Translation
After these things I looked and behold, a great multitude which no one could count;
Go to footnote numberthey came from every nation, tribe, people and language group,
Go to footnote numberand they were standing before the throne,
and before the LAMB.
They were dressed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.
Paraphrase
You won’t believe what I saw next;
it was a great
multitude which no one could count; they came from
every ethnic group, tribe, people and language group,
and they were ready to obey the one who holds absolute authority and THE ONLY EFFICACIOUS SACRIFICE. They were victorious and pure and they were in an attitude of worship and praise.
Footnotes
1: Who made up this great multitude?
These appear to be the same ones represented by the number 144,000. Here it says no one can count them, thus reinforcing the interpretation that 144,000 means all, not a specific number of people. Earlier it was advantageous to list them by tribes, here they are seen as one large mass of people, demonstrating the immense size of the multitude.
2
The fact that there are four groups (or categories) mentioned here means “every” possible grouping of human beings. If there are other groups, or if there are people who are somehow excluded from any of these categories, they are still included simply by the use of the symbol “four.” This is a powerful way of saying “all,” and since “all” is said four times the text shouts “ALL.”