ACC ~ Revelation 7 v4

MANY THOUSANDS OF JEWS BECAME SERVANTS OF GOD. OECUMENIUS: And the sealed, it says, was 144,000. For those from the Jews who believed in Christ were numerous and greater than [this] number, and they were accounted worthy to be saved from the common destruction, as those testified who spoke to Paul when he was in Jerusalem: “Do you see, brother, how many thousands there are of the Jews who have believed?”And it was likely that not only the faithful escaped, but also those who were deceived and in ignorance assisted in the crucifixion of the Lord, about whom he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”. . . And perhaps not only these [escaped], but also those who were not present at that time or were not living in Jerusalem and so were not complicit in the impious plot of the accursed high priests concerning the crucifixion, and also those who were perhaps present but were not involved in that murderous defilement. Indeed, [Christ] himself blessed everything under heaven, in contrast to what the irreligious council of transgressors had wanted. It is likely that all of these were later sealed in the faith of Christ, otherwise the angel would not have called them the servants of God. And when these had been rescued, either by flight or by desertion to the Romans, those wicked ones who remained were destroyed in a terrible manner, “having become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men,” in a way quite different from what Paul had said of the blessed apostles. And of these things, Josephus is again witness, counting those who were killed by famine as more than ten thousand. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 7.1-8.

THE CHURCH IS AN INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE. BEDE: By this finite number is signified the innumerable multitude of the whole church, which is begotten from the patriarchs either by way of the offspring of flesh or by the imitation of faith. For it says, “If you are of Christ, you are the seed of Abraham.” And it pertains to the increase of perfection that this twelve is multiplied by twelve and is completed by the sum of a thousand, which is the cube of the number ten, signifying the immoveable life of the church. And for this reason rather often the church is symbolized by the number twelve, since throughout the four-squared world she subsists by faith in the holy Trinity, for three fours make ten and two. And, finally, twelve apostles were elected that they might preach the same faith to the world, signifying by way of the number the mystery of their work. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 7.4.

Rev