Revelation 7:1-3 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. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with 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, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
There is a pause between the sixth and the seventh seals. The catastrophes affecting the earth continue to grow but humanity continues to reject God and the message of the Lamb. Next, four angels hold back the wind on the earth. I have been in a few places where the wind was not blowing. It is rare. The air becomes stifling and stagnant, especially in cities. When we lived in Idaho, the wind blew a lot. The weather depends on the wind. Without wind, there is no moisture, clouds, rain. Pollution is not dissipated. When the four angels stop the wind, the silence will be deafening.
These angels are powerful and can cause great destruction but are told to wait until the servants of God are sealed. This idea and the following paragraphs have caused much controversy. This group of people will have the seal of God on their foreheads. This is significant for several reasons. One is that it shows the identity of these people. This is a special seal that identifies these people as sent by God. 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 all people.
To be identified as God’s people will be dangerous in the end times just as it has been throughout history. 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 be those who overcome and experience the victory of eternal life in the end.
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