The 144,000

1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads.”

4And I heard the number of those having been sealed, 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

5from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 having been sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000 having been sealed.

A Multitude from Every Nation

9After these things I looked, and behold, a great [†]multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying,

“Amen, the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

13Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These, clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?” 14And I [†]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His [†]sanctuary; and He who sits on the throne will [†]dwell over them. 16THEY WILL HUNGER NO LONGER, NOR THIRST ANYMORE; NOR WILL THE SUN [†]BEAT DOWN ON THEM, NOR ANY HEAT; 17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of the [†]water of life. And God WILL WIPE EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES.”