In the previous blogs we have seen when the 144,000 appear on the scene. In the words of Revelation, this is after the sixth seal (Rev.6:12), which is according to Matt.24:29: immediately after the tribulation of those days. And Zechariah and Joel describe that then the people will call on the name of YAHWEH, and the Lord will return and set His feet on the Mount of Olives.
The passage in Matthew 24 gives us further explanation of the events that follow.
Matthew 24
29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be made dark, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
30 And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and glory.
31 And He will send His messengers with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other
the coming of the Son of man
We read in Zech.13:6 and in Joel 2:32 that the people will call on the name of YAHWEH, and He will come and set His feet on the Mount of Olives (Zech.14:4). In Matthew 24 we read that after the tribulation of those days, the Son of Man will come in the clouds of heaven, and all the tribes of the land will see Him.
gathering His elect
Verse 31 says that He will next send His messengers, who will gather His chosen ones from the four winds. Who are these messengers, if not the 144,000? At this time they are sealed and sent out to gather the chosen people, the people of Israel, who have been scattered among the nations (Deut.30:1-5). The 144,000 are sent outside the country.
The King has arrived, rule is being established and 144,000 messengers are bringing this message to the world.
protected
The great tribulation for Israel is over (Rev.7:14), but the great day of the wrath of God and the Lamb (Rev.6:17) begins and now it is the turn of the nations. Judgments follow on the nations, which are symbolized by seven trumpets (Rev.8:6-9:21; 11:15-19). The site of the mission of the 144,000 is outside the country and is very unsafe there because of the judgments that will follow. They are sealed and protected from the judgments that are coming upon the earth.
the gospel of the Kingdom
Matthew 24 begins with the disciples asking the Lord what the sign is of His coming (>parousia = presence) and of the end of the eon (>age). Jesus then says as He concludes the first part of His speech that before the end of the aeon the gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole world (Matt. 24:14).
Israel gathered
The 144,000 will preach the gospel of the Kingdom. The Righteous One on the throne, the Son of David (Rev.5:5) is the Ruler over His people and sits on the throne in Jerusalem. The 144,000 will proclaim this gospel of the Kingdom, which will involve gathering Israelites and gathering them into the land (Matt.24:31; Ps.106:45; Jer.32:37). But the gospel of the Kingdom is not just addressed to Israel.
Matthew 24
13 But whoever endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world, for a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
all nations
The gospel of the Kingdom is for a testimony to all nations. They too will hear this gospel and whoever believes and endures until the end will be saved.
The end here still concerns the end of the aeon (Matt.24:3). The present evil age (Gal.1:4) will be ended and will be succeeded by the aeon to come (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30). Those who will endure until the end will be saved and enter the age to come, the revealed Kingdom on earth (> the 1000 years).
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