Do the 144,00 Survive the Tribulation?

Dr. Couch, since about one third of faithful Jews are left at the end of the tribulation, does this include the 144,000 witnessing Jews mentioned in Revelation 7? 

 

    The 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7:4-8 are sealed and protected for a period of time for a witness during the beginning stages of the tribulation. However God removes His protection of them later on during this terrible period of the wrath. They are mentioned as martyrs in 14:1-5. They are seen worshipping the Lord in glory, singing a new song around the heavenly throne. No one who had not experienced what they did could join in with them in this chorus of praise (v. 3).

    By the time of chapter 14, they have been “purchased from the earth” and taken heavenward. They were “purchased from among men [on earth] as first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (v. 4). In glory they will stand as examples of faithfulness during the awful days of the seven-year tribulation horrors! 

    Covenant and allegorical guys reading this foolishly call this group of 144,000 “Jews” the church, even though John makes it clear they constitute 12,000 Jews from each tribe of Israel! How they do this is beyond me, except the only answer is that they have no clue as to how to practice sound interpretation! But too, they want to replace the Jewish people with the church, and you just can’t do that! Sounds like a tinge of anti-Semitism to me! 

Thanks for asking.

Dr. Mal Couch

The Abrahamic Covenant and The Jewish People

Dr. Couch, the Old Testament is full of the fact that the Abrahamic Covenant is a forever contract to be extended to the Jewish people in the future. How can the Covenant guys deny this and change the dynamics on that promise? 

 

    You’ve got me! It’s a mystery. It must be because of some kind of latent anti-Semitism which, of course, they would deny! I could not help but think of 2 Chronicles 20:7 where Jehoshaphat prays: “Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?”

    You cannot get any more clear than that! This covenant is an eternal one that will not be abrogated by the Lord. See Romans 11:28-29. This passage makes it certain that God will not revoke what He has said. 

    Thanks for asking.

    Dr. Mal Couch

Why Do Reformed and Covenant Teachers Say God Is Through With The Jews?

Dr. Couch, the Reformed and Covenant Theology teachers often say God is through with the Jews, and that the church has replaced Israel forever. How can they do that? 

 

    The answer is simple. They come to the Bible, on this issue, with a philosophy of Replacement, and then conveniently excise the Jews as a restored theocratic people. They do this by their amillennialism and allegorical interpretation. I would love to hear what they do with several passages in the Old Testament that would refute them. 

    In 1 Kings 14:15-16 the Lord says He will uproot Israel from the land for their sins, and “He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam … with which he made Israel to sin.” But comparing this with 2 Kings 14:27 we read: “And the Lord did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.” By the way, this issue has to be kept in the context of what was happening at the time of Jeroboam, though the point is well made and can come down even to today! 

    Israel’s sinfulness, and the punishment that followed, does not mean God is through with the Jews! See my exegesis on this website on Romans 9-11. The Jews are still beloved at this present time in God’s eyes though they are for the most part in unbelief. They are beloved because He made a firm Covenant with their fathers and He will not go against His promises. “From the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (the Lord will not change His mind about making promises to the Jews)” (11:28-29). 

    Thanks for asking,

    Dr. Mal Couch

What About Those Who Deny Or Disdain the Jewish People?

Dr. Couch, will there be a judgment against liberals, allegorists, amillennialists, and preterists, who deny or disdain Zion, the Jewish people, and Israel? 

 

    I personally think so. It is not a small matter to say that the church has replace Israel, and that God will go against all His promised to the nation of Israel. That is a major theological twist, turn, and departure from all that the Bible teaches! There is a spectrum of hatred against the Jews returning to the Land of Israel, and a disdain to the fact that there is coming an actual, historic millennial kingdom in which Christ rules and reigns in Zion, the Holy Land! Liberals seem to hate the most, and the Reformed guys just ignore the fact of God restoring the Jews to a place of favor again. 

    I could not help but think of Psalm 129 and especially verse 5. God says, “Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.” 

    The word hate is “sanah” and can be translated: “be unable or unwilling to put up with,” or “to slight and ignore.” Or, “to disdain.” (Holladay Hebrew Dictionary) The Reformed guys “disdain, ignore, and slight” the Jewish people. They think we dispensational and premillennial teachers are foolish. 

    By the way, Zion here in Psalm 129 is not the church, the new Israel. It is not an allegorical use of the word Zion. Zion here represents the Jewish people, their land, and their covenant promises. The nay-sayers will “be as the grass upon the housetops, which withers before it grows up” (v. 6). They also refuse to bless the Jewish people. Verse 8 closes the Psalm with these thoughts: Those who the Jews and go by Israel do not say: “The blessing of the Lord be upon you (the Jewish people); or, we bless you in the name of the Lord.” They just ignore God’s earthly people! 

    Thanks for asking,

    Dr. Mal Couch

Is The Church Small Compared to the Those in the Thousand Year Kingdom Period?

Dr. Couch, you write about the "key" people in heaven (the church’s destiny) and the "key" people on earth during the kingdom, the Jews. It seems that the seven years that the church is in heaven is small compared to the thousand year kingdom period, in which the church will be serving with Christ on earth. How do you answer? 

 

    You are focusing on the issue of destiny and the issue of "time." The seven years is shorter than the 1000 years. This is still not the point. God has a purpose, program, and function for the two groups, the church and Israel, which are different. Again I urge you to read carefully and slowly Jeremiah 30-33. Try to squeeze a purpose, program, even plan, and specific function for the church in these chapters. To help you out I will do some quoting:

   

• Specific days are coming (the regathering and restoration), 30:3.
• I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel AND Judah, v. 3.
• I will bring them back to the land I gave their forefathers, v. 3.
• They shall possess it, v. 3.
• The words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah, v. 4.
• The birth pangs, v. 6.
• They shall serve the Lord and David their king, p. 9.
• Fear not O Jacob, v. 10.
• I will save you from afar, v. 10.
• Jacob shall return, v. 10.
• He will be at ease, v. 10.
• I will restore you to health, v. 17.
• I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, v. 18.
• I will rebuild the cities and palaces, v. 18.
• I will honor them, v. 19.
• Their congregation will be established before Me, v. 20.
• I will be the God of the families of Israel, 31:1.
• I have [will] draw you with an everlasting love, v. 3.
• You shall plant on the hills of Samaria.
• "Let us go up to Zion," v. 6.
• Time of Jacob’s distress, v. 7.
• I will bring you from the North country, from the remote places of earth, v. 8.
• I am a Father to Israel, v. 9.
• He who scattered Israel will gather him, v. 10.
• Israel shall be radiant over the bounty of the Lord, v. 12.
• They shall return from the land of their enemy, v. 16.
• There is hope for Israel’s future, v. 17.

    I stopped here, but I could go on and on with hundreds if not thousands of verses to quote. Now what is the point I am making? These verses are all about Israel. Let’s focus on these great passages about Israel—this is what the prophets do! And I rejoice with these promises that, even though the church "will be there," they have to do first and foremost will Israel. Don’t be afraid to say the word: Israel, Israel, Israel! For some reason I suspect there is a slight anti-Semitism going on. Certain Christians are just plain tired of praying for Israel. They are "embarrassed" about Israel and all that is taking place now in the Holy Land! The way to crowd out Israel in our thinking is to bring the church forward in its importance in the kingdom. Israel will then be overshadowed! I have several sayings when I find people who "protesteth too much." They have an agenda, "what is their bottom line," etc. 

    I hope this helps, and, thanks for asking.

    Dr. Mal Couch