Those who died in the message of the third angel are sleeping in their tomb until the beginning of the seventh plague, therefore they are resting during the six plagues. The Spirit of Prophecy says that they (the 144,000) “have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation; they have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob’s trouble.”1 Can we harmonize this declaration with the other Testimonies? Yes, we can.

Jacob’s trouble commences when Jesus ends His priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, when the door of probation closes (see PP 201). It will last from that time until Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven. A part of the 144,000 will pass through all the plagues while the other part will not. The reason is:

a) The 144,000 are universally scattered (PK 189), but the plagues are not universal (GC 628).

b) Part of the 144,000 will be sleeping in the dust during the six plagues and will be resurrected at the beginning of the seventh plague.

After the partial resurrection, the time of Jacob’s trouble is still on. Those who are resurrected will pass through a part of the time of trouble and therefore it can be said that they passed through it.

Let us consider another aspect of the matter: 144,000 is sometimes used as the title of that company, whether it is complete, or only a part of that number is taken. We have a similar example in the Bible. The disciples of Jesus were called “the twelve” whether all or only a part of them were present:

“And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve” (1 Corinthians 15:5).

The Bible calls the disciples “the twelve.” When Jesus appeared to them, not all the 12 were present. Judas had already committed suicide. Thomas was not with them (John 20:24). There were not more than ten, but still the Bible says that Jesus was seen by the twelve. This was their title. So it is also with the 144,000. Part of this number will pass through all the plagues and it can be said: “the 144,000 pass through the time of Jacob’s trouble”, the whole identified by a part of them.

After the partial resurrection the time of trouble is not yet finished. From that time on, all the 144,000 will pass through the remainder of it.

This argument is based on the writings of Elder Uriah Smith:

“We remember that the 144,000 live through the time when power is given unto the sun to ‘scorch men with fire.’ ”2

We have already stated that the writer does not contradict himself. In this article about the 144,000 being sealed, he says:

“Finally, it may be said that those who die in the message cannot be a part of the 144,000; for this company come ‘out of great tribulation’ (Revelation 7:14), which would not be true of those who sleep in the grave till six of the plagues are fulfilled. This conclusion should hardly be accepted without a little further consideration. Mark the situation. Raised at the beginning of the seventh plague, they pass through the whole period of that judgment, and witness all its accumulated calamities. From certain passages of scripture it is concluded that the plagues will cover the space of one year. This would give nearly two months after the seventh vial began to be poured out, before the end. But the plagues are cumulative. The first does not cease when the second begins; but the second adds its horrors to the first, the third adds to the others, and so on to the seventh. In the seventh is therefore found the climax of them all.”3

Consider the fifth plague. Those who received the sores at the first plague still suffer the effect of the sores when the fifth one is poured out. (See Revelation 16:2, 10, 11.)

The plagues being cumulative, even after the partial resurrection, they see the sun scorching the wicked. We have already explained that not all of them will pass through the fourth plague because this plague is not universal (GC 628) but the 144,000 are universally scattered. Those who have never died will see the sun scorching the people from the beginning of that plague, and the rest of the 144,000 will see it after the partial resurrection.

We do not know whether the prophetess was referring to the short time of trouble, just before the close of probation (EW 85), or to the time of the great tribulation, Jacob’s trouble. Whatever the case may be, we can see no problem in understanding her declaration.

If the quotation refers to the time prior to the close of probation, all will agree that she will be sleeping then. After the close of probation she will still be sleeping until the beginning of the seventh plague. Therefore, during the longest part of the time of trouble she will be resting. But at the end, when the trouble is not yet over, she will come forth from the grave, not at the last trumpet, but at the voice of God. Passing through the seventh and last plague she will still pass through the great tribulation, for a very short period of time. Therefore, of her it can be declared, that she came out of great tribulation.

The Bible tells us that they are the firstfruits:

“These were redeemed from among men, being first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb.” Revelation 14:4.

At the second coming of Jesus He takes His people to the heavenly garner, but they, the righteous (144,000), are already bound or sealed in bundles. We read that the sealing or binding of the 144,000 in bundles takes place during the preaching of the third angel’s message:

“Said the angel, ‘The third angel is binding, or sealing, them in bundles for the heavenly garner.’ ”4

“I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, ‘Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner.’ ”5

Besides this, we know that the 144,000, are the first ones Jesus will see when He comes, because they will all then be alive, while the others will be sleeping in the dust. A portion of them were the first to be resurrected, and this took place in the partial resurrection. After Jesus acknowledges the 144,000 and declares, “My grace is sufficient for you” (EW 16), He calls the other saints from their graves. It is fitting to call the 144,000 the first-fruits.

After the close of probation, there will be no more intercession. Jesus’ work in the heavenly sanctuary has been finished. The saints will be without an intercessor from the very beginning of the time of trouble. We read about that time as follows:

“As Jesus moved out of the Most Holy place, I heard the tinkling of the bells upon His garment, and as He left, a cloud of darkness covered the inhabitants of the earth. There was then no mediator between guilty man, and an offended God. While Jesus had been standing between God and guilty man, a restraint was upon the people; but when Jesus stepped out from between man and the Father, the restraint was removed, and Satan had the control of man. It was impossible for the plagues to be poured out while Jesus officiated in the Sanctuary; but as his work there is finished, as his intercession closes, there is nothing to stay the wrath of God, and it breaks with fury upon the shelterless head of the guilty sinner, who has slighted salvation, and hated reproof. The saints in that fearful time, after the close of Jesus’ mediation, were living in the sight of a holy God, without an intercessor. Every case was decided, every jewel numbered.”6

When Jesus ends His work in the sanctuary the plagues will be poured out:

“I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus’ work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues.”7

The statement in GC 649 says that the 144,000 have “stood without an intercessor through the final outpouring of God’s judgments.” We understand that the seventh plague, the last one, is the final outpouring of God’s judgments. During the seventh plague, the last one, all the 144,000 are alive, because the partial resurrection takes place at the beginning of the seventh plague. They stand without an intercessor.

Therefore part of the 144,000 will be without an intercessor, during all the seven plagues, and the rest of them during the last plague. (Remember that the plagues are cumulative.) The “final outpouring” of the wrath of God is the seventh plague. All the 144,000 will then be alive. We can see no inconsistency in this Testimony and other parts of the Spirit of Prophecy.

In Revelation 15 we read:

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:2, 3).

Of this company on the sea of glass we read that:

a) they had gotten the victory over the beast, his image, and his mark;

b) they have harps in their hands;

c) they sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb.

In Revelation 14 we read:

“And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Sion, and with him an hundred and forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth” (Revelation 14:1-3).

Here we see that the 144,000:

a) have the name of the Father in their foreheads (compare Revelation 7:2-4);

b) they have harps in their hands;

c) they were singing a new song (the song of Moses and of the Lamb).

“The 144,000 sing a ‘new song before the throne’ (Revelation 14:3), which only they can learn. In a similar setting in ch 15:1-3. John listens as what appears to be the same group of people ‘stand on the sea of glass,’ which is ‘before the throne of God’ (ch 4:6 cf. 14:3; 15:2), singing ‘the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.’ ”8

We understand that these are not two different companies. The 144,000 of Revelation 15:2, 3 and 14:1-5 are the ones who are victorious over the beast, his image, his mark, and the number of his name. They stand on the sea of glass, before the throne, on Mount Sion. The following Testimonies explain this:

“We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square.”9

“While Satan has been urging his accusations, holy angels, unseen, have been passing to and fro, placing upon the faithful ones the seal of the living God. These are they that stand upon Mount Zion with the Lamb, having the Father’s name written in their foreheads. They sing the new song before the throne, that song which no man can learn save the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth. ‘These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.’ ”10

In the Bible a woman symbolizes a church. A pure woman represents the church of God, and a corrupt woman represents an apostate church. See 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 12:1; 17:3-6; Isaiah 4:1.

The 144,000 are not defiled with the false doctrines of other churches. They are not partakers in their communion and have no fellowship with them. They might have once been their members, but having accepted the truth and obeyed the Sabbath, keeping it according to the commandment, they are sealed. They are free from the errors and defilement of other churches that make up Babylon. But especially they believe and teach pure doctrine. In this sense they are virgins.

“So of the 144,000; though some of them may have once had a connection with corrupt churches, they sever that connection when it would become sin to retain it longer.”11

In the parable the word “virgins” is used to represent those who profess a pure doctrine:

“They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith.”12