Wind — & Seal in Revelation
REVELATION 7:1-3 contains one of the biblical prophecies attesting to the commissioning of Brother Felix Y. Manalo as the messenger of God in these last days. Two expressions in this prophecy are commonly misunderstood by some of our critics and detractors, namely, the terms “wind” and “seal.” We, therefore, shall concentrate on these two expressions. Revelation 7:1-3 says:
“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. Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, Saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’.”
(Reference: Revelation 7:1 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
And after these things I saw four messengers, standing on the four corners of the earth…
“and I saw another messenger going up from the rising of the sun, having a seal of the living God, …”
(Reference: Literal Standard Version, Emphasis Mine)
Before we proceed, let us clarify that the word “angel” does not only refer to spiritual beings but also to human beings sent by God. The word “angel” itself comes from the Greek word “aggelos.” Many English versions of the Bible translate this Greek word as “angel.” This Greek word does not mean “a heavenly being” or “a spiritual being” but literally means “a messenger,” and messenger means “sent.”
There are others who do not accept that a human can be called an “angel.” They insist that when referring to the Book of Revelation, when the word “angel” is employed, it only refers to “heavenly beings.” However, this belief is based only on their false understanding rather than on biblical facts. The Book of Revelation used the word “angel” approximately 83 times to refer to both celestial and human entities and spiritual leaders:
“Agg’-el-os: …a messenger; … by implication, a pastor: – angel, messenger.”
(Reference: King James Bible Strong’s Greek Dictionary by James Strong, p. 114, Emphasis Mine)
Apostle Peter expounds that even kings, governors, or leaders of nations are also messengers “sent by Him”:
“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.”
(Reference: I Peter 2:13-14 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
Governments, leaders, or rulers of nations are also called by the Bible as “ministers of God.” They are sent neither to preach the gospel nor to establish a nation of God, but to serve God’s purpose similar to that which was fulfilled by leaders of ancient nations who, whether they acknowledged Him or not, were sent by God and called by Him as His servants:
“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”
(Reference: Rom. 13:3-4, NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
“The government is God’s servant working for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid. The government has the right to carry out the death sentence. It is God’s servant, an avenger to execute God’s anger on anyone who does what is wrong.”
(Reference: Rom. 13:4 GOD’S WORD® Translation, Emphasis Mine)
With the clarification of the word “angel,” let us now proceed with our study of “winds” and “Seal.”
As Revelation is a book of prophecies, many things therein should not be understood literally. Let us find out the meaning of the terms “wind” and “seal” as used in this prophecy.
THE WIND
“Wind” as mentioned here is not to be taken literally. In this prophecy, “wind” refers to war:
“At that time it will be said To this people and to Jerusalem, ‘A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness Toward the daughter of My people — Not to fan or to cleanse — A wind too strong for these will come for Me; Now I will also speak judgment against them.’ ‘Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his chariots like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are plundered!’
“O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace,Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.” (Jeremiah 4:11-13, 19 NJKV, Emphasis Mine)
“O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace,Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war.” (Jeremiah 4:11-13, 19 NJKV, Emphasis Mine)
“Wind” as mentioned in the preceding verses came “not to fan or to cleanse” as the literal wind does, but it came up with “chariots like a whirlwind” and “horses [that] are swifter than eagles.” The use of these instruments or weapons of war, as described, is heralded by the sound of a trumpet that was prophesied to cause pain in people’s hearts. “Wind” refers to war.
So, the wind mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3 refers to war. This wind or war is what the four angels or messengers, as mentioned in the prophecy, must stop or hold back. No man can stop the blowing of the natural wind. However, the war referred to by “wind” can be stopped and such is the work of the prophesied four angels.
Critics of the Church of Christ argue that, “If the wind signifies war, then the four winds mentioned in Revelation 7:1-3 should refer to four wars.” The expression “four winds” does not refer to the number of wars but to the magnitude of the war which, as prophesied, would involve all the directions — the four corners of the earth; the war, as fulfilled, involved the whole world. That war is a world war. The textual proof that the expression “four winds” does not refer to four wars is in the contents of the same verse — “… that the wind [not “wind(s)”] should not blow….”
The war of 1914 involved the whole world. Hence, it was called “the First World War.” This was the first war wherein war tanks (chariots like whirlwind) and airplanes (horses swifter than eagles) were utilized. This was also the first war where air raid sirens (The sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war) were used causing pains in the hearts of people who would hear them or, in other words, overwhelming the people with fear. The World War of 1914 was stopped through the efforts of the “Big Four” (four angels or heads of state) when they met in Paris to confer concerning the Treaty of Versailles (World History, pp. 478-479, 494). This was:
David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Great Britain; Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, Prime Minister of Italy; Georges Clemenceau, Prime Minister of France; and President Woodrow Wilson of the United States.
The four greatest political leaders in the world at the time met in Paris in 1919 to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the Global War and fulfilled the biblical prophecy.
Our detractors, further argue that, “If Revelation 7:2-3 concerning the ‘other angel’ was indeed fulfilled in Brother Felix Y. Manalo, the war should not have continued until the sealing was done. Why then was the First World War in 1914 followed by the Second World War in 1939 when the First World War was already held back?”
It is a historical fact that the Big Four held back the war; hence, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour as prophesied (Rev. 8:1) with the opening of the seventh seal. To make certain the equivalent of “this silence in heaven for about half an hour” in number of years, months, and days, we must remember that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years” (II Pt. 3:8, NKJV). With man, a day is 24 hours. Thus, one hour with the Lord is the equivalent of 41 years and 8 months with man (the quotient of 1,000 years divided by 24), half hour with the Lord, therefore, is exactly 20 years and ten months with man. But the prophecy says the silence in heaven is about half an hour. The Second World War started on September 1, 1939 while the First World War ended on November 11, 1918. Let us compute the number of years, months, and days between the two world wars:
“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
(Reference: Eph. 4:6 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
Likewise, the Catholic doctrine that Mary is allegedly the mother of God (whom Catholics believe to be Christ Himself) contradicts the truth written in Psalms 90:2 that God has no beginning, that He is neither man nor the son of man (Num. 23:19). The Bible does not call Mary as the mother of God but was introduced as the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14), the two (God and Christ) being different and distinct from each other.
Even the teaching that Mary is allegedly the daughter, mother, and spouse of the three persons in the Trinity is unfounded and likewise a blasphemy against God. The true God does not consist of three persons. He is absolute in oneness and is spirit in nature (Isa. 45:21; Jn. 4:24). He doesn’t recognize any other god besides Himself (Isa. 44:8;45:21).
On the other hand, Mary praised the Lord. She also recognized that God is her Savior. She herself said that she is a servant of the Lord (Lk. 1:38). She likewise declared:
1000yrs ÷ 24Hrs = 41.66
(One Year is 365 Days)
365 X .66 = 240.9
Day 240 or 241 = August the 8th Month
Thus = 41 Years and 8 Months
Half of 40 Years = 20 Years
Half of 1 Year = 6 Months
Half of 8 Months = 4 Months
Total: 20 Years and 10 Months
1000 ÷ 24 =
41 Years 8 Months
Half Hour =
20 years 10 months
The First World War ended on November 11, 1918 .The Second World War commenced on September 1, 1939, that would mean the outbreak of WWII commenced after:
20 Years
9 Months
20 Days
By computing the above with God’s time and man’s time, it falls 10 Days short of a “HALF AN HOUR.” Hence, “there was silence in heaven for about HALF AN HOUR.” This is precisely the fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the “silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
The prophecy says: “… he cried with a loud voice to the four angels… Do not harm the earth… until we have sealed the servants of our God.” The “cry” with a loud voice to the “four angels” is not to be taken literally. It simply means that the work of the “four angels” (messengers) which is related to destruction — war — is contrary to the work of the “other angel” (messenger) which is related to salvation — the sealing of God’s servants. It simply shows the contrasting characteristics of their work. Whether or not the war continued, the work of the other angel in sealing God’s servants would still be carried out.
THE SEAL AND THE PROCESS OF SEALING
“In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14, Revised Standard Version, Emphasis Mine)
The seal is the promised Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our inheritance. The sealing of the Holy Spirit is done through the preaching of the gospel. Those who are sealed become God’s chosen people. Hence, the sealing of God’s servants in Revelation 7:1-3 is the same process of “sealing” mentioned in Ephesians 1:13-14.
The prophecy says “… until we have sealed.” The pronoun “we,” according to our critics, refers to the “other angel” and to the “four angels.” They further argue that, “If sealing is done by preaching the gospel, it would follow then that the Big Four or the four angels should also be preachers of the gospel.”
This is another incorrect understanding of this prophecy. The function of the “other angel” or messenger is quite different from that of the “four angels.” The work of the “other angel having the seal of the living God” is to seal the servants of God. It concerns salvation. On the other hand, the function of the “four angels” is directly related to the world war of 1914 — to hold back the “wind” or to stop the world war.
Therefore, the pronoun “we” refers to the angel and to his companions (the ministers of the Iglesia Ni Cristo) who will be sealing the servants of God.
THE MEANING OF THE PHRASE 'HAVING THE SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD'
Revelation 7:2 says that the “other angel” has the seal of the living God or, in other words, he was entrusted or given the right to know, to understand the gospel (Mk. 4:11-12) which is a mystery kept in secret (Rom. 16:25). Our critics argue that the “other angel” does his sealing in the forehead, whereas the Holy Spirit is sealed in the hearts as mentioned in Ephesians 1:13 and II Corinthians 1:21-22.
We don’t deny that the Holy Spirit is sealed in man’s heart and it is really God who does the sealing. But the gospel must first be preached to man and, upon believing, he receives the seal of the Holy Spirit.
How is the gospel sealed or impressed before God seals the believer with the Holy Spirit in his heart?:
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts…”
(Reference: Heb. 8:10 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
God will put or seal His law, the gospel, in the minds (forehead) of His people through the preaching function of His messenger, and consequently, they will receive the seal, which is the Holy Spirit, in their hearts. This is further supported by Acts 10:44 which says that while Peter was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on those who heard the words of God.
To sum it up, the criticisms on the beliefs upheld by the Iglesia Ni Cristo concerning the biblical prophecy contained in Revelation 7:1-3 are founded on plain misunderstanding. Amid the false accusations, the truth upheld by the Church continues to shine.
IN CONCLUSION
1
It is biblically conclusive that the “wind” in Revelation 7:2-3 refers to war and the “four winds” point to the four corners or points of the earth referring to a global war. To further validate this position, from the Bible Basic English it renders Revelation 7:1 as such:
After this I saw four angels in their places at the FOUR POINTS of the earth, KEEPING BACK THE FOUR WINDS IN THEIR HANDS, so that there might be no moving of the wind on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.” (Emphasis Mine)
Four angels or messengers standing at the four corners of the earth “holding back the four winds in their hands.” Truly, the Bible is referring to the “wind at four corners of the earth.” The “four corners of the earth” refers to the “four directions of the earth”:
“To the four winds they were opening these gates, to the East and to the West and to the North and the South.” (Chronicles 9:24 Peshitta Holy Bible Translated, Emphasis Mine)
2
The sealing function is none other than the preaching of the gospel which seals God’s law, the gospel, in the minds (forehead) of His people through the preaching function of His messenger, and consequently, they will receive the seal, which is the Holy Spirit, in their hearts.
3
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