Read or listen The Book of Revelation, chapter 4 online (ESV, YouVersion)

The 144,000 - Who are they? 7:1-8

When the sixth seal was broken, John saw the world shake. God's wrath came upon the earth, the stars of heaven fell to the ground, and people prayed for death under the pressure of tribulation. Who wouldn't be shaken by the sight? Even those who trust in Christ will likely read it with fear.

In chapter eight the vision continues. The last days are at hand and unprecedented plagues are shaking the world. Before a new and more detailed description of the end, John is shown something that will encourage, comfort, and strengthen God’s people.

First, John sees four angels at the four corners of the earth, i.e. one in each direction. Their job is to hold back the winds so that they do not harm the earth. The winds—or rather, storms—represent the forces that will be unleashed in the world in the last days. Their power will shake the world and cause great distress on earth. From this again we see that the events of this world are not the result of random chance. God's angels hold back the forces that harm nature and humanity. Only when God decides to do so are they released. God has all power and nothing happens in the world without his knowledge and permission.

Then John sees an angel ascending from the sunrise, that is, from the east, and bearing the seal of the living God. A seal was used to mark property. If the item had the image of a seal on it, it belonged to the owner of the seal. The angel marks God’s servants with God’s seal before the forces of evil are released. Those who are marked are therefore God’s property. John does not see those marked with the seal, but he hears how many there are: 144,000.

There are difficult passages in the book of Revelation, and this is one of them. What does the vision mean and who are the 144,000 marked? At the beginning of the seventh chapter, John follows what is happening on earth. Therefore, it should be clear that the vision is not about those who have gone to heaven, but about God’s own who are living and fighting on earth. They will be marked before the end of the world begins.

Bible commentators have disagreed about who these marked ones are. Many think that this is a specific and limited group of God's own - perhaps martyrs or Jewish Christians. This idea is not completely impossible. However, I think a better explanation is that the 144,000 marked are not a specific group of the Church of Christ, but rather describe all of God's own, the entire people of God who fight on earth before Jesus returns.

The vision is intended to encourage every believer in Jesus: You are God's property and God takes care of His property. God has marked you with a seal. You belong to the Lord of heaven and earth, and therefore there is no reason to fear. Even though the world is in turmoil, God will not let His own be destroyed. After the frightening seal visions, these promises are good to hear.