Revelation 6

A.M. 4100. A.D. 96.

In this chapter, under the emblem of six seals opened successively, the state of the Christian Church, with that of the Roman empire, is represented till about A.D. 323, including the important and awful events which accompany the opening of each seal, Revelation 6:1-17 .

St. John had seen, in the former part of his vision, a representation of the majesty, glory, power, and supreme authority of God; and the sealed book, in which were contained the counsels of Divine Providence toward the church and the world, delivered to Christ, the Lamb of God, to open and make known its contents for the encouragement of the church to patience and faithfulness; together with the adoration of the church on this solemn occasion. Now this revelation of Christ begins with a prophetic representation of the future state of the church and the world, so far as the wisdom and goodness of God thought fit to make it known, for the consolation of his faithful people, comprehended under the emblem of opening, one after another, seven seals. These seven seals are not distinguished from each other, by specifying the time of them: they swiftly follow the letters to the seven churches. And by the four former is shown, First, the progress of the gospel; and afterward that all the public occurrences, as wars between nations, destruction of mankind thereby, famine, pestilence, are made subject to Christ. And these four have a peculiar connection with each other, as have also the three latter seals.

Before we proceed it may be observed, 1st, No man should constrain either himself or another to explain every thing in this book. It is sufficient for every one to speak just so far as he understands. 2d, We should remember, that although the ancient prophets wrote the occurrences of those kingdoms only with which Israel had to do, yet the Revelation contains what relates to the whole world, through which the Christian Church began to be extended. Yet, 3d, We should not prescribe to this prophecy, as if it must needs admit or exclude this or that history, according as we judge one or the other to be of great or small importance. God seeth not as man seeth. Therefore, what we think great is often omitted, what we think little inserted, in Scripture history or prophecy. 4th, We must take care not to overlook what is already fulfilled, and not to describe as fulfilled what is still to come. We are to look in history for the fulfilling of the first four seals, quickly after the date of the prophecy. In each of these appears a different horseman, and in each we are to consider, 1st, The horseman himself. 2d, What he does. The horseman himself, by an emblematical prosopopœia, represents a swift power, bringing with it either conquest, producing a flourishing state, or bloodshed, or scarcity of provision, or public calamities. With the qualities of each of these riders, the colour of his horse agrees. The first horseman, with his bow and crown, is a conqueror. The second, with his great sword, is a warrior. The third, with his scales, has power over the produce of the earth. The fourth is expressly termed death, implying certainly a great destruction of the lives of men by some signal judgments.