Revelation 12:17

Enraged because of his lack of success in completely annihilating all fleeing Jews, Satan will proceed to concentrate his attack on those who do not flee. Jews who believe in Jesus Christ become his special target, those who hold fast to the truth that God and Christ revealed. Specifically this group seems to be, or perhaps includes, the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-8; Revelation 14:1-5). [Note: See Stephen L. Homcy, "’To Him Who Overcomes’: A Fresh Look at What ’Victory’ Means for the Believer According to the Book of Revelation," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 38:2 (June 1995):193-201.] Some less literal interpreters view these two groups of people as the heavenly church and the earthly church. [Note: E.g., Beckwith, pp. 619-20; and Beale, pp. 676-77.] Ladd believed "the rest of her offspring" are real Christians in contrast to the mass of professing Christians (i.e., Christendom). [Note: Ladd, p. 174.]

"Granting the continuity of Revelation 12:1 to Revelation 14:5, one must see the portrayal of the victorious 144,000 in Revelation 14:1-5 as a sequel to the battle of the dragon’s two emissaries with ’the rest of her seed’ in chapter 13. The extended section is a connected sequence from this point on with the mention of the dragon’s animosity toward that seed here, his stationing of himself on the sands of the sea in Rev 12:18 (Revelation 13:1), the appearance of the earthly agents he will use to inflict his damage in Revelation 13:1; Revelation 13:11, and the proleptic scene of the victorious victims of his persecution after the conflict is over in Revelation 14:1-5. This sequence says rather plainly that ’the rest of her seed’ is none other than the 144,000." [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 142.]