Revelation 7

Revelation 7:1

The holding in of the winds for a time denotes the restraint of the Arian, Macedonian, Pelagian, Eutychian, and other errors, which afterwards plagued the church; and the restraint of the fearful judgments that troubled and ruined the Roman empire, which took place under the trumpets; till many souls were gathered to Jesus, and established in the faith by the Holy Ghost, during the last fifteen years of Constantine’s reign, A. D. 323—337.—2, 3. Christ is the sealed Angel, who seals his people. He has divine power and authority from his Father over angels and every other creature. he has all fulness of the spirit dwelling in him: He knows who are his, and can distinguish, preserve, and appropriate, them to himself as his peculiar people, and enable them boldly to profess his truths

Revelation 7:5-8

These sealed ones are represented as Hebrew tribes, because typified by the ancient Israelites, and begotten to God by the doctrine of the twelve apostles

Revelation 7:9-17

These verses represent the joy. purity, safety, and happiness, of the souls of those that had suffered under the Heathen persecutions in the heavenly state, while no more than a short calm, succeeded by fearful storms of trouble, should take place on earth; and the joy, purity, safety, and happiness, of the successors of such as had been persecuted by Heathens and Papists during the thousand years reign of the saints; and, in fine, the complete joy, purity, safety, and happiness, of all the redeemed, after the last judgment, through all eternity.—As ch. xx. xxi. xxii. [See Introduction, chap. v.]

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. VII.—With tender care Jesus grants his people seasonable respite from trouble, lest they should utterly faint. For their sake he often averts his judgments from the nations, in which they are permitted to live in peace and safety. And marvellously, even in the worst of times, he converts and preserves multitudes to own, honour, worship, and obey, him. The expected glories of heaven ought powerfully to animate the saints to faithfulness in his cause. There all their labours and sufferings shall be abundantly compensated; there shall they be perfectly free from sin and from misery; a fulness of happiness and joy, pure and glorious appearances, and immediate fellowship with Christ and his Father, shall cause them to triumph in his praise.—But, not to their care or free will, but to God alone be the glory! Their whole salvation is owing to Jehovah’s grace, and to Jesus’ merits: Even their best works are not acceptable to God, but through the blood of his Son