⁴ “Remember the law^(A) of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb^(B) for all Israel.^(C)

⁵ “See, I will send the prophet Elijah^(D) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.^{(E) 6} He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,^(F) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike^(G) the land with total destruction.”^(H)

144,000 Sealed

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners^(A) of the earth, holding back the four winds^(B) of the earth to prevent^(C) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal^(D) of the living God.^(E) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:^{(F) 3} “Do not harm^(G) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads^(H) of the servants of our God.” ⁴ Then I heard the number^(I) of those who were sealed: 144,000^(J) from all the tribes of Israel.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,^(K) standing before the throne^(L) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes^(M) and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders^(P) and the four living creatures.^(Q) They fell down on their faces^(R) before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes^(T)—who are they, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes^(U) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.^{(V) 15} Therefore,

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,^(A) standing on Mount Zion,^(B) and with him 144,000^(C) who had his name and his Father’s name^(D) written on their foreheads.^{(E) 2} And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters^(F) and like a loud peal of thunder.^(G) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.^{(H) 3} And they sang a new song^(I) before the throne and before the four living creatures^(J) and the elders.^(K) No one could learn the song except the 144,000^(L) who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.^(M) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.^(N) They were purchased from among mankind^(O) and offered as firstfruits^(P) to God and the Lamb.

³ And I will appoint my two witnesses,^(A) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^(B) clothed in sackcloth.”^{(C) 4} They are “the two olive trees”^(D) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”^{[a](E) 5} If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.^(F) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.^{(G) 6} They have power to shut up the heavens^(H) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;^(I) and they have power to turn the waters into blood^(J) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast^(K) that comes up from the Abyss^(L) will attack them,^(M) and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city^(N)—which is figuratively called Sodom^(O) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.^(P)