Revelation 7
1 And after this I saw four agents standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth, so that wind would not blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree.
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.
2 And I saw another agent ascending from the rising of the sun, having a seal of the living God. And he cried out in a great voice to the four agents to whom it was given to them to harm the earth and the sea,
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
3 saying, Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we may seal the bondmen of our God on their foreheads.
[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.”
4 And I heard the number of those sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.
[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].
5 Twelve thousand were sealed from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,
[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,
6 twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12.000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin, were sealed.
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin.
9 After these things, I looked and lo, a great multitude, which none could number, out of every nation, and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands,
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].
10 and crying out in a great voice, saying, Salvation is in our God who sits upon the throne, and in the Lamb!
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]!”
11 And all the agents had stood all around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell before his throne on their faces, and worshiped God,
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.
12 saying, Truly! Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and strength, is for our God into the ages of the ages. Truly! (aiōn g165)
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)
13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these who are clothed in white robes, and where did they come from?
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?”
14 And I said to him, My lord, thou know. And he said to me, These are those coming out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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.
15 Because of this they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
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].
16 They will hunger no more, nor will they thirst any more. The sun will, no, not fall upon them, nor any heat.
[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].
17 Because the Lamb in the midst of the throne will tend them, and will lead them to fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
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].”
