The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back 1the four winds of the earth, 2that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
2
Then I saw another angel ascending 3from the rising of the sun, with 4the 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, 5"Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servantsa of our God 6on their foreheads."
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.
A Great Multitude from Every Nation
9
After this I looked, and behold, 8a great multitude that no one could number, 9from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, 10clothed in white robes, with 11palm branches in their hands,
10
and crying out with a loud voice, 12"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 and 13the four living creatures, and they 14fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
12
15saying, "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, 16clothed 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 of 17the great tribulation. 18They have washed their robes and 19made them white 20in the blood of the Lamb.
15
"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and 21serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne 22will shelter them with his presence.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)