The 144,000 Are Marked for God
1-2 After this I saw four angels. Each one was standing on one of the earth's four corners. The angels held back the four winds, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. These angels had also been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Then I saw another angel come up from where the sun rises in the east, and he was ready to put the mark of the living God on people. He shouted to the four angels, 3 “Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
4 Then I heard how many people had been marked on the forehead. There were 144,000, and they came from every tribe of Israel:
5 12,000 from Judah,
12,000 from Reuben,
12,000 from Gad,
6 12,000 from Asher,
12,000 from Naphtali,
12,000 from Manasseh,
7 12,000 from Simeon,
12,000 from Levi,
12,000 from Issachar,
8 12,000 from Zebulun,
12,000 from Joseph, and
12,000 from Benjamin.
People from Every Nation
9 After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, 10 as they shouted,
“Our God, who sits
upon the throne,
has the power
to save his people,
and so does the Lamb.”
11 The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshiped God 12 and said,
“Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom,
thanks, honor, power,
and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen!”
13 One of the elders asked me, “Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?”
14 “Sir,” I answered, “you must know.”
Then he told me:
“These are the ones
who have gone through
the great suffering.
They have washed their robes
in the blood of the Lamb
and have made them white.
15 And so they stand
before the throne of God
and worship him in his temple
day and night.
The one who sits on the throne
will spread his tent
over them.
16 They will never hunger
or thirst again,
and they won't be troubled
by the sun
or any scorching heat.
17 “The Lamb in the center
of the throne
will be their shepherd.
He will lead them to streams
of life-giving water,
and God will wipe all tears
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.