Revelation 7:2-3: And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

John saw Elias, another angel ascending from the east,¹ with power to delay the great earthquake and serious calamities at the end of the sixth seal.² Thus, with a loud voice,³ Elias cried to the four angels that control the four winds⁴ and have power to hurt the earth, sea, and trees.⁵ Elias commands these four destroying angels to withhold the final calamities of the sixth seal⁶ until the servants of our God⁷ are sealed in their foreheads.⁸

John identifies these servants of God more specifically in Revelation 7:4-8 as 144,000 Israelites.⁹ This number is wholly symbolic.¹⁰ It represents all people of the house of Israel both living and dead that are, or must be, sealed in their foreheads before their resurrection to become the first fruits at the Second Coming.¹¹

The Second Coming and the opening of the seventh seal do not coincide in time. A series of plagues and other events will occur after the seventh seal is opened and before the Second Coming as recorded primarily in Revelation 8-11; 14 and 19.¹² The work of sealing the 144,000 Servants that has already begun in the sixth seal will continue after the seventh seal is opened until the Second Coming. Therefore, John hears that the 144,000 Servants are sealed in Revelation 7:4,¹³ but he does not actually see this work complete before the great earthquake at the end of the sixth seal.¹⁴ The end of the sixth seal and opening of the seventh seal is delayed long enough so that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints¹⁵ can enter temples and perform most of the necessary sealing ordinances for themselves and their kindred dead during the sixth seal.¹⁶

A great deal of temple work will still be needed after the seventh seal opens, including work for deceased persons whose identities are not currently known. To accomplish this work before the Second Coming, righteous members of the church on earth will collaborate and commune with righteous spirits from beyond the veil of death. This will ensure that the necessary work for the 144,000 Servants is complete before the Second Coming.¹⁷

The 144,000 Servants receive the seal of the living God¹⁸ as they receive the sealing ordinance in the temple for themselves or vicariously by proxy,¹⁹ and also have their calling and election made sure.²⁰ Only then will the 144,000 Servants have the Father's name²¹ symbolically placed on their foreheads²² as a sign of their undeviating devotion to God.²³ This symbolic seal signifies that they belong to God.²⁴ The seal becomes efficacious when the Holy Ghost, acting in his capacity as the Holy Spirit of Promise,²⁵ ratifies the sealing ordinance of the temple²⁶ and also confirms or seals the guarantee of eternal life²⁷ upon those that have their calling and election made sure.²⁸