In this post, I am focusing largely on the relationship between the 144,000 and the Throne of David. This post is aimed primarily at the students of Dr. Jensen.
This is what we know about the 144,000 from scripture:
Rev. 7:4 They are “sealed” from all the tribes of Israel. This fulfills the regathering prophecy of Moses in Deut. Ch. 30.
Rev 14:1 They are standing with the Lamb on Mt. Zion. They have the Lamb’s name and his father’s name written on their foreheads. in other words, they are in the presence of the throne symbolized by Mt. Zion and in recognition of the identity of the Lamb and the Father.
Rev. 14:3 They sing a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. They were the only ones who could learn the song. They were redeemed from the earth. In other words, they are singing this song or making this offering in the presence of the throne and the others.
Rev 14:4 They have not been defiled with women, they are virgins, they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. In other words, they have not been confused by nonauthoritative versions of things, but follow an authoritative version that comes from the Lamb which is why they are described as following him wherever he goes.
Again, they are on Mt. Zion which is a symbol for the Davidic Throne:
From “Over the Wall, Part 2”:
“MOUNT Zion” represents the house of David. Baha’u’llah is the second Messiah (Christ), that is, a descendant of King David that is anointed. “Mount Zion is a hill in Jerusalem the site of the temple and the royal residence of King David and his successors” (a dictionary explanation). Baha’u’llah moved Zion and the throne of David that He sat upon to Mt. Carmel.”
The 144,000 are singing a new song before the throne, therefore, one of their chief concerns is arguably the throne of David on Mt. Carmel. They are also obviously concerned with the Lamb, the Elders, and the four living creatures. They are singing this new song before them all. They would have to be facing them; paying attention to them; being concerned with them.
You can hang out a sign that that says “FREE BEER” and have 144,000 overnight. But these 144,000 are not just anybody. It doesn’t seem they would come about by some random process. Rather, they have a scripturally defined place in the scheme of the Book of Revelation and therefore follow specific guidelines to be who and where they are.
Furthermore, a mountain is used as a symbol for the Davidic Throne in Rev. 14:1. A mountain is a very obvious and momentous thing to come upon, and it requires effort if one is to climb and stand upon it. It is not an understanding to ignore, but to strive for.
The throne in question has a long history of being under siege and rebellion. The paper entitled The Throne of David, Parts One and Two, trace an extremely enlightening history of this.
The idea of rejecting someone due to their supposed lack of regalness is not new. There is a rejection scenario that plays out over and over again throughout religious history. Jesus, John the Baptist, Baha’u’llah, Shoghi Effendi, Mason, and Pepe Remey, and probably all other important personages have been rejected simply because they do not measure up to what someone thinks they ought to be. Jesus was no great king with an army, John the Baptist was no Elijah coming from the sky. I’ve even seen Christians make fun of Baha’u’llah for being short! Yet the prophecies are fulfilled and the world moves on with or without the people.
Fortunately, the scriptures offer advice on how we are to behave. Jesus said not to judge, or we would be judged. He also said to worry about the beam in your own eye rather than the speck in someone else’s eye. Similarly, Abdu’l-Baha said if a person has ten bad traits and one good, you focus on the good one. Paul said to test everything and keep that which is good. You test by setting something against a criterion. You would use a thermometer or ruler to decide the value of something. An idea being proposed by someone should at least be supported by scripture as much as possible. Philosophizing gets no respect as it is usually not propped up by any authority, and there is no place for personal prejudices.
As far as a more current Baha’i perspective on this throne goes, the following points were shared with me by Glenn Goldman:
“1) Determining the identity of the guardian is not unimportant. The tests around determining the identity of the guardian after Mason died separated the wheat from the chaff. Doc had to hone his understanding of the Will and Testament (the Covenant) to arrive at the conclusion that Pepe was Mason’s only possible Aghsan successor. Likewise, today, determining who fulfills the criteria as Pepe’s chosen successor even further sharpens our understanding. For example, we now know that SECULAR adoption is NOT the same thing as LEGAL BAHA’I adoption. A secular adoption can be a legal Baha’i adoption, but a legal Baha’i adoption need not be a secular adoption.
2) None of us get to disapprove of the guardian’s choice of successor for any reason whatsoever. To imply otherwise verges on covenant-breaking. Once the Cause is restored to full health, the Will and Testament provide for a process that confirms who that choice is. In the meantime, we have to go by Doc’s example when determining the guardian’s identity.
3) The identity of the guardian helps us distinguish the TRUE Universal House of Justice from “fakes, frauds, and imitations,” according to Doc.
4) The TRUE Universal House of Justice, with the guardian at its head, is what Baha’u’llah brings to the world. To dismiss the importance of this is to dismiss Baha’u’llah’s Covenant.
5) A robust individual teaching effort isn’t worth a damn if it is not teaching FIRMNESS IN THE COVENANT. What good is teaching people about Baha’u’llah if we reject the very core of His revelation?
6) Individual sovereignty is an important Baha’i value, but it is by no means the only Baha’i value. We are free not merely because we CAN choose, but only when we have chosen well. Choosing well means being willing to submit ourselves to the rod of guidance (the rod of gold = the rod of wood plus the rod of iron) that God has provided. Refusing to do so is the essence of rebellion.
7) Doc himself had all kinds of issues with Pepe. Clearly, he did not approve of the way Pepe conducted himself. However, not for a moment did he promote the idea that he had a right to discount Pepe. On the contrary, he continued to promote Pepe as Mason’s only possible successor until the end of his days because Doc was faithful to the covenant, and not his own personal feelings.”
In summary, the 144,000 seem to be people who at least recognize the importance Throne of David and the identity of the person on that throne. The proofs for the current guardian are not something to be swept under the rug by the 144,000, or the Elders, or the four Living Creatures, or the Lamb because they are all prophesied as being there amongst the throne.
Note: There are informative guardianship papers to be found and read on the same blog where the “Throne of David” papers are. There are also links to audio firesides there that go into the major problems with the Baha’i Faith but start right from the beginning with why we’re all here, and the paganization of Christianity.
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