QUESTION:
Will the 144,000 of Rev. 7:4, 14:1-5 suffer during Israel’s Great Trouble?
ANSWER:
“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” [Revelation 7:4] ]
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” [Revelation 14:1-5]
“Let me show you. Now, remember, i said it's calling out the 144,000. See? This time now it's when the--the Tribulation which is to do it. And this is telling what happens in this Tribulation.” [The Sixth Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0323]
“Here it is in the Tribulation period, and here stands them prophets to who has the control of the Word that God gives them. They can only speak as God gives them the Word. Now, they're not gods. They're, temporarily the--amateurly they are, 'cause Jesus said they were. Said, "You call them gods who the Word of God came." Well, look. that's the one that God brings the Word to. And when he speaks it, it happens. That's all. And here he is with a commission from God to smite the earth whatever he wants to. Oh, my. Stop the heavens, and he does. What's the matter? He's fixing to take the 144,000 out for redemption, out of the book of redemption. And that's under the seal of redemption, in the sixth seal. That's it, my dear friends. That's that sixth seal, been so mysteriously.” [The Sixth Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0323]
“The 144,000, are they the predestinated ones?” Yes, sir. That's Israel, spiritual Israel. Just think, there will be millions of them in there. I don't know how many is in there now. I guess the whole group, but they will not all be saved, because they are in Judaea. See? You have any idea how many is there now? I don't know, but they're probably after this next persecution begins to rise, they're accumulating by.” [Questions And Answers On The Seals, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324m]
“Brother Branham, is the seventh angel with the spirit of Elijah, the same man as the Elijah sent to the 144,000 Jews during the three and one-half years after the Rapture? Some of us are mixed up in this.” No, he isn't the same. See, it's two different men. The Elisha that come in the form of Elijah was not Elijah. And the spirit of Elijah who came upon a man called John the Baptist, was not Elijah. And the man of the seventh angel messenger, at the end of the Laodicean age, will not be the literal Elijah. He will be a Gentile to his people. Elijah will... The spirit of Elijah then, coming in the--into the people there, he will be a Jew, see, for they are sent to their own people. That's my revelation.” [Questions And Answers On The Seals, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324m]
“The next redemption is opened, is for the jews, the 144,000. Is that right? 'Cause He promised He'd cut the tree off, you know. Now, here... Now, here He comes out, the Lamb, and then the day of redemption is finished, and all that's going to be redeemed is already been redeemed and put on the Book, and He's out here opening the Book.” [Questions And Answers On The Seals, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324m]
“But these prophets will come. Not only that, the--the prophets now is Revelations 11. We've read some of it, and I want you to read it as you study on the tapes and so forth. They are absolutely a vindicated prophets by the sign of prophets, then Israel is going to hear that. These 144,000 has nothing to do with the Bride. There's not one bit of Scripture to support that. No, sir, they are not. They are Jews, the elect that's called out during the time of the last three and a half years of Daniel's seventy weeks.” [The Seventh Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324e]
“That's when the Jews will be converted, during that age. Now... Like the church age. Under the power of the anointed promise, they will receive Christ; but now, not while the Gentiles are in. Now, we can see what kind of a message that these two prophets of Revelations the 11th chapter will preach. Now, you clearly can see exactly what they're going to do. For the remnant, or the 144,000 predestinated, receives the Seal of God.” [The Seventh Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324e]
“As they were a remnant according to election (these Jews are now), the remnant according to election in the days of Elijah's first ministry to the Jews, where seven thousand believers were kept away by the hand of God. Now, there is, in this remnant time coming, to their time to be 144,000 according to the election, that the Message at that time--to believe the Message, will be 144,000.” [The Seventh Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324e]
“The elected will come out. What is it? And the tribulation period... The... God will call His elected, and that is the Jews during that time, the elected. The Bible speaks of it. Paul speaks of it. According to the election, there will be 144,000 (according to the election) that will believe the Message out of literally millions that'll be there. There were millions in Palestine at the days of the prophecy of Elijah, and seven thousand was saved out of millions. Now, according to the election, where millions of Jews are gathering into their homeland (it's become a nation) there'll be millions in there, but only 144,000 elected ones will be taken. They will hear the Message.” [The Seventh Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324e]
“God's 144,000 elected jews don't bow to the beast, his denominationalism, statues, or anything. though their nation is in a covenant with it at the time, Israel is in a covenant, but here's a 144,000 that's not going to do it. That's the Elected.” [The Seventh Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324e]
“You notice that another purging time; that's for Israel when she gathers. That's the second fold. God purges Israel in the Tribulation period. Out of the millions that'll gather there, there'll be a selected 144,000, and they will be purged also. God's purging Israel.” [The Seventh Seal, Jeffersonville, IN 63-0324e]
Bible References:Revelation 7:4; 14:1-5
[Answer provided by Bro. Ken Andes, Minister, Lynden, Washington, USA]