The Great Crowd

[Witness]

We can not nullify scripture. Each and every thing Revelation tells us about the Great Crowd,  is how the chosen priests  are described in other scriptures.  We must accept the Bible's own interpretation of who the Great Crowd is.

Let us consider only one  of the many descriptions of them....Rev.7:15

"and they render sacred service day and night in his temple".

The "Temple" in Revelation is not the physical "shadow" of the reality to come (Col.2:17; Heb.8:5). The "temple" in Revelation symbolizes the anointed 144000 priests, among whom God dwells (1Cor.3:16; Eph.2:21,22; Rev.7:15 D).

If you read  Heb.10:11; 8:1,2; Num.18:5,6,7; 2Chron.23:6; 1Chron.23:3,4,5,24,28,30,32; Eze.44:5,9,15,16
("day and night" Rev.7:15; 1Chron23:30)

you will see that the Bible says that the only ones permitted to "render sacred service...in the Temple" are God’s priests (2Chron.23:6).

They are the only ones allowed to do this (Num.18:7).
Rev.7:9 tells us that these include those who were not his people (physical Gentiles), but these have now been "shown mercy" and made priests....
physical "Gentiles" made into spiritual Jews and  Holy priests (1Pet.2:10,9; Rev.5:9,10)
by means of spiritual circumcision of the heart (Rom.2:28,29; Col.2:11).

These who serve in God's temple, cannot be spiritual Gentiles (uncircumcised in heart by spirit) who never received the circumcision of the heart (Eze.44:7). Only anointed, spiritual "Jews" and priests receive this circumcision by spirit (Rom.2:28,29) and may enter the temple to render acceptable sacred service (1Pet.2:5; Rev.7:15). 

Those born in the flesh as Gentiles, but who receive a circumcised heart by spirit, become spiritual Jews. (Eph.2:11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21; Eph.2:22; Eph.3:1,2,3,4,5,6]

The Great Crowd can be included in God's priestly group who stand for truth (symbolic meaning of 144000) when that number is regarded as not so much literal and numerical, but as those who testify to truth. There can be a group of Testifiers to Truth ("144000"), later joined by more who Testify to Truth. Although the group increases, the label of that number's meaning, remains the same.

Yet a distinction is made in Rev.7, between the 144000, and those who appear "afterward" (Rev.7:9).
We are told in Rev. ch.20, that the 144000 reign with Christ during the Thousand years (Rev.20:4-6). (which began when Jesus ascended into heaven)   It is after the "Thousand Years", that Satan is released, and the Great Tribulation ensues (Rev.20:2-3,7) (Satan's "short time" of release Rev.20:3; 12:12,17).

During the "Thousand Years", Satan is restrained. Those who rule with Christ during that time, are not overcome by Satan's Beasts and their slave mark (Rev.20:4). After Satan's release, he empowers the false prophet and it's Beast, with powerful deception (Rev.16:13-16; 13:4,11; 20:7-8; 17:14; 20:9; 11:3,5; Jer.5:14; 23:29; Matt.10:20) (2Thess.2:9,11,8; Rev.2:16).
Initially, the Great Crowd are overcome (Rev.13:7; Dan.11:31-33; Rev.13:10 <Col.2:8; Luke21:24; Rev.11:2; Matt.5:13). Of these, a remnant of those who face the Great Tribulation, will be saved (Matt.24:24-25,21-22; Dan.12:1; Jer.23:3; Mark13:26-27). These survivors, are the Great Crowd.

Therefore, the experience of the Great Crowd, differs from the previous faithful priests.
The previous 144000 had never accepted the slave mark of the Beasts (Rev.20:4) who are unleashed during the Great Tribulation (Rev.13:1,11). The remnant (remaining ones of the seed -Rev.12:17,15) are overcome (Rev.13:7), and must be rescued (Jer.31:11; Isa.48:20; 51:11). These are required to repent of their soiled identity, and be given white robes (Zech.3:3-4,8; Rev.3:18; Isa.1:18; Eze.18:27; Rev.19:8; 7:9,14).

Not all, repent (Rev.2:21-22; 9:20-21; 16:9-11) (1Kings8:46-50; Mal.3:6).

The previous group of 144000 were in the Lamb's book of life during Christ's "Thousand Year" reign ("first resurrection"). The "second death"--
    (being overcome by death again, after having received redemption from Adamic sin and "first" death
    -Rom.5:12; John6:63; 5:24; 1Cor.15:45; 1Pet.1:23)
--"has no hold" on those previous "144000" (Rev.20:6; Luke10:19).
Yet for a time, the "sting" of the agents of death (1Cor.15:55,26; Rev.20:5,14), gains a hold on the remnant (Rev.9:10) during Satan's release and Great Tribulation.

When the Chosen who are living after the Thousand Years, are overcome by the released Satan and the resources of his abyss; they are overcome once again by death, having lost their slave mark of God (Deut.11:18), (being slave-marked by the laws of the Beast -Rev.13:16)
(Rev.13:7; 9:4-6,10; 7:3)

Yet there will be those who repent, are saved, and are added to those who receive life (Rev.3:3,19; 20:6,5) "after the thousand years have ended".

This is why the "144000" and the "Great Crowd" are depicted by scripture, as two different groups.
Yet in the end, the survivors of the Great Tribulation, battle for Truth (Rev.12:10-11; Luke 12:8; Rev.6:9-11; Mark 8:35; Rev.11:8), alongside Christ at Armageddon (Rev.17:14; 19:14,8), and are united with the previous "144000", in the Lamb's scroll of life (Zech.3:7-10; Rev.3:5).

pearl doxsey 4womaninthewilderness