The Partial Preterist View of Revelation 7: The 144,000 and the Great Multitude

Introduction

The book of Revelation, rich in symbolism and prophetic imagery, has invited a range of interpretations throughout church history. Among these, the partial preterist view stands distinct in its conviction that much of Revelation’s prophetic content was fulfilled in the first century, particularly in the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Revelation 7, often viewed futuristically by dispensationalists, is instead understood in this view as a vision of God’s preservation of His covenant people and judgment upon apostate Israel during the Jewish War.

The Sealing of the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-8)

In the partial preterist framework, Revelation 7:1-8 depicts the sealing of 144,000 servants of God from the twelve tribes of Israel before the outpouring of divine judgment. Former Adventists Philippines maintain that this sealing represents faithful Jewish Christians who heeded Christ’s warning in Matthew 24:15-22 and escaped the catastrophic judgment upon Jerusalem. The number 144,000 is understood symbolically, representing the fullness of the remnant within ethnic Israel preserved from destruction. This aligns with Paul's affirmation in Romans 11:5 of a "remnant chosen by grace." The four angels holding back the winds (Rev. 7:1) signify the temporary restraint of judgment to allow for this sealing, mirroring Ezekiel 9:4-6, where God marks His faithful before judgment falls on Jerusalem.

Biblical Verses and Commentary:

Matthew 24:16-22: Jesus warns the disciples to flee when they see the abomination of desolation, which partial preterists identify as events during the siege of Jerusalem.¹

¹⁶ “Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. ¹⁷A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house, ¹⁸ and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. ¹⁹ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! ²⁰Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. ²²Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect." Matthew 24:16-22 (CSB)

Romans 11:5: Paul acknowledges a faithful remnant within Israel, consistent with the 144,000 sealed servants.²

"In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace." Romans 11:5 (CSB)

Ezekiel 9:4-6: The vision of God’s mark upon the faithful precedes judgment, a type fulfilled in Revelation 7.³

"4 “Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem,” the LORD said to him, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the detestable practices committed in it.” 5 He spoke to the others in my hearing: “Pass through the city after him and start killing; do not show pity or spare them! 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, as well as the children and older women, but do not come near anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple." Ezekiel 9:4-6 (CSB)

The Great Multitude (Revelation 7:9-17)

In verses 9-17, the vision shifts to a countless multitude from “every nation, tribe, people, and language.” The Former Adventists Philippines view this as the inclusion of Gentile believers, who, alongside the faithful Jewish remnant, form the new covenant community. This gathering fulfills Old Testament promises, such as in Isaiah 49:6, where the Servant of the Lord is made a light for the Gentiles. The multitude’s presence before the throne (Rev. 7:9) signals the vindication of the persecuted saints during the Neronic persecution (AD 64-68). This is connected to the martyrs under the altar in Revelation 6:9-11, now receiving white robes and eternal comfort.⁴

Biblical Verses and Commentary:

Isaiah 49:6: God's salvation extends beyond Israel to the Gentiles, anticipated in the multitude before the throne.⁵

"He says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant, raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 (CSB)

Revelation 6:9-11: The souls under the altar cry out for justice, now answered in Revelation 7's vision of their vindication.⁶

"9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood? ” 11 So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been." Revelation 6:9-11 (CSB)

Historical Fulfillment and the Fall of Jerusalem

The partial preterist reading emphasizes that both the sealing of the 144,000 and the appearance of the great multitude occur within the historical context of the Jewish War (AD 66-70). The Former Adventists Philippines interpret the "great tribulation" (Rev. 7:14) not as a future global apocalypse, but as the unparalleled calamity described by Jesus in Matthew 24:21. Josephus, a first-century historian, corroborates this, documenting unprecedented suffering during Jerusalem’s siege. The vision of believers in heavenly worship (Rev. 7:15-17) reflects both the immediate deliverance of the faithful from earthly judgment and their spiritual triumph in the heavenly realm.⁷

Biblical Verses and Commentary:

Matthew 24:21: The "great tribulation" refers to Jerusalem's destruction, the worst disaster in Jewish history.⁸

"For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again." Matthew 24:21 (CSB)

Luke 21:20-22: Jesus describes Jerusalem's siege as a day of vengeance, fulfilling all written prophecy.⁹

"20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that its desolation has come near. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it, 22 because these are days of vengeance to fulfill all the things that are written." Luke 21:20-22 (CSB)

Conclusion

The Former Adventists Philippines interpret Revelation 7 within a first-century fulfillment framework. The chapter serves as a covenantal transition narrative: preserving a remnant from apostate Israel, gathering Gentile believers, and heralding judgment upon the old covenant order. Far from a distant end-time prophecy, Revelation 7 proclaims God’s faithfulness to His people amid tribulation and His establishment of a new covenant community, realized historically through the events surrounding AD 70.

Endnotes

1. Matthew 24:16-22, ESV.

2. Romans 11:5, ESV.

3. Ezekiel 9:4-6, ESV.

4. David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Tyler, TX: Dominion Press, 1987), 196-197.

5. Isaiah 49:6, ESV.

6. Revelation 6:9-11, ESV.

7. Kenneth Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation (Atlanta: American Vision, 1998), 173-174.

8. Matthew 24:21, ESV.

9. Luke 21:20-22, ESV.