^7:4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

There are three views of this verse:

1. The number is the "new Israel" or completed church of Gentiles and Jews
   
   
   • Galatians 3:23-29, All of Christ's are Abraham's seed
   • Philippians 3:1-7, True circumcision.
   • Galatians 6:14-16, Israel of God
   • Revelation 2:9 and Revelation 3:9, Distinction between true Jew and false Jew
   • Romans 2:28-29, Romans 9:6-8, 1 Corinthians 10:16-22, and 1 Peter 2:4-10, Spiritual Jew verses Abraham Jew.
   
   
2. The number is really 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
   
   Ten of the tribes appear to be lost (dispersed). Yet God will raise up these men and women to be witnesses during the Tribulation. This comes after the church age as one reads Romans 11:25-29. The fullness of the Gentile will have come in so now all Israel will be saved.


3. This is just a large number (all Christians are sealed).
   
   This is symbolic and uses Revelation 7:9, the 'after this sealing of the 144,000', to be the "great multitude". They are the same who are undefiled (Revelation 14:4) and blameless (Revelation 14:5).

It is most likely that the second view should be held. The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a very precise book as far as numbers are concerned. The seven churches, the seven seals, the seven spirits, and so on indicates that this exact sealing is precisely 144,000 from the SONS of ISRAEL. Likewise, the Revelation is not a Gentile verses Jews book but rather a Loyalty to God vs. Loyalty to the beast book.