Revelation 7
1 After this I saw four angels. One was standing at the north, one at the east, one at the south, and one at the west. They were restraining the winds that blew from all directions [MTY] to keep them from blowing [destructively] on the earth or on the ocean or even on any tree.
Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding back the earth's four winds to prevent any wind from blowing on the earth, or over the sea, or against any tree.
2 I saw another angel come up from the east. He was carrying God’s seal. [With this] seal God, who is all-powerful, marks [his own people to protect them]. The angel called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom [he] had given [power] to harm the earth and the ocean. He said
I watched another angel rise up from the east, holding the seal of the living God. He shouted in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given the power to damage the earth and the sea,
3 [to them], “Do not harm the earth or the ocean or the trees until we [(exc)] have marked the servants of our [(inc)] God on their foreheads.”
“Don't hurt the earth or the sea or the trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of God's true followers!”
4 [Then the angel and his fellow angels marked all God’s servants]. I heard the number of people who were marked {whom [the angels] marked} [because of their being God’s servants. The number was] 144,000. They were from all the tribes of Israel. [They symbolized the complete number of people whom God would protect].
I was told the number of those who were sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand. Those who were sealed came from every tribe of the children of Israel:
5 [The angels] marked 12,000 people from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand 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,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand 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,
twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin.
twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin.
9 After these things I saw a huge crowd. There were so [many people] that no one would be able to count them. [They were] from every nation, every tribe, every people-group, and every language [MTY]. They were standing before the throne and before [Jesus, the one who is like a] lamb. They were wearing white robes and held palm branches [to wave them in order to celebrate].
After this I looked and saw a great crowd that nobody could count, made up of every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
10 They shouted loudly, “[O] our [(exc)] God, you who sit on the throne, and [Jesus, you who are like a] lamb, [you two] have delivered [us(exc) from Satan’s power]!”
They gave a loud shout, “Salvation is from our God who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living [creatures]. They all bowed down before the throne with their faces [to the ground] and worshipped God.
All the angels surrounding the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures, fell down on their faces before the throne, worshiping God.
12 They said, “May it be so! [We(exc)] praise, thank, and honor [you], our [(exc)] God, forever! [We(exc) acknowledge] that you are completely wise, the powerful one, who is forever able to accomplish everything he wants to. (May everyone acknowlege that it is so!/Amen!)” (aiōn g165)
“Amen!” they said. “Blessing, glory, wisdom, gratitude, honor, power, and strength, be to God for ever and ever. Amen.” (aiōn g165)
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These [people] who are wearing white robes, [do you know] who they are, and where they come from?”
One of the elders spoke to me and asked, “Who are those who are dressed in white robes, and where have they come from?”
14 I answered him, “Sir, [I do not know. Surely] you know [who they are]!” He said to me, “These are the people (whom [others] have caused to suffer greatly/who [have been persecuted]). [Because they believed that Jesus, the one who is like a sacrificial] lamb, [atoned for our sin when] his blood [flowed from his body when he died, it is as though] [MET] they have washed their robes and have made them [clean and] white.
I replied, “My Lord, you know the answer.” He told me, “These are the ones who have passed through great persecution. They washed their robes, making them white through the blood of the Lamb.
15 Because of this, they are in front of God’s throne, and they serve him day and night in his [heavenly temple. God], the one who sits on the throne, will shelter/protect them [MTY].
That's why they can stand in front of God's throne, and they serve him day and night in his Temple. The one who sits on the throne will protect them with his presence.
16 [As a result], they will never again be hungry. They will never again be thirsty. The sun will never again (beat on/burn) them, nor will any heat [scorch them].
They will never be hungry ever again, or thirsty; the sun will not beat down on them and they will not suffer scorching heat,
17 This is because the [one who is like a] lamb who is at the throne will [take care of them, just like] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep] [MET]. He will guide them [to the source of eternal life, just like a shepherd leads his sheep] to springs of water, [which enable the sheep] to live [MET]. God will [cause them to no longer be sad. It will be as if he were] wiping away all tears from their eyes [MTY].”
because the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
