There is a great deal of speculation concerning what numbers symbolize in scripture...
This is one of these subjects that seems of very little importance to me at this point in my walk, for the most part because there are so many others things that I cannot yet grasp that it seems a little futile to try and determine what different numbers symbolize in the scriptures.
Nevertheless, I did a bit of researching concerning the meaning of the number 144,000 this afternoon… mainly because I know how it feels to want to know something for which there seems to be no apparent answer… however I’m not offering a definitive answer… but am simply continuing the dialogue already in process…
I think it’s important to notice that John does not leaves us only with the number of 144,000 to wrestle with… but he gives us some insight into it’s meaning by helping us to divide it up into appropriate proportions…
Let’s look at Revelation 7:2-8
2: Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea,
3: saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads."
4: And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel,
5: twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand of the tribe of Gad,
6: twelve thousand of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand of the tribe of Naph'tali, twelve thousand of the tribe of Manas'seh,
7: twelve thousand of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand of the tribe of Is'sachar,
8: twelve thousand of the tribe of Zeb'ulun, twelve thousand of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Benjamin.
Notice that the number 144,00 is 12 x 12,000…. 12,000 sealed from each of the 12 tribes of Isreal.
Twelve is a number that frequently appears in scripture… especially in the book of Revelation.
Check out Revelation 21:10-21
10: And in the Spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
11: having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
12: It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed;
13: on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
14: And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15: And he who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.
16: The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its breadth; and he measured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and breadth and height are equal.
17: He also measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits by a man's measure, that is, an angel's.
18: The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.
19: The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
20: the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
21: And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
From what I could find today, while searching, it seems to be widely agreed upon that the number “12” in the scriptures represents perfected foundational government… but I cannot say that with much authority… however I do know that the 144,000 represents the elect of God… the true (perfected or brought into the image of God) Israel… and this body (body of Christ) will be used to judge and govern the rest of the creation.
1 Corinthians 6:3
1: When one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?
2: Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
3: Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life!
4: If then you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who are least esteemed by the church?
I hope this makes sense… but, don’t get so caught up in what the symbol represents that you miss what it truly means. God has chosen some “according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:15) to bring the rest of humanity to Him. This is good news… this is who the 144,000 symbolizes and will literally become… a refining fire (Psalms 104:4, Heb 1:7) just like our God! (Heb. 12:29)
Hope this helps.
Josh