If the number 144,000 were symbolic and referred to a group that is actually numberless, the force of the contrast between those two verses would be lost.
यास्तव, संदर्भावरून हे स्पष्टपणे सूचित होते, की १,४४,००० ही संख्या शब्दशः अर्थाने घेतली पाहिजे.