An Interlude

After this I saw (A)four angels standing at the (B)four corners of the earth, holding back (C)the four winds of the earth (D)so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending (E)from the rising of the sun, holding the (F)seal of (G)the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the (H)four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “(I)Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have (J)sealed the bond-servants of our God on their (K)foreheads.”

The 144,000

And I heard the (L)number of those who were sealed: (M)144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

A Multitude from the Tribulation

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from (N)every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing (O)before the throne and (P)before the Lamb, clothed in (Q)white robes, and (R)palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying,

(S)Salvation belongs to our God (T)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

11 And all the angels were standing (U)around the throne and around (V)the elders and the (W)four living creatures; and they (X)fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,

(Y)Amen, (Z)blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. (AA)Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders (AB)responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the (AC)white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I [a]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the (AD)great tribulation, and they have (AE)washed their robes and made them (AF)white in the (AG)blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason they are (AH)before the throne of God, and they (AI)serve Him day and night in His [b](AJ)temple; and (AK)He who sits on the throne will spread His (AL)tabernacle over them. 16 (AM)They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun [c]beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their (AN)shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the [d](AO)water of life; and (AP)God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 7:14 Lit have said
  2. Revelation 7:15 Or sanctuary
  3. Revelation 7:16 Lit fall
  4. Revelation 7:17 Lit waters

After this I saw arba’ah malachim (angels) taking their stand on the arbah pinot ha’aretz (the four corners of the earth), holding the four winds of ha’aretz (the earth) so that wind should not blow on ha’aretz (the earth) nor on the yam (sea) nor on any etz (tree). [YESHAYAH 11:12; YIRMEYAH 49:36; YECHEZKEL 37:9; DANIEL 7:2; ZECHARYAH 6:5]

And I saw another malach (angel) coming up from the rising of the shemesh (sun), having a chotam (seal) of the Elohim Chayyim (Living G-d), and he cried with a kol gadol (loud voice) to the four malachim (angels). These were the malachim to whom it was given to harm ha’aretz (the earth) and hayam (the sea),

Saying, Do not harm ha’aretz (the earth) nor hayam (the sea) nor haetzim (the trees), until we have marked with the chotam (seal) the avadim (servants) of Eloheinu upon their metsakhim (foreheads). [YECHEZKEL 9:4]

And I heard the mispar (number) of the ones having been sealed, 144,000, having been marked with the chotam (seal) from kol shivtei Bnei Yisroel (every tribe of the Sons of Israel),

Of the shevet of Yehudah, 12,000 having been sealed; of the shevet of Re’uven, 12,000, of the shevet of Gad, 12,000,

Of the shevet of Asher, 12,000, of the shevet of Naphtali, 12,000, of the shevet of M’nasheh, 12,000,

Of the shevet of Shim’on, 12,000, of the shevet of Levi, 12,000, of the shevet of Yissass’khar, 12,000,

Of the shevet of Z’vulun, 12,000, of the shevet of Yosef, 12,000, of the shevet of Binyamin, 12,000.

After these things I looked, and, hinei, a great multitude, which to number no one was being able, out of every nation and from shevatim (tribes) and haumim (the peoples) and lashonot (tongues), standing before the Kes (Throne) and before the SEH (Lamb, SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7 Moshiach), each clothed with a kittel and lulavim in their hands.

10 And they cried with a kol gadol (loud voice), saying, Yeshu’at Eloheinu is of Hashem, our G-d, the One sitting on the Kes (Throne), and of the SEH (Lamb, SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7 Moshiach).

11 And all the malachim stood around the Kes (Throne) and the Zekenim (Elders, SHEMOT 12:21) and the Arbah Chayyot and they fell before the Kes (Throne) on their faces and they worshiped Hashem, saying, [TEHILLIM 3:8]

12 Omein, the bracha (blessing) and the kavod (glory) and the chochmah (wisdom) and the hodayah (thanksgiving) and the hod (honor) and the oz (power) and the gevurah (strength) be to Hashem Eloheinu l’Olelamei Olamim. Omein.

13 And one of the Zekenim (Elders, SHEMOT 12:21) answered, saying to me, These ones, each wearing a kittel, who are they and from where did they come?

14 And I said to him, Adoni, you have da’as. And he said to me, These are the ones coming out of HaTzarah HaGedolah (The Great Tribulation, Mt. 24:29) and each washed his kittel and whitened it in the dahm of the SEH (Lamb, SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7 Moshiach).

15 Therefore, they are before the Kes (Throne) of Hashem and serve Him yomam valailah in His Beis Hamikdash, and the One sitting on the Kes (Throne) will pitch the tent of His Mishkan over them. [YESHAYAH 4:5]

16 They will hunger no more nor thirst nor shall the shemesh (sun) strike them nor any scorching heat, [YESHAYAH 49:10]

17 Because the SEH, (Lamb, SHEMOT 12:3; YESHAYAH 53:7 Moshiach) at the center of the Kes (Throne), will shepherd them and will lead them to the Makor Mayim Chayyim ["Fountain, source of Living Waters," YIRMEYAH 2:13], and Hashem will wipe away every tear from their eynayim. [YESHAYAH 25:8; 35:10; 51:11; 65:19]