Revelation 7:1

After this (meta touto). Instead of the seventh seal ( Luke 8:1 ) being opened, two other episodes or preliminary visions occupy chapter 7 (the sealing of the servants of God Luke 7:1-8 and the vision of the redeemed before the throne Luke 7:9-17 ). Standing (estwta). Second perfect predicate participle of isthmi, intransitive and followed by epi and the accusative case gwnia as already in Luke 3:20 (epi qurian) and often again ( Luke 8:3 some MSS., others genitive; Luke 11:11 ; Luke 14:1 ; Luke 15:2 ), but note epi with genitive qalassh in the next clause, like epi kepalh in Luke 12:1 ; Luke 7:3 . Corners (gwnia). Old word for angle ( Matthew 6:5 ), also in Revelation 20:8 . Holding (kratounta). Present active participle of kratew, to hold fast ( Mark 7:3 ; John 20:23 ). The four winds (cf. Matthew 24:31 ) are held prisoner by angels at each of the four corners. Some Jews held the winds from due north, south, east, west to be favourable, while those from the angles (see Acts 27:14 ) were unfavourable (Charles). There is an angel of the fire ( Acts 14:18 ) and an angel of the waters ( Acts 16:5 ). That no wind should blow (ina mh pneh anemo). Negative purpose clause with ina mh and the present active subjunctive, "lest a wind keep on blowing." Upon any tree (epi pan dendron). Accusative case here with epi rather than the preceding genitives (gh, qalassh), "upon the land or upon the sea," but "against any tree" (picture of attack on the tree like a tornado's path).