144,000 Sealed

In chapter seven, John's attention is once more on the heavens. This is happening between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seals.
 ¹ After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” ⁴ Then 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,
 ⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
   from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
   from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
 ⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
   from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
   from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
 ⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
   from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
   from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

 ⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:   “Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
 ¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:
   “Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
 ¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
 ¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.”
   And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ 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.
¹⁶ ‘Never again will they hunger;
   never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’^[a]
   nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne
   will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’^[b]
   ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’^[c]”


John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, much like compass points. They are holding back the four winds of the earth, which may represent devastation and calamity. 

³² This is what the LORD Almighty says:
   “Look! Disaster is spreading
   from nation to nation;
a mighty storm is rising
   from the ends of the earth.” Jeremiah 25:32
They are waiting until they receive permission to release the winds. While they wait, another angel from the east, that tells these angels not to release the wind until a seal is placed on the servants of God. This seal will protect God's people from the judgment to come. John hears that there are 144,000 believers to have the seal applied. This seal is the antithesis of the mark of the beast, which we will discuss in a later chapter. The 144,000 are said to be 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel. Most Bible scholars agree that this is not from the literal tribes of Israel, since most of ten tribes were destroyed throughout history. Also, the list of tribes that are to be sealed is not the same as the literal tribes of Israel. Ephraim and Dan have been left out and replaced by Joseph and Levi. 

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
 ¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
 ²² Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. ²³ And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! Romans 11:13-24
John's attention is now drawn to the throne of God. He sees a huge crowd of people from every nationality and race. They are wearing white robes, which stands for purity, and are waving palm branches which are used as a symbol of rejoicing. They fell down in front of the throne, worshiping God. 
One of the elders asks John if he knows who they are and where did they come from. John tells the elder, sir you know. The elder then tells him that they have come out of the great tribulation. They have been purified because they believed in Jesus Christ, who with His death on the cross has made them worthy. They are before the throne, worshiping God, and they would never again suffer. They would not have to ever again experience what they went through on earth; hunger, thirst, heat or pain. Jesus will be their shepherd and give them living water, and they will never again experience death, mourning or pain.
 ⁸ he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
   from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
   from all the earth.
            The LORD has spoken. Isaiah 25:8