Revelation 7:1 kjv
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
Revelation 7:1 nkjv
After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
Revelation 7:1 niv
After 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.
Revelation 7:1 esv
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
Revelation 7:1 nlt
Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree.
Revelation 7 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 104:4 | "He makes his messengers winds, his ministers flames of fire." | Angels as instruments of God's power. |
| Heb 1:7 | "In speaking of the angels he says, 'He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.'" | Angels as powerful, divinely appointed agents. |
| Zech 6:5 | "The angel answered me, 'These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of all the whole world.'" | Four spirits/winds as heavenly agents. |
| Is 11:12 | "He will raise a banner for the nations...gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." | "Four corners" signifying universal reach. |
| Ezek 7:2 | "Thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land!" | "Four corners" signifying comprehensive extent of judgment. |
| Rev 20:8 | "He will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth..." | "Four corners" implying global reach/scope. |
| Jer 49:36 | "I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven and will scatter them..." | Winds as instruments of destructive judgment/dispersion. |
| Jer 51:1 | "Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will rouse up against Babylon a destroying wind...'" | Wind as a symbol of God's destructive judgment. |
| Dan 7:2 | "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea." | Winds as powerful forces leading to turmoil and change. |
| Job 28:25 | "When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure..." | God's sovereign control over elemental forces. |
| Job 38:22-23 | "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow...which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?" | God reserves and controls elements for specific purposes/judgment. |
| Nah 1:3 | "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power...His way is in whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet." | God's power over weather and natural forces. |
| Ex 9:26 | "Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, there was no hail." | Divine protection amidst widespread judgment. |
| Is 27:8 | "He will contend with them by expelling them...with a fierce blast from the east wind on the day of the east wind." | Wind as God's instrument for discipline. |
| Joel 2:10 | "The earth quakes before them; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withhold their shining." | Cosmic disturbances accompanying divine judgment (parallel to Rev 6). |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise...but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish..." | God's delay in judgment stems from His redemptive purpose. |
| Is 48:9 | "For my name's sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off." | God's deliberate restraint of wrath. |
| Hab 3:8 | "Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Or your anger against the rivers...when you rode on your horses, on your chariots of salvation?" | God's power manifested through natural phenomena. |
| Rev 6:12-17 | Description of the sixth seal's cosmic disruption and plea for judgment delay. | Immediate precursor, setting the scene for the interlude. |
| Rev 8:1-2 | The opening of the seventh seal, followed by the trumpets, after the pause. | The continuation of judgment following the interlude. |
| Mt 24:31 | "He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds..." | Angels with authority and global reach to gather the elect. |
| Ezek 37:9 | "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath..." | Winds bringing breath/life (though here destructive, still divine agent). |
Revelation 7 verses
Revelation 7 1 Meaning
Revelation 7:1 describes a pivotal interlude in the series of divine judgments. John sees four angels positioned globally, empowered to restrain the destructive "winds" or forces that would devastate the earth, the sea, and all vegetation. This temporary halt in judgment is a demonstration of God's absolute sovereignty and control, preceding a specific divine action related to the protection of His servants before the subsequent waves of wrath are unleashed.
Revelation 7 1 Context
Revelation 7:1 introduces a dramatic interlude within John's vision of the sealed judgments. It directly follows the cataclysmic events of the sixth seal in Revelation 6, which saw an immense earthquake, celestial disturbances, and humanity fleeing in terror from God's wrath. Just as the seven seals are about to be completed and the full force of divine judgment through the seven trumpets is prepared (introduced in Revelation 8), a pause occurs. This interlude in Chapter 7 is crucial: it provides a divine respite to seal God's servants for protection (Rev 7:2-8) and subsequently introduces the redeemed multitude before God's throne (Rev 7:9-17). The verse sets the stage for a critical theological point: even amidst escalating judgment, God maintains precise control and offers salvation and preservation to His elect. The historical context for the original audience, facing potential Roman persecution and the immense power of the empire, would have found comfort and understanding in the divine assurance that God's plan unfolds sovereignly, even restraining forces to protect His own.
Revelation 7 1 Word analysis
- After this (Greek: meta tauta): Signifies a transition in John's vision, indicating sequential but distinct phases of divine revelation and judgment. It implies a progression in the apocalyptic narrative.
- I saw (Greek: eidon): Standard formula for John's personal reception of divine visions. It emphasizes the immediacy and directness of his perception of these heavenly realities.
- four angels (Greek: tessaras angelous): Angels are celestial beings, God's messengers and agents. The number "four" signifies universality, encompassing the entire earth or cardinal directions. These are not just any angels but divinely commissioned agents with significant authority.
- standing (Greek: hestōtas): Implies a posture of readiness, authority, and active control. They are positioned deliberately to perform a specific task.
- at the four corners of the earth (Greek: epi tas tessaras gōnias tēs gēs): A common ancient phrase signifying the totality or universal scope of the earth, from all directions. It does not imply a flat earth but a global or comprehensive extent.
- holding back (Greek: kratountas): To seize, hold fast, master, control, restrain. This active participle indicates that the angels are physically, supernaturally, and powerfully exerting control over these forces, preventing their unleashed action.
- the four winds of the earth (Greek: tous tessaras anemous tēs gēs): "Four winds" again emphasizes universality, coming from all directions. "Winds" are a potent biblical symbol, often representing divine judgment, destructive forces (like war, plague, famine), or divine breath/spirit, or even the movements of world empires (Dan 7:2). Here, they represent the instruments of comprehensive, destructive wrath.
- to prevent (Greek: hina mē pneē): A negative purpose clause, explicitly stating the reason for their action. It means "so that no wind might blow."
- any wind from blowing (Greek: anemos epi tēn gēn): Reiteration for emphasis on the complete restraint.
- on the land (Greek: epi tēn gēn): The habitable earth, dry ground.
- or on the sea (Greek: oudē epi tēn thalassan): The waters of the earth, often associated with chaos or rebellious nations.
- or on any tree (Greek: oudē epi pan dendron): Represents the vegetation, the life and fertility of the earth. These three elements – land, sea, and trees – collectively symbolize all aspects of the natural world and, by extension, human civilization dependent on them.
- Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "After this I saw four angels standing": Signals a significant new scene or aspect of John's prophetic vision, emphasizing God's use of universal angelic agents positioned for action.
- "at the four corners of the earth, holding back": Illustrates God's pervasive control over the entire cosmos through His agents. The angels are not merely observing; they are actively restraining.
- "the four winds of the earth, to prevent any wind from blowing": Clearly identifies the destructive forces as "winds," signifying cosmic or terrestrial calamities, and establishes their total subjugation to divine authority. The purpose is crucial: to temporarily stop all devastation.
- "on the land or on the sea or on any tree": This comprehensive phrasing emphasizes the total scope of the potential destruction being restrained, indicating a protective pause that covers all living things and habitats.
Revelation 7 1 Bonus section
This interlude in Revelation 7 is a theological anchor, demonstrating divine order amidst what appears to be cosmic chaos. It assures believers that God's control extends even to the timing and severity of global judgments. The imagery of restraining the winds echoes ancient Near Eastern myths where deities battled chaotic elements; here, the one true God unequivocally demonstrates His complete mastery over all creation and all forces, even those prepared to execute His wrath. This pause serves as a parallel to Old Testament instances where God separates and protects His people before judgment falls (e.g., Noah before the flood, Lot before Sodom and Gomorrah). The delay is not merely a pause but a purposeful act of divine grace, ensuring that those who belong to God are marked and preserved for His ultimate glory and redemption, before the final sequence of judgments commences with the seventh seal and trumpet judgments.
Revelation 7 1 Commentary
Revelation 7:1 acts as a divine pause in the relentless progression of judgment described in Revelation 6. It showcases God's absolute sovereignty, not only in unleashing judgment but also in controlling and timing it. The four angels stationed globally demonstrate that the impending catastrophes are not random or chaotic but precisely orchestrated and entirely under God's command. The "four winds" symbolize the destructive elements of God's wrath (e.g., wars, pestilences, famines, natural disasters), which, left unrestrained, would annihilate all life on earth. However, this verse reveals a divine decree to momentarily hold back these destructive forces. This strategic delay serves a specific, crucial purpose revealed immediately in the subsequent verses: to allow for the sealing of God's servants (the 144,000) for protection and preservation from the intensified judgments that are soon to follow. It underscores the profound truth that God always provides a way of salvation and protection for His people, even amidst the most severe trials, and that His judgment is always just and purposed.