The Four Winds Of Strife Rev 7:1-3

REVELATION 7
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Manuscript Releases Volume Eighteen [Nos. 1301-1359] (1990), page 177, paragraph 3

Soon the four winds of heaven will be loosed, and in every part of the globe there will be dissension, strife, war, bloodshed. Satan is stirred with intensity from beneath. The power of God will be the defense of His people until their warning message will have been proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

Winds are a symbol of strife. The four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea, represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution by which kingdoms have attained to power.

Source: Great Controversy pg 439

The Review and Herald, June 7, 1887, paragraph 13

Four mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible destruction is forbidden to come in full. The accidents by land and by sea; the loss of life, steadily increasing, by storm, by tempest, by railroad disaster, by conflagration; the terrible floods, the earthquakes, and the winds will be the stirring up of the nations to one deadly combat, while the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible power of Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.