God’s servants will be preserved. This is the main message and comfort of chapter seven. These marked or sealed characters are Christians, those who already carry the seal of baptism indelibly (cf. Eph 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor 1:2); they will receive support through special divine providence. The symbolic number of one hundred and forty-four thousand comes from multiplying the twelve tribes of Israel by twelve (the twelve apostles of the Lamb: 21:14), and then by one thousand, representing salvation history. It signifies the elect of the new Israel, who are far more numerous than the original twelve tribes of Israel. God embraces all peoples, races, and languages within his saving reach.