Andy Woods (Sugar Land Bible Church) teaches the pre-trib version of the 144,000 Jews in Revelation 7:1-8. Woods gives a false view of the 144,000 in a number of key respects.
Revelation 7:1-8:
The book of Revelation is literal
A literal translation of 144,000 Jewish men is a reasonable interpretation considering that the scriptures go into explicit detail regarding both their number and their ethnicity. Even when the scriptures comprehensively spell things out, there are those who deviate into their own presuppositions and opinions. I will not devote space here to various allegorical interpretations and the Jehovah Witness views on the 144,000. Hopefully it is a given that these are false interpretations.
The book of Revelation has a chronological structure
A chronological interpretation of the seals, trumpets and bowls is the prevailing view of both the prewrath and the pre-trib camps. There are perplexing exegetical difficulties associated with what is known as the recapitulation theory i.e. the seals trumpets and bowls are different pictures of the same events. In order to successfully refute the pre-trib rapture theory, one must be able to articulate a coherent alternative! Those who teach recapitulation seem either unable or unwilling to recognize the difficulties associated with this view. A plain reading of the text indicates a clear chronological sequence of events i.e. the sixth seal follows the seventh seal, the seventh seal unleashes the trumpet judgements, and the seventh trumpet unleashes the bowl judgments.
Woods defines the entire 70th week of Daniel as the tribulation in contradiction to the eschatological material supplied by Jesus Christ in the Olivet Discourse. (Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21). Woods makes no distinction between the beginning of birth pains (Matthew 24:8; Revelation 6:1-8), and the undiluted cup of His wrath. (Revelation 14:10). He also fails to recognize the great tribulation as the specific wrath of the Antichrist against the church. Failure to acknowledge these distinctions throws the whole book of Revelation out of sync. (Revelation 22:18-19). The scriptures indicate successive seal judgements leading up to the day of the Lord. i.e. the day of his wrath. The catastrophic events that take place during first half of the 70th week i.e. the beginning of birth pains are devastating and we should not depreciate their severity or assume that wrath is absent. (Revelation 6:8 cf. Psalm 7:11). These events are instigated by the breaking of the first seal and the arrival of the Antichrist followed by three further seals/horsemen. When the sixth seal is broken an unprecedented escalation occurs immediately preceding the undiluted wrath of God. Specifically, the great day of their wrath becomes imminent following the sixth seal and comes into play during the seventh seal trumpet/bowl judgements from Revelation 8 onwards. (Revelation 6:17). Isaiah describes the cosmic events immediately preceding the undiluted wrath of God as the terror of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:10 cf. Revelation 6:15-17).
Revelation 6:17 ~ The aorist indicative verb ēlthen
..the great day of their wrath has come (ηλθεν/ēlthen).
..the great day of their wrath has come (ηλθεν/ēlthen).
In a later video, Woods quotes Robert L Thomas' skewed interpretation of ηλθεν (ēlthen): "The verb ēlethen ("has come") is aorist indicative, referring to a previous arrival of wrath, not something that is about to take place." {1}
The aorist indicative verb ηλθεν (ēlthen) should not be isolated from its context and translated as a simple past verb in English. Revelation 6:17 indicates that the great day of their wrath has arrived i.e. it is imminent. The King James Version more accurately captures the context of ηλθεν (ēlthen):
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Virtually the same phrase occurs in Revelation 11:18 following the seventh trumpet preceding the bowl judgements in Revelation 16:21.
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come (ηλθεν), and the time of the dead, that they should be judged.. KJV (Revelation 11:18 cf. Revelation 16:21).
Various commentaries agree on the interpretation of ηλθεν (ēlthen) in this particular context. {2}
Matthew Poole: And thy wrath is come; now it is time for thee to show thyself angry, and thou hast begun to do it.
Pulpit Commentary: And thy wrath is come; thy wrath came. This verse points conclusively to the judgment day, the events of which, however, as before remarked (see on ver. 15), are merely indicated, not fully described. This is the last final infliction upon the wicked, the seventh of the trumpet plagues. And the time of the dead, that they should be judged; to be judged.
The proclamations of the three angels in Revelation 14:6-13 precedes the harvest of the earth, the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Revelation 14:14-20). This verse is yet another confirmation of the imminent aspect of ηλθεν/ēlthen.
And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come (ηλθεν), and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:7).
The 144,000 Jews
Although he follows a chronological framework vis-à-vis the seals, trumpets and bowls, Woods condenses the seals and trumpets into the first 3.5 years of the 70th week of Daniel. The presumed absence of the church during the entire 70th week due to the alleged pre-trib rapture necessitates the 144,000 to be evangelists. Woods therefore locates the 144,000 Jews either before, or at the beginning of the seventieth week. According to Woods, the 144,000 Jews are the instruments God uses to implement what he describes as "the greatest spiritual awakening the earth has ever seen" i.e. the "great multitude" described in Revelation 7:9-17.
Problems with the above view
# The 144,000 are never described as "evangelists" in the the book of Revelation.
# The "great multitude" of Revelation 7:9-17 appear suddenly in heaven before the throne and before the Lamb.. "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; (Revelation 7:14). The "great multitude" of Revelation 7:9-17 are those who have been caught up in the rapture prior to the seventh seal trumpet judgements.. For God has not destined us for wrath.. (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
# There is no indication of a "great awakening" in the book of Revelation. On the contrary:
People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. (Revelation 16:10-11).
9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14).
..the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (Revelation 7:2-3).
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.
Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8 7-9)
The sealing of the 144,000 following the great tribulation suggests that divine wrath is about to fall upon the ungodly. The typological examples in Ezekiel 9:4 and the Passover (Exodus 12:12), indicate that the sealing of the 144,000 is very likely a protective measure against God's wrath, nothing more.
# The great tribulation does not begin until the mid point of the 70th week at the abomination of desolation event. (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 9:27). The tribulation is interrupted/cut short by the sixth seal cosmic disturbances. (Matthew 24:22; Revelation 6:12-17).
# At the mid point of the week the the abomination of desolation event occurs when the Antichrist takes his seat in the temple of God. (Matthew 24:15). Jesus warns his disciples i.e. the church about being delivered up to tribulation, the coming apostasy, spiritual deception and increased lawlessness following this event:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29).
# Woods explains that the chronological framework of the book of Revelation is temporarily halted in chapter 7. This first parenthetical break identifies the 144,000 and indicates a "verb of perception" i.e. "This is what John saw". Woods is accurate as far as he goes. However, his claim that the 144,000 are looking backwards to the seal judgements is problematic.
If we look forward to Revelation 8:7-9, especially to the first two trumpets, we find precisely what is being described in Revelation 7 i.e. the four angels are given power to harm the land and the sea.. and the trees. The angels hold back the winds in order to facilitate the sealing of the 144,000. (Revelation 7:1). The sealing of the 144,000 is therefore anticipatory. The next stage of apocalyptic events will not proceed until the 144,000 are sealed. Consequently, they are safeguarded in advance from the divine wrath shortly to be administered by the angels.
..the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (Revelation 7:2-3).
Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8 7-9)
The sealing of the 144,000 following the great tribulation suggests that divine wrath is about to fall upon the ungodly. The typological examples in Ezekiel 9:4 and the Passover (Exodus 12:12), indicate that the sealing of the 144,000 is very likely a protective measure against God's wrath, nothing more.
The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.(Joel 2:31 cf. Revelation 6:16-17 Acts 2:20).
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29).
Woods: "God does not leave the earth without a witness."
This statement is true, but it does not apply to the 144,000 Jews. The true church will continue to exist during during the beginning of birth pains and through the great tribulation, although latterly, believers be decimated to a large extent and mass apostasy will occur. (Matthew 24:9-14). During the second half of the 70th week, the two witnesses will prophesy for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth: They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. (Revelation 11:3-14).
Revelation 14
The pre-trib rapture is a devious doctrine developed by cult leader John Nelson Darby in the 19th century. (1 Timothy 4:1). It is a doctrine that has to be extrapolated from the scriptures and finds no specific verse to support it. It is extraordinary that someone of Andy Wood's background is apparently unaware of the obvious flaws and the associated dangers attached to this view. I shudder to think how he and other pre-trib teachers will give an answer to God for what can only be described as reckless deviations from the Word of God. (Romans 14:12).
# The 144,000 Jewish men are located on heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb. (Revelation 14:1-5).
# Three angels make separate proclamations following the rise of the Antichrist and the false prophet.
The first angel preaches the eternal gospel to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation. (Revelation 14:6-7).
The second angel announces prophetically: Babylon is fallen, is fallen, (Revelation 14:8; Revelation 18:1-24).
The third angel issues what appears to be the final warning to mankind:
“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:9-11).
# His judgment has come (ηλθεν). i.e. Judgement is imminent. (Revelation 14:17-20).
2. Revelation 11:18 Commentaries:
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