Revelation 7:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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,

NIV: Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:

NASB: And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,

CSB: Then I saw another angel rising up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea:

NLT: And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea,

KJV: 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,

NKJV: 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,

John testifies in this verse that he saw another angel ascend from the sunrise. He was holding the seal of the living God. He shouted loudly to the four angels positioned at the four points of the compass. The word translated "angel" may also be translated "messenger." Both in Hebrew and in Greek, the original term literally means "a messenger."

Ephesians 1:13–14 declares that the Holy Spirit seals believers until the day of redemption. Based on this, the Holy Spirit might be the messenger who holds the seal of the living God. John notes that the four angels had received power to inflict damage on the earth and the sea.

A "seal" signifies security, ownership, and authority. When Daniel was thrown into a den of lions, the king's seal was placed on the stone at the entrance to the den to secure Daniel's prison (Daniel 6:17). First Kings 21:8 informs us that Jezebel wrote letters in her husband Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, thereby giving them royal authority. Queen Esther used the king's seal in her correspondence to the Jews to protect them from Haman (Esther 8:8). The stone that was supposed to secure Jesus' tomb was sealed (Matthew 27:66).

Revelation 7:1–4 contains another highly symbolic vision from John's vision. Four angels stand at the extreme points of the earth. He sees another angel ascend from the rising sun and hears him command the four angels to withhold further judgments until he has sealed God's servants on their foreheads. The number of those sealed by this angel is 144,000. This event comes as an interlude between the opening of the sixth and seventh seal judgments. God is preparing to send His servants into the known world to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom.

Revelation 7 occurs after the opening of the sixth seal, and before the seventh. John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth and another angel ascending from the rising sun with the seal of God. He seals 144,000 saved Jews on their foreheads. These 144,000 sealed servants of God are instrumental in leading a great number of people from all parts of the world to faith in Jesus Christ. This multitude of believers have passed through the tribulation and will serve God perpetually in the millennial temple. Their troubles and tears will be behind them.

The last and largest section of Revelation began in chapter 4, where John is shown events yet to come (Revelation 1:19). Chapters 4 and 5 describe what John saw in heaven, including a scroll of God's judgments. Chapter 6 focused on the events that transpire when Jesus opens six of the seven seals on that scroll, one at a time. Now, in chapter 7, an interlude occurs between the opening of the sixth seal and the seventh seal. In the interlude an angel seals 144,000 saved Jews as God's servants. Chapter 8 will describe the seventh seal, and the beginning of the ''trumpet'' judgments.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''