What does John hear about the signed servants and learn about the white-robed multitude?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Angels delay harm until God’s servants are signed, and John sees an innumerable white-robed multitude before the throne and Lamb; an ancient explains their origin in great tribulation.

Chapter breakdown

John sees four mighty angels stationed at the four quarters of the earth, restraining the four winds so that no blast can harm the land, the sea, or the foliage. Another angel then ascends from the eastern horizon, carrying the imprint seal of the living God. With a powerful shout, he directs the four angels who hold authority over the elements to restrain their chastisements until the servants of God are safely marked upon their foreheads. The prophet hears the full count of those sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand across the tribes of Israel, with exactly twelve thousand sealed from each of the twelve enumerated tribes—Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

Following this census of the sealed tribes, John gazes upon an immense multitude that defies human calculation, gathered from every ethnicity, clan, populace, and tongue across the earth. Standing directly before the celestial throne and in the sight of the Lamb, they are adorned in radiant white garments and hold festive palm branches in their hands. They raise a unified, powerful cry, proclaiming that salvation belongs entirely to God who sits enthroned and to the Lamb. All the angels standing around the throne, ancients and four creatures prostrate themselves in reverent adoration before God, offering praise that attributes benediction, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honour, power and strength to God throughout endless ages.

One of the heavenly ancients questions the prophet concerning the identity and origin of these white-robed worshippers. When John reverently defers to the elder's knowledge, the ancient explains that these are the victorious faithful who have emerged triumphant from the great tribulation, having cleansed and brightened their vestments in the sacrificial blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they stand perpetually before the throne of God, offering unceasing worship day and night within His celestial sanctuary, while the enthroned Sovereign spreads His protective shelter over them. In this state of beatitude, they will never again experience hunger or thirst, nor will the oppressive sun or scorching heat afflict them; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will rule them, leading them to living springs of water, and God will gently wipe away every tear from their eyes.

The story inside

Context: After the preceding signs, four angels hold the earth’s four winds. Stakes: Harm to earth, sea and trees must wait until God’s servants are signed. Action: John hears 144,000 signed, twelve thousand from each of the twelve listed tribes; then sees an innumerable multitude from all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues with white robes and palms. Consequence: The multitude cries salvation to God and the Lamb, and angels adore. An ancient explains the multitude came out of great tribulation and washed its robes in the Lamb’s blood. Limits: The sign’s exact form and the census’s interpretation are not explained. The ancient’s assurances concern the described multitude.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The named tribes are Juda, Ruben, Gad, Aser, Nephthali, Manasses, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph and Benjamin.
2
The angels praise with benediction, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honour, power and strength.
3
The multitude serves day and night; the one on the throne shall dwell over them, and the Lamb shall rule and lead them to the fountains of life.

Test your recall

Who are the white-robed worshippers standing before the throne with palms in their hands, and how did their robes become white?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 138965–138978
7:1. After these things, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that they should not blow upon the earth nor upon the sea nor on any tree. 7:2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 7:3. Saying: Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. 7:4. And I heard the number of them that were signed. An hundred forty-four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel.
Lines 138996–139002
7:9. After this, I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. 7:10. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb.
Lines 139014–139027
7:14. And I said to him: My Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me: These are they who are come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 7:15. Therefore, they are before the throne of God: and they serve him day and night in his temple. And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell over them. 7:16. They shall no more hunger nor thirst: neither shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat. 7:17. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall rule them and shall lead them to the fountains of the waters of life: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.