It is not an infrequent occurrence in the Word of God, especially in its historical and prophetic portions, to find a continuous line carried through in a general way from beginning to the end, and immediately following find some of the later portions retraversed, disclosing new views, new fields, or revealing some additional feature in detail which could not well be considered in the great general view. It is as tho a traveler should take a swift journey from Chicago to New York with a friend, catching occasional glimpses of the cities and general scenery along his route, and then after reaching his destination that friend should return with him to Albany in the night and take a day ride down the wonderful Hudson, giving him entirely new views of that portion of territory covered from Albany to Yonkers.
In fact, the Bible begins that way. In Gen. 1:1 to 2:3 we have a general account of creation and of the first week in connection with this earth's journey in time. Immediately following (Gen. 2:7-25) we have a more detailed account of the work on the sixth day so far as related to the father and mother of the race. We have several instances of such supplementary prophecies in the Revelation,—in chapter 7 in the prophecy of the seven seals, in chapters 10 and 11 in the prophecy of the seven trumpets, in chapters 15 and 16 in the prophecies of the beasts.
In this number we will study the first eight verses of Revelation 7, a vitally important prophecy to the people of God. The very terms "seal of the living God," "servants of our God," the staying of the four winds, the fixing of the seal upon a certain class, should arrest the attention of every thoughtful reader. What does this vision mean which falls under the opening of the sixth seal, between the events of verses 13 and 14 of Revelation 6? Let us first question the source.
The Answer of the Text
1. In what words does John's next vision open?
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow on the earth, or on the sea, or upon any tree.
2. Who next appeared?
And I saw another angel ascend from the sunrising.