Brother, I have reasons why I do things, I don't just do them. I will walk you through it later, but the book of Revelation is metaphor after metaphor The stars are angels, the locusts are demons, animal beasts are kingdoms, the woman = Israel in Rev. 12 and the Red Dragon = Satan. The seven candlesticks are seven churches. The seven eyes and seven spirits = an omnipresent God. A slain lamb represents Jesus Christ etc. etc..........well you get the picture.
So why do you think a number (144,000) used in like manner in the book of Revelation is odd ? Its not. You can choose to see the book of Revelation as literal if you like, but everyone knows it is not literal, I don't even think you think that its literal in full, you mean the way you see this 144,000 is literal I assume. But we can't pick and choose, we can't be surprised if someone says hey, I think this is metaphoric in nature, because much of Revelation is metaphoric of symbolic in nature.
So why did I come to see the 144,000 as symbolic of Israel as a nation ? Good question. I didn't just come to that conclusion by accident. The first inclination was discovering the the 144,000 supposed "JEWISH PREACHERS" are never called that anywhere in scriptures, nowhere does the bible infer they will spread the gospel, the bible says that an Angel spreads the Gospel.
In Rev. 14 we are shown the 144,000 on Mt. Zion with Jesus, told they are virgins which I think means they have repented and accepted Jesus, etc. etc. etc. then we get this:
Rev. 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
So nowhere are the 144,000 called preachers of the Gospel, that is a misnomer. When anyone finds it, get back to me, it's not in the bible anywhere, yet they are called 144,000 preachers. So who are they then if they are not preachers I thought to myself !! Let's delve into it I thought, so I did. And I discovered the first place they are mentioned is after the Seals and just before the Trumpet Judgments, and God is telling the Angels to HOLD BACK the Trumpet Judgments (Seas, Earth, Trees) until the 144,000 are SEALED !! Then it hit me, why would God not want to hurt the TREES, SEAS & EARTH until the 144,000 are SEALED/PROTECTED ? That must mean they would be IN DANGER of these coming Judgments, that must mean this is referring to Israel who are Fleeing Judea unto Petra at about this same time.
Thus we get all of the tribes instead of just the Livite Priesthood tribe (we don't get Dan, it seems John understood there was a legend going around that the Anti-Christ would be from the tribe of Dan, so he just left it off, that comes from my studies). We get 12 x 12 x 12 or the Fulness of Israel or ALL ISRAEL, not every Jew, but Israel as a Nation is preserved via those who repent and flee Judea unto Petra.
They have to be men on earth or the Trumpet Judgments would not hurt them, but the Angels were ordered to HOLD OFF from bringing those Judgments until these 144,000 were SEALED or PROTECTED, I think this means they had to wait on the Jews to get to Petra and then they could release the Trumpet Judgments, and in Rev. 8 we see the Trumpet Judgments affect the EARTH, SEAS AND TREES !! Do other scriptures in Revelation jibe with this ? Yes, Rev. 18:4
Rev. 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
So the Jews Flee Judea to Petra, God orders the Angels in Rev. 7 to hold of on the Trumpet Judgments (Plagues) until the "144,000" are SEALED. And then in Rev. 18:4 we see the exact same thing, God is saying, come out of her MY PEOPLE (Israel) that you don't get hit with the PLAGUES I am about to rain down upon Babylon (the wicked world).
What is the only thing we need to do to get to the point of understanding that the 144,000 is in fact the Jews who are fleeing Judea to Petra ? We just have to put the puzzle/FACTS together to see what makes sense. Are the 144,000 Jewish Preachers as the lore goes or are they actually just Israel fleeing Judea and God protecting them ? I say the evidence suggests the latter, nowhere in all the bible does it say the 144,000 are preaching the Gospel. We get them coming out of all the tribes of Israel as in all 12 tribes of Israel, and thus we get 12,000 from each tribe. So every tribe TIMES 12,000 = All the Jews are represented IN FULL !! 12 x 12 x 12.
We know they are not dead Jews who are raised and given a new body in that they need PROTECTION from the coming Trumpet Plagues, so they are human beings who live on earth whom God has to protect. In Rev. 18:4 we see that God calls them to "come out" of Babylon, lest they partake in her sins and her Judgments. Then in Rev. 14 we see them show up on Mt. Zion with Jesus, so Jesus gathers them unto himself as he returns at the Second Coming.
This is why I see the 144,000 as ALL ISRAEL. The 1/3 who come through the fire in Zechariah 13: will be ALL ISRAEL.
Zech. 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.