7 1 The Angels coming to hurt the earth, 3 are stayed until the elect of the Lord, 5 of all tribes were sealed. 13 Such as suffered persecution for Christ’s sake, 16 have great felicity, 17 and joy.
1 And [a]after that, I saw four Angels stand on the [b]four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, neither on the sea, [c]neither on any tree.
2 [d]And I saw [e]another Angel come up from the East, which had the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four Angels to whom power was given to hurt the earth, and the sea, saying,
3 Hurt ye not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them, which were sealed, and there were sealed [f]an hundred and four and forty thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Out of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. [g]Of the tribe of [h]Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of [i]Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
9 After these things I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, [j]which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues [k]stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with long white robes, and palms in their hands.
10 [l]And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation cometh of our God, that sitteth upon the throne, and of the Lamb.
11 And all the Angels stood round about the throne, and about the Elders, and the four beasts, and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen, Praise and glory, and wisdom, and thanks, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for evermore, Amen.
13 [m]And one of the Elders spake, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in long white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, [n]These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their long robes, and have made their long robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God, and serve him [o]day and night in his Temple, and he that sitteth on the throne will dwell [p]among them.
16 (A)They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sun light on them, neither any heat.
17 For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall govern them, and shall lead them unto the lively fountains of waters, and (B)God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Footnotes
- Revelation 7:1 The second member of this part, is a preventing of danger as we distinguished the same before, Chap. 6:1, that is of the caution whereby God took care before hand and provided for his that after the example of the Israelites of old, Exod. 8:13, the faithful might be exempted from the plagues of this wicked world. This whole place is a certain interlocution and bringing in for this whole chapter by occasion of the prediction and argument of the sixth seal. For first that evil is prevented in the elect unto verse 9. Then thanks are given by the elect for that cause, verses 10, 11, 12. Lastly, the accomplishment of the thing is set forth unto the end of the chapter. The first verse is a transition speaking of the Angels which keep these inferior parts from all evil, until God do command. For (as it is excellently figured by Ezek. 11:12) their faces and their wings are reached upwards, continually waiting upon and beholding the countenance of God for their direction: and every [one] of them goeth into that part that is right before his face, whithesoever the Spirit shall go, they go, they step not out of the way, that is, they depart not so much as a foot breadth from the path commanded them of God.
- Revelation 7:1 On the four quarters or coasts of the earth.
- Revelation 7:1 That is, neither into the air, into which the tops of trees are advanced.
- Revelation 7:2 Now God provideth against the danger of his elect by commandment, verses 2 and 3, and by sign or figure, both for those of the nation of the Jews, thence unto verse 8, and also of the Gentiles, verse 9.
- Revelation 7:2 Not only another, or differing in number from the common Angels of God, but also in essence, office, and operation excelling all Angels: that is, Christ Jesus the eternal Angel or word of God, and mediator of the covenant. So hereafter Rev. 8:3 and 10:1, 5.
- Revelation 7:4 That is, of the Jews a number certain in itself before God, and such as may be numbered of us: for which cause also the same is here set down as certain. But of the elect which are of the Gentiles, the number indeed is in itself certain with God, but of us not possibly to be numbered, as God, Gen. 15:5, and often elsewhere, and Isaiah figured most excellently, Isa. 49 and 60. This therefore is spoken with respect, when a certain number is put for one uncertain. Confer this with verse 6.
- Revelation 7:7 Here the tribe of Levi is reckoned up in common with the rest, because all the Israelites were equally made Priests with them in Christ by his Priesthood, Rev. 1:6, and 5:10, and Rom. 12:1, and 1 Pet. 2:9. The name of Dan is not mentioned because the Danites long before forsaking the worship of God, were fallen away from the fellowship of God’s people unto the part of the Gentiles, which evil many ages before Jacob foresaw, Gen. 49:18, for which cause also there is no mention made of this tribe in the first book of the Chronicles.
- Revelation 7:7 He skipped Dan, and reckoneth Levi.
- Revelation 7:8 Of Ephraim, who was Joseph’s other son, and had the birthright given him, whereof he is called Joseph.
- Revelation 7:9 See before upon verse 4.
- Revelation 7:9 As Priests, Kings and glorious conquerors by martyrdom: which things are noted by their proper signs in this verse.
- Revelation 7:10 The praise of God celebrated first by the holy men, in this verse, then by the heavenly Angels in the two verses following.
- Revelation 7:13 A passage over unto the expounding of the vision, of which the Angel inquireth of S. John to stir him up withal, in this verse and John in the form of speech, both acknowledgeth his own ignorance, attributing knowledge unto the Angel, and also in most modest manner requesteth the expounding of the vision.
- Revelation 7:14 The exposition of the vision, wherein the Angel telleth first the acts of the Saints, that is, their sufferings and work of faith in Christ Jesus, in this verse. Secondly their glory, both present, which consisteth in two things, that they minister unto God, and that God protecteth them, verse 15, and to come, in their perfect deliverance from all annoyances, verse 16, and in participation of all good things which even the memory of former evils shall never be able to diminish, verse 17. The cause efficient, and which containeth all these things is only one, the Lamb of God, the Lord, the Mediator, and the Savior Christ Jesus.
- Revelation 7:15 He alludeth to the Levites, which served day and night, for else there is no night in heaven.
- Revelation 7:15 Or, upon them, whereby is meant God’s defense and protection, as it were towards them, who are as safe, as men in the Lord’s tent.