This section of the Revelation has had an especially unfortunate history of interpretation, due in part to the versification of the text in the sixteenth century, which made a new chapter out of this material, thus tending to obscure the fact that it is a continuation of the vision that began in 4:1. There is little question that John is moving to a new scene, but that does not mean movement to a new vision. Unfortunately, this is also one of the more famous—and controversial—moments in the book. However, if one keeps it in the context of the larger vision in which it appears, and asks how it functions in the overall narrative, many of the difficulties disappear—although not all of the puzzles!
The vision itself comes in two easily discernible parts. It begins with an apocalyptic introduction of five angels, one of whom (apparently) gives the number of “those who were sealed” (vv. 1–4). With that some of the puzzles also begin, since the numbering has to do with all the tribes of Israel—12,000 from each tribe, thus 144,000, whose identification is then spelled out in detail in verses 5–8. But the actual naming of the tribes turns out to be unique to this passage in the entire Bible, not corresponding in detail to any of the several diverse listings in the Old Testament; nor is it immediately clear how any of this relates to the New Testament people of God. The second part of the vision (vv. 9–17) then pictures a great multitude of redeemed ones in heaven, who are so many they cannot even be counted (v. 9). Thus the reader is faced with understanding not only the pieces but the whole, not to mention the role this passage plays in the larger narrative.
Most likely these two narratives are corresponding pictures of God’s people who will not experience God’s wrath (= judgment) when it is poured out on the earth, and who will therefore be found safely in God’s presence at the end—even though for many that may be the result of martyrdom. This passage is therefore best understood as a continuation of what began in 6:1 and concludes at 8:1–5, which at the same time serves to introduce the next major section of the narrative. Not only has there been no explicit relocation of John himself, but as verse 9 makes clear, he is still in the same vision (“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count … standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb”). This is further supported by verses 11 and 13 (“All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures” and “then one of the elders asked me”). Nonetheless, even though John is himself still in heaven, the concern is now altogether with what is to happen on earth.
What one must take seriously in the present vision—in keeping with other key moments in the book—is the reality that the earth itself is going to feel the effects of God’s judgments. Thus the winds pictured here as about to harm the earth join with the preceding earthquake (6:12–17), plus the plagues of the first four trumpets that follow (8:6–13) and the first four bowls in 16:1–9, to describe God’s wrath in terms of the earth taking a beating, as a part of God’s meting out his judgments. This is tied ultimately to the reality of God as Creator of all that is, and that what God created was good; but as the Genesis account makes plain, the whole created order was somehow affected by the fall, so that it would “produce thorns and thistles.” Similarly, the Noacic covenant that followed the judgment of the flood included a promise of a kind of “eternal earth.” That promise then took a decided shift in the Prophets, beginning with Isaiah. Part of his prophetic vision, expressed eschatologically in 65:17 and 66:22, was that God would create a new earth—not different from the present one, but this one renewed and fully restored.
John’s Revelation thus concludes with the full expression of that hope, with a “new heavens and a new earth,” including the heavenly Jerusalem coming down on this now renewed earth. This view of things finds its beginnings in the present anticipatory vision, where the present earth is going to be roughed up, as part of God’s judgments against “those who dwell on the earth,” a Johannine idiom for those who have rejected God by preferring the creature to the Creator. Thus the present vision begins with the four angels holding back the winds that are poised to blow on the earth as a form of judgment.
1After 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. 2Then 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.” 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
In keeping with the whole of the Revelation, John introduces every key moment in a way that is intended to inspire awe or wonder, which is how this opening material appears to function. He begins with an after this, which in many later manuscripts was altered to read “after these things.” By doing so, the latter put emphasis on events as such; but John’s emphasis is on his own role in the narrative, thus he goes on to describe what he saw next. And what he saw represents common first-century cosmology, with a very Christian touch. Thus he beholds four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, whose present task was to hold back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea, including in this instance a primary evidence of blowing wind—or on any tree. The “four winds” themselves are thereby pictured as poised to harm the earth, but are currently being prevented from doing so by the four angels.
The reader, therefore, must keep in mind the point made above, that from John’s perspective the earth itself is going to feel the effects of God’s judgment. Nonetheless, the concern of John’s present vision is that despite this reality, God’s own people are to be spared from experiencing this coming judgment. Thus what he saw next was another, a fifth angel, who was coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. This angel in turn called out in a loud voice to the other four angels, who are now described as themselves having been given power to harm the land and the sea. The sole purpose of this angel in the narrative is to make sure that God’s own people are protected from the coming judgments, which are not to go into effect until we [apparently meaning this angel along with the other four] put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. At least two things seem to be going on here. First, the “seal” in this case is the stamp of divine ownership and authenticity; thus it functions as a divine commitment that God’s own people will not experience the divine wrath when it is poured out. This is made explicit in 9:4, where the scorpions are told to harm only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads. Here such people are described as “God’s servants,” a designation that appears again in 19:2 and 5, and also in 22:3–4 and 6, the latter instance referring to the recipients of this book. At the same time, second, this marking of the foreheads of God’s “servants” stands in deliberate contrast to the later marking on the foreheads of the followers of the “beast out of the earth” in chapter 13:16–17.
The first paragraph then concludes with John hearing the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. This in turn leads to the main part of the present scene, with its actual numbering of those who are sealed. But here also is a passage that has been a source of grief for later readers, especially those who, unacquainted with the apocalyptic genre, try to read the text with a kind of literalism never intended by John’s deliberate, symbolic use of numbers. The difficulties for later readers stem from the fact that in the next paragraph the people are described in terms of the Old Testament people of God. But before asking the question of meaning as such, one should observe the idiosyncratic nature of the present listing.
In the Old Testament itself, one should note, there are no less than eighteen different listings of the twelve tribes of Israel—and the present one is not identical with any of them! This is especially remarkable in light of Ezekiel 48, where one finds an eschatological listing of gathered Israel. We simply note here the idiosyncrasies of the present listing, without trying to give any meaning to them: first, both Joseph and his son Manasseh are mentioned, while Ephraim is not; second, the tribe of Dan is omitted altogether; and third, the tribe of Levi is included, whose place in the Old Testament listings, along with Joseph’s, is regularly taken by Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Moreover, apart from the apparently purposeful placing of Judah at the head of the list, and Benjamin at the end (thus the whole is embraced by the two southern tribes), there seems to be no further significance to the order in which they are listed.
The omission of Dan is especially noteworthy, since from a very early time (Ireneaus of Lyons, d. ca. 202 CE) it was suggested that Dan was omitted due to a tradition that the antichrist was to come from Dan. Such a view is probably related to the bad press Dan receives in the Old Testament itself, beginning with Jacob’s “blessing” of his sons in Genesis 49, where it is said that “Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path.” This negative view of Dan is furthered by Jeremiah’s prophecy in 8:16–17, where “neighing stallions” from Dan are pictured as having “come to devour the land and everything in it.” Finally, in the Testament of Dan 5:6 the author says, “For I read in the Book of Enoch the Righteous that your prince is Satan.” Most likely all of this is based on two Old Testament narratives: Judges 18:30, where “the Danites set up for themselves an idol”; and 1 Kings 12:29, where Dan became the site of the Baal shrine. Whether John has omitted Dan for these reasons is far from certain, although it is likely since there is no place in John’s narrative for a personal Antichrist as such. In any case, and for whatever reason, in the eschatological people of God John sees no place for the tribe of Dan.
Perhaps the more significant matter for our understanding is that Judah, not Reuben, heads the current list. Along with the numbering itself, therefore, two matters suggest that John is here intentionally echoing Israel’s time in the desert, recorded in Numbers 1, where the numbering served a twofold purpose. First, as is made clear in Numbers 1:45, they were numbered so as to serve in Israel’s army; second, in Numbers 2:1–2 they are to encamp around the tent of meeting with Judah in the place of primacy, thus anticipating the Davidic kingship. If so, then here is yet another picture where John is pointing to the Holy War. As the next scene makes clear, even though they are sealed from God’s wrath, God’s people are not exempt from the war itself, where the Lamb has taken the lead through his death and resurrection.
All of this together further suggests that the emphasis for John rests not in the naming of the tribes as such, but in the numbering. It is of further interest to observe that up this point John has regularly said “I saw,” and, in the context of seeing, he goes on to say “I heard.” But in this case he does not see the sealing itself—and he only hears the numbering, which is where his obvious interest lies. The numbering itself, one should note, is 12 x 12 x 1000, which is the number of God’s people multiplied by itself and then by the number of completeness.
At least three further matters need to be mentioned regarding this picture. First, John is not intending something literal, but in response to the question asked in 6:17 is offering a powerfully symbolic way of speaking about God’s servants, who have been sealed so as to “withstand” when God’s wrath is poured out. Second, at the same time, they are numbered because they are going to be involved in the Holy War themselves. Thus, third, as the next picture makes clear, they will experience “great tribulation” at the hands of God’s enemies (v. 14), but they are also sealed and thus will not experience God’s wrath.1 They are God’s own people, after all, and are thus secure, no matter what befalls.
9After 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. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”11All 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, 12saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”13Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14I 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. 15Therefore,
they are before the throne of God
and serve him 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,’2
nor any scorching heat.17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’a‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”3
In one of the truly remarkable moments in his Apocalypse, John has achieved maximum mileage from his vision of heaven4 by means of the present picture of the “great multitude” in “white robes.” The vision itself is in two major parts, each of which is also in two parts. In verses 9–12 the multitude is first described in their heavenly setting (vv. 9–10) as those who have obtained salvation, to which the whole host of angels then responds with worship (vv. 11–12). In verses 13–17 John is first informed as to who they are (vv. 13–14) and then is given a description of their final, heavenly triumph (vv. 15–17). Again worship is a predominant motif, but in this case it is also accompanied by an affirmation of the final eschatological security of those who belong to Christ. Thus this second scene in the interlude serves as a further word of assurance to his readers, some of whom are currently being battered by the state.
John again makes his transition to this scene with the phrase after this I looked, followed by a description of what was there before me. The upfront matter in the present description is an explicit twofold contrast to the immediately prior scene (vv. 1–8). First, the great multitude is so large that no one could count it, which at the same time reinforces the preceding numbering as having to do with the complete number of God’s people, rather than a precise number. Second, and now reflecting the song to the Lamb in 5:9, not just Israel but all peoples (every nation, tribe, people and language) here enter into loud praise to God and to the Lamb. Regarding this fourfold listing of the world’s peoples, see the additional note on 5:9 above (p. 85, n. 24). It is of some interest that the list in this instance begins with “nation,” the word that concluded the first listing. Since no one of these seven lists is identical, one should perhaps not make much of the order in this case; nonetheless here John begins with the broadest term before narrowing it down to “language,” the term that most explicitly delineates the differences between “peoples.” In any case, the reality that what constitutes God’s people now goes far beyond Israel is one of John’s repeated concerns throughout this narrative.
Picking up the setting from our chapter 5, John then specifies that this innumerable multitude is standing before the throne and before the Lamb. However, despite the case specific language “that places John before both God and the Lamb,” John’s concern is not positional in the ordinary sense, but in the much greater theological sense. What is being affirmed here is that God’s people are to be understood as “at home” in the Divine Presence. Thus, not only are they the ones “who could withstand the great day of divine wrath” (6:17), but they are now pictured as finally “standing before the throne” and thus in God’s very presence. They are further described, in language echoing 3:4, as wearing white robes, which will be elaborated further in verse 14 (cf. also 19:8); and finally, they are noted as holding palm branches in their hands, clearly echoing Psalm 118:27.
This last feature, their “holding palm branches in their hands,” is an especially Johannine touch, stemming from his own description of the “triumphal entry” in John 12:13, where he alone of the Gospel writers indicates that the branches were from nearby “palm trees.” This bit of specificity on his part is also the origin of the term “Palm Sunday,” as the language is not found in any of the other Gospels. Thus even though Psalm 118:26–27 says only “with boughs in hand,” John had chosen to specify what kind of “boughs” were involved; and this is now carried over to the final triumphal moment in heaven itself, of which the earthly entry by Christ was but a precursor. Thus the entire redeemed heavenly multitude are not only dressed appropriately (in “white robes”), they also carry “in their hands” the celebratory “palm branches.”
More significantly still, this “great multitude” cried out in a loud voice (the redeemed will be a truly noisy lot!), and the content of their shout brings the reader back to the reality noted at the beginning in 1:4–6, that the Father and Son share all of the divine privileges that historically had belonged to the One God of Israel. Also, as in 1:5, the emphasis on their shared equality has primarily to do with human “salvation.” Thus their song at this point is singular and is directed altogether toward the one thing the great multitude have in common.
Thus most significantly, and still echoing Psalm 118:19–27, they sing not as in the psalm, (“Lord, save us!” v. 27); rather “they cry out,” as something fully realized, salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne. Thus finally, John states explicitly what no one could have missed before: that “the one who sits enthroned” is none other than the living God, who is here identified as “our God,” meaning the God who has taken us for his own and through Christ has redeemed us. There is, of course, no other God; but John’s language puts emphasis on the fact that in making the redeemed God’s own people, they in turn acclaim God as “our God.” But in the new perspective brought about by Christ’s death and resurrection, the acclamation concludes, and to the Lamb. Here is what makes John’s Revelation an altogether Christian book, as Father and Son are together worshiped as the one God.
What happens next in John’s narrative intentionally echoes the scenes in chapters 4 and 5, and is typically Johannine in that worship and praise precede all heavenly explanations. The setting is still the same, as are the heavenly personae. Thus John moves from the “great multitude” of the redeemed to the primary heavenly host themselves, all the angels, who as before (5:11b) are pictured as standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. These are the original heavenly host who now encircle “the great multitude of the redeemed.” But though part of the heavenly entourage, they are not themselves divine; for when the redeemed cry out their acclamation, “salvation belongs to … God … and the Lamb,” the angelic host itself fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God. They begin with the Amen! affirmed at the end of the former scene by the four living creatures—and repeated at the end of the present list. Their praise in turn echoes the singing found in both chapters 4 and 5. Thus:
4:11 5:12 5:14 7:12 glory power praise praise honor wealth honor glory power wisdom glory wisdom strength power thanks honor honor glory power praise strength
As noted previously regarding these lists, they are representative, and thus no one of them is either consistent with the others or complete in itself. The singular addition found in this list and in none of the others is thanks, a most interesting addition here, since it is put in the mouths of angels rather than of those who themselves owe such thanksgiving to God for their redemption. As elsewhere, the acclamation represented by these seven words is simply assumed as that which rightfully belongs to God.
What follows is typical of the Apocalypse in that John regularly moves toward his explanations by means of a question. Of high interest in this case is the fact that the question is not by John himself—although this is the obvious concern—rather he now gets there by having one of the elders ask John the question. Having identified them as heavenly victors (These in white robes), the question addressed to John is twofold: who are they, and where did they come from? To which John responds, Sir, you know.
The answer John receives is likewise twofold. First, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation. This latter word is a most unfortunate—and quite unnecessary—carryover from preceding English translations, since it was co-opted over a century ago by some interpreters to refer to a specific time period. But time is of no interest at all to John in the present sentence. Rather he is referring specifically to the great trial that the church of his own time is experiencing, and about which he speaks prophetically as something that will get far worse before it ever gets better. Thus what was intended primarily as a word of assurance to his own readers has been co-opted by later interpreters to refer to something that is yet to come. But for John they are those who have come through/out of the present great trial, which John anticipates (rightly) lies immediately ahead for his readers. But for all of that, the two Greek words rendered (correctly) “have come out of” are in fact in the present tense (“those coming out of”), not because their “coming out” is already happening, but because their great tribulation is already on the scene. These words thus seem intended to reassure the churches that any who have been, or will be, martyred because of their being followers of the Slain Lamb, are to be understood as already in the Divine Presence.
Second, what makes this both possible and certain is that they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. One often wonders how this very Christian way of speaking about both the means and the end of our salvation might sound in the ears of the uninformed, since in the “real world” one can neither wash nor make white by means of blood! But this, of course, is to be understood as belonging to the long biblical line of redemption through sacrifice. The need for having washed clothes to be in God’s presence goes back to the narrative in Exodus 19, where twice, first by command (v. 10) and then by deed (v. 14), the people were to be prepared therefore for the divine visitation they were soon to experience.
Nonetheless, that these “robes” have been “made … white in the blood of the Lamb” is an unusual combination. But of still greater difficulty is the meaning of the metaphor itself; that is, what are these “white robes,” made so “in the blood of the Lamb,” intended to represent? A long tradition in the church has seen this as referring to their being cleansed from sin, a view that was based on a wonderful merging of metaphors and texts from all over the Bible, and has found a permanent place in the church through its hymnody (as in Cowper’s “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood”). Nonetheless, if this were the intent of the metaphor then such a view (“cleansing” from sin as associated with blood) would be unique to the entire Bible. In fact, the only text that actually says as much is the secondary reading of Revelation 1:5, noted above and found in the King James Version. Elsewhere in Scripture blood is a metaphor for death, meaning death by means of the blood being poured out. Thus, as noted above on 5:9, the metaphor “purchased with his blood” means that people were purchased for God at the cost of the life of the Son.
Most likely, therefore, the language “made white in the blood of the Lamb,” has double entendre. Language from the Old Testament sacrificial system, used here to signify Christ’s death and understood as the means of our being “purchased” for God, becomes in this book the ultimate symbol for victory through death. That is, it is the way of triumph for the martyrs, who, as Christ, will be raised to eternal glory. Thus, in context, the imagery almost certainly has as its first reference that these are the redeemed who have been “sealed” by God, and who, second, have also come to their final rest (and glory) through great suffering.
The present passage then concludes (vv. 15–17) with a description of the martyrs’ final eschatological rest, which of course is described especially for the sake of those among John’s readers who are yet to be martyred, At the same time, it offers comfort to all who belong to Christ. John begins with a strong therefore, referring back to the immediately preceding verse 14. What follows is one of the more remarkable Scriptural images of the final glory of all believers, even though it is intended in its entirety to bring comfort to believers in the seven churches (and beyond) who are about to undergo intense persecution that will lead to many martyrdoms. Their ultimate end is to stand before the throne of God and serve him in his temple. Although this latter term (“temple”) has not been used heretofore to describe heaven, everything else in the preceding visions in chapters 4–6 has had such a referent as its presupposition. This understanding is later spelled out in detail in 21:22–26, where the heavenly city itself becomes the final, ultimate temple of God.
With yet another play on terms and ideas, what the NIV has rendered as shelter them with his presence (lit. “spread his tent over them”) is imagery assuring rest for God’s people. Thus the “tent” of the Old Testament now serves in the heavenly “temple” as the means of offering them eternal blessing and security. And the one who will do this is he who sits on the throne, so that with the imagery of “throne” and “tent” God is envisioned as both the ultimate divine ruler and the ultimate divine protector. Since the imagery of the spread out “tent” is what is picked up in the concluding sentences (vv. 16–17), one is quite amazed to be reminded that the KJV translators chose to render this final phrase (“will spread his tent over them”) as “shall dwell among them.” There is no question as to the biblical relevance of this rendering, but it seems to have missed John’s point by several furlongs, where his emphasis is on God’s own presence securing his people in the presence of difficulty, not on the incarnation.
John follows the preceding imagery of divine protection with language of divine provision, in this case borrowing to the point of citing much of Isaiah 49:10. This passage belongs to the “Servant of Yahweh” songs in Isaiah 40–53, where the prophet speaks of the Lord’s Servant in language reflecting the theme of the New Exodus.5 By “spreading his tent over them,” God himself thus fulfills the prophet’s word that (the underlined phrases/clauses are those picked up by John):
They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat nor the sun beat down on themHe who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
By making two lines out of Isaiah’s line one, John’s text reads:
Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
John’s third line, The sun will not beat down on them,6 is the second half of Isaiah’s line two, whose first half will appear in John’s interpretive sentence that follows (our v. 17). John then makes a couplet out of this line by adding nor any scorching heat, which is the first part of Isaiah’s line two now put into John’s own words.
John’s awareness that his borrowed language belongs to the Servant of Yahweh motif in Isaiah 49 is made certain by what he does next, namely, interpret his second doublet in terms of the Lamb, before returning to Isaiah in his final clauses. He thus begins by bringing the reader back to the Lamb at the center before the throne; but with that he also makes one of the ultimate reversal of images that only apocalyptic or poetry allow one to do. Thus, picking up imagery and echoes from Psalm 23:1–3 and Ezekiel 34, and by way of chapter 10 in John’s own Gospel, the Lamb will in fact be their shepherd. So not only is the Lamb introduced as “looking as if it had been slain” (5:6), but now the once slain Lamb serves to “shepherd” the innumerable heavenly throng of those who have been redeemed by his blood. So it is the Lamb-turned-Shepherd who—now returning to Isaiah 49:10—will lead them to springs of living water. This last image, well known from John’s Gospel, has to do with “running water,” thus implying a stream, where the water tumbling over the rocks and thus also taking in air is kept fresh vis-à-vis the tepid water of a pool. This alone is the kind of water that refreshes, and John is fully aware of the implications of his imagery.
At the end of the scene John then adds, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, thereby both echoing Isaiah 25:8 and anticipating the final eschatological scene of chapters 21 and 22. This, of course, is striking imagery indicating that all reasons for human sorrow will be banished forever. Thus the picture ends on the double notes of eternal refreshment (“springs of living water”) and eternal peace and rest (no more tears).
With these final pictures, therefore, John reassures his readers that they have been “sealed” by God so as to stand firm during the coming hour of trial, and that even if they should die in the coming Holy War, they will indeed receive the final eschatological reward. All of this is quite in keeping with the overall theology of the book: on the one hand, God’s people are his redeemed ones, who are secure in Christ and thus have a sure eschatological future; but at the same time they are followers of the Lamb, and will go through great suffering, by “washing their own garments in the blood of the Lamb.” Thus in the language of the later church, these two pictures are of the church militant and the church triumphant. Everyone and everything is ultimately in God’s hands.
1. One of the truly unfortunate features of historic Dispensationalism was the failure to adequately distinguish between human “tribulation” and God’s “wrath” (= judgment), terms that are used carefully by John throughout the book and which never coincide.
2. Isaiah 49:10.
3. Isaiah 25:8.
4. In the narrative itself John is still an earthly observer in heaven, which is made certain in this case by the narrative that follows: “and there before me was a great multitude.”
5. The four passages are Isa 42:1–4; 49:1–6; 50:4–9; and 52:13—53:12. Although John’s language is not from one of the songs per se, it picks up and elaborates on the theme.
6. For this metaphor cf. also Ps 121:6: “The sun will not harm you by day.”