{After this} (meta touto). Instead of the seventh seal
( 8:1 ) being opened, two other episodes or preliminary visions
occupy chapter 7 (the sealing of the servants of God  7:1-8  and
the vision of the redeemed before the throne  7:9-17 ).
{Standing} (hest(9374)as). Second perfect predicate participle of
hist(886d)i, intransitive and followed by epi and the accusative
case g(936e)ias as already in  3:20  (epi thurian) and often
again ( 8:3  some MSS., others genitive;  11:11  12:18  14:1  15:2 ), but note epi with genitive 	halass(8873) in the next
clause, like epi kephal(8873) in  12:1  7:3 . {Corners} (g(936e)ias).
Old word for angle ( Mt 6:5 ), also in  20:8 . {Holding}
(kratountas). Present active participle of krate(935c), to hold
fast ( Mr 7:3  Joh 20:23 ). The four winds (cf.  Mt 24:31 ) are
held prisoner by angels at each of the four corners. Some Jews
held the winds from due north, south, east, west to be
favourable, while those from the angles (see  Ac 27:14 ) were
unfavourable (Charles). There is an angel of the fire ( 14:18 )
and an angel of the waters ( 16:5 ). {That no wind should blow}
(hina m(8820)pne(8869) anemos). Negative purpose clause with hina m(885c)
and the present active subjunctive, "lest a wind keep on
blowing." {Upon any tree} (epi pan dendron). Accusative case
here with epi rather than the preceding genitives (g(8873),
thalass(8873)), "upon the land or upon the sea," but "against any
tree" (picture of attack on the tree like a tornado's path).