ing a seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud
voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to injure the earth
and the sea, saying, Injure not the earth, nor the sea, nor the
trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their
foreheads! And I heard the number of those sealed: a hundred and
forty-four thousand were sealed out of all the tribes of the
children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were
sealed. Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed. Of the
tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Asher
twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve
thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand
were sealed. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed.
Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of
Issachar twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Zebulon
twelve thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Joseph twelve
thousand were sealed. Of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand
were sealed."--Rev. 7:1-8.

The symbols here presented, were seen immediately subsequent to the
exhibition of the preceding ones. This alone would not prove that the
events symbolized follow in order, but it is indicated by their being a
continuation of the symbolization under the sixth seal, and before the
opening of the seventh.

In the sixth chapter, the great men and rich men, as well as bond-men, are
aware of the proximity of the day of the Lord, and seek for a refuge from
the face of the Lamb. The next events in consecutive order, would be the
resurrection of the righteous dead, the change of the living, their
ascension to meet the Lord in the air, and the infliction of the wrath of
God on the wicked.

After the wicked seek to escape from God's presence, the righteous are
still unchanged upon the earth. But before the wrath of God is poured upon
his enemies, the winds of heaven are to be holden while the angel of the
living God seals his servants in their foreheads. The holding of the winds
and the sealing are, consequently, subsequent to the terror of the wicked,
at the appearance of the Saviour.

The four winds are the winds coming from all directions; and symbolize
strife, war, and commotion among men, analogous to the violent action of
the winds of heaven.

In Dan. 7:2, the striving of the four winds upon the great sea preceded
the rising of the four b