And I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
Another angel rises with the seal of the living God and calls out to the angels permitted to harm the earth.
This verse introduces the divine act of sealing before judgment proceeds.
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back its four winds so that no wind would blow on land or sea or on any tree. 2And I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3“Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel: 5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, 6from the tribe of Asher 12,000, 7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, 8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,