We Are the Body: Communion, Unity, and the Temple of God

0:02 That's so awesome. Can I just pray? Can we just like praise God for what he just did? God, we love you because you're the one who pursues us. God, it's not us. It has nothing to do with us. I just love to hear about how you love Jay so much that you pursued her and you drew her to yourself and that she gets it. that you're better than everything, Lord. Everything is ridiculous compared to you. God, help us all to get it. God, there are people here who have been in churches their whole lives and don't get what she just talked about. And I pray that you would pursue them the way you pursued Jay. Open their eyes to the ways that they've rejected you or turned away from you or valued other things more than you.

0:56 God we need you so badly you are the one that gives us faith you're the one that gives us your grace so God even right now Please pour your grace out on us You are our only hope In Jesus name, Amen Wow. I just flew home from Israel this morning. So I know I was in Israel this morning. And I was just there for like four or five days.

1:37 And they were filming this, where I taught through the book of Mark. And just went to all the places where Jesus taught. And so I'm kind of on a little bit of a high right now. As you can imagine, I mean, just a couple of days ago, I'm standing in the Jordan River. And I'm just imagining, you know, as John the Baptist is going, you don't get it. Someone's coming after me. And I can't even, I'm not worthy to untie his sandals. Do you get it? This person is coming. I mean, that's not exaggeration. That's not hyperbole. It's like, how do you approach the person who made you? I mean, I was standing in the river trying to imagine, what if my creator was standing in front of me? My creator! like you understand the gap between me and the person who made me created me and created like what would come out of my mouth and just thinking about john the bat like that thought of god becoming man some of us that have grown up in church oh yeah the incarnation god became now think about that it's insane i mean i was just going through the book of mark and just going man if I had never read this before. This is shocking. You know, it's about the good news of Jesus Christ, the gospel. That's what gospel means is good news. And sometimes we just lump it in with everything else. Like, hey, I got good news. You know, I got a new car. Good news. I got a girlfriend. Good news. We had a baby. Good news. God became flesh, you know, and really God became flesh brings less excitement and less stirring in our hearts and some of these other things and it was just hitting me again his calling to the believers the people that were following him and and and i just was thinking about uh i was in caesarea philippi and it was like the most pagan city and and that's

3:44 where you know they're offering all these sacrifices it's just gross you know they had temple prostitutes and everything else. But that was the moment when Peter confessed Jesus as Lord. When Jesus says, you know, hey, who do people say that I am? And blah, blah, blah, blah. They're all saying, oh, some say this, some say this. He says, but who do you guys say I am?

4:05 Peter goes, you're the Christ. You're the son of God. And she's like, you got it. you figured it out it was an intense moment because jesus had walked on water jesus multiplied the bread jesus had done all these things he was healing people left and right the paralytic all of these miracles they saw but do you know how far-fetched it is to believe that a human being was God in the flesh.

4:39 The scriptures just came alive to me this week, just being there and trying to imagine. We have the benefit of hindsight in the scriptures and go, oh, why did they believe then? Why did they believe then? You've got to understand. All they knew of this God, I mean, He was this being that the high angels were covering themselves up in front of. They knew that. They knew the high angels screaming out His holiness. They knew about Moses going up Mount Sinai and the lightning and the thunder and all the people saying, man, we can't handle the voice of God. Tell Him to stop speaking. We can't go on that mountain. We'll die. This is what they knew of God. And now they're going to believe that this man on the earth, was God in the flesh? And so even after he walked on the water, even after he created bread out of nowhere, even after everyone that touched his garment would get healed, even after he calmed the storms and controlled all the demons, it still wasn't enough.

5:50 But at some moment, Peter's like, I get it now. You're the Christ. the Son of God, and Jesus said, flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you. My Father just showed that to you from heaven. Like, that comes from God. Like, God opens our eyes where we go, I'll do anything for him. I get it now. I get it. My eyes were just open.

6:18 But as you read on in the story, you know, I was standing on the Mount of Olives and picturing the triumphal entry. because, okay, if you're standing on the Mount of Olives, like Bethany was just right behind it, and he's heading into Jerusalem, but he just came through Bethany. Bethany was the city where he raised Lazarus from the dead, okay? I mean, this guy was in the tomb. Everyone knew him.

6:45 You know, it would be like Rob Zabala. Like if he died and we threw him in a casket and buried him, and three days later, someone comes along and says, dig him up. They open the casket. Someone says, Rob, get up. and he comes out of the grave. And that whole city was like, shut up. Who is this? Who is this? this is the Messiah. He's going to take over his kingdom. This is it. And I'm picturing that triumphal entry because he just came through Bethany and grabbed all those people that saw what he did with Lazarus and they're heading into the city and they're going, man, this guy is going to take over. He's going to take over Rome.

7:38 He's going to take over everything even though he explained to them, no, that's not the way of my kingdom. I'm actually going to go and I'm actually going to die. I'm going to pay for your sins. Then I'm going to rise from the dead. But the whole city's going crazy, throwing palm branches, worshiping. They're going, our Savior, our Messiah, the King is here.

8:04 And then when Jesus allows himself to be taken over, and I'm in there in the Garden of Gethsemane going, this prayer he has with the pot like that, is there any other way? Come on, Dad, you can do anything. Take this away from me. And the love of the Father to say, no, son, I love these people. I love Jay. You're going to die on that cross to pay for all of her sins. and I was thinking about the disciples and how once Jesus was handed over and betrayed, the disciples left him.

8:53 I mean, these disciples, they were the ones that were saying, you know, and I'm preaching through Mark. I mean, it was Peter who said, I'll never deny you. And all the disciples, yeah, we'll be with you till death. But there was something about maybe hearing his screams as they tortured him. or maybe they were just used to man they're used to that power i mean i was thinking through the whole book all they knew of jesus is jesus always wins you know like like nothing holds him back these demons that no one could touch man i was there you know in that city where he cast the demons out of that guy and and then went into the pigs and they they saw that i was on the sea of Galilee, you know, where he just tells the wind to stop, where he walks on the water. Like he, in front of every religious leader from the beginning of the time on earth, he's just like, he just tells them as it is. And so these disciples following are like, this guy that we're with raises people from the dead. Anyone that touches him gets healed, casts out all the demons. He's not afraid of anything. And then suddenly they see him being tortured. And I bet you the doubts just went through their minds like, man, maybe we were off. You know, that's why, that's why when Jesus was like, Hey, I got to suffer. I've got to die. Peter's like, no way, no way, no way. You're the Messiah. That doesn't happen to you. And once do you say, get behind me Satan. You're not thinking about the way God thinks. And he tells his disciples, look, if you're going to follow me, this is my path. And it's going to be your path also.

10:38 And just thinking through, but they all left him. but then something happened. Something happened where these men who were terrified suddenly come back and start preaching with boldness. Why? Because Jesus appeared to them. He came back from the grave. And could you imagine being one of those disciples? It's like, okay, game over. He died.

11:08 We fled. what was that all about these last three and a half years all those miracles and then you see Jesus like the excitement of he is the Messiah this is it and now they were willing to die for their faith and all the disciples did they were all martyred Peter who dictated the book of Mark you know Mark was just the guy that wrote it down for Peter okay Peter though that denied Christ now suddenly he according to tradition was crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to be crucified the same way Jesus did you see there was this power in them now this faith in them we just saw our Messiah raised from the dead just like he told us he would and he told us that if we are willing to die in his name the same thing is going to happen to us let's go let's do it And it was a life of suffering, a life of, man, I will do anything.

12:11 I will follow this Jesus even if I lose it all, even if I'm tortured. Just the seriousness of that. I don't know. It just got me going. This is what our faith is all about. It's not about, okay, I'll follow God if he'll help me, you know, pull my family together, if he helps me get a job, if he makes me healthy, if he heals my mom, if he heals my kid, if he gives us a great family. No, that's not what Jesus taught at all. It's the opposite.

12:48 He said, look, you've got to figure out who I am, and when you figure it out, you'll be willing to leave anything for me. Father, mother, wife, kids, you won't even value your own life. because you'll recognize and believe what I'm talking about. There's something after this. And for those who've never been to Jerusalem, I mean, it's a crazy place. And you've got all these religions clashing in one place. But one of the things I thought about when I was there, I don't want to be critical, but the Christian church in America has just gotten goofy. Seriously, like it's just like goofy, goofy. You've got crowds of people at the Wailing Wall

13:43 praying because of what they believe. You've got Muslims, thousands on that Temple Mount, praying. You've got people of all sorts of different religions that just go after it for what they believe. And then you have Christianity in America where people show up depending on the speaker, depending on the band, they'll show up for maybe an hour a week if it's good enough for them, if it's at a convenient time. And I'm just like, how did we get here?

14:23 And then we leave kind of rating the service. Eh, it's pretty good today. Eh, it's okay. Like, how did we get so? Did you ever try to imagine what we look like in the eyes of someone from any other religion. Those guys are trying to draw people into their service by giving away a free iPad, or, you know, they show up when there's a good speaker, and they don't show up just for prayer. Like, have you tried to look at how the church looks from an outsider's perspective? And the guy that I drove around with all week, He just, he wasn't religious at all. He grew up in a kibbutz there in Israel, raised somewhat Jewish, but just saw all the craziness. Then he hosts events for Christian speakers.

15:27 And I was like, I am so sorry. And he would talk about the ridiculous things they would ask for. And I was like, I am so sorry. That was not, that was not the way of Christ. and it just got me excited though because I'm going, you know what, we can change that you know, I feel like that's why I'm on the earth is to, by the grace of God this is not like, oh I'm so spiritual, man I'm the one that led all those crazy events and by the grace of God it's embarrassing when I look back going, gosh Lord I am so sorry so many times I didn't get it. And I just went with the flow. And I just thought it made sense because it made sense to other people.

16:19 But when you look at the scriptures, this doesn't make sense at all compared to what Christ called us to. That's why, man, it's an honor, is it? Hang out with the elders and the pastors here. So many of them who just get it and go, no, this has got to change. and we've got to give God the glory He deserves and we've got to be willing to suffer whatever we need to suffer to walk away from our sin to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior because we believe like the disciples did that Jesus rose from the dead and He's placed His Holy Spirit in us.

17:02 This morning what I want to do is man, didn't you come here because you wanted to receive a blessing from God himself? Because the Bible actually explains a guaranteed way for all of us to receive a blessing today.

17:26 Let me read this verse. It's from the book of Revelation. the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ even to all that he saw listen to this verse blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy. And blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. See what he says about the book of Revelation?

18:14 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy. at our gathering last week at my house we just started reading through the book of Revelation because the Bible says blessed is the person who reads it out loud yet how many of us have ever read the book of Revelation out loud or the word of God says that blessed is the one who reads it out loud and blessed are the ones who hear the words of this book don't you see how satan gets into our head like i can't understand revelation yeah let's just stay away from it there's so many different views and i don't know what view to take well how about we just don't take any views and just start reading it out loud you know because the bible says we'll be blessed as we read it and so this morning i'm just gonna have my wife come up here and just start reading some chapters in Revelation. And because we've got to become people who don't just love it when a person preaches in a way that they like. We're supposed to be people of the book.

19:23 You know, Paul tells Timothy, man, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture. And the Bible says, blessed will be those who hear the word and obey it. You can receive a blessing from God by the way that you listen. And Lisa's going to receive a blessing from God just by reading the book out loud. See, I dream of the day when there are churches all around the U.S. where people gather because they just want to hear the very words of God. Not the words of Francis Chan, not the words of John Piper, not the words of, I mean, that's all fine, but I'm thinking It's kind of like if Lisa came up here to sing a solo. And what if the moment she started, I'd sing along with her? Yeah, exactly. My voice ruins it, right? You're just like, shut up, Francis.

20:21 Shut up. Yeah, like shut up. We just want to hear her voice. Your voice screws it up. And in the same way with scripture, I believe the same is true. Amen? That we've got people that go, I just want to hear the pure word of God. It's like a perfect solo. And I don't need you chiming in and singing along. So as Lisa reads, if you feel like amening, if you feel like, you know, maybe even between chapters or whatever she breaks, you know, to just worship God however. We'll just keep listening and being blessed by the Word of God this morning as we read a few chapters in Revelation. Thank you. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

21:37 blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it for the time is near John to the seven churches that are in Asia grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priest to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him, Even so, amen.

22:36 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum, to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow.

23:39 His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace. And his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars. From his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys to death and hate. Write therefore the things that you have seen those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are of the seven churches.

24:41 To the church in Ephesus. To the angel of the church in Ephesus write, the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. remember therefore from where you have fallen repent and do the works you did at first if not I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent yet this you have you hate the works of the Nicolaitans which I also hate he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches to the one who conquers I will grant you eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.

26:07 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write the words of the first and the last who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich. And the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold the devil is about to throw some of you into prison That you may be tested And for ten days you will have tribulation Be faithful unto death And I will give you the crown of life He who has an ear let him hear What the Spirit says to the churches The one who conquers will not be hurt By the second death Amen Amen And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

27:11 I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Belak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.

28:15 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, The words of the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation. unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead.

29:19 And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Thank you.

30:13 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their goddess, and they will walk with me in white for they are worthy.

31:09 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. He who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, The words of the Holy One, the true one who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie.

32:05 Behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven in my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

33:10 I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither cold or hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments, so that you may clothe yourself, and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline So be zealous and repent Behold, I stand at the door and knock If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into him and eat with him and he with me The one who conquers I will grant him to sit with me on my throne As I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

34:27 Thank you. After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Carnelian And around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald Around the throne were twenty-four thrones And seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders clothed in white garments With golden crowns on their heads From the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God.

35:52 And before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within. And day and night they never cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever.

36:46 The 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

37:11 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals? and no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it and one of the elders said to me weep no more behold the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain. With seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

38:14 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. each holding a heart and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints and they sang a new song saying worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for god from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our god and they shall reign on the earth. Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might.

39:12 and honor and glory and blessing and I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever and the four living creatures said amen and the elders fell down and worshiped

39:42 Thank you. Now I watched when the lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, come. And I looked and behold a white horse, and its rider had a bow and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer. When he opened the second seal I heard the second living creature say, come. Out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come! And I looked, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a pair of scales in his hand, and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, Do not harm the oil and wine.

40:43 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come! And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider's name was Death. And Hades followed him, and they were given authority over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer Until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete Who were to be killed as they themselves had been When he opened the sixth seal, I looked and behold, there was a great earthquake And the sun became black as sackcloth The full moon became like blood And the stars of the sky fell to the earth As the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale, the sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

42:04 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals, and the rich and the powerful and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who was seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand Oh my God.

42:33 After 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. Then 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, saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed. 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben. 12,000 from the tribe of Gad. 12,000 from the tribe of Asher. 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali.

43:25 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed. After 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 and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. And 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 worshipped God, saying, Amen!

44:27 Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, Who are these, clothed in white robes? And from where have they come? I 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. 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. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. the sun shall not strike them nor any scorching heat for 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.

45:32 God, thank you for your word. Thank you.