A Revelation Invitation

(The “Daniel 7” series begins here.)

Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. (Daniel 7:2 ESV)

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. (Revelation 7:1 ESV)

Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards and tropical storms. If you have lived through one, you know the chaos and the helplessness of the moment. The power goes out. No bars on your phone. Tree branches flying, whole trees falling. Damage to one car but not to another. Damage to one house but not to its neighbor. Flooding in one neighborhood, but not in next. If you need emergency services, you may not be able to reach them. If you succeed in reaching them, they may not be available for a long while. All you can do is ride out the storm until you can survey the damage for yourself. You understand the sense of what its like to be in the presence of something much bigger than you, overwhelmed by something you have no control over.

Both Daniel and John employ a couple of metaphors in the verse above—that of the four winds and that of the sea. The four winds are actually a fairly common image in the Bible (e.g. Jeremiah 49:36; Ezekiel 37:9; Matthew 24:31). They portray divine action—possibly constructive, but usually destructive or scattering—over the whole world. The sea is another metaphor in scripture often representing the world of nations and peoples (e.g. Isaiah 17:12-14; Psalm 65:5-8; 144:5-8). When Daniel saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, he realized that God was about to stir things up for the Persian Empire. Likewise, John knew that, though delayed for a short time, God was bringing turmoil upon the world of the Roman Empire. In both dreams/visions, the four winds appear as harbingers of world conflict. But it was not purposeless conflict, but divinely ordained chaos.

Our God is active in the world. We must never doubt that. He is not a detached God who sits back and watches as the world unravels. Whenever his people are oppressed he addresses it forcefully albeit in his own way and time. As God’s people, we should be comforted knowing that we are not his targets. It’s our enemies who will be judged. Winds of change become winds of conflict which become the winds of destruction, judgment upon those who oppose God and his people.

You may find it hard to related to geopolitical strife. The challenges of your own life are much more immediate. So, these big political confrontations between world empires and the kingdom of God may not seem that relevant until we realize we are not invulnerable to the affects of that turmoil. Those winds ripple through our lives and toss us around as well. God doesn’t save us from the storms of life; he saves us through those storms. Does the world seem chaotic? Do you feel helpless in the middle life’s storms? The world may seem out of control. Your own circumstances may seem out of control. But God is sovereign over these foreboding winds that stir up nations and the people who live in them. Be assured that God protects his people through the storms.

Sovereign Lord, protect me through the storms. Help me trust you when the world seems to be spinning out of control. You have promised peace. You have promised to redeem this evil world. Help me trust your guiding hand no matter the tribulations that come because you rule heaven and earth. Amen.

(Part 3 of “Daniel 7” is here.)