Thank you for the question on the role of the 144,000 during the Tribulation, “Where in the Bible does it state that the 144,000 will evangelize to the world during the tribulation?”
In Revelation 7:4–11, the Apostle John cites the numbering of the 144,000 from the Tribe of Israel. In the following verses of 12–17 records the innumerable people who come out of the Tribulation. It is thought that the innumerable people hear the Good News of the coming of the Messiah from the 144,000. This is predicated that the Christians are raptured, leaving the 144,000 preserved Jews to proclaim the return of Jesus Christ.
Here are some further thoughts on the 144,000:
A. The identity of the 144,000.
If one accepts the literal interpretation of the text, the 144,000 are Jews. It is not a symbolic or representative of Israel. The reasoning is that the Antichrist will desecrate the Temple and persecute the Jews.
Matthew 24 says this, “5 So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again” 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” (NIV).
The sealing of the 144,000 is the preservation of the Jews. This number does exclude other Jews from being saved. God sealed 144,000 among the Jewish people to preserve a remnant from each tribe.
B. The function of the 144,000.
Revelation 7 does not state the specific purpose of the 144,000 on the earth. If the Christians are raptured from the Earth, then the people remaining will be the Jews and the non-believers. Of the Jews and non-believers, there will be those who attend church or heard about the coming of Jesus Christ may begin to believe the Book of Revelation and the Gospels of the coming Antichrist. However with the severe persecution on Earth, believers will either die for their faith or more likely go into hiding.
Revelations 13 says this, “15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name” (NIV).
It is assumed that the 144,000 sealed Jews who are redeemed will be declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ as the judgments fall on Earth. It is unlikely that they will be hiding until the Tribulation is over, but rather that God will enable them to be his witnesses.
Revelation 14:1–5 describes the 144,000 personal character trait. They were truthful in their declaration as no lie was found in their mouth. They were blameless.
C. The Great Multitude that comes out of the Tribulation.
Revelations 11 says that God has raised up two witnesses for 42 months. They were given extraordinary power. With our modern technology, their actions would be broadcast throughout the whole world just as the works of the Antichrist will be seen throughout the whole world.
Are there other witnesses beside the two witnesses? It would appear that the redeemed Jews would proclaim the coming Messiah with the angels. The events would be too coincidental to be happening by chance of the judgments and the worship of the Antichrist.
It is more than likely that the 144,000 redeemed Jews proclaimed the Good News of the coming King and the Kingdom of God. This is more of an eschatological proclamation of the coming Jesus. The 144,000 redeemed Jews would be persecuted by the Antichrist, but their testimonies would cause many people to believe in the coming Messiah.
Summary: God has never left himself without a witness on earth. The Two Witnesses in Jerusalem and the 144,000 scattered through the world will rise up to witnesses of the coming Messiah and the Kingdom of God. Since they are noted for their truthfulness, it is reasonable to assume that they were declaring the Good News.
-Kingston