Revelation 7

1 Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth*7:1. In ancient times the earth is seen as having these four corners from where the winds blow. holding back the earth’s four winds to prevent any wind from blowing on the earth, or over the sea, or against any tree. 2 I watched another angel rise up from the east, holding the seal of the living God. He shouted in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given the power to damage the earth and the sea, 3 "Don’t hurt the earth or the sea or the trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of God’s true followers!"

4 I was told the number of those who were sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand. Those who were sealed came from every tribe of the children of Israel: 5 twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad, 6 twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh, 7 twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar, 8 twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin.