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¹ Then I saw four mighty angels standing at the four corners of the earth and holding back the wind. The sea didn't move and not a single leaf stirred over the whole earth. ² Another angel came in from the east carrying the seal of the Living God. He shouted to the four angels holding the wind, ³ "Hold up! Don't harm the land or the sea until we have branded all the cowboys who ride for God."

⁴ And I heard the tally of those given the brand. There were 144,000 marked with the brand of God from the twelve tribes of Israel. The tallies were: ⁵ Judah—12,000, Reuben—12,000, Gad—12,000, ⁶ Asher—12,000, Naphtali—12,000, Manasseh—12,000, ⁷ Simeon—12,000, Levi—12,000, Issachar—12,000, ⁸ Zebulun—12,000, Joseph—12,000, and Benjamin—12,000.

⁹ Then an enormous crowd appeared. There were more people than a cattle buyer could count. They were from every nation, every breed, and every color. They stood in front of the Lamb with white shirts and holding an olive branches in their hands. ¹⁰ They all cried out in unison, "God is the only one who can save us! There is only God who sits on the throne and his Lamb!" ¹¹ All the angels, the four living creatures, and the old bosses all threw themselves on the ground in front of the throne and worshiped God. ¹² They all said, "Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thankfulness, honor, power, and strength belong solely to God forever and ever! Amen."

¹³ One of the old bosses turned to me and asked, "Who are these dressed in white shirts and where do the hail from?"

¹⁴ "I ain't quite sure, sir, but I bet you have a notion," I answered.

He said, "These are the ones who've come through the terrible ride. They were washed in the blood of the Lamb and were made white. ¹⁵ That is why they stand before the throne and worship God day and night. He who sits on the throne protects them with his presence. ¹⁶ Never again will they experience hunger or thirst. Never again will the sun burn down on them. ¹⁷ The Lamb, who is in the center of the throne, is their shepherd. He guides them to the springs of eternal life. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes for all time."