Revelation 7
7
The Sealed of Israel
1After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, #Jer. 49:36; Dan. 7:2; Zech. 6:5; Matt. 24:31holding the four winds of the earth, #Rev. 7:3; 8:7; 9:4that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2Then 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, 3saying, #Rev. 6:6“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God #Ezek. 9:4, 6; Rev. 22:4on their foreheads.” 4#Rev. 9:16And I heard the number of those who were sealed. #Rev. 14:1, 3One hundred and forty-four thousand #Gen. 49:1–27of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
5of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
6of 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;
7of 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;
8of 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
9After these things I looked, and behold, #Is. 60:1–5; Rom. 11:25a great multitude which no one could number, #Rev. 5:9of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, #Rev. 3:5, 18; 4:4; 6:11clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, saying, #Ps. 3:8; Is. 43:11; Jer. 3:23; Hos. 13:4; Rev. 19:1“Salvation belongs to our God #Rev. 5:13who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11#Rev. 4:6All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and #Rev. 4:11; 5:9, 12, 14; 11:16worshiped God, 12#Rev. 5:13, 14saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
13Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in #Rev. 7:9white robes, and where did they come from?”
14And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, #Rev. 6:9“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and #Is. 1:18; Zech. 3:3–5; (Heb. 9:14)washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will #Is. 4:5, 6; Rev. 21:3dwell among them. 16#Ps. 121:5; Is. 49:10They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; #Ps. 121:6; Rev. 21:4the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne #Ps. 23:1; Matt. 2:6; (John 10:11, 14)will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. #Is. 25:8; Matt. 5:4; Rev. 21:4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
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Revelation 7: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Revelation 7
7
The 144,000 Sealed. 1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,#The four corners of the earth: the earth is seen as a table or rectangular surface. holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on land or sea or against any tree.#Jer 49:36; Zec 6:5. 2Then I saw another angel come up from the East,#East: literally, “rising of the sun.” The east was considered the source of light and the place of paradise (Gn 2:8). Seal: whatever was marked by the impression of one’s signet ring belonged to that person and was under his protection. holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, 3“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”#Ex 12:7–14; Ez 9:4; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30. 4I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked#One hundred and forty-four thousand: the square of twelve (the number of Israel’s tribes) multiplied by a thousand, symbolic of the new Israel (cf. Rev 14:1–5; Gal 6:16; Jas 1:1) that embraces people from every nation, race, people, and tongue (Rev 7:9). from every tribe of the Israelites:#14:1. 5twelve thousand were marked from the tribe of Judah,#Judah is placed first because of Christ; cf. “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5). Dan is omitted because of a later tradition that the antichrist would arise from it. twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad, 6twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh, 7twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar, 8twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and twelve thousand were marked from the tribe of Benjamin.
Triumph of the Elect. 9After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches#White robes…palm branches: symbols of joy and victory; see note on Rev 3:5. in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from#Salvation comes from: literally, “(let) salvation (be ascribed) to.” A similar hymn of praise is found at the fall of the dragon (Rev 12:10) and of Babylon (Rev 19:1). our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
11All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, 12and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
13Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” 14I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;#Time of great distress: fierce persecution by the Romans; cf. Introduction. they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.#Mt 24:21.
15“For this reason they stand before God’s throne
and worship him day and night in his temple.
The one who sits on the throne will shelter them.
16They will not hunger or thirst anymore,
nor will the sun or any heat strike them.#Is 49:10.
17For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of life-giving water,#Life-giving water: literally, “the water of life,” God’s grace, which flows from Christ; cf. Rev 21:6; 22:1, 17; Jn 4:10, 14.
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”#21:4; Is 25:8.
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