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Berserk
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In ancient Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature, numbers like 144,000 and 666 tend to be symbolic. In John's vision of the 144,000, the symbolic number is identified as the sum of the 12 tribes of Israel multiplied by 12,000 (Revelation 7:4-8). The number 144,000 is calculated thus: 12 tribes of Israel x the 12 apostles x 1,000, the number symbolizing completion. The symbolic number 144,000 assumes the identity of the church as the New Israel in a symbolic spiritual sense. Paul also views the church as the New Israel in this spiritual sense (Galatians 6:16).
Just how many people does John see in Heaven? His answer is found in his next vision:
"After this, I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, people, and language (7:9)."
The number is large beyond imagining. And how many can John imagine? 200 million soldiers, for example (9:16).
Let' s put this unimaginable number in perspective.
In John's day, there are only a few thousand Christians. They attend small house churches because there are no large churches as archtecturally distinct structures in the first century. John is languishing in exile on the isle of Patmos and members of his churches are being killed for their refusal to participate in the emperor cult. Nero has recently decimated the church at Rome. He executed them as scapegoats for his decision to burn much of Rome.
John's vision seems to anticipate the ultimate salvation of righteous non-Christians. The unimaginable numbers in Heaven seem to anticipate centuries of future earthly history. This seems to refute the common belief at the time that Jesus' second coming was imminent. I have elsewhere demonstrated the teaching in Revelation that God never permanently abandons anyone after death.
Don
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