Revelation 7:4

4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

Revelation 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 7:4

And I heard the number of them which were sealed
And therefore could be sure of the exact number, which did not depend upon his sight, and telling them, in which some mistake might have been made, but he heard the number expressed:

[and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty, [and] four thousand:
which is a square number arising from twelve, the square root of it, being just twelve times twelve thousand; and may denote their being the true and genuine offspring of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, holding their doctrine, and being built on their foundation; see ( Revelation 21:14 ) ; and these were

of all the tribes of the children of Israel;
not that these were all Jews in a literal sense, for the time of their conversion in great numbers is not yet come. Dr. Goodwin thinks these sealed ones design the believers of the Greek and Armenian churches, and his reasons are not despicable; but this is to limit and restrain them to a particular part of the church of Christ; whereas they take in all the saints within this long tract of time, even all that are the true Israel of God, who are Jews inwardly, of what nation, kindred, tongue, and people soever; and is a certain and determinate number for an uncertain and indeterminate one; and only intends a large number of persons known to God and Christ; see the Apocrypha:

``Arise up and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lord;'' (2 Esdras 2:38)

Revelation 7:4 In-Context

2 Then I saw another angel rise up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were empowered to harm the earth and the sea:

3 "Don't harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the slaves of our God on their foreheads."

4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

5 12,000 sealed from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,

6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,