“a great crowd in heaven, standing in the Sanctuary”
Identifying the “Great Crowd” Seen In Heaven
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”
Those mentioned here in Revelation 14 are the same group mentioned in Revelation 7:15.
“For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His sanctuary. The One seated on the throne will shelter them:”
In chapter 7 they are referred to as a ” great multitude” or “a great crowd”.
Vs 9 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”
It is important to note that they are seen “in the Temple sanctuary“.
We must look at the Temple pattern for understanding here.
Who were the only ones who were consecrated to enter the Temple sanctuary and stand within it?
Answer: Only anointed priest. The ‘sanctuary’ was Holy ground.
If anyone else even attempted to approach this inner court they would have been slain by the Temple guards, who were also priest.
The reality is the most of the family of Israelites never even got close enough to peer into the Temple sanctuary.
To enter the Sanctuary you must be of the priestly order.
In ancient Israel that was but one of twelve tribes that comprised God’s nation. The tribe of Levi.
So this must mean that the “great crowd” mentioned in both Revelation chapter 7 and in chapter 14 are a priestly class and cannot be referring to a human group of kingdom heirs.
The other 11 tribes represented all those part of God’s kingdom (nation) not called by Him into priestly service.
The Sanctuary of Temple of God is literally in Heaven and Scripture clearly tells us that flesh and blood cannot enter Heaven so that it would possible to “worship day and night” there.
These two verses need to be considered within the context of the Biblical pattern God has given us as a guide. Hebrews Chapter 8
144,000 is a very large crowd to have in one place at one time.
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