Day 350

Malachi 2:17-4:6, Revelation 7:1-17, Psalm 144:1-8

Revelation 7 offers us one of those parts of the Bible that has created much debate and continues to underline quite strict areas of theology for some religious groups. Some of these groups believe that 144,000 is the literal number that will be saved – no more, no less. This is the basis of their doctrine of salvation and they will often not be shifted on that figure, well not usually until their own numbers exceed this amount! But is it true?

We have already commented in a number of places that the message John gives in the book of Revelation, is a vision, it is poetry and it is figurative, it is not a literal interpretation of everything that will happen.

What is important is what follows the number 144,000. There are multitudes of people who are saved, in fact there are that many that John can’t count them. They are all dressed in white (a sign of purity) and we are told that they have been washed and made clean by the blood of the lamb. Now this is symbolism that we can really understand, because we have been washed by that blood, we are in that number.

There are so many scholarly arguments that tell us not to treat 144,000 as a literal number, too many to put down here. What we do know is that multitudes will be saved. All who put there trust in the Lord Jesus Christ can be counted in that number – the number that is too great to count!

We too are there.