144000 (number)
Encyclopedia
| List of numbers - Integers 100000 100000 (number) One hundred thousand is the natural number following 99999 and preceding 100001. In scientific notation, it is written as 105.In South Asia, one hundred thousand is called a lakh... 144000 1000000 |
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| Cardinal Cardinal number In mathematics, cardinal numbers, or cardinals for short, are a generalization of the natural numbers used to measure the cardinality of sets. The cardinality of a finite set is a natural number – the number of elements in the set. The transfinite cardinal numbers describe the sizes of infinite... |
144000 |
| Ordinal Ordinal number In set theory, an ordinal number, or just ordinal, is the order type of a well-ordered set. They are usually identified with hereditarily transitive sets. Ordinals are an extension of the natural numbers different from integers and from cardinals... |
144000th |
| Roman numeral | |
| Factorization Factorization In mathematics, factorization or factoring is the decomposition of an object into a product of other objects, or factors, which when multiplied together give the original... |
27 × 32 × 53 |
| Binary Binary numeral system The binary numeral system, or base-2 number system, represents numeric values using two symbols, 0 and 1. More specifically, the usual base-2 system is a positional notation with a radix of 2... |
100011001010000000 |
| Hexadecimal Hexadecimal In mathematics and computer science, hexadecimal is a positional numeral system with a radix, or base, of 16. It uses sixteen distinct symbols, most often the symbols 0–9 to represent values zero to nine, and A, B, C, D, E, F to represent values ten to fifteen... |
23280 |
144000 is a natural number
Natural number
In mathematics, the natural numbers are the ordinary whole numbers used for counting and ordering . These purposes are related to the linguistic notions of cardinal and ordinal numbers, respectively...
. It has significance in several religious movements. In the Mayan calendar, a baktun
Baktun
A baktun is 20 katun cycles of the ancient Maya Long Count Calendar. It contains 144,000 days, equivalent to 394.26 tropical years. The Classic period of Maya civilization occurred during the 8th and 9th baktuns of the current calendrical cycle. The current baktun will end, or be completed, on...
is a period of 144,000 days.
Christianity
The number 144,000 has religious significance for ChristiansChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
because of its use in the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, where it appears three times:
- Revelation 7:3-8 (ESVEnglish Standard VersionThe English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
)
- Revelation 14:1 (ESVEnglish Standard VersionThe English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
)
- Revelation 14:3-5 (ESVEnglish Standard VersionThe English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
)
The numbers 12,000 and 144,000 are variously interpreted in traditional Christianity. Some, taking the numbers in Revelation to be symbolic, believe it represents all of God's people throughout history in the heavenly Church. Others insist the numbers 12,000 and 144,000 are literal numbers and representing either descendants of Jacob (also called Israel in the Bible) or others to whom God has given a superior destiny with a distinct role at the time of the end of the world
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
. One understanding is that the 144,000 are recently converted Jewish evangelists sent out to bring sinners to Jesus Christ during the seven year tribulation period. Another is that the 144,000 are a larger version of the ancient Israelite army, sent out at the end of the tribulation period to kill the ungodly. Preterists
Preterism
Preterism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets prophecies of the Bible, especially Daniel and Revelation, as events which have already happened in the first century A.D. Preterism holds that Ancient Israel finds its continuation or fulfillment in the Christian church at the...
believe they are Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians is a term which appears in historical texts contrasting Christians of Jewish origin with Gentile Christians, both in discussion of the New Testament church and the second and following centuries....
, sealed for deliverance from the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D
Siege of Jerusalem (70)
The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the decisive event of the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in...
. Dispensationalist Tim LaHaye
Tim LaHaye
Timothy F. LaHaye is an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker. He is best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins. He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.-Early life:LaHaye was born in Detroit,...
, in his commentary Revelation: Illustrated and Made Plain (Zondervan, 1975), considers the 144,000 in Revelation 7 to refer to Jews and those in Revelation 14 to refer to Christians.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
believe that exactly 144,000 faithful Christians will be resurrected to heaven to spend eternity with God as spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
beings. They believe that this number is made up of early Christians and some of Jehovah's Witnesses who profess to be "anointed" (or part of "spiritual Israel"), rather than being composed of literal descendants of Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
. Witnesses believe that the 144,000 have been selected by God since Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
33 C.E. They believe the 144,000 (which they consider to be synonymous with the "little flock" of Luke 12:32) will serve with Christ as king-priests for a thousand years, while all other people accepted by God (whom they identify as the "other sheep" of John 10:16 and "the great crowd" of Revelation 7:9,14), will be given an opportunity to live forever in an earthly paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
. According to the Witnesses, the first of the 144,000 were resurrected as spirit beings in 1918 and others who die after 1918 are immediately resurrected to heaven when they die. Nearly 11,000 Witnesses worldwide—an increase of more than 2,000 since 1995—claim to be of the anointed "remnant" of the 144,000. This "remnant" is considered to constitute the faithful and discreet slave
Faithful and Discreet Slave
The faithful and discreet slave is the term used by Jehovah's Witnesses to describe the collective body of "anointed" Christians alive on earth who expect to ascend to heaven at death. Approximately 11,000 Jehovah's Witnesses profess to be members of this "remnant" of the 144,000...
of Matthew 24:45 and Luke 12:42, with teaching authority over Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide. In practice, all doctrinal and organizational decisions are made by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is the ruling council of Jehovah's Witnesses based in Brooklyn, New York. The body assumes responsibility for formulating policy and doctrines, producing material for publications and conventions, and administering its worldwide branch office staff...
, which is said to represent that "slave class".
Skoptzists
The Christian Skoptsy sect in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
believed that the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
would come when the Skoptsy numbered 144,000.
Islam
144,000 is alleged to have been the number of SahabaSahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, though other totals have been given. The number is also given as the total number of prophets in Islam, although this has also been reported as 124,000 or 244,000. The actual number of Prophets or Sahaba (Companions) is not known, however, 25 names have been mentioned in the Qur'an.
New Age movements
The number 144,000 is also significant in various New AgeNew Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
religious movements.
- The Church Universal and TriumphantChurch Universal and TriumphantChurch Universal and Triumphant is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's husband, Mark L. Prophet...
teaches that Sanat Kummara and the Lords of the Flame also brought 144,000 souls with them from VenusVenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
. - The new age religion called RaëlismRaëlismRaëlism is a UFO religion that was founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon, now known as Raël.The Raëlian Movement teaches that life on Earth was scientifically created by a species of extraterrestrials, which they call the Elohim...
also states that there are 144,000 chosen people to continue humanity in case of an upcoming disaster. - The satirical Church of the SubgeniusChurch of the SubGeniusThe Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
believes that somewhere between 144 000 and 144 people will be taken with the Xists aboard the pleasure saucers.
Popular culture
- 144,000 Gone is a 1984 song by Agent SteelAgent SteelAgent Steel is an American speed metal band from Los Angeles, California that was formed in 1984 by singer John Cyriis ,and drummer Chuck Profus. The band released two full length albums, and one EP before disbanding in 1988...
- 144,000 is the title of:
- a song written and performed by California-based neo-psychedelic rock band Silver Sunshine
- the eighth track of Tribal SeedsTribal SeedsTribal Seeds is a San Diego based reggae band. They released a self-titled album on February 12, 2008 which was one of the eight iTunes "Best of 2008" reggae albums....
' 2009 album The Harvest
- Songs mentioning 144,000 in the lyrics include:
- 4th Chamber by GZAGZAGary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
from the 1995 album Liquid SwordsLiquid SwordsLiquid Swords is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released November 7, 1995, on Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began mid-way through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in Staten Island New York...
("Rollin' with the lands, the tribe's a hundred and forty four thousand chosen. Protons, electrons always cause explosions.") - G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition) by CommonCommon (rapper)Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
("Cuz when the trumpets blowin', 24 elders surround the throne. Only 144,000 gon' get home.") - It's Your World/Pop's Reprise by Common ("Be that last one of 144,000, be the resident of that twelfth house. Be eternal." Lonnie Lynn a.k.a. Pops.)
- Fire in the Sky by Beast 1333 ("Atrocities approaching and 144,000 of us will be chosen.")
- 4th Chamber by GZA
Other uses
- A BaktunBaktunA baktun is 20 katun cycles of the ancient Maya Long Count Calendar. It contains 144,000 days, equivalent to 394.26 tropical years. The Classic period of Maya civilization occurred during the 8th and 9th baktuns of the current calendrical cycle. The current baktun will end, or be completed, on...
is 20 Katun cycles of the ancient Maya Long Count CalendarMaya calendarThe Maya calendar is a system of calendars and almanacs used in the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and in many modern Maya communities in highland Guatemala. and in Chiapas....
, which contains 144,000 days. - In author John DeChancieJohn DeChancieJohn DeChancie is an American author. A Pittsburgh native, he is most famous for his comic fantasy Castle series, and his science fiction Skyway series...
's comic fantasyComic fantasyComic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is primarily humorous in intent and tone. Usually set in imaginary worlds, comic fantasy often includes puns on and parodies of other works of fantasy. It is sometimes known as Low fantasy in contrast to High fantasy, which is primarily serious in intent...
Castle series, 144,000 doors (or "aspects") of the Castle each lead to another parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
.