666 / 144,000

A QUESTION:

Pearl, what does 144,000 and 666 mean? How can mankind practically apply these numbers and their meaning in their lives?
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MY REPLY:

Since we pointedly receive the numbers 144,000 and 666 from the scriptures, we should seek a deeper understanding of these numbers, from the same place.
First I would like to point out, that worshipers of the Wild Beast, are marked with 666, on their hand and forehead (see Rev.13:16-17,18,15,8).
What does it mean to possess the symbolic mark of 666?
Well, what does it means to be marked with anything on the hand and forehead, since the slaves of God are also marked in these same places, though not by 666 (Rev.7:3; 14:1; 22:4).

I find Deut.6:4,6,8 and Deut.11:18, the most telling...
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Tie them as symbols on your hands and on your foreheads."
When our hearts are filled with God's Laws (Heb.10:16), it is seen symbolically as on our forehead ("I will write them on their minds"). 
Our marked "hands", (symbolizing what we do); and our marked "forehead" (symbolizing what we think, believe, and decide how to conduct ourselves), are then directed by God. Those faithful to God's New Covenant (Heb.10:16), will have a spiritual mark, that identifies them as loyal from the heart, to God's Laws, commands, and directives. 
[That mark is seen, only in the spirit realm. Yet this distinction is observable in the physical realm,
  by examining a prophet's deeds/actions (hands), and teaching/decisions/conduct (mind)
  -(Mal.3:18; Eze.14:23,22; Matt.7:20)]

To be directed by and obedient to God's Laws, is to be a slave of God (and His Laws). This brings us back to the symbolism of Rev.7:3 and Rev.22:3 B, Rev.22:4...
“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the slaves of our God.” 
"...his slaves will serve Him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads."

Here's the tie between obeying God's word, and being his branded slave/servant...
"Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient, you are slaves of the one you obey —whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 

But thanks be to God that, though you were previously slaves to sin"... [branded with "666" and by the "man/person of  sin/lawlessness" >  1John 3:4;  2Thess.2:3; Rev.13:18], "you have come to obey from your heart (Deut. 6:6; Heb.10:16) the pattern of teaching [God's Laws] that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Rom.6:16-17,18). 

"Slaves to righteousness" is the opposite of 

slaves to sin/lawlessness, ...or is also the opposite of an obedient slave to the "man of sin" -1John 3:4;  2Thess.2:3; Rev.13:18;  1Cor.15:56; Rom.8:2; Rev.9:5; Eze.2:6.

Okay, now back to the numbers.
The obedient slaves/worshipers of the Beast, have their hands and foreheads so designated, by the number 666.
As we learned about God's Laws marking the hands and forehead... The Beast's directive Laws, spiritually found on the forehead and hand are represented by the symbolic mark, 666. First, we need to know what the numeral 6 means. 
We can learn that meaning, after we know what 12 means.

Are not God's Laws which brand His servants, declared to be the truth?
"Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17)
So if our minds, hearts, and deeds are directed by God's Laws, they are directed by and obedient to, Divine Truth.
What number would symbolically designate servants of divine truth?
The numeral 12 is constantly associated with the foundation and outworking of divine truth....
12 apostles, 12 tribes of Israel, 12,000 in each tribe...
the "measurements" (Isa.28:17) of God's City of Truth (Zech.8:3; Rev.21:16,27)...

"Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. No lie was found in their mouths" (Rev.14:1,5)
[144,000 is equal to 12 X 12 times a thousand]

If the divine truth found in God's Words/Laws, is associated with the numeral 12, 
take note of another number which is associated with truth...
"In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true." (John 8:17)
"And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 
If anyone tries to harm them (the two witnesses Rev.11:3,5),   fire comes from their mouths" (Rev.11:5 a)
"'Is not my word like fire?,' declares the LORD" (Jer.23:29 a)
"I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes" (Jer.5:14 b)
"for it will not be you speaking, but *the Spirit of your Father* speaking through you" (Matt.10:20) *(John 16:13)

Like Christ, the spirit of truth and the words of God issue forth from the mouths of God's "two witnesses" 

(Rev.2:16; 19:11,14; 17:14;  2Cor.10:4-5; Eph.6:17; Heb.4:12; Rev.2:16). 
Two witnesses, is a symbol of those who speak truth.

So, TWO witnesses can symbolize witnesses of truth, just as His people who obey God's truths, by the numeral 12.
What number would symbolize, one witness?
And what would one witness, signify?

If 12 is associated with 2 witnesses,
then one witness would be 6. (2x=12;  x=6)
According to the bible, one witness was to be regarded as false. (Deut.17:6 b; Deut.19:15; John 7:18; 5:31; 8:13,14,18; Num.35:30).
If six stands for lies (Satan is their source -John 8:44)
then where are 3 false witnesses? (6-6-6)

Check it out...
"Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, (1) out of the mouth of the beast (2), and out of the mouth of the false prophet (3). 

They are demonic spirits that perform... lying signs and portents" (Rev.16:13-14 a;  2Thess.2:9;  2Tim.3:13).

We learned that the spirit of God can symbolically speak through "two" truthful witnesses (Matt.10:20; John 14:17);
and the spirit of demons can speak through Satan, the Beast, and the false prophet (Rev.16:14)...all of whom are false witnesses/liars.

Any branded by their lies, are also false witnesses 

(Rev.13:16; Isa.44:20; Ps.144:8; Rom.1:25; Rev.13:8;  2Thess.2:11).

The servants of the false prophet and beast, are obedient to their false teaching, commands, and directives. Rather than being brand-marked as slaves of God, their minds and hearts are captivated and enslaved to the convincing, lying signs and portents of demonic spirits (Rev.13:13-14,15;  1Tim.4:1).

I feel the following affords some confirmation to this interpretation of 6, 12, and 144, as follows...
There are "24 elders" and "12 tribes" (Rev.7:5-8; 4:4).
This means that each tribe has two elders.
If the 12 tribes are 144000, then each tribe amounts to 12,000 (Rev.7:5).

There are 24 elders over 12 tribes, which is 2 elders per tribe and each elder has spiritual authority over 6,000. There are two groups of 6,000 which is half of 12,000 per tribe.

There must be 12,000 in each tribe, and there must be 2 elders assigned to each tribe ...not 6,000, and not one elder, because both 1 witness and 6, signify untruth. 
Two and twelve are needed, 

not because these numbers are literal, but because the spiritual Truth they signify/symbolize, is essential 
(Rev.14:5; Eph.5:27; Rev.19:7-8;  1Cor.1:6,8).

Those who are obedient from the heart to the demonic spirits of the dragon, wild beast, and false prophet; are so designated by having their hands and foreheads symbolically branded as slaves to those three liars and the deceptive laws and decrees of those liars (Rev.13:17-18).
On the other hand, those obedient to Divine truth, are branded as obedient slaves to that truth (Deut.6:6,8; 11:18; Rev.22:3-4), and to the Divine Beings who are the source of it (Rev.7:3; 14:1,5).

As regards the final part of the question,

How can we make practical application of all this?

We must make certain that our service, obedience, and worship is to God alone. This is just as Jesus kept admonishing us (Matt.4:10; 22:36-37,38; Deut.10:12) 
(2Cor.13:5;  1John 4:1;  1Thess.5:21-22;  1Tim.4:1; Rev.16:13-14,15; 13:15,8;  2Thess.2:1-2,3-4,8-9,10-11,12-13,14-15)
We must make certain, that everything we believe, obey, and practice (symbolized by being branded on our forehead and right hand), is sourced in God's word of Truth.
Our minds, hearts, and deeds must be directed by and obedient to, God's Laws of Divine Truth. 
Only then are we marked as His slaves 

(1John 2:17; Rom.6:18,22; Rev.7:3; 22:3-4) as made evident to all dwelling in the spirit realm, and to those granted spiritual sight here and now.

For more information about this subject,
see: pearl-666.blogspot.com
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