1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.
2And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. He called out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and the sea.
3He said, "Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
4And I heard the number of those who were sealed. There were a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5Of the tribe of Juda, 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 Aser, twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Nepthalim, twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Manasses, 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 Zabulon, twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
9After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could count. They came from every nation and family and people and language. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
10They called out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."
11All the angels stood around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces in front of the throne and worshipped God,
12saying, "Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and might belong to our God for ever and ever. Amen."
13Then one of the elders spoke to me. He said, "Who are these people dressed in white robes? Where did they come from?"
14And I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who came out of great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
15That is why they are in front of the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. And the one who sits on the throne will live among them.
16They will never be hungry again, and never be thirsty again. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any burning heat.
17"For the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne will feed them. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."