How many people will be in heaven? Who are they? John sees 144,000 from the twelve tribes and a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and tongue. This multitude sings “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.”
Some groups have taken the 144,000 literally. We must be careful as we read the book of Revelation not to selectively choose which parts we take literally. I am convinced that John tells us of seven seals, and seven trumpets and seven bowls, recapitulating the same story. Did you see the movie called Vantage Point? It told the story of an assassination by showing the same events through the eyes of different characters. Once we had seen all the points of view the story became clear.
One way to read the book of Revelation is as a long sequential story. Another, in keeping with the symbolic nature of the ancient Apocalyptic literature is to see the same story told over and over in different ways.
My years of elementary math remind me that 144 is 12 X 12. 144,000 is the perfect number squared times 1000. That is a lot of people. John is not trying to say (as I see it) 143,999 + 1 will be in heaven. The great multitude from all tribes is much greater than that number. In the crowd are some wearing white. They are the martyrs who died in the great tribulation. As John wrote, Roman emperors like Nero, Vespasian and Domitian had martyred and would martyr many believers. God’s promise to those who suffer is the promise of his presence, the end of their struggles, and water to quench their thirst. God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
God has not forgotten those who suffer for his name in this life. Even now Jesus is with them. They will live with God and all of us forever and ever. As Longfellow’s Christmas hymn has it: “The wrong shall fail and right prevail.” God will set all things right. He starts today, in you and me.
