There is so much confusion about the number of people who will go to Heaven, and it stems from the misinterpretation of Revelations 7:4. It is stated in the Bible that the Mark of God will seal 144000 people. Some preachers interpret it literally, while some have gone deeper to clear the confusion. So, how many people will go to Heaven?
Although 144000 has been mentioned in Revelation 7:4, it does not mean that only 144000 people will go to Heaven, considering that the Book of Revelation is full of symbolism. The Bible mentions that Jesus prepared many rooms during his Father’s hours for the saved ones, as written in John 14:2-14. Also, John’s vision of many people dressed in white robes implies that many uncountable people will go to Heaven.
So Is the bible specific on the number of people going to Heaven? Which bible verse talks about the people that will go to Heaven? How do Christians interpret the 144000 number in the Bible? Can Heaven accommodate only 144000 people?
Is the Bible specific on the number of people that will go to Heaven?
Judging from the scriptures, the Bible is not specific on the number of people who will go to Heaven. The commonly misinterpreted number, 144000, refers to sealed church militants who will perform their mission during tribulation, and God will protect them from the harsh antichrist group.
Scriptures of the Bible suggest that a great multitude of people who will be uncountable will make it to Heaven. Revelations 7:9 says, “After this, I looked, and there was an enormous crowd- no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and LanguageLanguage, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” This verse implies that many people will go to Heaven, more than 144000, as others get misled.
Which bible verse talks about the people that will go to Heaven?
The book of Matthew 7:21 states, “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.” This implies that people who will go to Heaven are those saved by God’s grace and live in a manner that pleases them.
Also, people who will go to Heaven believe in Jesus Christ and live by his teachings. John 14:6 says that “Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.”
Also, John 3:16, ” For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” Having eternal life implies going to Heaven. Therefore, the people who will go to Heaven should believe in Jesus.
Revelations 7:9 says, “After this, I looked, and there was an enormous crowd- no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and LanguageLanguage, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” All saved people who live in faith from all over the world will go to Heaven, as implied.
How do Christians interpret the 144000 number in the Bible?
The interpretation of Christians about the 144000 number in the Bible differs from denomination to denomination. The most famous is the understanding of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which suggests that 144000 should be taken literally. Let us look at the interpretation of other Christians.
The number is found in Revelations 7:4, and Christians believe that the book of revelations was written in the apocalyptic Language. Apocalyptic Language was the famous literary Language in Hebrew during the time of the writing of the New Testament. When reading pieces written in Apocalyptic language, readers should perceive things figuratively. From this perspective, Christians believe there is more space for people who will be saved in Heaven because they do not interpret the 144000.
Christians also use a futurist approach in interpreting the number 144000 as written in Revelations 7:4. This approach analyzes the number literally. The 144000 is interpreted as God’s chosen people living in the end times. Literary, this will be 12000 Jews selected from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. It is suggested that God had sealed the 144000 to protect them from any harsh judgments during the era of the antichrist.
The 144000 are regarded as the church militant who will freely perform their mission during the end times. Going back to the prophecies, it is implied that the people of Israel will repent and turn to God. Zechariah 12:10, “I will fill the descendants of David and the other people of Jerusalem with the spirit of mercy and prayer. They will look at the one they stabbed to death and mourn for him like those who mourn for an only child. They will mourn bitterly, like those who have lost their first-born son.”
And Romans 11:25-27 much more stress in verse 26, “And this is how all Israel will be saved. As the scripture says, “The Savior will come from Zion and remove all wickedness from the descendants of Jacob.” Christians believed that these two scriptures imply that by the time it gets to end times, the 12 tribes of Israel will have been saved, and the 144000 will stem from the newly saved Jews. Christians believe this chosen 144000 will be responsible for post-rapture evangelization, leading to the conversion of the most significant number of people to believing in Christ.
Can Heaven accommodate only 144000 people?
The mention of 144000 people going to Heaven does not directly imply that Heaven will accommodate only 144000 people. Although there is no explicit mention of the number of people that will go to Heaven in the Bible, there are verses that suggest many people will go to Heaven.
The book of Revelations 7:9 says, “After this, I looked, and there was an enormous crowd—no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and LanguageLanguage, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” John’s vision implies that there will be uncountable people from all walks of life in Heaven. When he says that he saw people from every race, LanguageLanguage, tribe, and nation, it implies that people from all over the world will have access to Heaven provided they pass judgment.
This disqualifies the idea that Heaven will accommodate only 144000 people, as suggested by some preachers who interpret Revelations 7:4 because the verse says that the 144000 people will be formed from the 12 tribes of Israel. Contrary to this, John’s vision suggests that Heaven will accommodate people from all nations and tribes, which is undoubtedly more than 144000 people.
It is suggested that 144000 has nothing to do with people who will be in Heaven. It is only a number that describes the righteous Christians that will prepare for a war that will be on earth. They are often referred to as church militant or church triumphant.
Heaven does not have any limited capacity for the people who will be there because the gospel meant to save people and help them make it to Heaven is not limited to certain people. Jesus is preparing a place in Heaven for all the people who have faith in Him and have accepted his gospel, living in a way that pleases God. John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” This verse implies that anyone who believes in Jesus will have eternal life, which means going to Heaven. Based on this fact, Heaven does not have a limited capacity known to humans.
Also, John 14:2 says that “There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so.” This verse implies that Heaven is big enough with a lot of space to accommodate anyone God’s grace will save.
Also, Romans 10:13 says, “As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.” This verse implies that anyone can choose to go to Heaven and live in a manner that pleases God, even though not everyone will go to Heaven. Every saved person from all over the world will go to Heaven, implying that the idea that 144000 is the total capacity of Heaven is misleading.
References
Will there be more people in Heaven or in hell?
Is it true that only 144,000 people are going to Heaven (Revelation 7:4)?
How Many People Can Go To Heaven? Learn the Truth
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
