Why WIND does not mean WAR

by Saleem

Daniel said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.

- How does a war stir the great sea?

In Jeremiah 49:36, the "four winds" were also decribe as a war against Elam.

I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of the heavens: I will scatter them to all these winds, till there is no nation to which the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

- War against Elam? What war? The four winds mean the winds blowing from the four directions, north, east, south and west, each one having a specific meaning to the ancient Jews. Scattering to the four winds mean scattered in all directions.

In Ezikiel 37:9-10, you will find that from the "four winds" cam a great army, for what? for war.

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 upon these slain, that they may live."

- How could war give life to bones? Wind here meant breath of life...not war!

In Zecheriah 2:6, you will find that the "four winds" was decribes as war also, and God have declared he had just saved his people from that war.

Ho! ho! Flee from the land of the north, says the LORD; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, says the LORD.

- Again, how does this mean war? Read my explanation below.

And in Chapter 5 of Zecheriah you will read about the war taken place.

- What war?

And in Matthew 24 and in Mark 13, our Lord Jesus have spoken about war and He also mentioned about the sending his angels to take His people from the "four winds".

And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

- Gather his elect from four winds meant gathering his scattered flock from the north, east, south and west!

Here is a definitive explanation of the four winds:

The east wind, north wind, west wind, south wind. In Palestine the life of man and beast depends on the regular fall and on winter rains. These rains are brought inland by the winds. Thus the winds become of the highest importance. The east wind is called wind of the desert (Job 1:19). The north wind is liked for its coolness and its power to bring rain. The west wind also brings rain and refreshing breezes. The west and southwest winds are the chief sources of rain. The south wind is not desired. All life withers under its oppressive blasts.

The winds are often used in figures to express the just anger of God. He uses them to punish the guilty. Winds are often used, because of their seeming immaterial nature, as a symbol of the spiritual nature of God and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Acts 2:2).

North Wind (cold, rain):

Job 47:9
Out of its chamber comes forth the tempest; from the north winds, the cold.

Proverbs 25:23
The north wind brings rain, and a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

East Wind (scorching heat, drought, famine):

Jonah 4:8
And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah's head till he became faint. Then he asked for death, saying, "I would be better off dead than alive."

Ezekiel 19:12
But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried it up; its fruit was stripped off, its strong stem was withered; the fire consumed it.

Ezekiel 17:10
Behold, when it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it--wither away on the bed where it grew?"

Genesis 41:27
The seven lean and gaunt cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine.

West Wind (rain, breeze):

Luke 12:54
He also said to the crowds, "When you see (a) cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain--and so it does;

South Wind (heat):

Job 37:16-17
Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge, you whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind?

Luke 12:55
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot--and so it is.