GREAT CROWD/S:
Revelation 19:1 says that in heaven there is not a
“little flock” as the Watchtower men over Jehovah's Witnesses misteach but rather that there’s a "Great
Crowd." A "Great Crowd" is also mentioned at Revelation 7:9. Nobody could number it from
every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing before God on the throne and also Christ.
They had on white robes, held palm branches and were praising God and the Lamb (Christ). All the angels (no number
specified) stood around the throne, elders and four living creatures. The angels fell down worshipping
God and praising Him. The Great Crowd(s) mentioned in Revelation appear to be humans whose spirits at or sometime after the
death of their bodies have gone on up to heaven. However, some will argue that they might also be
angels. THE SMALLER 144,000 OR 288,000 GROUPS: Also, we can notice that Revelation 7:4 and 14:1 both
speak of 144,000 beings in heaven, assumedly saintly persons who used to have human bodies. Some of the
Bible Students believe each instance is speaking of a different group of 144,000, possibly meaning that a total of 288,000
are in heaven. Interestingly,
that same number of 288,000 crops up earlier in the Bible perhaps coincidentally and perhaps purposefully. 1
Chronicles 27:1 notes that King David was served by 24,000 different men each of the 12 months of the year, and when 24,000
is multiplied by that 12 it also comes to 288,000 total. David’s men may be archetypes of the groups
noted in Revelation even as David, the son of Jesse, is common accepted as an archetype of Jesus Christ whose genealogy includes
David. Revelation 7:1-8 says the 144,000 were
from “all tribes of Israel” with exactly 12,000 sealed in the tribes of Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh,
Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph (in place of Dan and Ephraim) and Benjamin. Some
believe these are literal Jews; others that they may be Jewish Christians, Christians, Abraham’s seed whether genetically,
spiritually or both, etc. It appears very unlikely any are angels but rather that they were all originally
humans. Scripture also notes that those in white
robes had come out of the Great Tribulation, which may refer to an upcoming time of great persecution then or else refer to
the great persecution sustained by the overall one faith of Christianity for some 2,000 years going on to this very day in
some nations such as in some anti-Christian Arabic lands where becoming a Christian is punished by beheading or otherwise
murdered. The 144,000 mentioned in Revelation
14:1 are also before the throne and the four living creatures and elders. They are described as blameless
virgins following the lamb. This means not that they have never had sex but that they are without blemish
in having only followed the lamb, Jesus Christ, not anything or anyone else such as false religion.
ELDERS: Revelation 5:8 speaks of a group of elders in heaven who exactly number 24. Revelation
7:11, 13 and 14:3 may also be speaking of the same elders in heaven. Revelation 4:4 says surrounding the
throne in heaven were 24 elders sitting on other thrones. The word “elder” refers to an older
human being. Angels do not age. Therefore the elders mentioned in Revelation appear
to have been humans when on earth. Christ’s disciples had sometimes argued as to who would get to
sit on the right and left sides of Christ’s throne in heaven. Perhaps some of them composed the 24
elders. There were in fact many disciples of Christ when he walked on earth although the apostles are reckoned
as being but 12.
ANGELS AND OTHER CREATURES:
Ezekiel 10 speaks of four winged cherubims each with different
faces: cherub, human, lion, eagle. Their bodies were filled with eyes. Elsewhere in
the Bible we find mention of other types of angels, for example the seraphim. There are also myriads and myriads of angels (Da 7:10, Mt 26:53, He 12:22-23)
Re 4:6 describes creatures remindful of a lion, calf, man and eagle each with six wings and many eyes. The word “creatures”
similarly mentioned as in heaven, but whether the same in appearance or not, are also mentioned at Re 5:13, 7:11 and 14:3.
The book of Ezekiel speaks of creatures that are not
earthly and thus assumed to also be somewhere in either the starry heavens or the third heaven which is the presence of God.
Ezekiel chapter 1 speaks of four creatures in form like humans but with
four faces and four wings, straight legs, calf-like feet, gleaming like burnished bronze. They have two
wings extending outward and touching the others plus still another two wings that covered their bodies. Beneath
their wings on their four sides they had human hands. Their faces were like that of a human, lion, ox and
eagle SEVEN SPIRITS: Also, it is interesting to note that before the throne (Re 4) were 7 blazing lamps that are
God's 7 spirits. God’s 7 spirits are mentioned in other parts of the Bible as well.
MISCELLANEOUS: Some other creatures in heaven, the presence of God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ, are
horses or horse-like creatures often called the Four Horses of the Apocalypse. There is also the Wild Beast
of Revelation. CONCLUSION: Thus, in Revelation and elsewhere in the Bible there
is mention made of various groups of beings in heaven besides God Almighty. Some are in at least one (Re
19:1) if not two (Re 7:9, 19:1) Great Crowds. There is also at least one group of 144,000 (Re 7:4/14:1)
if not two such groups for a total of 288,000 (Re 7:4 + 14:1). There are elders who almost certainly were
humans, possibly early disciples of Jesus Christ while upon earth, myriads and myriads of angels, horses or horse-like creatures,
a Wild Beast, God’s 7 spirits etc. Heaven must be a very exciting and interesting place! But, then, that’s exactly what you
would expect in the presence of God Almighty Himself.
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