Incidentally, the fact that this great crowd cannot be numbered argues that the number given for the spiritual Israelites is a literal number.​—Rev. 7:9, 10.

If all the countless millions who will eventually gain salvation were to go to heaven to serve as priests and kings, in behalf of whom would they serve as priests and over whom would they rule as kings? But when we understand that only 144,000 will thus serve and they will bless the countless millions who will be raised from the dead and live right here on this earth, it all makes sense.