Revelation 7:1-3 1After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind might blow on earth or on the sea or against any tree. 2And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
John’s vision that began in 4:1 continues in this new chapter. There is a pause between the breaking of the sixth seal and the seventh seal, which will not be opened until chapter 8. The catastrophes affecting the earth continue to grow, but humanity also continues to reject God and the message of the Lamb. Symbolic numbers occur in this chapter, prompting much discussion and speculation. The focus of John’s message to the readers of this book must not get lost in such controversy or effort to pinpoint the meaning of the numbers.
The pause begins with four angels holding back the four winds of the earth. It is rare for wind not to blow. In modern cities, a lack of air creates stifling, stagnant air from pollution. The weather depends on the wind. Without wind, there is no moisture, clouds, or rain. When the four angels stop the wind, the silence will be deafening. The earth itself responds to the will of God and becomes both the instrument and recipient of God’s judgment. These angels are powerful and can cause great destruction but are told by a great angel and representative of God to wait until the servants of God are sealed.
The great angel with the seal of God, which represents God’s authority, comes with the specific purpose of protecting God’s people. Verse 3 introduces two interpretive challenges: the identity of the servants and the meaning of the seal on the forehead. The seal reveals the identity of these people as God’s servants. A seal can only be given by the one in authority. A second is that this seal is on the face for all to see. Their identity is evident to everyone.
To be identified as God’s people has always been dangerous. For the first readers, opposition from local and national authorities was becoming more common and intense, eventually leading to outright official persecution. As time moves on and we get closer to Jesus’ return, the opposition will grow because the darkness does not like to be exposed by the light. As the light of the world, we will face opposition from those who hate us for some reason. To be marked as God’s people is also a privilege because we will join those who have overcome, and we will experience the victory of eternal life in the end.