There seems to be a natural association between the place from which light comes—that is, from the east—and the blessing of God. What the writer John wants to reveal, as he is guided by the Holy Spirit, what he wants to hold before the weary, tear-stained eyes of his readers there in the 1^st Century is, “Do not be dismayed by the persecution which has come upon you. Do not be overwhelmed by the simple-ness of an exceedingly wicked world. God’s people are cared for; God’s people are loved.”

We notice, too, that this fifth angel, who has ascended from the east—from the direction of God’s light, God’s blessing, cries out with a loud voice [“…And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels…,” Revelation 7:2]. Does he cry out with a loud voice to be heard? Well, probably. But, also, perhaps, he cries out with a loud voice because there is a sense of urgency associated with what he has to say. What he has to say is very important, and that is, “Don’t hurt, don’t harm the earth, or the trees, or the sea, or any of those things” [“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees…,” Revelation 7:3]. Why? Well, there is to be restraint exercised. He’s giving this divine Message to these four other angels who stand at the four corners—the four directions—and who hold back the winds of God’s judgment upon the earth and all that’s in it. And the fifth angel says, “Restrain yourselves.” Why? There’s something that is yet to be done. There’s something that has to be accomplished, and that is, “till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” Restraint was to be exercised. Devastation and destruction and judgment are to be withheld until the servants of God are sealed.

We notice that THIS angel, this fifth angel ascending from the east, HAS the seal of God. We’ve talked before about the meaning of a seal—its implication. But it’s important here, important for us to be conscience of, to be aware of, the implication. We know that a seal or a signet ring that was used by a king, by a ruler, conveyed his dominion, his authority, his power; and the one who had that seal, or that signet ring, was a representative of that ruler. This angel is clearly a representative. He has, if you will, “the King’s signet ring” in his possession.

We read that this seal is “the seal of the living God,” verse 2. That is a frequent term that we see used in the New Testament—“the living God.” We understand that our God is alive, that He’s NOT dead, that He is active, that He is sustaining everything around us, that He is blessing us, and so on. But for these people who would have heard these Words—these people who were living there in the latter part of the 1^st Century, these people who were oppressed, these people who were persecuted, these people who, perhaps, themselves, had come out of some form of idolatry and they were still living in circumstances where idolatry was practiced all around them in places like one of the seven church of Asia that we studied some weeks ago, like Ephesus and others—there is a stark contrast. They would be thinking about the LIVING God as contrasted to idols, or as contrasted to Rome and to emperor worship. The God that is being served, the God that is being worshiped by these faithful ones is the ONE, the TRUE, the LIVING GOD.

The use of a seal, or a signet ring, is something that we saw and are familiar with from the Old Testament:

Genesis 41:42—that had to do with the signet ring of the Pharaoh of Egypt, as he was giving that to Joseph[“Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.”].

Esther 3:10-12 [“So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, ‘The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.’ 12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded — to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring.”].

Esther 8:2-8[“So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. 3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 5 and said, ‘If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?’ 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, ‘Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke.’”].

Daniel 6:17 [“Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.”].