Revelation 7:1-4 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 7:1-12

Here we have, I. An account of the restraint laid upon the winds. By these winds we suppose are meant those errors and corruptions in religion which would occasion a great deal of trouble and mischief to the church of God. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind: here the spirits of error are compared to the four winds, contrary one to another, but doing much hurt to the church, the garden and vineyard of God, breaking the branches and blasting the fruits of his plantation. The devil... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:1-3

7:1-3 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth so that the wind might not blow upon the earth, or upon the sea, or against any tree. And I saw another angel going up from where the sun rises, with a seal which belonged to the living God, and he shouted with a great voice to the four angels to whom was given power to harm the earth and the sea: "Do not harm the earth and the sea or the trees until we seal the servants of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:1-3

This vision is expressed in conceptions of the world which were the conceptions of the days in which John wrote. The earth is a square, flat earth; and at its four corners are four angels waiting to unleash the winds of destruction. Isaiah speaks of gathering the outcasts of Judah from the four corners of the earth ( Isaiah 11:12 ). The end is come upon the four corners of the earth in Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 7:2 ). It was the belief of the ancient peoples that the winds which came from due... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:1-3

Before the great tribulation smites the earth the faithful ones are to be marked with the seal of God. There are two points to note. (i) The angel with the seal comes from the rising of the sun, from the East. All John's pictures mean something and there may be two meanings behind this: (a) It is in the East that the sun, the supreme earthly giver of light and life, rises; and the angel may stand for the life and the light that God gives his people even when death and destruction are abroad.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:4-8

7:4-8 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand were sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand; of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand; of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand; of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand; of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; of the tribe of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:4-8

There are certain quite general things to be noted here which will greatly help towards the interpretation of this passage. (i) Two things are to be said about the number 144,000. (a) It is quite certain that it does not stand for the number of the faithful in every day and generation. The 144,000 stands for those who in the time of John are sealed and preserved from the great tribulation which at that moment was coming upon them. In due time, as we see in Revelation 7:9 , they are to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:1

And after these things ,.... After the opening of six of the seals of the sealed book, and after the demolition of Heathen deities, and of Heathen worship, and of Heathen magistrates, in the Roman empire, and the representation of these to John, he had the following vision; and which therefore does not refer to the preservation of the Christians, before and at the destruction of Jerusalem, which was under the first seal; nor to the security of the saints from the wrath of the Lamb, when it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:2

And I saw another angel ,.... Not Constantine, who came from the eastern parts to the empire, with the true knowledge of God, and the authority of God to propagate it; and who repressed the four angels, or evil spirits, contention, ambition, heresy, and war, from doing the mischief they otherwise would; and sealed the saints, by giving them a platform of doctrine at the council of Nice, as Brightman and others think. But the uncreated angel, the angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:3

Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees ,.... That is, as yet, for their commission was not contradicted, nor taken away by Christ; and at the time appointed, at the blowing of the several trumpets, they let loose the winds, and let in the Goths, Hans, and Vandals, the Saracens and Turks into the empire, and after that poured out the vials of God's wrath upon the Romish antichrist: this retarding of them was but in appearance, that there might be an opportunity to show to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:4

And I heard the number of them which were sealed ,.... And therefore could be sure of the exact number, which did not depend upon his sight, and telling them, in which some mistake might have been made, but he heard the number expressed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty, and four thousand : which is a square number arising from twelve, the square root of it, being just twelve times twelve thousand; and may denote their being the true and genuine offspring of the twelve... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 7:1-12

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:1-3

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:1-3

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:1-3

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:4-8

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:4-8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:4

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