Revelation 7:1: And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

John saw significant physical calamities at the end of the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-14,¹ and a voice asked, who shall be able to stand?² This question is answered in Revelation chapter 7.³ Some scholars interpret the content of chapter 7 as an interlude, which is a break or pause in the natural flow of the narrative.⁴ However, Revelation chapter 7 actually describes events of the sixth seal that prepare people to stand in the face of final judgments that will come at the end of the sixth seal, but more importantly during the seventh seal and at the Second Coming.⁵ Thus, chapter 7 is not an interlude at all, but is a description of what people must do in this day of the sixth seal to prepare for the future judgments of the seventh seal.

As chapter 7 opens, John saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth.⁶ They represent the four restoration angels of the gospel of Jesus Christ,⁷ and they have power to delay the four winds of destruction that will blow on earth during the seventh seal.⁸ The four angels have already restored the kingdom of God to the earth during the sixth seal commencing in the 1820's.⁹ The gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith to prepare nations, kindreds, tongues and people to stand in the day of judgment that will inevitably come during the seventh seal.¹⁰

Doctrine and Covenants Section 77:8 confirms that the four angels in Revelation 7:1 are "sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth ... who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people."¹¹ Those that accept the gospel and worthily receive the seal of God¹² will then be able to stand at the Second Coming.¹³ They will not be metaphorically blown away by the destructive winds¹⁴ in the day of wrath at the end of the sixth seal¹⁵ or by the destructive winds of judgment that will blow during the seventh seal.¹⁶

The restoration angels in Revelation 7:1 are four in number to symbolize the worldwide scope of their mission¹⁷ in the four parts of the earth.¹⁸ Hence, they stand with authority on the four corners of the earth¹⁹ to gather Israel from all the world,²⁰ and from every (1) nation, (2) kindred, (3) tongue, and (4) people.²¹ The number of restorative angels in John's vision must be symbolic because more than four angels have had a role in the restoration of the gospel²² from the time the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith on September 21, 1823²³ until Elijah was the last angel to restore the sealing power on April 3, 1836.²⁴

On the other hand, if the four angels in Doctrine and Covenants Section 77:8 are those that were involved in the restoration of priesthood authority,²⁵ then the four angels in Revelation 7:1²⁶ would be John the Baptist²⁷ and the ancient apostles Peter, James, and John.²⁸ These four angels restored the priesthood authority to preach the gospel²⁹ and to administer the first four principles and ordinances of the gospel.³⁰ The angel Moroni appeared to Joseph six years before the 1829 visits of John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John,³¹ but Moroni did not restore any priesthood authority.³² Only these four angels in 1829 restored priesthood authority before The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized on April 6, 1830.³³ Thereafter, the preaching of the gospel began with Samuel Smith in June 1830.³⁴

The sixth seal technically began in 1000 AD in the midst of the Great Apostasy as the world approached a spiritual low point during the Dark Ages.³⁵ Early in the fourteenth century, a spiritual revival began to dawn³⁶ which grew brighter and brighter until the full restoration of the gospel in the early 1800's.³⁷ The spiritual awakening from the long night of apostasy began with the Renaissance,³⁸ followed by the Reformation,³⁹ and then the Enlightenment.⁴⁰ The restoration of the gospel in the last 200 years of the sixth seal⁴¹ was the final step of spiritual enlightenment before the day of refreshing⁴² and restitution of all things that will accompany the Second Coming.⁴³

The voice of warning⁴⁴ has been raised by God's servants⁴⁵ among all people⁴⁶ in these last days.⁴⁷ However, relatively few people in the world will repent and turn to God.⁴⁸ Those that receive the gospel and the seal of God will be protected temporally and/or spiritually against the wrath of God⁴⁹ that will be poured out upon the wicked in the form of worldwide calamities at the end of the sixth seal.⁵⁰ Wicked people that reject the gospel will hide in fear when these worldwide calamities strike the earth, and many will curse God as they die.⁵¹ Unrepentant survivors of the sixth seal calamities must repent early in the seventh seal or they too will die in the even more severe plagues of the seventh seal.⁵²