God’s Word Translation
Revelation 7:1
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth to keep them from blowing on the land, the sea, or any tree.
Revelation 7:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
- English Standard Version (ESV)After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
- New King James Version (NKJV)After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
Context of Revelation 7:1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth to keep them from blowing on the land, the sea, or any tree. 2I saw another angel coming from the east with the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been allowed to harm the land and sea, 3“Don’t harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
Read all of Revelation 7Revelation 7:1 word by word
μετὰ τοῦτο εἶδον τέσσαρας ἀγγέλους ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τὰς τέσσαρας γωνίας τῆς γῆς κρατοῦντας τοὺς τέσσαρας ἀνέμους τῆς γῆς ἵνα μὴ πνέῃ ἄνεμος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς μήτε ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης μήτε ἐπὶ πᾶν δένδρον.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- afterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
- these thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
- angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
- onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- cornersγωνίαgōnia · cornerG1137
- of the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- holdingκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- windsἄνεμοςanemos · windG417
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- notμήmē · notG3361
- blowπνέωpneō · to blowG4154
- norμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
- anyπᾶςpas · allG3956
- treeδένδρονdendron · treeG1186
Cross-references for Revelation 7:1
- Revelation 4:1After these things I saw a door standing open in heaven. I heard the first voice like a trumpet speaking to me. It said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”
- Revelation 4:6In front of the throne, there was something like a sea of glass as clear as crystal. In the center near the throne and around the throne were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back.
- Revelation 9:14The voice said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are held at the great Euphrates River.”
- Ezekiel 7:2“Son of man, this is what the Almighty Lord says to ⌞the people in⌟ the land of Israel: The end is coming! The end is coming to the four corners of the earth.
- Ezekiel 37:9Then the Lord said to me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: Come from the four winds, Breath, and breathe on these people who were killed so that they will live.’ ”
- Zechariah 1:18I looked up and saw four animal horns.
- Zechariah 6:1I looked up again and saw four chariots going out from between the two mountains. They were mountains of bronze.
- Matthew 24:31He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.
- Mark 13:27He will send out his angels, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.
- Isaiah 27:8He punished Israel by sending it away. He removed it with a fierce blast from the east winds.
- Jeremiah 49:36I’ll bring the four winds from the four corners of heaven against Elam and scatter its people in every direction. There won’t be a nation where Elam’s refugees won’t go.
- Daniel 7:2In my visions at night I, Daniel, saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the Mediterranean Sea.
- Daniel 8:8The male goat became very important. But when the goat became powerful, his large horn broke off. In its place grew four horns. They corresponded to the four winds of heaven.
- Jonah 1:4The Lord sent a violent wind over the sea. The storm was so powerful that the ship was in danger of breaking up.
- Matthew 8:26Jesus said to them, “Why do you cowards have so little faith?” Then he got up, gave an order to the wind and the sea, and the sea became very calm.
- Revelation 6:6I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s pay or three quarts of barley for a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine.”
Commentaries on Revelation 7:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1And after these things - Immediately after the preceding vision. I saw four angels - Instruments which God employs in the dispensation of his providence; we know not what. On the four corners of the earth - On the extreme parts of the land of Judea, called ̔ , the land, or earth, by way of eminence. Holding the four winds - Preventing evil from every quarter. Earth - sea, nor on any tree; keeping the whole of the land free from evil, till the Church of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And after these things - After the vision of the things referred to in the opening of the sixth seal. The natural interpretation would be, that what is here said of the angels and the winds occurred after those things which are described in the previous chapter. The exact chronology may not be always observed in these symbolical representations, but doubtless there is a general order which is observed. I saw four angels - He does not describe their forms…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1A pause between two great periods. (1-3) The peace, happiness, and safety of the saints, as signified by an angel's sealing 144,000. (4-8) A song of praise. (9-12) The blessedness and glory of those that suffered martyrdom for Christ. (13-17) Verses 1-8 In the figurative language of Scripture, the blowing of the four winds together, means a dreadful and general destruction. But the destruction is delayed. Seals were used to mark for each person his own…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Do not … until: God commands the four angels to hold back the winds for a short time. They must not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until the servants of God receive his seal on their foreheads. The seal of the living God signifies belonging to God's family; God owns and protects his people (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13–14). In ancient times, sealing or tattooing showed ownership. The angel carrying the seal identified God's people, answering…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-171. And--so B and Syriac. But A, C, Vulgate, and Coptic omit "and." after these things--A, B, C, and Coptic read, "after this." The two visions in this chapter come in as an episode after the sixth seal, and before the seventh seal. It is clear that, though "Israel" may elsewhere designate the spiritual Israel, "the elect (Church) on earth" [Alford], here, where the names of the tribes one by one are specified, these names cannot have any but the literal…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 7:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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