What is meant by the number one hundred forty - four thousand in the bible?

Answer 1

Revelation 7:4-8 :

"'And I heard thenumber of thosewho were sealed,a hundred andforty-four thousand,sealed out ofevery tribe ofthe sons ofIsrael: Out ofthe tribe ofJudah twelve thousandsealed; out ofthe tribe ofReuben twelve thousand;out of thetribe of Gadtwelve thousand; outof the tribeof Asher twelvethousand; out ofthe tribe ofNaphtali twelve thousand;out of thetribe of Manassehtwelve thousand; outof the tribeof Simeon twelvethousand; out ofthe tribe ofLevi twelve thousand;out of thetribe of Issachartwelve thousand; outof the tribeof Zebulun twelvethousand; out ofthe tribe ofJoseph twelve thousand;out of thetribe of Benjamintwelve thousandsealed.'"

Thats the number of people who will be going to heaven and are to rule as Kings and priests with Jesus. (Revelation 20: 4, 6)

Because Revelation 7: 4-8 diverges from the usual tribal listing, we can see that this number makes up a "Spiritual Isreal", not a "fleshly" Isreal. (Numbers 1:17, 47) The listing of the tribes is to show that Spiritual Isreal has a similar organizational structure.

Although the natural Jews and Jewish Proselytes were given the first opportunity to be chosen to make up the 144,000, only a minority of the nation responded. So God extended the invitation to people of other nations as well. (John 1:10-13; Acts 2:4, 7-11; Romans 11:7)

If you want to know more about it, Just ask. =)