The 144,000: their identity and purpose for the church

Authors

  • Mabio Coelho

Keywords:

144, 000, Church, Identity.

Abstract

Much is said about the 144,000, the mysterious group introduced in Chapter
7 of Revelation. Speculation and theories about this group have fascinated
scholars of the Bible through the centuries. Without dwelling much in all the various theories, this article summarizes the best known theories, coalescing them into 4 groups to outline which characteristics of this group are self-evident in the Biblical text and the relationship they have with the Church today, living in the final moments of the end-time.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

AUNE, D. E. Word biblical commentay. Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002. v. 52A.

BLOUNT, B. K. Revelation: a commentary. [S.l.]: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009.

BULLINGER, E. W. Number in Scripture. New York: Cosimo, Inc., 2006.

BYRNE, R. Hebrew seals and the rush to biblical judgment: seal controversy: from Temech to Shlomit. Disponível em: <http://www.bib-arch.org/scholars-study/seal-controversy-06.asp>. Acesso em: 22 mai. 2012.

DOUKHAN, J. Secrets of Revelation: the Apocalypse through Hebrew eyes. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Pub. Association, 2002.

DRAPER, J. A. The heavenly feast of tabernacles: Revelation 7.1-17. Journal for the Study of the New Testament, v. 6, n. 19, p. 133-147, 1 jan. 1983.

FRIEDRICH, G. (ED.). Theological dictionary of the New Testament theological dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976.

HOEKSEMA, H. Behold, He cometh!: an exposition of the book of Revelation. Jenison: Reformed Free Pub. Association, 2000.

JOHNSON, D. W. Discipleship on the edge: an expository journey through the book of Revelation. Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2004.

KOESTER, C. R. The dwelling of God: the tabernacle in the Old Testament, Intertestamental Jewish Literature, and the New Testament. Washington: Catholic Biblical Assn of Amer, 1989.

LÁSZLÓ GALLUSZ. The throne motif in the book of Revelation. Budapest: Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, mai. 2011.

METZGER, B. M. Breaking the Code: understanding the book of Revelation. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994.

MOUNCE, R. H. The book of Revelation. [S.l.]: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998.

NEAL, B. S. Sealed Saints and the Tribulation. In: HOLBROOK, F. B. (Ed.). Symposium on Revelation - Book I. Daniel and Revelation Committee Series. Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1992. p. 245-278.

NICHOL, F. D. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible commentary. Washington: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2002. v. 7.

PAULIEN, J. The Role of the Hebrew Cultus, Sanctuary, and Temple in the Plot and Structure of the Book of Revelation. Andrews University Seminary Studies, v. 33, n. 2, p. 245-264, 1995.

PENTECOST, J. D. Things to come: a study in biblical eschatology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.

SHEA, W. The Covenantal Form of the Letters to the Seven Churches. Andrews University Seminary Studies, v. 21, n. 3, p. 251-264, 1983.

SINGER, I.; ADLER, C. Revelation (book of). New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1912.

SIQUEIRA, R. W. A profecia apocalíptica como chave hermenêutica para a interpretação da escatologia da profecia clássica do AT: um estudo em Isaías, Jeremias, Daniel e Apocalipse. In: TIMM, A. A.; RODOR, A. A.; DORNELES, V. (Eds.). O futuro: A visão adventista dos últimos acontecimentos. Engenheiro Coelho, SP: UNASPRESS, 2004. p. 83-101.

SMITH, U. The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

STRAND, K. A. A Further Note on the Covenantal Form in the Book of Revelation. Andrews Uniuersity Seminary Studies, v. 21, n. 3, p. 251-264, 1983.

STRAND, K. A. The Eight Basic Visions. In: HOLBROOK, F. B. (Ed.). Symposium on Revelation - Book I. Daniel and Revelation Committee Series. Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1992a.

STRAND, K. A. Foundational Principles in Interpretation. In: HOLBROOK, F. B. (Ed.). Symposium on Revelation - Book I. Daniel and Revelation Committee Series. Silver Spring: Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventhday Adventists, 1992b.

SWEET, J. Revelation. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1979.

TREIYER, A. R. The Day of Atonement and the heavenly judgment: from the Pentateuch to Revelation. Siloam Springs: Creation Enterprises International, 1992.

ULFGARD, H. Feast and future: Revelation 7:9-17 and the Feast of Tabernacles. [S.l.]: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1989.

WALVOORD, J. F. The revelation of Jesus Christ. Chicago: Moody Press, 1989.

WHITE, E. G. Selected Messages, Vol. 1. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Pub Assoc, 2006. v. 1.

WHITE, E. G. Testimonies for the Church. 1. ed. Washington: Ellen G. White Estate, Inc., 2010. v. 6.

WILCOCK, M. The message of Revelation: I saw heaven opened. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1991.

Downloads

Published

2013-03-17

How to Cite

COELHO, M. The 144,000: their identity and purpose for the church. Kerygma, Engenheiro Coelho, SP, v. 9, n. 1, p. 35–51, 2013. Disponível em: https://unasp.emnuvens.com.br/kerygma/article/view/95. Acesso em: 1 feb. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2013)

Section

Artigos

License

Copyright Statement

In summary, authors who publish in Kerygma must agree that:

  1. Once accepted for publication, the copyright of the articles is transferred to Kerygma.

  2. All third-party materials used in the text must be properly referenced.

  3. Authors must hold the rights or permissions for the use of images, tables, and other graphic materials.

  4. Authors guarantee that the submitted manuscript is original, of their own authorship, and has not been submitted or published elsewhere.

  5. The opinions and ideas expressed in the texts are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal.

  6. The editors reserve the right to make textual revisions and adjustments in accordance with the journal’s editorial standards.

  7. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

  8. Authors authorize the reproduction and adaptation of the material by Kerygma, with the authors’ participation or express authorization when required.

  9. The journal may distribute, store, archive, and make the articles available through any physical or digital means, whether free of charge or paid.

  10. Authors may enter into separate agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work, provided that the original publication in Kerygma is acknowledged.

  11. Full or partial reproduction of the texts in other publications requires prior written authorization from the editor.

  12. Authors are permitted and encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or personal webpages) before or during the editorial process, as this may increase the visibility and citation impact of the published work.

Most read articles by the same author(s)