1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding backuJer. 49:36; Dan. 7:2 the four winds of the earth,v[ver. 3] that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascendingwch. 16:12 from the rising of the sun, withxch. 9:4 the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying,ych. 6:6; 9:4 “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our Godzch. 14:1; 22:4; Ezek. 9:4; [ch. 13:16; Ezek. 3:8, 9] on their foreheads. ” 4 Andach. 9:16 I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
5 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
9 After this I looked, and behold,b[Rom. 11:25] a great multitude that no one could number,cch. 5:9 from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,dver. 14; See ch. 3:4 clothed in white robes, withe[Lev. 23:40; John 12:13] palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice,fch. 12:10; 19:1; See Ps. 3:8 “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! ” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders andgch. 4:6 the four living creatures, and theyhSee ch. 4:10 fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 ich. 5:14; 19:4; [1 Chr. 29:10, 11] 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 addressed me, saying, “Who are these,d[See ver. 9 above] clothed in white robes, and from where have they come? ” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know. ” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out ofjSee Matt. 24:21 the great tribulation.kch. 22:14; [Isa. 1:18; Zech. 3:3-5] They have washed their robes andl[Dan. 12:10; 1 John 1:7] made them whitemch. 1:5 in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore they are before the throne of God,
andnch. 22:3 serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throneoch. 21:3; [Isa. 4:5, 6] will shelter them with his presence.
16 pIsa. 49:10 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
qPs. 121:6 the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the thronerPs. 23:1, 2; [Matt. 2:6]; See John 10:11 will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs ofsch. 22:1; [Ps. 36:8, 9; John 4:14] living water,
andtch. 21:4; Isa. 25:8 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. ”