Four angels at the four corners of the earth?

[I hope I have the right forum for this question, there's like a million to choose from]

I was reading Revelations the other week and a verse in there has been bugging me (besides the obvious ones about death and destruction).
Rev. 7:1 says "1After this 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."

Now I'm assuming the culture of that time believed that the earth was flat. So when the Apostle John had this revelation why did he not see that the earth was actually round? Maybe I'm reading too much into this verse and what I think it means when there could really be more than one meaning to it.

Just wondering if someone could set me straight on this =)

Thanks

The book of Revelation is highly metaphorical and this strikes me as a great example of that.

In Isa 40:22 there is a reference to the earth being round:

[It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

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Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me. Isa 6:8

The winds here are for God's judgment (Jonah 1:4; Isa. 11:15; Jer. 22:22; 49:36; 51:1).

It just means that God's judgment is coming for the people in every direction of the earth (i.e. the whole earth).

I am afraid that your query has nothing whatsoever to do with archaeology (as defined) and is in fact concerned with certain aspects of speculative theological interpretation of text.

The work to which you are referring commences,

αποκαλυψις ιησου χριστου ην εδωκεν αυτω ο θεος δειξαι τοις δουλοις αυτου α δει γενεσθαι εν ταχει και εσημανεν αποστειλας δια του αγγελου αυτου τω δουλω αυτου ιωαννη

αποκαλυψις = revelation (singular) Not "revelations!"


It is ludicrous to attempt any literal interpretation or factual comprehension from a work of such patently obvious imaginative, religious fiction, dating as it does from the late 1st century, and quite obviously incorporating the theological opinions and contemporary ante- scientific world view of its author.

Enhanced literary metaphor combined with extravagant esoteric religious symbolism are themselves capable of any amount of irrational and naively credulous "interpretation."

The so called "Book of Revelation," has always been controversial and was only admitted into the NT canon of scripture in the late fourth century (Council of Carthage 397 CE).

From the 16th century onwards, when translated into European vernacular languages, the work soon became a fertile orchard of eccentricity for mystics and religious fanatics and unfortunately still continues to do so!

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"If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, I should have reason to bear with you, O Jews; but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I refuse to be a judge of these things." And he drove them from the tribunal.
(Acts 18. 14-16)

Ihave no issue with considering this as a metaphor meaning the same thing then as it does today. (have we considered that is where we got this metaphor from)

I am sure that that four corners of the earth is also used in Job.

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loud graphical signatures are against my religion.

I think its metaphorical as someone said and It might use it because of other verses from the OT.

I had a disscussion with a dude claiming the Bible was wrong because of this in Isiah 11:12:
"And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."


But then I googled "Israel map BC" and this came up.

http:/ /upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Levant_830.svg/545px-Levant_830.svg.png

I Couldn't link it maybe someone else can? Delete the space between the //

The kingdom of Judah looks pretty much as it has four corners. I don't know but to me it pretty much makes sense with bringing the dispersed people of Judah from it's nations corners?