New Living Translation
Revelation 7:1
1Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on 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
Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. 2And 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, 3“Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”
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 4:1Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”
- Revelation 4:6In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.
- Revelation 9:14And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.”
- Ezekiel 7:2“Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel: “The end is here! Wherever you look— east, west, north, or south— your land is finished.
- Ezekiel 37:9Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
- Zechariah 1:18Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.
- Zechariah 6:1Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains.
- Matthew 24:31And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
- Mark 13:27And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
- Isaiah 27:8No, but he exiled Israel to call her to account. She was exiled from her land as though blown away in a storm from the east.
- Jeremiah 49:36I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world.
- Daniel 7:2In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction.
- Daniel 8:8The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn’s place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth.
- Jonah 1:4But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.
- Matthew 8:26Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
- Revelation 6:6And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries