7:16 Is. 49:10
7:17 Is 25:8; Apoc 21:4
| The earth beginning to be punished, 3. They are commanded to save them that are signed on their foreheads. 4. Which are described and numbered both of the Jews and Gentiles, blessing God. 13. Of them that were clothed in white stoles or long robes.
1 AFTER these things I saw four Angels standing upon the four corners of
the earth, holding the four winds of the earth that they should not
blow upon the land, nor upon the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I
saw an other Angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign
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,
3 saying, Hurt not the earth and the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4
And I heard the number of them that were signed, an hundred forty four
thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel.
5
Of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Ruben,
twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand signed.
6
Of the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of
Nephthali, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Manasses, twelve
thousand signed.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand
signed. Of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of
Issachar, twelve thousand signed.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon,
twelve thousand signed. Of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand signed.
Of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand signed.
9 After these
things I saw a great multitude which no man could number, of all
nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues: standing before the
throne, and in the sight of the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms
in their hands:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb.
11
and all the Angels stood in the circuit of the throne and of the
seniors and of the four beasts: and they fell in the sight of the throne
upon their faces, and adored God,
12 saying, Amen. Benediction,
and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor and power, and strength
to our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the seniors
answered, and said to me, These that are clothed in the white robes, who
be they? and whence came they?
14 And I said to him, My Lord
you know. And he said to me, These are they which are come out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore they are before the throne of
God, and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits in
the throne, shall dwell over them.
16 *they shall no more hunger nor thirst, neither shall the sun fall upon them, nor any heat.
17
Because the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall rule them,
and shall conduct them to the lining fountains of waters, and *God will
wipe away all tears from their eyes.
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7:2 And I saw: The Epistle upon All Hollows Day.
7:3 in their foreheads: It is an allusion to the sign of the Cross which the faithful bear in their foreheads, to show they be not ashamed of Christ. (St. Augustine tract 43 n Jn)
7:4 Of all tribes put together, so many, 144,000. He signifies by these thousands and the multitudes following, all the elect, but the elect of the Jews, to be in a certain number: the elect of the Gentiles to be innumerable.
7:9 great multitude: the elect of the Gentiles. palms in their hands: Branches of the palm tree be tokens of triumph and victory.
7:13 The Epistle for many Martyrs.
7:15 The glory of Martyrs.
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