Revelation 7:4 kjv
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Revelation 7:4 nkjv
And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
Revelation 7:4 niv
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
Revelation 7:4 esv
And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
Revelation 7:4 nlt
And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God ? 144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
Revelation 7 4 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Sealing/Protection | ||
Eph 1:13 | In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth... believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. | Holy Spirit as a seal for believers |
2 Cor 1:22 | Who has also sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. | God seals believers, Spirit is a guarantee |
Rev 9:4 | They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. | Distinction of sealed from unsealed during judgment |
Eze 9:4 | Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations committed in it. | A mark of protection for the righteous |
Psa 91:11 | For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. | Divine protection from harm |
Zec 2:5 | For I Myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in its midst. | God's protective presence around His people |
Exo 12:7 | Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. | Blood as a sign for protection (Passover) |
Identity of Israel/People of God | ||
Jam 1:1 | James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. | Acknowledgment of scattered Israel's tribes |
Rom 9:6 | But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. | Distinguishes physical Israel from true Israel |
Rom 2:28-29 | For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly... A Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. | Defines true Jew by spiritual state |
Gal 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Believers in Christ are heirs of Abraham |
Php 3:3 | For we are the circumcision, who worship God in Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. | Christians as the "true circumcision" |
1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him... | Designation of the Church as God's people |
Heb 12:22-23 | But you have come to Mount Zion... to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. | Heavenly Jerusalem includes all saints |
Hos 1:10 | Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. | God's promise of innumerable descendants |
Gen 49 | Jacob blesses his sons, foretelling aspects of the twelve tribes. | Ancestral origins of Israel's tribes |
Num 1 | Census of the fighting men by their tribal genealogies in the wilderness. | Historical counting and organizing of tribes |
The Number 144,000 | ||
Rev 14:1-5 | Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. | Reinforces the identity and location (Mount Zion) of this group |
Isa 26:2 | Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith may enter. | Refers to a remnant of the righteous who will be saved |
Rom 11:25-26 | For I do not want you, brothers, to be unaware of this mystery... that a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved. | Fullness/totality of God's saving plan |
Servants of God/Redeemed | ||
Rev 7:3 | Saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." | The purpose of the sealing for God's servants |
Lk 1:74 | That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear. | Believers are saved to serve God |
Isa 6:8 | And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." | God calls His servants for mission |
Revelation 7 verses
Revelation 7 4 Meaning
Revelation 7:4 announces that the apostle John heard a precise count of one hundred and forty-four thousand individuals who were sealed. These sealed ones are identified as coming from every tribe of the children of Israel, indicating a specific group chosen and protected by God amidst the coming judgments. This sealing signifies divine ownership, protection, and preservation, marking them as distinct servants of God.
Revelation 7 4 Context
Revelation chapter 7 is an interlude between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. Chapter 6 depicted escalating cosmic judgments, leading to profound fear among the ungodly and the cry, "Who is able to stand?" Chapter 7 directly answers this question by revealing two distinct groups who can stand: first, the 144,000 sealed servants of God, identified here as from the tribes of Israel, and second, an innumerable multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne. This verse specifically introduces the first group, establishing their unique divine protection and identity before the final series of judgments commence. The broader historical context is John writing to early Christian communities in Asia Minor who faced significant persecution under the Roman Empire, encouraging them with the assurance of God's sovereignty and protection for His faithful ones. The use of Israel's tribes is significant for John's Jewish-Christian audience, grounding God's ultimate plan in His historical covenant people.
Revelation 7 4 Word analysis
- And I heard (καὶ ἤκουσα - kai ēkousa): The aorist indicative verb emphasizes John's direct perception and receiving of this revelation as an authoritative message from God. It grounds the vision in direct auditory experience.
- the number (τὸν ἀριθμὸν - ton arithmon): Points to a specific, definite quantity rather than an abstract concept. It denotes precision in God's knowledge and plan.
- of those who were sealed (τῶν ἐσφραγισμένων - tōn esphragismenōn):
- sealed (ἐσφραγισμένων - esphragismenōn): A perfect passive participle of sphragizō, meaning to seal or mark. The perfect tense indicates a completed action with lasting results, signifying a definitive divine act of marking and securing.
- Significance of "seal": In antiquity, a seal indicated ownership, authentication, security, and protection. For believers, this seal often refers to the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13, 2 Cor 1:22), indicating belonging to God, His divine approval, and protection from His wrath. It contrasts sharply with the mark of the beast later in Revelation.
- one hundred and forty-four thousand (ἑκατὸν τεσσαράκοντα τεσσάρων χιλιάδων - hekaton tessarakonta tessarōn chiliadōn):
- This precise, symbolic number is central to interpretation. It is derived from 12 (number of completeness, God's people/tribes) x 12 (new Israel/apostolic foundation) x 1000 (multiplication, fullness, vast multitude, divine completeness). Thus, it represents the full, perfect, and total number of God's redeemed people from all ages, not necessarily a literal demographic count. It emphasizes God's comprehensive knowledge of His faithful.
- sealed out of every tribe (ἐσφραγισμένοι ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς - esphragismenoi ek pasēs phylēs): Reinforces the comprehensiveness and systematic nature of this divine selection process, leaving no part of the "tribes" untouched.
- of the children of Israel (υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ - huiōn Israēl):
- children of Israel: Refers to God's chosen people. There is scholarly debate on whether this refers to ethnic, biological Israel (post-exile or a future literal remnant) or "spiritual Israel," encompassing all believers in Christ (the church, Jew and Gentile) who are truly Abraham's offspring by faith. The broader New Testament usage (e.g., Rom 9-11, Gal 3:29) leans towards "Israel" having a spiritual dimension for all God's people, suggesting the 144,000 represents the full company of God's elect throughout history, preserved for divine service and eternal destiny. It underscores continuity in God's covenant plan.
Revelation 7 4 Bonus section
The distinct listing of the twelve tribes in Revelation 7:5-8 differs from standard Old Testament tribal lists, omitting Dan and Ephraim (or Manasseh instead of Ephraim in some lists) while including Levi and Joseph. This selective listing reinforces the symbolic nature, perhaps indicating moral disqualification for certain tribes (like Dan's early idolatry) or emphasizing completeness and representation rather than literal genealogical accuracy. The sealing event functions as a counterpoint to the impending judgments of the trumpets and bowls; it underscores that God distinguishes His people even within tribulation. They are protected not from hardship, but through it, signifying their preservation for service and eventual glory, aligning with ancient military or census records where armies or special groups were counted and marked.
Revelation 7 4 Commentary
Revelation 7:4 provides a numerical count of a divinely sealed group identified as "from every tribe of the children of Israel." This number, 144,000, is best understood symbolically, representing the complete and total number of God's redeemed people, often called the church, the true Israel of God, both Jews and Gentiles united in Christ. This "seal" is an act of divine ownership and protection, not necessarily from physical death, but from God's judgment and spiritual harm, enabling them to stand firm and serve Him amidst global tribulation. This vision offers assurance to believers that despite widespread chaos and judgment, God sovereignly knows and preserves His chosen ones, confirming His unwavering covenant faithfulness. The specific identification as "Israel" points to God's enduring plan rooted in His historical people, ultimately fulfilled through Christ and His body.