We notice this chapter begins with “After”, after the seals were given to John, he sees these four angels. And these things he writes. Rev.7 and verse 1 reads.
Rev.7:1] And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
These four winds are spoken of in Dan.7 and Eze.37. Before we get to them, notice that the winds are held back. These winds come from four directions and focus on one point, Jerusalem. Signaling the end. Jesus gave us a sign in Mark 13:27 and in Mat.24:31, let’s look at Mat.24 and verse 31 reads.
Mat.24:31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The question is which trumpet? We will see in the next chapter that the fifth trump is a time for learning, and for God’s elect to have their eyes opened. Now in Dan.7 we find these four winds. Dan.7 and verse 2 reads.
Dan.7:2] Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
After Rev.6 with the seven seals, we come to these four winds. Daniel would go on in chapter 7 describing how it will happen in the end times. Zechariah chapter 6 would also describe how it goes down at the end times with the horses from Rev.6. These two chapters, Dan.7 and Zec.6 can only be explained in a Sunday lecture. I’ll call it “Horses of the Bible”, coming soon. But, for the sake of time in this study, let’s go now to Eze.37 where we also hear of these four winds.
Eze.37:1] The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
[2] And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
These are the children of Israel, the house of Jacob, all twelve tribes. They are spiritually dead.
Eze.37:3] And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
[4] Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
He calls his elect and has chosen them to teach the house of Jacob the Word of the LORD. This is when he opens the eyes of the elect.
Eze.37:5] Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
This word breath is H7307 Ruwach pronounced Roo-akh in the Hebrew, and is the Holy Spirit. This is the fifth trump, when God’s elect will teach The Word of God and the house of Jacob will come out of Babylon (confusion).
Eze.37:6] And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
[7] So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
[8] And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
They started to hear the word of the LORD, but they were still spiritually dead.
Eze.37:9] Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
God the Father told Ezekiel to prophesy to the four winds, O breath, Holy Spirit, breathe upon these spiritually dead so that they may live. The four winds are the Holy Spirit.
Eze.37:10] So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
This is not the army that Jesus will bring with him in 1Thes.4. This is the army that has the gospel armor on when Satan comes at the sixth trump.
Eze.37:11] Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
[12] Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
I will open your spiritual eyes and ears and you won’t be spiritually dead when the antichrist comes.
Eze.37:13] And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
[14] And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
When we are in God’s Word, then Jesus and the Father are in us. And wherever the two are, there is the Holy Spirit. Promised here in Ezekiel. What we learned here is that the four winds are the Holy Spirit and it is held back for God’s elect to be sealed in the fifth trump. Back to Rev.7 and verse 2 reads.
Rev.7:2] And 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 given to hurt the earth and the sea,
[3] Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
This is what was meant in Rev.6:6.
Rev.6:6] And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
The oil is symbolic of truth and the wine is symbolic of the blood of the Lamb. Both of which are sealed in God’s elect. The Word of God. Back to Rev.7 and verse 4 reads.
Rev.7:4] And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
These are of the house of Jacob, all twelve tribes.
Rev.7:5] Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
[6] Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
[7] Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
[8] Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
The tribes of Ephriam and Dan were left out, though the tribe of Joseph was brought in their place. Joseph received the double blessing with his sons Ephriam and Manasses taking his place. And the tribe of Levi, being the priest line were spread out to all tribes, was brought in to make the twelve. Dan and Ephriam being left out because of the sin of the two golden calves. They will be included later. The four winds were held back so the 7,000 of God’s elect could be sealed, that was the fifth trump. The 7,000 taught the 144,000 of Israel in the sixth trump when Satan is here claiming to be the Christ. This is why Jesus would shorten the time from 7 yrs. to 5 months, or even the elect would be deceived. It will be that hard in the sixth trump.
Rev.7:9] After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
These are the gentiles brought out of confusion with the 144,000, so many that they cannot be numbered.
Rev.7:10] And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
These are all the gentiles who are Christians today that are not of Israel and who’s eyes and ears have been opened to the Word of God.
Rev.7:11] And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
[12] Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
These being the seven Spirits of God. Let’s read Psalms 96.
Psalms 96
Psa.96:1] O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
[2] Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
[3] Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
[4] For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
[5] For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
[6] Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
[7] Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
[8] Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
[9] O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
[10] Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
[11] Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
[12] Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
[13] Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
And I say Amen. Back to Rev.7 and verse 13 reads.
Rev.7:13] And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
[14] And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Let’s go to 1Thes.4 these are those that the Lord will bring with him at the seventh trump. 1Thes.4 and verse 13 reads.
1Thes.4:13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Giving the subject here about, where are the dead. We will see they are not left in a hole in the ground but are with the Lord.
1Thes.4:14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Translate sleep to those who are dead. They died believing in Jesus and he will bring them with him. This is that army the Lord has when he comes at the seventh trump.
1Thes.4:15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
We which are here until the end, during the sixth trump. We cannot prevent (precede) them because they are already dead and with the Lord.
1Thes.4:16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
They’re already with him and are ready for battle.
1Thes.4:17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Then we which are here until the seventh trump, alive and doing his work during the sixth trump, will be gathered together with them in the spirit and we shall be with him forever because we have overcome. Our jobs are done his good and faithful servants. Back to Rev.7 and verse 15 reads.
Rev.7:15] Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
This is the Shekinah Glory, that rainbow that shines around the LORD. Notice the elect serve him night and day forever. Let’s continue these last two verses and then go to Rev.21.
Rev.7:16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
[17] For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Now, let’s finish this study with Rev.21 and verse 3 reads.
Rev.21:3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
[4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
All this is for a reason, that the LORD’s Word comes to pass exactly as it is written. When Jesus was praying to the Father and asked “Let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will but as thou will.” he was speaking of the cup of wrath that is the seven vials that will be poured out at the coming of the Lord at the seventh trump. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible