Do the 144,000 Jewish men of Tribulation know the Lord prior to the Tribulation? Are they spread among all parts of the world?
The 144,000 Jewish evangelists of the Tribulation will not be believers until after the Tribulation begins, according to Revelation 7, for if they had been believers beforehand, then they would have been removed from the earth at the Rapture with the rest of the Church. (For more information on the Rapture, please read the following article.)
Therefore, the 144,000 are Jewish unbelievers who enter the Tribulation just as the rest of the unbelievers: unaware of the turmoil coming or what lies in store for them personally. Only after the Spirit touches their heart and brings them to faith in Jesus Christ do these men become aware of their commission and purpose in the Tribulation.
We can’t know where they will live in this time, but presumably, they are scattered across the world, since they must reach every nation during the short 3.5 years they live.
For a complete teaching on the 144,000, please listen to Lesson 7 in our Revelation Bible study.