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WIE IS DIE 144 000?

WIE IS DIE 144 000?

Daar is deur die geskiedenis heen baie bespiegel oor wie die 144 000 van Openbaring hoofstuk sewe uitmaak. Verteenwoordig hulle die totaliteit van die gereddes of net ‘n subgroep van die gereddes? Is hulle die letterlike biologiese afstammelinge van Abraham? Is dit ‘n letterlike of simboliese getal?

Die Bybel gee nie ‘n spesifieke antwoord nie. Dit sê nie “die 144 000 is so en so” nie; Daarom word ons oorgelaat om die gewig van Bybelse bewyse te ondersoek en tot ons eie gevolgtrekking te kom.

Om hierdie vraag te ondersoek is ‘n goeie oefening om te redeneer, Bybelse bewyse te weeg en te balanseer, en om ons gedagtes oop te hou vir nuwe insigte en waarhede – dit wil sê om nie dogmaties te raak en daarop aan te dring dat ‘n mens se gevolgtrekking die enigste moontlike regte antwoord is nie. Terwyl ek my gedagtes deel oor wie ek tans glo hierdie groep verteenwoordig, erken ek ook dat my begrip groei en die waarheid altyd ontvou; ek stel dus nie my bevindinge as ‘n finale, absolute gevolgtrekking nie, net dat dit my beste begrip is van die bewyse wat ek tans het. Wanneer nuwe bewyse of beter verduidelikings na vore kom, moet ons gretig wees om te groei en bereid wees om ons gevolgtrekkings op te dateer.

Met dit in gedagte, is daar ‘n paar feite wat ons moet identifiseer wat die raamwerk vir ons gevolgtrekkings sal stel.

Eerstens is Openbaring ‘n boek vol simboliek; baie min van die teks moet letterlik verstaan word. Byvoorbeeld, lampe, sterre, die Lam, draak, diere, horings, boek met seëls, bakke, vroue en meer is almal simbolies van iets anders.

As ons dus die 144 000 beskou, met 12 000 uit twaalf stamme van Israel, moet ons besluit of die getal letterlik of simbolies opgeneem moet word. Die algehele simboliese aard van die boek dui daarop dat dit ‘n simboliese getal is, en daar is ander leidrade wat die simboliese interpretasie ondersteun, soos die name van die stamme – wat nie die presiese lys van die oorspronklike twaalf stamme is nie (sien hieronder).

Nog ‘n rede om die getal as simbolies te verstaan, is dat baie van die beeldspraak van Openbaring uit die Ou Testamentiese heiligdomsdiens geneem is en dat alles in daardie diens simbolies, ‘n metafoor, ‘n opgevoerde onderrigtingsles was, en nie letterlik opgeneem moes word nie. Voorbeelde van die heiligdomsimboliek in Openbaring sluit in kandelaar (Openbaring 2:1), die offerlam (Openbaring 5:6; 12), die tempel (Openbaring 3:12), Jesus as Hoëpriester (Openbaring 1:13-20), bakke vol wierook (Openbaring 5:8), goue wierookbak en goue altaar (Openbaring 8:3), wit klere (Openbaring 7:9; 13), en die verbondsark (11:19).

Toe God deur Moses opdrag gegee het vir die Jode om ‘n kamp rondom die heiligdom op te rig, het hulle dit met dertien, nie twaalf stamme gedoen nie. Daar was dertien stamme omdat Josef ‘n dubbele erfenis ontvang het en dus het albei sy seuns, Manasse en Efraim, ‘n volle erfenis ontvang. Rondom die heiligdom aan al vier kante was daar dus drie stamme, altesaam twaalf stamme, maar tussen daardie twaalf stamme en die heiligdom het die Leviete vir ‘n totaal van dertien stamme kamp opgeslaan.

Hierdie uitleg van die stamme verteenwoordig simbolies die verlossingsplan – die werklikheid van hoe dit werk. Die heiligdom is die simboliese plek waarin sondaars herstel word tot eenheid met God, waarin sonde verwyder word en versoening met God en die hemel plaasvind. Die Leviete verteenwoordig die priesterskap van gelowiges, wie se missie is om die evangelie van verlossing na die mense in al vier uithoeke van die aarde te bring, verteenwoordig deur die twaalf ander stamme aan die vier kante van die heiligdom. Die twaalf stamme aan die vier kante verteenwoordig die onbekeerde volke van die wêreld wat na die heiligdom van God kom vir redding deur die getuienis van God se volk (die Leviete – priesterskap van gelowiges).

My gevolgtrekking dat die 144,000, 12,000 van elke stam, ‘n simboliese groep is wat uit die Ou-Testamentiese heiligdomsimboliek getrek is, word ondersteun deur Openbaring wat hoogs simbolies is, die simboliese aard van die heiligdomsdiens, en die verandering in die lys van die twaalf stamme van die oorspronklike twaalf na die gewysigde lys in Openbaring. Maar daar is meer …

Nog ‘n leidraad vir hulle simboliese aard is dat die 144 000 die “knegte van ons God” genoem word. Dwarsdeur die Skrif word die term “dienskneg” herhaaldelik op God se profete toegepas. En God se profete is nie primêr diegene wat die toekoms voorspel soos Daniël en Johannes nie, maar hulle is God se woordvoerders, die individue wat deur Hom na die mense van daardie tyd gestuur is met ‘n boodskap van God spesifiek vir hulle (1 Konings 14:18; 2 Konings 9:7, 17:23, 21:10; Esra 9:11; Jeremia 7:25, 25:4, 26:5, 29:19, 35:15; Esegiël 38:17; Daniël 9:10; Sagaria 1:6). Soos Amos geskryf het:

Die oppermagtige HERE doen niks sonder om sy diensknegte, die profete, daaroor in te lig nie (Amos 3:7 NLV11, beklemtoning myne).

Dit sou die hoogtepunt van die gebeure op planeet Aarde insluit – God sou nie die plan voltooi sonder om dit eers aan sy “dienaars die profete” te openbaar nie, wat hier as die 144,000 voorgestel word.

In die konteks van Openbaring 7 kom ‘n engel uit die hemel na die engele aan die vier hoeke van die aarde, wat die vier punte van die kompas verteenwoordig (oos, wes, noord, suid) – met ander woorde, die hele planeet – wat die uitleg van die twaalf stamme aan die vier kante van die heiligdom weerspieël (oos, wes, noord, suid). So, die simboliek is dat God se engele onder al die mense van die wêreld werk en die winde van twis terughou totdat die mense wat deur God geroep is om sy boodskappers van die finale oproep tot verlossing te wees, verseël is; dan word die vier winde losgemaak.

Die 144,000 van Openbaring 7 verteenwoordig dus God se eindtydse woordvoerders. Hierdie mense is deur God verseël – so gevestig in die waarheid, beide intellektueel en geestelik, dat hulle nie beweeg kan word nie – en is aan die vier uithoeke van die aarde gevestig. Sodra hierdie woordvoerders gevestig is en dus gereed is om die finale boodskap van genade aan die wêreld te gee, word die vier winde stadig losgemaak en uit die getuienis van die 144,000, reageer ‘n groot menigte van elke nasie, geslag, stam en volk om Jesus te aanvaar en word gered! (Openbaring 7:9).

 

DIE NAME VAN DIE STAMME EN HUL BETEKENIS

Maar daar is ‘n bykomende wenk gevind in die name van die twaalf stamme wat in Openbaring gekies is, wat gewig gee aan my gevolgtrekking dat dit ‘n simboliese voorstelling van mense is en nie die letterlike genetiese afstammelinge van Jakob nie – naamlik dat die lys van stamme in ‘n ander volgorde as die geboorte volgorde gegee word en een van die oorspronklike stamme ontbreek (Dan).

In die Skrif het name van mense betekenis. Die naam “Jakob” beteken bedrieër, maar toe hy hom bekeer het, is sy naam verander na “Israel”, wat beteken iemand wat saam met God oorwin.

As ons die name van Jakob se twaalf seuns, die vaders van die oorspronklike twaalf stamme, in die volgorde van hul geboorte ondersoek en die betekenis vir elke naam verskaf, vind ons ‘n boodskap – en wanneer ons dieselfde ding doen met die twaalf stamme wat in Openbaring 7 gelys word, vind ons ‘n baie kragtige verandering in die boodskap.

Die oorspronklike twaalf stamme:

Ruben beteken kyk, ‘n seun word vir ons gebore.

Simeon bedoel om te hoor.

Levi beteken wat saamgevoeg of aangesluit word, aangeheg.

Juda beteken loof die Here.

Dan beteken regter, oordeel.

Naftali beteken stoei, my stryd.

Gad beteken geluk.

Aser beteken geseënd of gelukkig.

Issaskar beteken lone, huur of beloning.

Sebulon beteken verheffing, heerlike woonplek.

Josef beteken vermeerder, mag hy by my gesin voeg.

Benjamin (Ben-Oni) beteken seun van my regterhand, seun van geregtigheid.

So, in die volgorde van hulle geboorte, gee die twaalf seuns van Israel die volgende boodskap:

Kyk, ‘n Seun, ons Verlosser, sal vir ons gebore word, een wat ons sal hoor en hom by ons sal aansluit. Loof die Here, Hy sal ons stryd beoordeel en vir ons geluk, seëninge, vreugde, beloning bring en ons verhef na sy heerlike woonplek, wat ons sy familie maak – die kinders van geregtigheid.

Die oorspronklike twaalf name in die volgorde van hul geboorte het die boodskap van Jesus, die koms van die beloofde Messias, vasgelê. Maar let op die subtiele maar belangrike en kragtige verandering in die boodskap in die manier waarop Openbaring die name verander en Dan met Manasse vervang:

Die twaalf stamme in Openbaring 7:

Juda beteken loof die Here.

Ruben beteken kyk, ‘n seun word vir ons gebore.

Gad beteken geluk.

Aser beteken geseënd of gelukkig.

Naftali beteken stoei, my stryd.

Manasse beteken om te vergeet.

Simeon bedoel om te hoor.

Levi beteken saamgevoeg of aangesluit word, aangeheg.

Issaskar beteken lone, huur of beloning.

Sebulon beteken verheffing, heerlike woonplek.

Josef beteken vermeerder, mag hy by my gesin voeg.

Benjamin (Ben-Oni) beteken seun van my regterhand, seun van geregtigheid.

Nou lui die boodskap:

Loof die Here, want God se Seun is vir ons gebore en het vir ons die geluk van sy geneesmiddel gebring, ons genees en herstel tot geluk, en ons stryd is nou vergete deur Hom wat ons pleidooi gehoor het en Homself by ons aangesluit het en ons van sonde losgekoop het. Deur Hom ontvang ons nou ons ewige beloning en word ons geëerd om deel te wees van God se hemelse familie, nageslag van geloof in God se regterhand – Jesus Christus, kinders van geregtigheid.

As my begrip van hierdie verse korrek is, wag God vir diegene wat sy spesiale eindtydse woordvoerders sal wees, om in die waarheid gevestig te word sodat geen beproewing, verdrukking of moeilikheid hulle uit hul liefde en lojaliteit aan Hom sal skud nie, en in staat is om die waarheid oor sy karakter en regering te vertel in die agtergrond van die Groot Stryd – wat beteken, hulle het teruggekeer na Skepperaanbidding en verstaan God se wet as ontwerpwet.

Wanneer dit gebeur, begin die vier winde losgelaat word en verskriklike rampe, verdrukkinge, oorloë, konflikte, pessiektes en ander manifestasies van Satan se mag neem toe, wat die kontras tussen die boodskap van barmhartigheid van God en die kwaadaardigheid van die bose al hoe skerper en makliker maak om te sien, sodat mense in staat sal wees om die twee kante in hierdie konflik te onderskei en self te kies om die dierlike magte van hierdie wêreld te verwerp en hulself aan Jesus Christus oor te gee en vir ewig gered word.

Ek nooi jou uit om een van God se eindtydse woordvoerders te word, gevestig in liefde en lojaliteit aan God, ‘n verteenwoordiger van God se koninkryk wat die waarheid verstaan in die raamwerk van die Groot Stryd, wat die menslike wetsleuen verwerp het, en wat God as Skepper aanbid en sy wette as ontwerpwette verstaan. Want wanneer sy woordvoerders verseël is, dan word die vier winde losgelaat en sal Jesus binnekort terugkeer!

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