Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
7 Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind would not blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
5 Twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
twelve throusand from the tribe of Reuben were sealed,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad were sealed,
6 twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher were sealed,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali were sealed,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh were sealed,
7 twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon were sealed,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi were sealed,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar were sealed,
8 twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun were sealed,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph were sealed,
and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
The Multitude From Every Nation
9 Then I looked. And there was a great multitude which no one could count, from all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out with 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 and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying:
“Amen!
Blessing and glory
and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever!
Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these clothed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
He said to me, “These are those who came out of great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,
they are before the throne of God,
and serve Him day and night in His temple.
And He who sits on the throne
will dwell among them.
16 ‘They shall neither hunger any more,
nor shall they thirst any more;
the sun shall not strike them,’[a]
nor any scorching heat;
17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne
will shepherd them
and ‘He will lead them to springs of living water.’[b]
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”
The Seventh Seal
8 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it onto the earth. And there were noises, thundering, lightning, and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown upon the earth. A third of the trees and all the green grass were burned up.
8 Then the second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded, and a great star from heaven, burning like a torch, fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. 11 The name of this star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day had no light, and likewise a third of the night.
13 Then I watched, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other trumpet blasts of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.