The Revelation of St. John (1558) - Page 9

The four angels who were to harm the earth are forbidden to cause harm until the servants of God are sealed. Revelation 7.
original Latin: "Quatuor angeli nocituri terræ, quoufque fignentur ferui Dei, nocere prohibiti. Apoc. 7."

The servants of God are marked before the punishment of the angels. A great multitude with palms praise the one on the throne and the Lamb. Revelation 7.
original German: "Die knecht Gottes vor der ſtraffe der Engel gezeychnet. Ein groſſe ſchar mit palmen / preiſen den vff dem ſtůl mit dem Lamb. Apoc. 7."

This woodcut illustrates the opening of Revelation 7, acting as a "calm before the storm" after the terrors of the Sixth Seal. The image shows the four angels standing at the four corners of the world. In the visual shorthand of the 16th century, the "winds" they hold back are personified as blowing heads in the clouds.

A fifth angel is seen rising from the east, carrying the "seal of the living God." This angel marks the foreheads of the 144,000 (the "servants of God"), a symbolic number representing the totality of the faithful who are to be spared from the coming divine wrath.

In the upper register, we see a shift to the heavenly court. A vast, diverse crowd—the "great multitude"—is shown holding palm branches, an ancient symbol of victory and peace. They stand before the throne of God and the Agnus Dei (the Lamb of God). This scene offered a message of hope to the original readers: even amidst the total destruction of the world, those who remain faithful are recognized and protected by God.