為上帝的僕人蓋印

這些事情之後,我看見四位天使分別站在地的四個角落控制著四面的風,使風不再吹向地面、海洋和樹木。 我又看見一位天使從東方日出之地上來,手裡拿著永活上帝的印。他對那領受權柄能傷害地和海的四位天使大聲說: 「我們還沒在上帝的奴僕額上蓋印之前,你們不可傷害地、海和樹木。」 我聽見以色列各支派中蓋了印的共有十四萬四千人: 猶大支派有一萬二千,呂便支派有一萬二千,迦得支派有一萬二千, 亞設支派有一萬二千,拿弗他利支派有一萬二千,瑪拿西支派有一萬二千, 西緬支派有一萬二千,利未支派有一萬二千,以薩迦支派有一萬二千, 西布倫支派有一萬二千,約瑟支派有一萬二千,便雅憫支派有一萬二千。

劫後餘生的上帝子民

後來我又看見一大群人,多得不可勝數。他們來自各國家、各部落、各民族、各語言族群,身穿白袍,手拿棕樹枝,站在寶座和羔羊面前, 10 大聲呼喊說:「救恩來自我們坐在寶座上的上帝,也來自羔羊!」 11 眾天使都站在寶座、眾長老和四個活物的周圍,在寶座前俯伏敬拜上帝,說: 12 「阿們!願頌讚、榮耀、智慧、感謝、尊貴、權柄、能力都歸給我們的上帝,直到永永遠遠。阿們!」

13 長老中有一位問我:「這些身穿白袍的人是誰?他們從哪裡來?」

14 我回答說:「先生,你知道答案。」

他便說:「這些都是經過大災難的人,他們用羔羊的血將衣裳洗得純淨潔白。 15 因此,他們在寶座前,在聖殿中不分晝夜地事奉上帝。坐在寶座上的那位要庇護他們。 16 他們不會再受饑餓和乾渴的折磨,也不會再受太陽和酷熱的煎熬, 17 因為在寶座中央的羔羊要作他們的牧人,引導他們到生命之泉那裡,上帝要擦乾他們所有的眼淚。」

144,000 People Are Sealed

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth to keep them from blowing on the land, the sea, or any tree. I saw another angel coming from the east with the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been allowed to harm the land and sea, “Don’t harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

I heard how many were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of the people of Israel:

12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,

12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,

12,000 from the tribe of Gad,

12,000 from the tribe of Asher,

12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,

12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,

12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,

12,000 from the tribe of Levi,

12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,

12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,

12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,

12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

God’s People around His Throne in Heaven

After these things I saw a large crowd from every nation, tribe, people, and language. No one was able to count how many people there were. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb. They were wearing white robes, holding palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the lamb!”

11 All the angels stood around the throne with the leaders and the four living creatures. They bowed in front of the throne with their faces touching the ground, worshiped God, 12 and said,

“Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength
    be to our God forever and ever! Amen!”

13 One of the leaders asked me, “Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered him, “Sir, you know.”

Then he told me,

“These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering.
    They have washed their robes
        and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
15 That is why they are in front of the throne of God.
    They serve him day and night in his temple.
        The one who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 They will never be hungry or thirsty again.
    Neither the sun nor any burning heat will ever overcome them.
17 The lamb in the center near the throne will be their shepherd.
    He will lead them to springs filled with the water of life,
        and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”