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After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Don’t harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!” I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:

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

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13 One of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I told him, “My lord, you know.”

He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great suffering.[a]They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. 16 They will never be hungry or thirsty any more. The sun won’t beat on them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them and leads them to springs of life-giving waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Footnotes

  1. 7:14 or, oppression

The Sealed of Israel

After this I saw four angels(A) standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth(B) so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel rising up from the east,(C) who had the seal of the living God.(D) He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea, “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees(E) until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.”(F) And I heard the number of the sealed:

144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites:(G)

12,000 sealed from the tribe of Judah,

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 sealed from the tribe of Benjamin.

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language,(H) which no one could number,(I) standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.(J) 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

Salvation belongs to our God,(K)
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!

11 All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever.(L) Amen.

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 I said to him, “Sir,[a] you know.”

Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.(M) They washed their robes and made them white(N) in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night(O) in his temple.(P)
The one seated on the throne will shelter[b] them:(Q)
16 They will no longer hunger;
they will no longer thirst;
the sun will no longer strike them,
nor will any scorching heat.(R)
17 For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne
will shepherd them;(S)
he will guide them to springs of the waters of life,(T)
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(U)

Footnotes

  1. 7:14 Or “My lord
  2. 7:15 Or will spread his tent over