What does the Bible mean when it refers to the four winds?

Answer

Wind is often used in the Bible as a metaphor for certain spiritual truths, for example, in Psalm 78:39 and Jeremiah 22:22. This remains true when the Bible mentions the “four winds.” The expression “four winds” is primarily used to depict the entirety of the earth or heaven. The “four winds” symbolize all directions or the “four corners of the earth”: north, south, east, and west (Jeremiah 49:36;Matthew 24:31).

Various translations offer different interpretations. For instance, in Zechariah 6:5, the ESV reads “the four winds of heaven,” while the NIV translates it as “the four spirits of heaven.” This discrepancy is understandable, as the Hebrew word for “wind” can also mean “spirit.” Hebrews 1:7 mentions that God makes “his angels winds” (ESV), or “spirits” (NIV).

It is important to note that when the phrase “four winds” is used in the Bible, it typically refers to some extraordinary, uncommon, or catastrophic event. These occurrences are being conveyed by some of the Lord’s prophets, often in the form of a vision (Ezekiel 37:9;Daniel 7:2;Zechariah 2:6).

The mention of the “four winds” in Revelation 7:1 is an instance of the phrase being used in the context of judgment: “I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.” This use of the “four winds” differs from other references because the winds are being restrained rather than unleashed. The act of holding back the four winds symbolizes the overarching theme of Revelation 7, which is a reverent pause from the pouring out of God’s judgments. The four winds, previously symbols of destruction and suffering on the earth, now function as the most mA loving and hope-filled promise from God is given for the protection of His people: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God” (verse 3), “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (verse 17).