144,000 Sealed

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four cornersr of the earth, holding back the four windss of the earth to preventt any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the sealu of the living God.v He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:w 3 “Do not harmx the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheadsy of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the numberz of those who were sealed: 144,000a from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8 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

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,b standing before the thronec and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robesd and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,e

who sits on the throne,f

and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the eldersg and the four living creatures.h They fell down on their facesi 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!”j

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robesk—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 robesl and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.m 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of Godn

and serve himo day and night in his temple;p

and he who sits on the throneq

will shelter them with his presence.r

16 ‘Never again will they hunger;

never again will they thirst.s

The sun will not beat down on them,’a

nor any scorching heat.t

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne

will be their shepherd;u

‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’b v

‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’c”w