The phrase “four winds” appears several times in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. It is primarily used as a metaphor to represent the four primary compass directions – north, south, east, and west. The “four winds” thus refers to the whole earth or the whole heavens.
Here are some key passages where this phrase occurs:
1. Ezekiel 37:9 – Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones
In Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, God commands him to prophesy to the breath or wind to come from the four winds and breathe life into the slain so they may live again. This signifies God’s sovereign power over all corners of the earth to give new life.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”
(Ezekiel 37:9 ESV)
2. Daniel 7:2 – Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts
In his vision of the four beasts rising out of the sea, Daniel sees the “four winds of heaven” stirring up the great sea. This depicts how God controls the chaotic waters of the sea and the emergence of kingdoms from the four corners of the earth.
Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
(Daniel 7:2 ESV)
3. Zechariah 2:6 – Vision for the Future of Jerusalem
When measuring Jerusalem in a vision for its future, an angel declares that God will be “a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory in her midst”. This includes delivering people scattered to the four winds into Jerusalem.
“Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord. “For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord.
(Zechariah 2:6 ESV)
4. Matthew 24:31 – The Coming of the Son of Man
Jesus says that during his second coming, he will send out his angels to gather his elect “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”. This refers to the global scope of his return and judgment.
And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
(Matthew 24:31 ESV)
5. Revelation 7:1 – 144,000 Sealed from Every Tribe
In a vision of 144,000 sealed from every tribe of Israel, four angels are standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth. This depicts God’s sovereign control over the earth’s wind and weather.
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
(Revelation 7:1 ESV)
So in summary, “four winds” is primarily used as a metaphor for the four primary compass directions, representing the whole earth or heavens. God’s sovereignty extends to the four winds – he has power over the chaotic waters, the nations, the scattering and gathering of his people, the weather, and the final judgment.
This phrase emphasizes that God is omnipresent and omnipotent, ruling and working over the entirety of the earth to accomplish his sovereign will. He commands the four winds as part of his divine providence in governing all of creation and humanity for his purposes.
The “four winds” do not refer to actual physical winds, but rather the invisible spiritual forces God employs across the whole earth to enact his will. It is a symbolic phrase, not meant to be interpreted literally or scientifically. The main point is God’s complete dominion over all the earth for his glory.
6. Other References to the Four Winds in Scripture
There are a few other minor references to the four winds in the Bible:
- Jeremiah 49:36 – Judgment on Elam says the four winds will scatter them to all those winds.
- Ezekiel 5:10-12 – Due to judgment, Israel’s people will be scattered to the winds.
- Daniel 8:8 – A goat with a prominent horn rises out of the west (lit. “from the four winds of heaven”).
- Zechariah 6:1-5 – Four chariots with horses of different colors ride out from between two bronze mountains, going to the four winds of heaven after presenting themselves to the Lord.
- Mark 13:27 – Jesus gathers his elect from the four winds at his return.
These all reinforce the same idea of the four winds representing the four primary directions and God’s sovereignty over the whole earth. The context varies in each verse, but the meaning is the same.
7. Origins and Historical Context of the Imagery
The biblical imagery of the four winds draws from ancient Near Eastern cosmology. Many ancient cultures conceived of the earth as a flat plane surrounded by water, with the solid dome of the sky resting upon the perimeter of the earth. The four primary compass directions of north, south, east and west were thought to extend out like points from the center of the flat earth.
The ancient Hebrews adopted this cosmology as a simple phenomenological description of the world as they experienced it. Scripture reflects their “observer-based” perspective of the earth and sky rather than a modern scientific perspective. Within this ancient conception, the four winds or four corners of the earth represent the whole inhabited world – the entirety of earth under heaven.
In the Bible, God’s sovereignty extends to the farthest reaches of the world as the ancient audience understood it. The four winds are under God’s control to accomplish his purposes throughout his creation. While we now understand the shape of the earth differently, the biblical imagery still conveys God’s omnipresence and omnipotence in powerful metaphorical terms that the original audience would readily comprehend.
8. Interpreting the Meaning for Today
For modern readers, the four winds represent God’s sovereign rule extending to the whole planet. Though we know the earth is spherical, the four winds can still be seen as a metaphor for God’s omnipresence and omnipotence across the entirety of the earth.
The four winds also represent the invisible spiritual forces God commands to accomplish his will on earth. His authority over the wind and weather directs it wherever he desires. The “four winds” phrase reminds us of the global scope of God’s providential control and care for his creation.
While we interpret the imagery differently today, the main truths about God’s character and actions conveyed through the metaphor still apply. As the sovereign Lord of all, he governs every corner of the planet to work all things for his purposes and glory.
9. The Significance of the Number Four
The number four in the Bible often represents universality, totality, or completeness regarding what it describes:
- Four corners/ends of the earth – representing the whole world
- Four winds – N, S, E, W compass directions
- Four seasons – the full annual cycle
- Four elements (earth, air, fire, water) – totality of physical matter
- Four living creatures around God’s throne (Revelation 4) – all creation
The number four encompasses everything on earth or the fullness of a cycle. So it is very fitting metaphorically when describing God’s universal reign over all the earth or his entire created order. The meaning emphasizes completeness.
10. Controlling the Winds and Waves
An important aspect of God’s sovereignty over the four winds is that he has power to calm them, as Jesus did when he stilled the storm:
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
(Mark 4:39 ESV)
The chaos and danger of the four winds on the sea are no match for Jesus’ divine authority. He who created the winds and established their boundaries (Psalm 104:1-9) has full control over their effects in working out his divine purposes.
This reflects the Old Testament depiction of God’s supremacy over the primordial waters of chaos to bring order and accomplish his will (Genesis 1:1-10). The wind and waves obey their Master’s voice.
11. Summary of Key Points
In summary, here are some key points to understand what “four winds” means in the Bible:
- It is primarily a metaphor representing the four main compass directions – N, S, E, W
- Represents the whole earth or the entire heavens
- Emphasizes God’s omnipresence and sovereignty over all the earth
- Describes the invisible spiritual forces God commands to enact his will
- Draws from ancient Near Eastern cosmology of a flat earth surrounded by waters
- Original audience understood this to mean the farthest reaches of God’s domain
- God’s authority extends over the whole world, even to controlling the winds and waves
- The number four often symbolizes completeness, totality, or universality
In conclusion, “four winds” is a significant metaphor in Scripture that highlights the global scope of God’s sovereign rule and care to work out all things according to his will for his glory.
