Revelation 7:3

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

saying - Do not injure the land, or the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
"Don't harm the land or the sea or the trees before we mark the foreheads of those who serve our God."

Revised Standard Version
saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
saying: Hurt not the erth nether the see nether the trees tyll we have sealed ye servauntes of oure god in their forheddes.

Hebrew Names Version
saying, "Don't harm the eretz, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!"

New American Standard Bible
saying, "Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

New Century Version
He said to them, "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we mark with a sign the foreheads of the people who serve our God."

Update Bible Version
saying, Do not hurt the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads.

Webster's Bible Translation
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

World English Bible
saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Saying, Hurt ye not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, till we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Injure neither land nor sea nor trees," he said, "until we have sealed the bondservants of our God upon their foreheads."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Nyle ye noye the erthe, and see, nether trees, til we marken the seruauntis of oure God in the forhedis of hem.

English Revised Version
saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

Berean Standard Bible
"Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God."

Contemporary English Version
"Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God."

Amplified Bible
saying, "Do not harm the earth nor the sea nor the trees until we seal (mark) the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

American Standard Version
saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

Bible in Basic English
Do no damage to the earth, or the sea, or the trees, till we have put a mark on the servants of our God.

Complete Jewish Bible
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Darby Translation
saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads.

International Standard Version
"Don't harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads."Ezekiel 9:4; Revelation 6:6; 9:4; 14:1; 22:4;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, neither the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.

Murdock Translation
Hurt ye not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.

King James Version (1611)
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till wee haue sealed the seruants of our God in their foreheads.

New Living Translation
"Wait! Don't harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants."

New Life Bible
The angel from the east said, "Do not hurt the earth or the sea or the trees until we have put the mark of God on the foreheads of the servants He owns."

New Revised Standard
saying, "Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads."

English Standard Version
saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Hurt ye not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, til we haue sealed the seruants of our God in their foreheads.

George Lamsa Translation
Do not hurt the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their brows.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Saying: Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, tyll we haue sealed the seruautes of our God in their foreheades.

Good News Translation
The angel said, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads."

Christian Standard Bible®
“Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

King James Version
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Lexham English Bible
saying, "Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads."

Literal Translation
Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we seal the slaves of our God on their foreheads.

Young's Literal Translation
`Do not injure the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we may seal the servants of our God upon their foreheads.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
sayenge: Hurt not the earth nether the see, nether the trees, till we haue sealed the seruautes of oure God in their forheddes.

Mace New Testament (1729)
saying, "hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

New English Translation
"Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."

New King James Version
saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

Simplified Cowboy Version
"Hold up! Don't harm the land or the sea until we have branded all the cowboys who ride for God."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

Contextual Overview

¹ After this, I saw four messengers, standing at the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow upon the land, or upon the sea, or upon any tree. ² And I saw another messenger, ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the Living God; and he cried out with a loud voice unto the four messengers unto whom it had been given to injure the land and the sea, ³ saying - Do not injure the land, or the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads. ⁴ And I heard the number of the sealed, - a hundred and forty-four thousand, - sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: - ⁵ Of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed, of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand, ⁶ Of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand, of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand, of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand, ⁷ Of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand, ⁸ Of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand, sealed. ⁹ After these things, I saw, and 1o! a great multitude, - which, to number it! no one was able, - of every nation, and of all tribes, and peoples, and tongues; standing before the throne, and before the Lamb; arrayed in white robes, and palm-branches in their hands; - ¹⁰ and they cry out with a loud voice, saying - Salvation unto our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Hurt not: Revelation 6:6, Revelation 9:4, Isaiah 6:13, Isaiah 27:8, Isaiah 65:8, Matthew 24:22, Matthew 24:31

till: Revelation 14:1, Exodus 12:13, Exodus 12:23, Isaiah 26:20, Isaiah 26:21, Exodus 9:4-6, Zephaniah 2:3

the servants: Revelation 19:2, Isaiah 54:17, Daniel 3:17, Daniel 3:26, Daniel 6:16, Malachi 3:18, John 12:26, Romans 6:22

in their: Revelation 13:16, Revelation 14:1, Revelation 20:4, Revelation 22:4

Reciprocal: Psalms 71:3 - thou hast Song of Solomon 4:12 - sealed Ezekiel 9:4 - set a mark Ezekiel 9:6 - but 2 Corinthians 1:22 - sealed Revelation 7:2 - having Revelation 17:5 - upon

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,.... That is, as yet, for their commission was not contradicted, nor taken away by Christ; and at the time appointed, at the blowing of the several trumpets, they let loose the winds, and let in the Goths, Hans, and Vandals, the Saracens and Turks into the empire, and after that poured out the vials of God's wrath upon the Romish antichrist: this retarding of them was but in appearance, that there might be an opportunity to show to John what care would be taken all along of the church of Christ, and true servants of the living God:

till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads; the servants of sin, Satan, and the beast of Rome, were took no notice nor care of; they were the persons to be hurt by the winds, signified by the earth, sea, and trees, even idolaters, small and great; but "the servants of our God", who serve him with grace in their hearts, from a principle of love, in the exercise of faith, without servile fear, and with reverence and godly fear, in righteousness and true holiness, and with a view to his glory; and are worshippers of him in spirit and in truth, being followers of the Lamb, whithersoever he goes; and so are the servants of his God, and their God; the sealing of them does not design the sealing of them with the seal of election, this was done in eternity; nor with the seal of the Spirit, which is common to all the saints in all ages; but it denotes the hiding and concealing, and so securing the saints amidst all the calamities of the empire, and throughout the whole time of the Romish apostasy, from first to last; and respects the time when the church fled into the wilderness, and was hid, and nourished with the hidden manna, for a time, and times, and half a time, Revelation 12:14. Christ set a mark upon them, as was upon the houses of the Israelites, when the destroying angel passed through Egypt, and destroyed the firstborn in it; and as was upon the foreheads of those that sighed and cried in Jerusalem, when orders were given to slay young and old, Exodus 12:23. Christ will have a people in the worst of times; he knows who are his, and he will take care of them; he has his chambers of protection to hide them in, till the indignation is over past: the sealers, "we", are either Father, Son, and Spirit, who are all jointly concerned for the welfare of the eject; or Christ and his ministering angels that attend him, whom he employs for the good and safety of the heirs of salvation: the seal with which these are sealed is the seal of the living God, the foreknowledge, love, care, and power of God; and the name of God, even Christ's Father's name, and their Father's name, in their foreheads; the new name of children of God, by and under which they are known and preserved by him: and this is said to be "in their foreheads", in allusion to servants, who used to be marked in their foreheads; hence they are called by Apuleius c "frontes literati"; and by Martial, a servant is called "fronte notatus" d: but then these were such who had committed faults, and this was done by way of punishment e; wherefore it can hardly be thought that the servants of God should be sealed, in allusion to them: but rather with reference to the mitre on the high priest's forehead, as some think; or it may be to Ezekiel 9:4, and shows, that though these persons were hid and concealed from men, they were well known to God and Christ; nor were they ashamed to make a public and open confession of Christ before men, as did the true and faithful witnesses of Christ, the Waldenses and Albigenses, in the midst of the greatest darkness of Popery, and of danger from men; and who seem to be chiefly intended.

c Metamorph. l. 9. p. 130. d Epigr. l. 3. Ep. 20. e Vid. Popma de Operis Servorum, p. 170, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea ... - Let the winds be restrained until what is here designated shall be done. These destroying angels were commanded to suspend the work of destruction until the servants of God could be rendered secure. The division here, as in Revelation 7:1, of the “earth, the sea, and the trees,” seems to include everything - water, land, and the productions of the earth. Nothing was to be injured until the angel should designate the true servants of God.

Till we have sealed the servants of our God - The use of the plural “we” seems to denote that he did not expect to do it alone. Who were to be associated with him, whether angels or human beings, he does not intimate; but the work was evidently such that it demanded the agency of more than one.

In their foreheads - See the notes on Revelation 7:2; compare Ezekiel 9:4-5. A mark thus placed on the forehead would be conspicuous, and would be something which could at once be recognized if destruction should spread over the world. The fulfillment of this is to be found in two things:

(a)In something which would be conspicuous or prominent - so that it could be seen; and,

(b)In the mark being of such a nature or character that it would be a proper designation of the fact that they were the true servants of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 7:3. Till we have sealed the servants of our God — There is manifestly an allusion to Ezekiel 9:4 here. By sealing we are to understand consecrating the persons in a more especial manner to God, and showing, by this mark of God upon them, that they were under his more immediate protection, and that nothing should hurt them. It was a custom in the east, and indeed in the west too, to stamp with a hot iron the name of the owner upon the forehead or shoulder of his slave.

It is worthy of remark that not one Christian perished in the siege of Jerusalem; all had left the city, and escaped to Pella. This I have often had occasion to notice.