Revelation 7:1 begins by saying, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth…” This reference to the “four corners of the earth” represents each of the four compass points of the globe. Those angels were responsible for “…holding back the four winds of the earth so no wind could blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree” (NET). The “winds” referenced in this passage convey the idea of a violent agitation, a stream of air, or a strong tempestuous wind. (1)
“Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads” (Revelation 7:2-3).
Revelation chapter six earlier closed with the following question: “That terrible day has come! God and the Lamb will show their anger, and who can face it” (Revelation 6: 17 CEV). That answer comes here in Revelation 7:3: “… those who serve our God” (CEB). In addition, we’re also told that each of these servants of God received an identifying seal.
In this context, a “seal” refers to a stamp bearing a private mark that was used for security purposes or document preservation. (2) This seal functioned as a form of identification that marked each bearer as “God’s property” and kept them safe from harm. Verses four to eight then go on to provide us with some additional information regarding these individuals…
“Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed from every tribe of the Israelites: From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed” (Revelation 7:4-5, and following).
The Old Testament patriarch Jacob fathered twelve sons whose families went on to form the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob’s son, Joseph, also had two sons named Ephraim and Manasseh. These sons were later “adopted” by Jacob and added to this tribal list. Of these fourteen tribes, twelve are always selected in varying combinations.
Revelation 7:4-8 represents one such example. That list of twelve tribes includes Joseph’s son Manasseh, while Jacob’s son Dan is omitted, perhaps due to that tribe’s prophetic reputation for treachery (Genesis 49:17). Taken together, these individuals represent 144,000 Messianic Christians who will receive supernatural protection from God when He unleashes His wrath upon a world that has rejected Him.
Image Attribution : ElfQrin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
(1) G417 – anemos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g417/kjv/tr/0-1/
(2) G4972 – sphragizo – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4972/kjv/tr/0-1/