when he gave the sea his decree that the waters should not pass over his command, ¹  when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

He does not expect ¹  to escape from darkness; ²  he is marked for the sword; ³ 

Now ¹  I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal, ²  one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from all ³  the tribes of the people of Israel: ⁴ 

Who has measured out the waters ¹  in the hollow of his hand, or carefully ²  measured the sky, ³  or carefully weighed ⁴  the soil of the earth, or weighed the mountains in a balance, or the hills on scales? ⁵ 

The Jordan River borders it on the east. These were the borders of the land assigned to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans. ¹ 

You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent. You can use as much soap as you want. But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,” ¹  says the Lord God. ² 

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

For certain men ¹  have secretly slipped in among you ²  – men who long ago ³  were marked out ⁴  for the condemnation I am about to describe ⁵  – ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil ⁶  and who deny our only Master ⁷  and Lord, ⁸  Jesus Christ.

In the dark the robber ¹  breaks into houses, ²  but by day they shut themselves in; ³  they do not know the light. ⁴ 

Enemies seek to destroy my life, ¹  but they will descend into the depths of the earth. ² 

When he established the heavens, I was there; when he marked out the horizon ¹  over the face of the deep,

Yet which of them has ever stood in the Lord’s inner circle ¹  so they ²  could see and hear what he has to say? ³  Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?

Lord, you have been active from ancient times; ¹  my sovereign God, ²  you are immortal. ³  Lord, you have made them ⁴  your instrument of judgment. ⁵  Protector, ⁶  you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. ⁷ 

And when ¹  you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ ²  – you were marked with the seal ³  of the promised Holy Spirit, ⁴ 

He also caused ¹  everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave ² ) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.

When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ¹  and praise ²  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ³  believed.

How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, ¹  kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned specifically by name,