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jenita
wrote:
It says in the bible that only 144000 are the elect. what are your
thoughts on this? i dont understand that out of the millions of
christians that ever existed that god would only choose this number.
it would therefore seem hopeless! it seems to contradict with god
being mercifull. what about hell? is that where the rest of us go?
Our Answer:
Hello Jenita:
Thank you for
your question. The reference to 144,000 saying that only 144,000
will be saved.
The 144,000
are referred to in Revelation 7:3-8 and 14:1.
Revelation 7:3-8
tells us that during the first part of the tribulation 144,000 Jews
(12,000 from each of twelve tribes) will become servants of the
Lord. A seal on their foreheads brands them as belonging to God
and guarantees that they will be preserved alive during the following
seven years of tribulation.
Revelation 7:9
indicates that the 144,000 will be highly effective missionaries
during the tribulation, bringing a "vast crowd from every nation
and tribe and people and language" to belief in our Lord Jesus.
Revelation 14:1
is talking about these same 144,000, how they will be honored as
they join God in heaven.
The Bible is
telling us that when the end is coming 144,000 Christian-Jews will
become missionaries to the world, and these 144,000 will be honored
for what they do.
There is nothing,
anywhere in the Bible that says that salvation is limited to 144,000.
The Bible repeatedly tells us (over 200 times in the New Testament)
that ALL who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved and have eternal
life.
Just a few verses
from John:
"For
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that EVERYONE
who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
- John 3:16
"I
tell you the truth, WHOEVER hears my word and believes him
who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed
over from death to life." - John 5:24
"I
am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live,
even though he dies."
- John 11:25
"I
have come into the world as a light, so that NO ONE who believes
in me should stay in darkness."
- John 12:46
The 144,000
have a mission to spread the word of God and lead people to salvation
during the tribulation time (a horrible time to be on earth, especially
for believers in Christ such as the 144,000), and they are honored
for that. But they are not the only ones who are elected to be saved.
I hope I have
answered your question. I'll be happy to expand further on the above
or answer any other questions you might have.
Yours in Christ,
Steve
Mission to America
web site: http://www.evangelical.us
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