Revelation 7; Worldwide Evangelism After the Rapture
In Rev. 7, there seemed to occur an interlude, between the Seal judgments and the Trumpet judgments, in particular between the 6thand 7thseal judgment during the first half of the 3½ years of the Great Tribulation. Here, we observe God’s plan to send out 144,000 Jewish evangelists to preach the gospel. We notice that the 12 tribes listed included Joseph and Manasseh but excluding Ephraim and Dan. Before they were sent out, God sent an angel to put His seal of protection and anointing upon them.
Notice that the 4 angels of judgment were restrained by an angel sent by God – John said, “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. 2And 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, 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
The angels holding the four winds were told to harm the earth until the seal of the living God is dispensed.
In the book of Zechariah, this is how these four winds were personified as chariots pulled by different coloured teams of horses, which go out from the presence of the Lord throughout the earth.
Zechariah 6:5-7 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. 6The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. 7 And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.