1 - After these things I saw four angels standing upon the four corners (north, south, east, west) of earth, holding the four winds, that no wind would blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (Imo, this is the winds of “Seal 6” - thermonuclear in 1945. But the seal is described as its total effects, first to very last, 6:12-17 ..when “the earth shakes to and fro” — If you haven’t guessed, I’m very much a literalist. BUT! Every literal has its metaphor, and.. every metaphor has its literal. This whole process from Adam to the (fiery) ReGenesis, logically - root word logos - is both individual and collective. Surely?
You might want to say the four winds, are winds of destruction. Surely not thermonuclear! Of course not. Man is very rational, and content with little and with the status quo. Surely they would never release such destructive winds.. I think the four is merely four because, well, where else are you going to station angels to hold winds back? If not at the four ‘corners’ of Earth?
2 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, 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!” (From the east.. like when Jesus returns/comes the second time.. This is obviously before then.) 4 And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God (a seal protects, seals) —144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
Verses 5 through 8, lists the 12 tribes, 12,000 from each. 9 After this, I looked and I saw a great crowd - too many to count - from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. (I believe - this - is metaphor. Yet also a preview of the future when ALL is said and done. The standing at the throne. Representing a step forward, a step up! The call to be closer to God.. Full of his praise! Knowing who he is. And how he is. A seal of clarity?
These verses are where we are now - the winds are still being held back, after the first release in 1945 - Rev.13:13. The verse pinpoints an office, not yet(?) an individual. And yes notice those numbers, 13:13. But take heart! We haven’t gotten to the last verses of the chapter. We’re in “his rest” remember? Paradise is coming. Perfection. It’s worth everything. And don’t forget this, God iS life. He lives through, suffers and experiences all things that ever occur. Yet he created thinking, reasoning beings, able to make choices, anyway! ..So in that crowd, also, is the 144,000 counted of earthly nation, Israel. (See Mt.23:39.)
10 And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living celestial creatures, and they fell upon their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (We ALL in heaven and Earth owe God everything!)
13 One of the elders asked me, "Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?" 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who come out of great tribulation having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple, and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 No more shall they hunger or thirst. The heat of the sun will not harm them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living (and fresh) waters. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
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🌽💫𝒲𝒽𝑜𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈.. 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓅𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓉/𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒢𝑜𝒹 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒶𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔..
