The Sealed of Israel

7 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, aholding the four winds of the earth, bthat the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, c“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God don their foreheads.” 4 eAnd I heard the number of those who were sealed. fOne hundred and forty-four thousand gof all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were 1sealed;

of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;

6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;

7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;

of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

9 After these things I looked, and behold, ha great multitude which no one could number, iof all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, jclothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, k“Salvation belongs to our God lwho sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 mAll the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and nworshiped God, 12 osaying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,

Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,

Be to our God forever and ever.

Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in pwhite robes, and where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, 2“Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, q“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and rwashed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will sdwell among them. 16 tThey shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; uthe sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne vwill shepherd them and lead them to 3living fountains of waters. wAnd God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

8 When aHe opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 bAnd I saw the seven angels who stand before God, cand to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with dthe prayers of all the saints upon ethe golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And fthe smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And gthere were noises, thunderings, hlightnings, iand an earthquake.

6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.