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Revelation 7:1b
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1 And [kai] after [meta] these things [tauta] I saw [eido] four [tessares] angels [aggelos] standing [histemi] on [epi] the four [tessares] corners [gonia] of the earth, [ge] holding [krateo] the four [tessares] winds [anemos] of the earth, [ge] that [hina me] the wind [anemos] should [pneo] not [hina me] blow [pneo] on [epi] the earth, [ge] nor [mete] on [epi] the sea, [thalassa] nor [mete] on [epi] any [pas] tree. [dendron] KJV-Interlinear
1 After 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 should blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. NASB
First and foremost, remember that we are still within the sixth seal. The seventh seal has not yet been removed from the scroll.
The first six seals, when removed, reveal the highlights of what has been written in eternity past in the Divine Decrees, and sealed up until revealed to John.
In eternity past, God looked down through time and considered all possible scenarios for history. Without interfering with the free will volition of any creature, God chose the best possible historical stream which will produce the best possible outcome for everyone. God wrote this historical record down in what theology calls the Divine Decrees.
Within the decrees, God decided when you would be born into history, along with everyone else. God knew what you would think and do, along with everyone else. God knew what technology would exist and when, what storm would occur and when, along with every other aspect, event, occurrence, and so forth, in history.
God placed you into history right now, because this is the most perfect time in history for your life. What you do with it of course is up to you, but if God had placed you into history at some other time, then your life would most probably have turned out much, much worse.
‘But,’ you say, ‘How can my life get any worse?’
Well, consider the Tribulation, which we just happen to be studying now. That will be the absolute worst time in all of human history. Be grateful that you will not live during those days.
People in the Tribulation will be among the most stubborn in spiritual terms, in all of history. That should be obvious, because most folks would change their minds about God much earlier when disaster strikes, than those folks.
But in those days, people will need a bit more nudging to help them change their minds about God, Christ and doctrine. Quite a bit actually, as we have already seen, and we have seen only the highlights thus far.
Jesus Christ controls history. And when there is even the slightest evidence of positive volition toward faith and eternal life, then Christ will hold off the worst, so that those who will believe, will actually have the opportunity and will do so.
The winds in scripture are typically used to designate judgment, Jer 49:36; Dan 7:2; Hos 13:15.
These winds are being held back by those under the command of God (Jesus Christ).
They are being held back, ‘krateo,’ which means to hold with great restraint. The winds are eager to go, and like a wild horse on a rope, are bucking and snorting against the restraint, fighting it to the maximum. But held, they are.
They are not to go out on the earth, the sea or any tree. From the largest of continents, and oceans, to the smallest of living things, the tree, the winds of Gods judgment, even of the worlds great instability, are being restrained, for a time.
So, backtracking a little bit within our highlights in the first six seals, judgment will be postponed for a little while.
Once the Rapture occurs, there is no earthly restraint against evil. In principle, judgment should occur instantly after all believers leave the world.
But, what do we know? In the fifth seal there will be many martyred believers. And before they can be martyred believers, they must be living believers. And before they can be believers, they must believe in Christ. And before they believe in Christ, they have to come to some awareness of the gospel.
For some, there will be the gospel in their memory, from prior hearing, someplace, at sometime.
But remember that, prior to the Rapture, there will be a great apostasy, which means not very much gospel teaching. That means that studies like this one, and certainly many others, most likely will fade from life as we near the end of our dispensation. They will fade because people will not support them and because people will grow less and less interested in doctrine.
And with little evangelism, then knowledge of the gospel will be slim to none. That means evangelists have to be raised up so that those who will believe in Christ, will have the opportunity to hear the gospel.
Therefore, God will hold back judgment (following the Rapture), for a time, while those who will become the seed evangelists for the Tribulation, will themselves realize the truth, will believe in Christ and will come to the realization of their role, for which God has brought them into history at this future point in time.
These folks will not be born and grow up during the Tribulation, for the Tribulation has only seven years total, so they will already be adults, probably of varying ages. They missed the Rapture, but realize its significance, and believe in Christ rather quickly.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves a bit.
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