An Interlude

1 After this I saw afour angels standing at the bfour corners of the earth, holding back cthe four winds of the earth, dso that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascending afrom the rising of the sun, having the bseal of cthe living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the dfour angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,

3 saying, “aDo not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have bsealed the bond-servants of our God on their cforeheads.”

The 144,000

4 And I heard the anumber of those who were sealed, bone hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

5 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,

7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

A Multitude from the Tribulation

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from aevery nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing bbefore the throne and cbefore the Lamb, clothed in dwhite robes, and epalm branches were in their hands;

10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

“aSalvation to our God bwho sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”