Thursday, November 30, 2023

One Hundred Forty-four Thousand (Revelation 7)

READ Revelation 7:1-4 and D&C 77:11

Who are the 144,000?

They are High Priests ordained to the Holy Order of God (the highest order of priesthood that must be conferred by God Himself – see JST Genesis 14:28-30).

They are called to administer the Gospel.

They are called from every tribe of Israel – they are “kindred” meaning family or Israel; they may be residing in every nation on earth but they are not descended from those nations but from Israel.

They are gathered by the angels.

They are given power by the angels.

They are brought by the angels to Heaven to the Church of the Firstborn – as John’s experience in Revelation when he ascended the path or ladder or conduit to the Throne of God in Heaven.

These are they who will be able to stand – they will be the only ones to make it through the tribulations and the coming of the Son of Man in glory and fire, to restart the human family as Noah did after the Flood.

Why 144,000 High Priests?

It is not a literal number.

Anciently, squaring a number completed and perfected it.

144,000 implies a vast and complete amount – many people.

What is the significance of the number 144,000?

144,000 is the speed of light harmonic. God, the angels, and the “144,000” mortals are endowed with light. It is God's light (the Father and the Son's light) that interfaces with water in the firmament to form the colorful rainbow.

Our traditional definition of the speed of light is 186,000 standard miles per second. Researcher Bruce Cathie has shown that 144,000 arc-minutes converts to 162,000 nautical miles in real-time per second, or 186,000 standard miles per second. Cathie stated that, "space and time manifest from the geometric harmonies of the wave motions of light. The fundamental harmonic of light is free space, in geometric terms being an angular velocity of 144,000 minutes of arc per grid second, there being 97,200 gird seconds to one revolution of the earth” (Bruce L. Cathie, The Bridge to Infinity, Adventures Unlimited Press, p. 8).

Note the numbers tied to light below, including 144,000 and 432 hz, the tuning frequency employed for thousands of years for musical instruments prior to our recent change to 440 hz.

 

READ D&C 77:11

Who are the angels who will seal these High Priests?

Four angels who have been given power over the nations of the earth; they have power over the earth to protect or destroy it; one at each of the four “corners” of the earth.

Plus, another angel with the “seal of the living God”.

Michael in the East; associated with air; on earth known as Adam who had the “breath of life” breathed into Him in the Garden of Eden.

Raphael in the South; associated with fire; on earth known as Enoch, who opened the fiery ascent to Heaven and led his city of Zion to refuge there.

Gabriel in the West; associated with water; on earth known as Noah, who survived the Flood and restarted the human family – a “new birth” like a baptism.

Uriel in the North; associated with earth; on earth known as John the Beloved, who asked to walk the earth as a translated being preparing people for Zion and who guards the portal to Heaven with Elijah guarding the other side, in heaven.

The angel with the Seal of the Living God who has power to command the other 4 is “Elias” who was to come to gather the tribes of Israel and restore all things (see D&C 77:9); it is most likely Elijah, who has a mission to restore the High Priesthood keys which have been lost again so that Zion in the latter days will be able to abide the presence of Christ and those “Fathers” who will come with Him in glory – this is done by turning the hearts of the children to the Fathers in Heaven and creating a “welding link” or House of God between those in Zion on earth and the Fathers in Heaven (see also Luke 4:25 and James 5:17).

These five angels have the power to stop the nations of the earth overcoming Zion – because Zion will not fight back and must be protected from heaven (see D&C 87:6 and D&C 45:70).

When do these sealings take place?

Before the “earth, sea, and trees” are “hurt” in the last days.

Before the period of great natural disasters and tribulation, which are still future to us.

What does the sealing do?

Protects those sealed from the “winds of destruction” that are about to come from each corner of the earth.

It is a gathering of the elect.

The sealing is to prepare those sealed to receive the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood from God Himself.

 

READ Revelation 14:1 and 22:4

What is the seal that the 144,000 receive?

It is the “Father’s Name”.

How does this sealing occur?

Angels administer the ordination.

This is preparatory to receiving the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood from God Himself.

No nation, organization or man can stop these angels from their appointed task and none of them has authority to constrain who should or should not be sealed.

 

READ D&C 84:33-42

Are their bodies “renewed” on earth or in the resurrection?

If they have a calling to perform as the 144k, it makes no sense for this renewal to refer to the resurrection.

Having their bodies “renewed” implies a sanctification process where one is filled with glory such that they can stand in the presence of God; or this could also refer to a translated state of being.

What does becoming the “seed of Abraham” mean?

Abraham is one of the “fathers in heaven” to whom we must connect or be “utterly wasted” at the Lord’s return.

He is associated with the High Priesthood and sealing power.

It means that they have been sealed in a welded link, through the spirit or power of Elijah, to Abraham; that they also have received the Holy Order from God, as did Abraham, and are adopted into his family, as he was adopted into the line of Melchizedek, to create an unbroken “link” from Adam to the last sealed person – Abraham is the key for us to connect with the original fathers in heaven who had actual father to son relationships while mortal.

What does it mean that they become the “church, kingdom and elect of God”?

This body of chosen individuals are a “church” and that church is confined to the “elect”.

They are a “kingdom” meaning that they are adopted into the House or Family of God; they are Sons and Daughters or heirs of the kingdom.

Why do all that receive this priesthood receive Christ?

Because that is how this priesthood is received – directly from God via Christ – not from another man.

Who are the “servants” that have been sent first?

The angels that were given power to gather the 144k via sealing them in their foreheads.

Eventually the mortal “144k” also become “servants” via the sealing.

What does Christ do with you after He has received you and ministered to you personally?

He prepares you to enter the Father’s presence (see Mosiah 5:15).

Where He will testify to the Father regarding your standing (see D&C 88:75).

His ministry to you continues; He will take up His abode with you.

What gift does the Father give to those who have been sealed up?

The promise of exaltation and eternal life.

They receive knowledge from the Father that they are His, will inherit from Him all He has, and learned this as a result of the Son’s ministry with them.

Why does God pronounce a “wo” upon those who come not unto this Priesthood?

Because if you don’t receive this priesthood, you do not receive the fullness of the Gospel and you do not have the knowledge that will save you – which can only be received directly from God to you.

Implied is that God’s plan for you is that you go forward and receive this sealing and priesthood – to the degree that you receive a “wo” (or low-key curse) if you don’t do so; this is not a “wouldn’t it be an awesome cherry on top but it doesn’t really matter to your eternal life” sort of expectation from God for us. We receive a “wo” because we didn’t go on to receive that which was there for us to receive – and we were capable of receiving but didn’t.

 

Hiatus

Due to some recent work and life changes, I'm taking a hiatus from the weekly blog.  I will leave the blog up for anyone who would like ...