1After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. 2I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, 3saying, "Do not harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!" 4I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: 5of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, 6of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, 7of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, 8of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, 9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10They shouted with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne, and worshiped God, 12saying, "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen." 13One of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?" 14So I said to him, "My lord, you know." He said to me, "These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb's blood. 15Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. 16They will hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither will the sun beat on them, nor any heat; 17for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shepherds them, and leads them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."