1Derefter så jeg fire engle stå ved de fire verdenshjørner. De holdt jordens fire vinde tilbage, så de ikke kunne blæse over land og hav eller mod noget træ.2En femte engel trådte frem i den østlige horisont, og han havde den levende Guds segl med sig. Han råbte med høj røst til de fire engle, som havde fået magt til at skade både jord og hav:3„Rør ikke jorden eller havet eller noget træ, før vi har mærket vores Guds tjeneres pander med hans segl.”4Jeg hørte tallet på de beseglede. Det var 144.000 af alle Israels stammer,5-812.000 fra hver af de 12 stammer: Juda, Ruben, Gad, Asher, Naftali, Manasse, Simeon, Levi, Issakar, Zebulon, Josef og Benjamin.
Den store flok i Himlen af frelste fra alle folkeslag
9Derefter lagde jeg mærke til en stor flok mennesker, som stod foran Lammet og Guds trone i Himlen, klædt i lange, hvide dragter og med palmegrene i hænderne. Der var mennesker fra alle folkeslag og sprog, og der var så mange, at ingen kunne tælle dem.10De råbte: „Frelsen kom fra vores Gud, som sidder på tronen, og fra Lammet!”11Alle englene stod i en kreds omkring Guds trone og de 24 medregenter og de fire levende væsener. De faldt på knæ foran tronen, og med ansigtet mod jorden hyldede de Gud:12„Ja, det er rigtigt! Gud skal have ære, tak og lovprisning i al evighed. Han har al herlighed, visdom, kraft og magt. Amen!”13En af medregenterne vendte sig til mig og sagde: „Ved du, hvem de mennesker i hvide dragter er? Ved du, hvor de er kommet fra?”14„Nej, herre,” svarede jeg, „men du ved det.” „De er kommet ud af den store trængsel,” sagde han. „De har gjort deres dragter rene i Lammets blod, så de er helt hvide.15Derfor står de nu foran Guds trone og tjener ham dag og nat i hans helligdom. Han, som sidder på tronen, vil tage sig af dem,16og de skal aldrig mere sulte eller tørste eller døje under sol og hede.17Lammet, der står ved tronen, vil være deres hyrde og lede dem til kilden med det livgivende vand, og Gud vil tørre hver tåre af deres kinder.”
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. (Jer 49,36; Dan 7,2; Åb 7,3)2Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, (Åb 9,4; Åb 16,12)3saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Ez 3,8; Ez 9,4; Åb 6,6; Åb 9,4; Åb 13,16; Åb 14,1; Åb 22,4)4And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: (Åb 9,16)512,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,612,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,712,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,812,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
A Great Multitude from Every Nation
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, (3.Mos 23,40; Joh 12,13; Rom 11,25; Åb 3,4; Åb 5,9; Åb 7,14)10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Salm 3,8; Åb 12,10; Åb 19,1)11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, (Åb 4,6; Åb 4,10)12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (1.Krøn 29,10; Åb 5,14; Åb 19,4)13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” (Åb 7,9)14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Es 1,18; Dan 12,10; Zak 3,3; Matt 24,21; 1.Joh 1,7; Åb 1,5; Åb 22,14)15“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. (Es 4,5; Åb 21,3; Åb 22,3)16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. (Salm 121,6; Es 49,10)17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Salm 23,1; Salm 36,8; Es 25,8; Matt 2,6; Joh 4,14; Joh 10,11; Åb 21,4; Åb 22,1)