Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

The 144,000 Are Marked for God

7 ^1-2 (A) After this I saw four angels. Each one was standing on one of the earth's four corners. The angels held back the four winds, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. These angels had also been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Then I saw another angel come up from where the sun rises in the east, and he was ready to put the mark of the living God on people. He shouted to the four angels, ^3 (B) “Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

⁴ Then I heard how many people had been marked on the forehead. There were 144,000, and they came from every tribe of Israel:

People from Every Nation

^9 (C) After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ as they shouted,

¹¹ The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshiped God ¹² and said,

¹³ One of the elders asked me, “Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?”

^14 (D) “Sir,” I answered, “you must know.”

Then he told me:

The Seventh Seal Is Opened

8 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² I noticed that the seven angels who stood before God were each given a trumpet.

^3 (G) Another angel, who had a gold container for incense,^[a] came and stood at the altar. This one was given a lot of incense to offer with the prayers of God's people on the gold altar in front of the throne. ⁴ Then the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up to God from the hand of the angel.

^5 (H) After this, the angel filled the incense container with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the earth shook.

The Trumpets

^6 (I) The seven angels now got ready to blow their trumpets.

^7 (J) When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth, a third of the trees, and a third of all green plants were burned.

⁸ When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a great fiery mountain was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

^10 (K) When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star fell from heaven. It was burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on a third of the springs of water. ^11 (L) The name of the star was Bitter, and a third of the water turned bitter. Many people died because the water was so bitter.

^12 (M) When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were struck. They each lost a third of their light. So during a third of the day there was no light, and a third of the night was also without light.

¹³ Then I looked and saw a lone eagle flying across the sky. It was shouting, “Trouble, trouble, trouble to everyone who lives on earth! The other three angels are now going to blow their trumpets.”