SECTION THREE A SHOWING GOSPEL SUCCESS Revelation 7:1-17 1. THE VISION Revelation 7:1-3 1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,--"After this" means that after viewing the scenes revealed by the sixth seal he saw the two visions described in this chapter. They form an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals and show what results came to the church during the period of prosperity following the sixth seal. Angels mean messengers of some kind sent to carry out a purpose. Four standing at the four corners of the earth indicates that their work was to affect the whole earth, which in this case was limited to the inhabited part. holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree.--The language here clearly means a destructive wind, such as causes unripe fruit to fall (6:13), or breaks and scatters things (1 Kings 19:11; Jeremiah 49:36). Such winds lash the sea into billows and break limbs and uproot trees. This is the picture John saw, but it represents something else. It indicates that . four destructive powers would be restrained for some time for a certain work to be accomplished, after which they would be released and come like a fierce wind. 2 And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God:--While John was viewing the four angels who held the winds back he saw another angel who was a messenger sent to tell the four angels what not to do. This angel ascended from the sunrising (the east) which was the direction to Palestine from Patmos where John was. As Palestine was the homeland of the Savior, the language perhaps means that it was a divine providence which held the destructive powers in check. Seals are placed upon things for the purpose of identification or showing genuineness. Figuratively the name of God would be stamped upon them; plainly expressed they would be approved of God because of their obedience to him. Here we have an instance of words used both literally and figuratively in the one expression. "Seal" is clearly in a figurative sense; "living God" is just as clearly in a literal sense. and he cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,--As the four angels represent some divine agency that could control the damaging powers, it was given to them to hurt the earth and sea by permitting these powers to come. The angels, therefore, were said to be able to hurt the earth because they could restrain these powers or turn them loose. 3 saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we shall have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.--The destructive powers represented by the four winds are to be restrained till the servants of God would be sealed--that is, till they would become servants of God by believing and obeying his word. Having the seal placed upon their foreheads indicated that the gospel truth would be received into the mind. If servants of God mean all in the future from the sixth seal, then the sealing will not be finished till the Lord comes; but, if the destructive powers to be turned loose after the sealing refer to the events under the seventh seal, then the sealing occurred during the time between these seals. The latter seems the probable view for two reasons (1) It harmonizes better with the number said to be sealed. (2) Placing the number sealed in the record between the two seals would indicate that when the destructive powers mentioned under the seventh seal had been turned loose, the sealing meant would be over. This is implied in the saved after the events of the seventh seal began, but only that the period between these seals would be one of peace for the church when great numbers would become Christians without serious opposition.