English
And one of the elders addressed me, saying to me, ‘These who are dressed in white robes—who are they and where did they come from?’
And I said, ‘My lord, you know.’
And he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come from the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the lamb’s blood. So they are in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his temple, and the one sitting on the throne will dwell over them. They will not hunger anymore, nor will they thirst anymore, nor will the sun strike them, nor any scorching heat, because the lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to the streams of life’s water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’
Interpretation
The innumerable crowd from the previous passage are identified as martyrs. This is apparently the predetermined total mentioned during the fifth seal in chapter 6, now complete.
Parallels
Psalms
121.6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
Isaiah
25.8 Then the Lord Yhwh will wipe away the tears from all faces
49.10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.
Ezekiel
34.23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
37.24 My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd.
Zechariah
2.10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst, says Yhwh.
4.5 Then the angel who talked with me answered me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ I said, ‘No, my lord.’
Sibylline Oracles
3.751–755 There will be no sword on earth or din of battle, and the earth will no longer be shaken, groaning deeply. There will no longer be war or drought on earth, no famine or hail, damaging to fruits, but there will be great peace throughout the whole earth.
Daniel
7.16 I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter
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