John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 7. And when he had opened the fourth seal , etc.] Of the seven seals of the sealed book; that is, when the Lamb had opened it, or took it off, as in ( Revelation 6:1); I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, come and see ; this living creature was that which was like an eagle, and was on the north side of the throne, answerable to the standard of Dan, which was on the north of the camp of Israel, and had the figure of an eagle upon it; and the opening of this seal begins with Maximinus the Roman emperor, who came from Thrace, far north. This living creature was not James, the brother of our Lord, who had been dead long ago, as Grotius imagines; nor Cyprian, as Brightman thinks, though he lived under this seal; but the ministers of the Gospel in general in the times referred to are intended: and it may denote some decline in the Gospel ministry, that they had not the courage and strength of the lion, as the first Gospel preachers; nor the patience and laboriousness of the ox, the next set of ministers; nor the solidity and prudence of the man, the ministers that followed them; and yet they retained some degree of light and knowledge, sagacity and penetration, and contempt of the world, signified by the eagle; these invite John in a visionary way to come and see the following hieroglyphic.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Christ, the Lamb, opens the first seal: observe what appeared. A ride on a white horse. By the going forth of this white horse, a time of peace, or the early progress of the Christian religion, seems to be intended; its going forth in purity, at the time when its heavenl Founder sent his apostles to teach all nations, adding, Lo! I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. The Divine religion goes ou crowned, having the Divine favour resting upon it, armed spirituall against its foes, and destined to be victorious in the end. On openin the second seal, a red horse appeared; this signifies desolatin judgments. The sword of war and persecution is a dreadful judgment; i takes away peace from the earth, one of the greatest blessings; and me who should love one another, and help one another, are set upon killin one another. Such scenes also followed the pure age of earl Christianity, when, neglectful of charity and the bond of peace, the Christian leaders, divided among themselves, appealed to the sword, an entangled themselves in guilt. On opening the third seal, a black hors appeared; a colour denoting mourning and woe, darkness and ignorance He that sat on it had a yoke in his hand. Attempts were made to put yoke of superstitious observances on the disciples. As the stream of Christianity flowed further from its pure fountain, it became more an more corrupt. During the progress of this black horse, the necessarie of life should be at excessive prices, and the more costly thing should not be hurt. According to prophetic language, these article signified that food of religious knowledge, by which the souls of me are sustained unto everlasting life; such we are invited to buy, Is 55:1. But when the dark clouds of ignorance and superstition, denote by the black horse, spread over the Christian world, the knowledge an practice of true religion became scarce. When a people loathe their spiritual food, God may justly deprive them of their daily bread. The famine of bread is a terrible judgment; but the famine of the word i more so. Upon opening the fourth seal, another horse appeared, of pale colour. The rider was Death, the king of terrors. The attendants or followers of this king of terrors, hell, a state of eternal miser to all who die in their sins; and in times of general destruction multitudes go down unprepared into the pit. The period of the fourt seal is one of great slaughter and devastation, destroying whatever ma tend to make life happy, making ravages on the spiritual lives of men Thus the mystery of iniquity was completed, and its power extended bot over the lives and consciences of men. The exact times of these fou seals cannot be ascertained, for the changes were gradual. God gav them power, that is, those instruments of his anger, or thos judgments: all public calamities are at his command; they only go fort when God sends them, and no further than he permits.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ οτε 3753 ADV ηνοιξεν 455 5656 V-AAI-3S την 3588 T-ASF σφραγιδα 4973 N-ASF την 3588 T-ASF τεταρτην 5067 A-ASF ηκουσα 191 5656 V-AAI-1S φωνην 5456 N-ASF του 3588 T-GSN τεταρτου 5067 A-GSN ζωου 2226 N-GSN λεγουσαν 3004 5723 V-PAP-ASF ερχου 2064 5736 V-PNI-2S και 2532 CONJ βλεπε 991 5720 V-PAM-2S
