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An Interlude

After this I saw four angels stationed at the four corners of the earth, holding back the [a]four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.(A) Then I saw another angel coming up from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and with a loud voice he called out to the four angels to whom it was granted [to have authority and power] to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth nor the sea nor the trees until we [b]seal (mark) the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”(B)

The 144,000

And I heard how many were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand; [twelve thousand] sealed from [c]every tribe of the sons of Israel:


Twelve thousand were sealed from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,

twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed (marked, redeemed, protected).

A Multitude from the Tribulation

After these things I looked, and this is what I saw: a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Christ), dressed in white robes, with [d]palm branches in their hands; 10 and in a loud voice they cried out, saying,

“Salvation [belongs] to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [our salvation is the Trinity’s to give, and to God the Trinity we owe our deliverance].” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the [twenty-four] elders and the four living creatures; and they fell to their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and majesty and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are dressed in the long white robes—who are they, and from where did they come?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know [the answer].” And he said to me, “These are the people who come out of the great tribulation (persecution), and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb [because of His atoning sacrifice].(C) 15 For this reason, they are [standing] before the throne of God; and they serve Him [in worship] day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will [e]spread His tabernacle over them and shelter and protect them [with His presence].(D) 16 They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun [f]beat down on them, nor any [scorching] heat;(E) 17 for the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes [giving them eternal comfort].”(F)

The Seventh Seal—the Trumpets

When He (the Lamb) broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour [in awe of God’s impending judgment].(G) Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven [g]trumpets were given to them.

Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a golden [h]censer, and much [i]incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (God’s people) on the golden altar in front of the throne.(H) And the smoke and fragrant aroma of the incense, with the prayers of the saints (God’s people), ascended before God from the angel’s hand. So the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and loud rumblings and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.(I)

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them [initiating the judgments].

The first [angel] sounded [his trumpet], and there was [a storm of] hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(J)

The second angel sounded [his trumpet], and something like a great mountain blazing with fire was hurled into the sea; and a third of the sea was turned to blood;(K) and a third of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded [his trumpet], and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch [flashing across the sky], and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of [fresh] waters. 11 The name of the star is [j]Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters, because they had become bitter (toxic).

12 Then the fourth angel sounded [his trumpet], and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and a third of the daylight would not shine, and the night in the same way [would not shine].(L)

13 Then I looked, and I heard a solitary eagle flying in [k]midheaven [for all to see], saying with a loud voice, “[l]Woe, woe, woe [great wrath is coming] to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpets which the three angels are about to sound [announcing ever greater judgments]!”

The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit

Then the fifth angel sounded [his trumpet], and I saw a star (angelic being) that had fallen from heaven to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit (abyss) was given to him (the star-angel).(M) He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke like the smoke of a great furnace flowed out of the pit; and the sun and the atmosphere were darkened by the smoke from the pit.(N) Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power [to hurt] was given to them, like the power which the earth’s scorpions have.(O) They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but [to hurt] only the people who do not have the seal (mark of ownership, protection) of God on their foreheads.(P) They were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment and cause them extreme pain for five months; and their torment was like the torment from a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die [to escape the pain], but [will discover that] death evades them.(Q)

The locusts resembled horses prepared and equipped for battle; and on their heads appeared to be [something like] golden crowns, and their faces resembled human faces.(R) They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.(S) They had breastplates (scales) like breastplates made of iron; and the [whirring] noise of their wings was like the [thunderous] noise of countless horse-drawn chariots charging [at full speed] into battle.(T) 10 They have tails like scorpions, and stingers; and in their tails is their power to hurt people for five months.(U) 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss (the bottomless pit); in Hebrew his name is Abaddon (destruction), and in Greek he is called Apollyon (destroyer-king).

12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

The Sixth Trumpet—Army from the East

13 Then the sixth angel sounded [his trumpet], and I heard a solitary voice from the four horns of the golden altar which stands before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the [appointed] hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand (two hundred million); I heard the number of them. 17 And this is how I saw the horses and their riders in my vision: the riders had breastplates [the color] of fire and of hyacinth (sapphire blue) and of brimstone (yellow); and the heads of the horses looked like the heads of lions; and from out of their mouths came fire and smoke and brimstone (burning sulfur). 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone that came from the mouths of the horses. 19 For the power of the horses [to do harm] is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and it is with them that they do harm.

20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, [m]did not repent even then of the works of their hands, so as to cease worshiping and paying homage to the demons and the idols of gold and of silver and of bronze and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;(V) 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries (drugs, intoxications) nor of their [sexual] immorality nor of their thefts.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 7:1 The Jews and other ancient peoples were very observant of the four winds, that is, the winds that came from each point of the compass. It was said in the Talmud that if the winds ceased to blow, the world could not continue to exist.
  2. Revelation 7:3 The seal indicates both ownership and protection by God.
  3. Revelation 7:4 The tribe of Dan is omitted from the following passage without explanation. The tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s older son, replaces Dan, so the count remains at twelve.
  4. Revelation 7:9 I.e. symbols of victory and joy used on festive occasions.
  5. Revelation 7:15 Lit pitch His tent.
  6. Revelation 7:16 Lit fall.
  7. Revelation 8:2 In the Old Testament, trumpets announced God’s commands to congregate, move camp, and prepare for war (Num 10:1-9). Trumpets were also used to announce celebrations (Num 10:10; 29:1), royal coronations (1 Kin 1:34, 39; 2 Kin 9:13), and God’s impending wrath (Josh 6:1-8; Zeph 1:14-16). Angels will blow trumpets during the judgment and resurrection (Matt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16).
  8. Revelation 8:3 I.e. a special container for burning incense.
  9. Revelation 8:3 I.e. fragrant spices which exude perfume when burned.
  10. Revelation 8:11 Gr apsinthos, cf Eng “absinthe.” This is a plant from which a bitter oil is extracted that is highly toxic to the nervous system. The name “wormwood” comes from the fact that the oil was used medicinally to kill intestinal worms.
  11. Revelation 8:13 The Greek word used here refers to the meridian or zenith, the highest point of the sun in the sky, where the sun is directly overhead.
  12. Revelation 8:13 During the first four trumpets, judgment fell on nature, but in the final three trumpet judgments (chs 9-11), unbelieving humanity will be directly punished through torment, death, and at last total destruction.
  13. Revelation 9:20 The wickedness of idolatry is so deep and deceptive that idolaters refuse to repent in spite of the overwhelming evidence of God’s displeasure with them (Ps 115:8; 135:18).

144,000 Sealed

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(A) of the earth, holding back the four winds(B) of the earth to prevent(C) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal(D) of the living God.(E) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:(F) “Do not harm(G) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads(H) of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number(I) of those who were sealed: 144,000(J) from all the tribes of Israel.

From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(K) standing before the throne(L) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(M) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,(N)
who sits on the throne,(O)
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(P) and the four living creatures.(Q) They fell down on their faces(R) before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”(S)

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes(T)—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(U) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(V) 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God(W)
    and serve him(X) day and night in his temple;(Y)
and he who sits on the throne(Z)
    will shelter them with his presence.(AA)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.(AB)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
    nor any scorching heat.(AC)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;(AD)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b](AE)
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c](AF)

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When he opened the seventh seal,(AG) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels(AH) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.(AI)

Another angel,(AJ) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,(AK) on the golden altar(AL) in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God(AM) from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,(AN) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,(AO) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.(AP)

The Trumpets

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets(AQ) prepared to sound them.

The first angel(AR) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire(AS) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third(AT) of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(AU)

The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,(AV) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third(AW) of the sea turned into blood,(AX) a third(AY) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky(AZ) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water(BA) 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[d] A third(BB) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.(BC)

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third(BD) of them turned dark.(BE) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.(BF)

13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair(BG) call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe(BH) to the inhabitants of the earth,(BI) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.(BJ) The star was given the key(BK) to the shaft of the Abyss.(BL) When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.(BM) The sun and sky were darkened(BN) by the smoke from the Abyss.(BO) And out of the smoke locusts(BP) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions(BQ) of the earth. They were told not to harm(BR) the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,(BS) but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.(BT) They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.(BU) And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion(BV) when it strikes. During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.(BW)

The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.(BX) On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.(BY) Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.(BZ) They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.(CA) 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.(CB) 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,(CC) whose name in Hebrew(CD) is Abaddon(CE) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.(CF)

13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns(CG) of the golden altar that is before God.(CH) 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels(CI) who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”(CJ) 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released(CK) to kill a third(CL) of mankind.(CM) 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.(CN)

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths(CO) came fire, smoke and sulfur.(CP) 18 A third(CQ) of mankind was killed(CR) by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur(CS) that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent(CT) of the work of their hands;(CU) they did not stop worshiping demons,(CV) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.(CW) 21 Nor did they repent(CX) of their murders, their magic arts,(CY) their sexual immorality(CZ) or their thefts.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
  2. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
  3. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8
  4. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

And 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 given to hurt the earth and the sea,

Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.