144,000: is there any denomination or group holding this symbolic interpretation?
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Motivation: We know that a way to express fullness or completion in Hebrew is to double the word, e.g. Isaiah 26:3 speaks of perfect peace as shalom shalom. And there are clear cases in Revelation where the author uses doubles; in fact, at 5:11 he doubles the double! (Myriad myriad, and thousand thousand angels).
My speculation: When we read of the 144,000 (at 12:4) perhaps this could mean something like a perfect completion of multitudes (?) fitting in with verse 9. Of course, an obvious counter would be "But he specifies 12,000 coming from each of the tribes of Israel." Got it.
Yet I wonder if there is still a symbolism going on here. The 12 tribes have corresponding gemstones, as on the high priest's garments -- see Ex 28:21; the gemstones in turn correspond to zodiacal constellations (see, for example, this link ). And it does not seem like too big a stretch to also see those constellations as representative of all nations and tribes and so on, since they circle the earth.
My question: Does anyone know of a denomination, school of thought, or theologian holding this symbolic view, or a compatible view?
Asked by RedRover
(171 rep)
Mar 26, 2015, 04:11 PM
Last activity: Mar 24, 2017, 05:11 PM
Last activity: Mar 24, 2017, 05:11 PM