CHRISTIAN MEDIA RESEARCH

s the persecution of Christians erupts in the wake of the rebellion against the Northern king, the end-time's alignment comes into focus. We have previously noted the two-fold conflict which erupts from within the confines of the "church" in America. One faction consists of those who "forsake the holy covenant" (Daniel 11:30), comprised of the leftist, Christ rejecting Jews, the liberal wing of mainstream denominationalism (including the pro-homosexuals), the "Chrislam" crowd (those apostates now seeking to wed the Gospel with Islam), Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and others ensnared in a variety of incorporated structures which are fundamentally in obedience to the Beast based upon their very charter.

Their opponents are associated with conservative Christ rejecting Jews, the Rapture Cult, the Mormons, Messianic Jews, the Sacred Name cults, elements of the Seventh Day Adventists, and the so called "Two House" heretics -- all linked together via their decidedly Antichrist elevation of Israel (or the legalism inherent in the "Torah Observant" perspective).

These two manifest another layer of the twin horns of Revelation's False Prophet, and this collective is frequently described in Scripture as the multitude. This is the complete "meal," which was predicted to become totally leavened (Matthew 13:33). The two factions form a singularity described in Revelation as "Mystery Babylon" which, in its ecclesiastical mode, is a place where neither Jesus Christ, nor His bride, are found:

"...and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee..." (Revelation 18:23)

Back in Daniel, as the revolt against the Northern king erupts, this cluster of the religious is also seen as the "many," which is certainly a euphemism for the multitude:

"And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days" (Daniel 11:33).

The group which is described as those who "understand," is clarified in Revelation as the 144,000, and they are juxtaposed with the multitude in apocalyptically descriptive language. The 144,000 is not comprised of ethnic Israelites as is widely taught, because the New Testament conclusively teaches the true "Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16) is composed of those redeemed in the realm of the Spirit, with their physical racial status completely inconsequential.

This is a crucial distinction which is not recognized by the Jewish Supremacist faction described above, as the effort to blend and/or rotate salvation with old and new covenants is the primary component of the Spirit of Antichrist. We've already extensively covered the false doctrine which posits that God must somehow still redeem physical Israel, when He has already kept every promise to Israel at the cross. This is the understanding which is presented to the multitude by the 144,000.

The martyrdom of the multitude may be synchronized with the 5th seal of Revelation, the prophetic phase which immediately follows the Pale Horse -- which we've already identified with Barack Obama, the King of the North.

The distinction between the two groups commonly identified as the 144,000 and the multitude is important, because the Scriptural statements which speak of a turning point, or a demarcation line between them, has been commonly used to promote the false doctrine of the Rapture Cult. For instance, the various passages which speak of two men walking up a hill (or two women grinding at the mill, et al) where one is "taken" and the other left," is not the so-called Rapture, but it's not the second coming either:

"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:40).

The one who is "taken" is destroyed, as Jesus described this as analogous to the ones who "knew not" the flood destruction was coming before it came and "took them all away" (Matthew 24:39), but that is hardly the end of the world. Indeed, Jesus does not say this occurs seven years before the last day; neither does He says it occurs on "the last day." What He does say is this separation, when many are taken away, while others are preserved occurs in the days when the end is approaching.

"And as it was in the days of Noe [Noah], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man" (Luke 17:26)

Once again, this is not describing the resurrection, which occurs on "the last day" (John 6:39,40,44,54), but it is describing a separation of the metaphoric wise virgins from the foolish virgins (Matthew 25) -- thus, there is a clue linking those who Daniel says "shall understand and instruct many," with the allegorically virginal Spiritual Israelites seen in the 144,000.

The 144,000 are "sealed," which certainly speaks of a Spiritual provisioning to prepare them for the task to come. Thus, the Spiritually "wise virgins" will lead ("instruct" in Daniel) the multitude through their martyrdom:

"...yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen [helped] with a little help...." (Daniel 11:34)

This is the fashion in which things will continue until the very end of the age. In sharp contrast, the King of the North continues, and serves his own will, even as the 144,000 and the multitude seek to do the will of the Father:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21)

Again, this is contrasted with the one who is called the "willful king," who fulfills the role of Antichrist:

"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself....and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done." (Daniel 11:36)

There are only 8 verses following this turning point, and although they detail the final rounds of conflict before the willful king "shall come to his end" (Daniel 11:45), the most important choices before the believer have already been described. Those in the multitude are, as the text specifies, "many," and their time of decision is NOW.

Although it is theoretically possible the Spiritual segregation between the 144,000 and the multitude has already occurred, Revelation tells us the "sealing" is to occur shortly before a great catastrophe:

"And I saw another angel...saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God...." (Revelation 7:3)

This is yet another indicator that there is s point in the progression in which the number of those who "understand, and shall instruct many" is sealed, and those who are not sealed will be given the choice of martyrdom as a member of the multitude, or to join the Beast and his eternally damned followers.

Whether you end up in the multitude and the martyrs, or were chosen to be sealed, the only choice which manifests the righteousness of God is to do the will of the Father.

"And they that be wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).

An extensive look at the 144,000 and the multitude is found in the book of the same name. For more, listen to the short online audio clip found at THE 144,000 AND THE MULTITUDE.