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TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Part
I
Why Is Our Text
Mentioned
Under the Sixth Seal?
What Do We Know
about the
"Four Winds"?
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Part
II
"I Have Spread You Abroad"
"Four Winds of Heaven"
Zechariah 6—
Spirit World's
Influence in Religion
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Part
III
Daniel's "Four Winds" Abated
The Rulers of Darkness
"Four Corners of the Earth"
Great World Religions
Why "Winds of Earth"
Instead of "Heaven"?
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Part
IV
THE KEYS OF THIS BLOOD
A Church Pulled in All Directions
Identifying the
"Four Winds
of Earth"
The Piggyback Globalists
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Part
V
What or Who are the "Four
Angels"
Holding the "Winds"?
"Till We Have Sealed the
Servants of Our God"
"Sealing" the Saints
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Part
VI
"Dragon, Beast and False
Prophet"
—Revelation 16
Last Plague Poured Out
on the "Air" |
Part V
What or Who are the "Four
Angels"
Holding the "Winds"?
Bro. Russell said the four angels were "agents." We need
not think literal angels or powerful spiritual hosts are sent from heaven to hold the
"four winds of earth." Rather, any messenger or message serving to restrain
these spiritual powers would suffice to fulfill this prophecy.
We believe the overpowering reason these "four winds" are
being held from blowing up a whirlwind of anarchy is the fact that each of them sees they
are having a field day in reaching some of their global quests. We believe it is something
like this.
The present Lord has given each of these competing religious segments a
long leash. As long as they are running along toward their goals there is no reason to
kick up a storm. Their very freedom and success keeps them from turning toward world
destruction. They read the message of their success and freedom as being a good reason to
show restraint. Why make trouble when you are having success?
It is when they each come to the end of their leash, and they feel the
choking, constraint and failure, they will vent their fury upon the earth like cornered
animals.
Pharoah |
Remember Pharaoh. It was his very success in resisting God’s will through nine
plagues that made him more determined and strong-willed.
It is the very temporary success of these "four winds" that
constrains them from turning violent.
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Each "wind" hears his own angel
"message" saying that this is no time for the ultimate confrontation because,
after all, you are having some success. When the reality of failure abruptly
registers, then the "four angels" will no longer restrain them.
"Till We Have Sealed the
Servants of Our God"
Revelation 7:3
"Sealing" is the critical part of our study. That is what
this whole lesson centers on. Once the "sealing of the saints" is complete, the
"four winds of earth" will be permitted to wreak violence and destruction. That
will begin the Armageddon crash, when universal anarchy will reign.
"Sealing" the Saints
What is meant by "till we have sealed the servants of
our
God"? Bro. Russell often spoke of "sealing" as an intellectual sealing with the knowledge of present truth. This was
the purpose of the harvest work.
If this definition is viewed too generally, it leaves the impression
that many more than 144,000 are "sealed." Many in this harvest time either knew
or know the truth, but not all those were faithful to the knowledge they possessed.
Bro. Russell used this same expression to indicate the full number
"sealed" when the "door is shut." In
THY KINGDOM COME,
p. 225, he says: "You may know that 'the door is shut,' that all the wise
virgins have entered in, that all have been proved, and that all vacancies have been
acceptably filled. All the special 'servants of God' having by that time been
'sealed in their foreheads' (given an intellectual appreciation of God's
plan), the four winds will be loosed (Revelation 7:3), and will produce the great
'whirlwind.'"
Here, Bro. Russell ties the "shutting" of the door to the
high calling with the sealing work being complete and when the winds will be no longer
restrained.
On p. 212 he says, "God will not permit anything to put an end
to his work until it is finished. Then, all the true and faithful servants of God will
have been sealed in their foreheads; and, the work of the Gospel age being finished, no
more can enter into that work."
The Revelator confirms this same lesson, telling us, "I heard
the number of the sealed, 144,000." (Revelation 7:4,
ESV) No
less and no more will be "sealed."
This is talking about the ultimate
seal, marking them forever as the overcomers of the Gospel age.
