t or
second fruits to God at the second or last harvest in the 7th month, the
revolution, or ingathering of the year, the feast of Tabernacles. Another
writer J. Porter, states, that Jesus took these saints that arose at
Jerusalem right up to his Father, and then received his power, and
returned the same day; and he might also have added, travelled with the
two to Emmaus, seven and a half miles; and as others will have it, was
back time enough to keep the whole day with his disciples, for the first
Sabbath after his resurrection. If we really want the truth, God will give
it to us, but not by rejecting other truths.

Now let us see whether the description of character given in these five
verses of the 144,000, will apply to the saints that arose in Jerusalem at
the resurrection. In the first place, these were never numbered.
Second--The record is entirely silent about their being united in their
trials and experience, to sing a peculiar song of their own. Third--These
were not redeemed from among men, on the earth, but out from among the
dead. Fourth,--They could not be the first fruit before the harvest, for
Paul says, "Christ the first fruits, _afterwards_ they that are Christ's
at his coming," (second coming,) not them that were his at his going away
at his first advent,--first harvest. That would be a clear perversion of
the text; we must wait for the second harvest for the next fruit, 7th
month. Fifth--To say that they were virgins, and not defiled with women, is
only admitting what we know nothing about. Sixth--John saw the messenger
that sealed, and says the number was 144,000; all this, was sixty years
after what transpired at Jerusalem. This is out of the limits of his
vision; and what will, and does forever, destroy this erroneous view, is,
that the four winds are to be holden by the four Angel nations, until the
whole number were sealed, and they have not let go yet; unless it can be
proved that it was done 1800 years ago. That old Jerusalem was called a
holy place; see Exo ix: 8; Acts vi: 13; also the testimony of Jesus, Matt.
xxiv: 15. Lastly--If it is objected that these are the living saints to be
redeemed at the second advent, then we fail to find them described in this
vision, which would destroy the chain of wonders which he saw respecting
the living and the dead, with the varied and changing scenes through which
they were continually passing. Now, how simple, plain, and harmonious
these verses appear w