Revelation 7:3
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back its four winds so that no wind would blow on land or sea or on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
“Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel:
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- “Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
- KJV
- Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
- WEB
- saying, “Don’t harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!”
- ASV
- saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.
- DARBY
- saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads.
- BLB
- saying, “Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
- ÅB
- Skad ikke jorden eller havet eller trærne før vi har satt innsegl på vår Guds tjenere i deres panner!
- OTB
- og sa: “Skad ikke jorden, havet eller trærne før vi har satt segl på våre Guds tjeneres panner.”
- B1930
- Skad ikke jorden eller havet eller trærne før vi har satt innsegl på vår Guds tjenere i deres panner!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ezekiel 9:4
“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”
Read in contextRevelation 22:4
They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
Read in contextRevelation 9:4
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Read in contextRevelation 13:16
And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
Read in contextExodus 12:13
The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Read in contextRevelation 14:1
Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Read in contextRevelation 20:4
Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Read in contextIsaiah 26:20–21
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.
Read in context