The 144,000 of Revelation 7

Right off the bat let me say that this post isn't about making an iron-clad argument that the 144,000 of Revelation 7 are Jewish Evangelists. I also wrote on the identity of the 144,000 HERE. 

Someone posted an article in a Facebook group assuming that the 144,000 were evangelists. I thought, "Here we go." Sure enough, the Rapture Cop knocked on the door. These trolling folk are the prophecy world's equivalent to pro-maskers who diligently patrol streets correcting non-compliance. No pretrib comment or post is safe. They never let up.  

Apparently there's as much scriptural evidence that the 144,000 sell hamburgers as they are Jewish evangelists and anyone who believes the great tribulation witnesses the "greatest revival" needs to "check his brain at the door." Identifying this group as evangelists is a "made-up scenario" to justify the "bankrupt eschatological model of pretribulationism." 

In my experience, this type of rhetoric is commonplace. Perhaps some ought to check their condescension at the door (especially if they are pastors).

In fact of the 144,000, Marv Rosenthal once wrote: “It is almost like a baton being passed between runners. The 144,000 must be sealed for protection to go through the Day of the Lord before the church can be caught up to the throne in heaven. God will not leave Himself without a people on the earth.” (Page 185 of his book)

This raises some questions for me.

Does passing the "baton" imply a similar function to the church? When are the 144,000 saved? If they're saved while the church is on earth, why not raptured? What are they sealed for - safety? If that's the case, why doesn't God seal the church as well? The church is exempt from God's wrath? What about God's people, the 144,000? What did Rosenthal mean when he said God must have a people on earth? Why can't God work simultaneously with both groups, as some prewrathers ask of pretrib dispies? And what do God's people do? There will be various responses to these questions, but little room for dogmatic pejoratives.

Finally, George Ladd is popular among posttribbers and prewrathers. Ladd cites Nathaniel West regarding the 144,000. See page 45 of "The Blessed Hope." 

...West had no patience with pretribulationism [so what's new?]. He taught that the 144,000 who are sealed in Revelation 7 are the fulfillment of the promise in Romans 11 - the salvation of literal Israel. Their salvation will occur at the beginning of the seventieth week as a result of the two witnesses (Rev 11), and they are sealed that they might take the place of the Church which is seen in the great multitude in Revelation 7 - a multitude which is to suffer near extinction at the hands of Antichrist in the Great Tribulation... "They [the 144,000] are the Israelitish Church of the future." ~ George Ladd. 

I wonder if an "Israelitish Church" ever witnesses.