Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

He sees the servants of God sealed in their foreheads out of all nations and peoples, who, though they suffer trouble, yet the Lamb feeds them, and leads them to the fountains of living waters. God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

7 And after that, I saw four angels stand on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth so that the winds would not blow on the land, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.  ² And I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, who had the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels (to whom power was given to hurt the land and the sea), ³ saying, Do not hurt the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

⁴ And I heard the number of those who were sealed, and there were sealed 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ⁵ Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. ⁶ Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. ⁷ Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. ⁸ Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

⁹ After this I looked, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and people and tongues stood before the seat and before the Lamb, clothed with long white garments and palms in their hands, ¹⁰ and cried out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation be ascribed to him who sits upon the seat of our God and to the Lamb! ¹¹ And all the angels stood round about the seat, and about the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the seat on their faces and worshipped God, ¹² saying, Amen! Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanks, and honour, and power, and might, be to our God forevermore. Amen.

¹³ And one of the elders spoke, saying to me, Who are these who are arrayed in long white garments, and where are they from? ¹⁴ And I said to him, Lord, you know. And he said to me, They are those who came out of great tribulation, and made their garments large, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore they are in the presence of the seat of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits in the seat will dwell among them. ¹⁶ They will hunger no more, neither thirst; nor will the sun light on them, nor any heat. ¹⁷ For the Lamb who is at the centre of the seat shall feed them, and shall lead them to fountains of living water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The seventh seal is opened. There is silence in heaven. The four angels blow their trumpets, and great plagues follow upon the earth.

8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. ² And I saw angels standing before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. ³ And another angel came and stood before the altar having a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, that he should offer of the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar that was before the seat. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of all the saints ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

⁵ And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it into the earth; and voices were made, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

⁶ And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to blow. ⁷ The first angel blew, and there was made hail and fire, which were mingled with blood. And they were cast into the earth, and the third part of trees was burnt, and all the green grass was burnt.

⁸ And the second angel blew, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea turned to blood. ⁹ And the third part of the creatures that had life in the sea died, and the third part of ships was destroyed.

¹⁰ And the third angel blew, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp. And it fell into the third part of the rivers, and into springs of waters. ¹¹ And the name of the star is called wormwood. And the third part of the waters was turned to wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

¹² And the fourth angel blew, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of stars, so that the third part of them was darkened. And the day was smitten, so that the third part of it did not shine, and likewise the night.

¹³ And I looked, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth, because of the blasts to come of the trumpet of the three angels who were yet to blow.