properly baptized, and have hands laid upon them, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit throughout this present evil age, who have not fornicated with other religions.

And then, the Apostle John overheard the number of those who are and will be sealed from the children of Israel ──

“And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of ALL THE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL were sealed.” – Revelation 7:4.

God’s Living Word Records These Tribes

Before we move on to these 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel, let’s look into the Book of Genesis where the LORD God records for us these twelve tribes ──

“And Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:

2) ‘Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your father.

3) Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. 4) Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it ── He went up to my couch.’” – Genesis 49:1-4.

“’ Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. 6) Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. 7) Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.’” – Genesis 49:5-7.

“’ Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. 9) Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? 10) The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until SHILOH COMES [a reference to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace]; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

11) Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. 12) His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.’” – Genesis 49:8-12.

“’ Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.’” – Genesis 49:13.

“’ Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens; 15) He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves.’” – Genesis 49:14-15.

“’ Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. 17) Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward. 18) I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!’” – Genesis 49:16-18.

“’ Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.’” – Genesis 48:19.

“’ Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.’” – Genesis 48:20.

“’ Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.’” – Genesis 49:21.

“’ Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. 23) The archers have bitterly grieved him. Shot at him and hated him. 24) But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), 25) By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 26) The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’” – Genesis 49:22-26.

“’ Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.’

28) All these are the TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.” – Genesis 49:27-28.

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The renowned and respected Dr. Herman L. Hoeh (1928-2004), who received a B.A. degree, an M.A. degree, and a Th.D. degree, who wrote, Compendium of World History, had this to say concerning the twelve tribes of Israel ──

“In Genesis 49 we have a prophecy concerning the state of each of the tribes in the ‘latter days’ and also in Deuteronomy 33, a chapter dealing with the blessings. With these two main chapters as guides, we can rightly INTERPRET obscure historical evidence that no history book yet clarifies. …

6: Reuben, unstable as water and having the excellency of greatness, we have recognized as France. Southern France, settled by the descendants of Javan (the Greeks), is gentile. The only democratic country, that is unstable, yet sets the styles for the world, has the form of real excellency, and has the same sex weakness as Reuben, is France. When rightly translated, Moses says: “’ Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.’” – Deuteronomy 33:6. Of all the Western nations, France has the lowest birthrate [France does not have the lowest birth rate in the world — it is far from the lowest, but it is among the lowest in Europe and the world.], although at one time France was the most populous country in all Europe, outnumbering England nearly 6 to 1. No other country in all the world fits all these qualifications. And is it not significant that the very country at war with England around 1800 should be France (Reuben), who would lose the birthright in the Napoleonic war? (Napoleon was Italian.). …

5: Simeon received no blessing from Moses. In fact, he does not even mention the tribe! Jacob said God would scatter them throughout Israel. How? Take a map of Palestine for the time of the division of the land. Notice that Simeon did have an inheritance SOUTH of Judah. When Judah separated from Israel, Judah occupied that territory, yet Simeon went with Israel! The only explanation is that Simeon migrated into Israel generally, but no new territory was assigned to Simeon. This tribe became scattered. It is possible that the small, scattered tribes in Western Europe, variously called the Senones or Semaones or Sennones, represented the fragments of the tribe of Simeon. …

4: Levi, the priestly tribe, was to be scattered in Israel (Gen. 49:5-7). God never gave them land to inherit as the other tribes. Therefore, we should not expect them to be given territory today. Nothing is said in Deut. 33 about inheriting land. Among the Jews today we find many bearing the names: Levi, Levy, Levine. Others bear the name ‘Cohen’ and its variations. The Hebrew word “Kohen” means priest and is so translated 725 times in the KJV. Here then, we have the great bulk of Levi--scattered among Judah because they left their priestly functions in Israel almost totally (I Kings 12:31). …

3: Judah constituted mainly the House of Judah, to be scattered among all nations, becoming a taunt and a byword. We are not to expect them as a separate nation among Israel today, defying all who would come against them. A small part of Judah was carried captive with Israel (II Kings 18:13), as found in the records of the Assyrian kings. Thus, among Israel we should find a small remnant of Judah. We locate the name as Jutes, and living in Jutland, Denmark. Some migrated to England. …

11: Zebulun settled in Holland (The Netherlands). Zebulun dwell at the “shore of the sea, and he shall be a shore for ships, and his flank shall be upon Zidon”--a Gentile country. Moses said: “’ Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, …’” She takes also treasures from the sea and the sand, Zebulun, then, is a colonizing people. She is not a pillaging people as Benjamin. …

9: Issachar is compared to a ‘large-boned ass,’ Jacob continues: “’ He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He BOWED HIS SHOULDER TO BEAR a burden, And became A BAND OF SLAVES.’” – Genesis 49:14-15. An ass is not the most intelligent of animals, but it is a willing worker. Such is Finland. Finland is the ONLY nation that has voluntarily taken the full responsibility of her debts. She is today paying off a huge indemnity to Russia. [notice this 2025 report, “Finland: The money woes of the world's happiest country”]. Her land is pleasant and good, not extraordinarily rich. According to Deuteronomy 33:19 she derives wealth from fishing and from hidden treasures of the sand-- gigantic peat bogs and the finest sand for glassmaking. Issachar is not a colonizing people--they dwell pastorally ‘in tents,’ said Moses. …

7: Dan was originally divided into two parts, one about Joppa, a seaport, and the other in the north of Palestine. Dan refused to fight alongside the other tribes against the Gentiles (Judges 5:17). Dan would judge, or stand up to rule, his own people as one of the separate tribes of Israel--indicating he would gain self-government in the following manner: “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.” Ireland has done just that to England. …

Dan would also be like a young lion leaping forth, an apt description of Denmark which acquired the Virgin Islands, Greenland, Iceland and other islands in her heyday. Especially unique is the fact that of all the tribes Northern Dan still preserves their father's name--the Danes! …

12: Gad, which means “the troop” certainly designates Switzerland--the only Israelite nation in which every man is mobilized for defense. Against Gad would come the foreign troops, said Jacob, “’ a troop shall tramp upon him.’” Moses declared that Gad does NOT ‘leap,’ [a lion is a predator not a leaper] a characteristic of the colonizing or pillaging tribes. Gad “tears the arm and the crown of his head”--of the Holy Roman Empire, in whose territory “He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there.” To Gad come “the heads of the people”--as they do today to Geneva. No other nation on earth so perfectly fits this description of a nation of troops. …

13: Asher— his “bread shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.” – Genesis 49:20. This peculiar expression could have reference alone to Belgium and the kindred state Luxembourg. From Belgium have come the finest Flemish paintings, the royal tapestries which graced the halls of kings, fine cut diamonds, porcelain and Belgian lace. Belgium and Luxembourg are blessed above many another son of Jacob— “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil.”--prosperity. “iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.” Because of uranium, Belgium’s prosperity will continue to grow. …

10: Naphtali represents Sweden— “satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD.” She is compared to a prancing hind or deer and “uses beautiful words” – Genesis 49:21. From Sweden, with a well-balanced economy, come the Nobel prizes in token to great world accomplishments. Sweden, during two world wars and the recent trouble in Palestine, sent her emissaries to speak words of conciliation and peace. The promise by Moses to “possess the west and the south” is applicable to both Naphtali and modern Sweden: …

[Joseph] the British Commonwealth is Ephraim and the U.S.A. is Manasseh …

8: Benjamin constitutes Norway and Iceland. The Icelandic people in reality a colony of Norwegians. Benjamin was given to David because Jerusalem, David’s capital, was in the tribe of Benjamin, not Judah. God said He would give David light in Jerusalem (I Kings 11:36). This verse could not refer to Judah which did not have to be given to the Jewish House of David. Benjamin was told to flee the destruction of Jerusalem (Jer. 6:1) which many of them did.

Benjamin is compared to “a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.” – Genesis 49:27. This is certainly an apt description of the Vikings who pillaged Northern Europe, and even Mediterranean regions. Almost all Viking raids came from Norway. It is also significant that Benjamin, the smallest tribe, still is the smallest today. There are fewer Norwegians (plus 148 thousand from Iceland) than any other Israelite nation. (Moses’ blessing in Deut. 33 has particular reference to this fact that Jerusalem was in the tribe of Benjamin).”

(Microsoft Word - Location of the Tribes of Israel_Hoen.doc– bold & underscore mine, Bible quotes in NKJV).

Now, although there are certain “theologians” that insist that Israel is NOT separate from Judah ── God’s living word is clear that even into the last days there remains a separation of the two ──

“For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, But his God, the LORD of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. 6) Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He shall recompense her.” – Jeremiah 51:5-6.

Indeed, despite critics of God’s living word, those who believe the LORD God know and properly understand that Israel (which is the so-called “lost” ten tribes) and Judah (modern-day Israel, with Levi and perhaps a portion of Benajmin) still exist separately.

So here to recap once again ──

• Reuben ── France.
• Simeon and Levi ── Scattered throughout the tribes.
• Judah ── The nation now called Israel, as well as the Jews not in that land but who were from the area near Jerusalem.
• Zebulun ── The Netherlands, and a few in South Africa and the Caribbean.
• Issachar ── Finland, mainly western.
• Dan ── Ireland, mainly southern and some far northern. Some in Denmark may be from Dan.
• Gad ── Switzerland.
• Asher ── Belgium, Luxembourg.
• Naphtali ── Sweden.
• Joseph ── Had two sons Ephraim – Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and probably some in South Africa. Manasseh – United States of America.
• Benjamin ── Norway and Iceland.

In relation to Gad, notice the following Scripture ──

“And of Gad he said: ‘Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. 21) He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the LORD, And His judgments with Israel.’” – Deuteronomy 33:20-21.

Switzerland, and Geneva in particular, has had a history of being the “international lawgiver.”

Prophet Moses speaking to the children of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 33:1-25) (Ai-generated)

Note: While the passage does not explicitly name the geographic location of the speech to the children of Israel here, I used the imagery from verse 2.

Here is some additional Scripture on the majority of the other tribes, straight from God’s living word ──

“Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. …

6) ‘Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.’

7) And this he said of Judah: ‘Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies.’

8) And of Levi he said: ‘Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, 9) Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. 10) They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. 11) Bless his substance, LORD, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.’” – Deuteronomy 1, 6-11.

“Of Benjamin he said: ‘The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.’

13) And of Joseph he said: ‘Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, 14) With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, 15) With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16) With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ 17) His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.’” – Deuteronomy 33:12-17.

“And of Zebulun he said: ‘Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! 19) They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of the treasures hidden in the sand.’” – Deuteronomy 33:18-19.

“And of Dan he said: ‘Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.’

23) And of Naphtali he said: ‘O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west [also translated, sea] and the south.’

24) And of Asher he said: ‘Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. 25) Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.’” – Deuteronomy 33:22-25.

Returning again to Revelation chapter 7 and the 144,000 of ALL THE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

Beginning in verse 5 ── “of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6) of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7) of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8) of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph [Ephraim] twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.” – Revelation 7:5-8.

Now, you notice that the name “Joseph” is used for the tribe of Ephraim (cf. Ezekiel 37:16). Also, notice that the tribe of Dan is absent from this important list. The tribe of Dan today is Ireland, mainly southern and some far northern. And the Irish people are sort-of hardheaded and pugnacious. They like to fight and argue. And at the present time, and certainly even before the 5th century, the Irish people are yoked to Catholicism and the Roman Catholic Church.

One possible reason behind why those of the tribe of Dan are not included in this list of these “special” 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel is because those of the tribe of Dan are called “a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.” Could it be that as we near the end of this present evil age that Irish and Danes may be among the more adamant in misidentifying our Lord Jesus Christ upon His glorious and powerful return? (be sure to read: “Will You Recognize Jesus!?”). And they will likely be completely deceived by this final satanic ‘beast’ power since they are completely entrenched with Catholicism. However, this reasoning is speculative, and God’s word doesn’t actually say why.

Also, something to consider, that back in the first century AD, there could have easily been 12,000 that were predestined to be called by Father God and sealed. Because that’s where our Lord Jesus lived and taught, and where the Apostle Paul and the other apostles lived and taught. So, it is conceivable that there were 12,000 that was predestined to be called to this “special” 144,000. And even from the tribe of Levi at that moment in time, maybe Benjamin.

And then from the death, glorious resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus, and as time marched forward, as the living Word of God, Truth of God, and Plan of God spread throughout the known world, and into Europe, where many of the twelve tribes of Israel ended up, that over these last two-thousand years, a few here in this generation, a few in that generation, you had all of those that were predestined to be called out of this present evil age into this great body of “special” 144,000. And over the span of two-thousand years the LORD God has called 12,000 people from each of the tribes of Israel that are blessed with being given access to become ── not only a member of the family of God ── but also of a “special” group of future spiritual beings, the 144,000.

The 144,000 standing before the throne singing a new song that only they know, standing before the four living creatures, and before the elders (Revelation 14:2-3) (Ai-generated)

Let’s turn over to the 14th chapter of the Book of Revelation. As with most things in God’s living word, we don’t receive information in only one area ── it’s “precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” – Isaiah 28:10 ──

“Then I looked [in vision], and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him ONE HUNDRED and FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.” – Revelation 14:1.

This is the exact same group of “special” 144,000 from each of the tribes of Israel, minus those of the tribe of Dan.

“And I heard a voice from heaven [the atmosphere], like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3) They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand [which had been] redeemed from the earth.” – Revelation 14:2-3.

So, let’s set the scene: these former physical children of God that has been resurrected as is now immortal ── having been changed from mortal to immortal ── are now standing with our Lord Jesus Christ upon Mount Zion (which is New Jerusalem), and they are singing a special song that only they know before His throne, before the four living creatures, and before the elders. And they are our Lord Jesus’ “special” entourage. They are in a higher category that the “great innumerable multitude” – they have a much higher purpose.

“THESE ARE THE ONES who were not defiled with women for they are virgins. …” ── and what I believe this means: they never fornicated with false religions, or false Christianity. “ … THESE ARE THE ONES who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God [God the Father] and to the Lamb.” – Revelation 14:4.

At this moment in time, God’s Spirit has revealed to me ── that these 144,000 are sort-of like what we would call “an entourage” ── like the entourage that is with the President of the United States of America wherever he goes around the world. These 144,000 have a similar role to our Lord Jesus Christ. “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” When you think of our president ── wherever he goes, when he takes a trip overseas, he has an entourage with him at all times. Some protect him, some advise him, some he has as spokesmen. These “special” 144,000 are indeed pillars to the Kingdom of God. They will be in the inner-circle of the glorious and powerful government of God.

“These were redeemed among men,” so they are not angelic beings. “being firstfruits to God,” so they are resurrected at the glorious blowing of the SEVENTH TRUMPET and upon the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. □