The 144,000 People of Israel
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that no wind should blow on the earth or the sea or against any tree. 2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels to whom God had given the power to damage the earth and the sea. 3 The angel said, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” 4 And I was told that the number of those who were marked with God's seal on their foreheads was 144,000. They were from the twelve tribes of Israel, 5-8 twelve thousand from each tribe: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.
The Enormous Crowd
9 After this I looked, and there was an enormous crowd—no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. 10 They called out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then they threw themselves face downward in front of the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever! Amen!”
13 One of the elders asked me, “Who are these people dressed in white robes, and where do they come from?”
14 “I don't know, sir. You do,” I answered.
He said to me, “These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb. 15 That is why they stand before God's throne and serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will protect them with his presence. 16 Never again will they hunger or thirst; neither sun nor any scorching heat will burn them, 17 because the Lamb, who is in the center of the throne, will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
1 And after that, I sawe foure Angels stand on the foure corners of the earth, holding the foure windes of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, neither on the sea, neither on any tree. 2 And I sawe another Angel come vp from the East, which had the seale of the liuing God, and hee cried with a loud voice to the foure Angels to who power was giuen to hurt the earth, and the sea, saying, 3 Hurt ye not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, til we haue sealed the seruants of our God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of them, which were sealed, and there were sealed an hundreth and foure and fourtie thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed twelue thousande. Of the tribe of Ruben were sealed twelue thousande. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelue thousande. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelue thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthali were sealed twelue thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelue thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelue thousande. Of the tribe of Leui were sealed twelue thousande. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelue thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelue thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Ioseph were sealed twelue thousande. Of the tribe of Beniamin were sealed twelue thousand. 9 After these thinges I behelde, and loe a great multitude, which no man coulde number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stoode before the throne, and before the Lambe, clothed with long white robes, and palmes in their hands. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Saluation commeth of our God, that sitteth vpon the throne, and of the Lambe. 11 And all the Angels stoode rounde about the throne, and about the Elders, and the foure beastes, and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen. Praise, and glorie, and wisdom, and thankes, and honour, and power, and might bee vnto our God for euermore, Amen. 13 And one of the Elders spake, saying vnto me, What are these which are araied in log white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I saide vnto him, Lord, thou knowest. And he saide to me, These are they, which came out of great tribulation, and haue washed their long robes, and haue made their long robes white in the blood of the Lambe. 15 Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God, and serue him day and night in his Temple, and he that sitteth on the throne, wil dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sunne light on them, neither any heate. 17 For the Lambe, which is in the middes of the throne, shall gouerne them, and shall leade them vnto the liuely fountaines of waters, and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes.