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Chapter 7[a]

The 144,000 Sealed. After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,[b] holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on land or sea or against any tree.(A) Then I saw another angel come up from the East,[c] holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, “Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”(B) I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked[d] from every tribe of the Israelites:(C) twelve thousand were marked from the tribe of Judah,[e] twelve thousand 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, and twelve thousand were marked from the tribe of Benjamin.

Triumph of the Elect. After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches[f] in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation comes from[g] our God, who is seated on the throne,
    and from the Lamb.”

11 All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, 12 and exclaimed:

“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
    honor, power, and might
    be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;[h] they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(D)

15 “For this reason they stand before God’s throne
    and worship him day and night in his temple.
    The one who sits on the throne will shelter them.
16 They will not hunger or thirst anymore,
    nor will the sun or any heat strike them.(E)
17 For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them
    and lead them to springs of life-giving water,[i]
    and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”(F)

Footnotes

  1. 7:1–17 An interlude of two visions precedes the breaking of the seventh seal, just as two more will separate the sixth and seventh trumpets (Rev 10). In the first vision (Rev 7:1–8), the elect receive the seal of the living God as protection against the coming cataclysm; cf. Rev 14:1; Ez 9:4–6; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30. The second vision (Rev 7:9–17) portrays the faithful Christians before God’s throne to encourage those on earth to persevere to the end, even to death.
  2. 7:1 The four corners of the earth: the earth is seen as a table or rectangular surface.
  3. 7:2 East: literally, “rising of the sun.” The east was considered the source of light and the place of paradise (Gn 2:8). Seal: whatever was marked by the impression of one’s signet ring belonged to that person and was under his protection.
  4. 7:4–9 One hundred and forty-four thousand: the square of twelve (the number of Israel’s tribes) multiplied by a thousand, symbolic of the new Israel (cf. Rev 14:1–5; Gal 6:16; Jas 1:1) that embraces people from every nation, race, people, and tongue (Rev 7:9).
  5. 7:5–8 Judah is placed first because of Christ; cf. “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5). Dan is omitted because of a later tradition that the antichrist would arise from it.
  6. 7:9 White robes…palm branches: symbols of joy and victory; see note on Rev 3:5.
  7. 7:10 Salvation comes from: literally, “(let) salvation (be ascribed) to.” A similar hymn of praise is found at the fall of the dragon (Rev 12:10) and of Babylon (Rev 19:1).
  8. 7:14 Time of great distress: fierce persecution by the Romans; cf. Introduction.
  9. 7:17 Life-giving water: literally, “the water of life,” God’s grace, which flows from Christ; cf. Rev 21:6; 22:1, 17; Jn 4:10, 14.

144,000 Sealed

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. 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) “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.” Then I heard the number(I) of those who were sealed: 144,000(J) from all the tribes of Israel.

From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

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 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

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:

“Salvation belongs to our God,(N)
who sits on the throne,(O)
and to the Lamb.”

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:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”(S)

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,

“they are before the throne of God(W)
    and serve him(X) day and night in his temple;(Y)
and he who sits on the throne(Z)
    will shelter them with his presence.(AA)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.(AB)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
    nor any scorching heat.(AC)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;(AD)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b](AE)
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c](AF)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
  2. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
  3. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8

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 face down before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying,

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honour
and power and strength
be to our God for ever 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 centre 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

Los ciento cuarenta y cuatro mil

Vi después cuatro ángeles de pie sobre los cuatro puntos cardinales de la tierra. Sujetaban a los cuatro vientos, impidiendo que soplara viento alguno sobre la tierra, sobre el mar o sobre los árboles. Desde el oriente, entre tanto, subía otro ángel, que llevaba consigo el sello del Dios vivo y que gritaba con voz poderosa a los cuatro ángeles encargados de arrasar la tierra y el mar. Les decía:

— No causen daño a la tierra, al mar o a los árboles hasta que marquemos en la frente a los servidores de nuestro Dios.

Y pude oír el número de los marcados: eran ciento cuarenta y cuatro mil, tomados de todas las tribus de Israel.

Doce mil marcados por tribu:
de Judá, de Rubén y de Gad;
de Aser, de Neftalí y de Manasés;
de Simeón, de Leví y de Isacar;
de Zabulón, de José y de Benjamín.
Una muchedumbre inmensa ante el trono.
Doce mil marcados por cada una de las tribus.

Vi luego una muchedumbre inmensa, incontable. Gentes de toda nación, raza, pueblo y lengua; todos de pie delante del trono y del Cordero; todos vestidos con túnica blanca, llevando palmas en la mano 10 y proclamando con voz poderosa:

— La salvación viene de nuestro Dios, que está sentado en el trono, y del Cordero.

11 Y todos los ángeles que estaban alrededor del trono, de los ancianos y de los cuatro seres vivientes, cayeron rostro en tierra delante del trono y adoraron a Dios, 12 diciendo:

— Amén. A nuestro Dios la alabanza,
la gloria, la sabiduría,
la acción de gracias, el honor,
el poder y la fuerza por siempre. Amén.

13 Entonces, uno de los ancianos me preguntó:

— ¿Quiénes son y de dónde han venido estos de las túnicas blancas?

14 Yo le respondí:

— Mi Señor, tú eres quien lo sabe.

Él me dijo:

— Estos son los que han pasado por la gran persecución, los que han lavado y blanqueado sus túnicas en la sangre del Cordero. 15 Por eso están ante el trono de Dios, rindiéndole culto día y noche en su Templo; y el que está sentado en el trono los protege. 16 Ya no volverán a sentir hambre ni sed ni el ardor agobiante del sol. 17 El Cordero que está en medio del trono será su pastor, los conducirá a manantiales de aguas vivas, y Dios mismo enjugará toda lágrima de sus ojos.