Sealing the servants of God

17.1: Zech 6.5.After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the 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, 37.3: Ezek 9.4.saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.” 4And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel, 5twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand of the tribe of Gad, 6twelve thousand of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand of the tribe of Naph'tali, twelve thousand of the tribe of Manas'seh, 7twelve thousand of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand of the tribe of Issachar, 8twelve thousand of the tribe of Zeb'ulun, twelve thousand of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Benjamin.

9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.”

13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?” 147.14: Dan 12.1; Gen 49.11.I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15Therefore are they before the throne of God,

and serve him day and night within his temple;

and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence.

167.16: Is 49.10; Ps 121.6.They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more;

the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

177.17: Ezek 34.23; Ps 23.2; Is 25.8.For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water;

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”