REVELATION 5:1 - 14

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed (been victorious; has overcome) to open the scroll, and to loose its seven seals. 6 And I beheld and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain (wounded; slaughtered), having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls (deep saucers) full of incense (odors), which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy (deserving; befitted), to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed (bought) us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God a kingdom of priests, and we shall reign on the earth.

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand (myriads; an innumerable host) times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power (might), and riches (wealth), and wisdom (super knowledge), and strength (ability), and honor (worth), and glory (praise), and blessing (bounty).

13 And every creature that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. 14 And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever.

1 John saw in the right hand of Jehovah God a scroll (biblion - a book) which was written or (having been written) on the front side (esothen - within) and the back side (opisthen), and it was sealed (katesphragismenon from kata + sphragizo - to close with seals) with seven seals; (the N. E. B. reads, "..sealed up with seven seals;" the Revised Version reads, "sealed down with seven seals; close sealed). A scroll was of parchment or papyrus rolled over two cylindrical sticks, one on either side of a long sheet. As the sheet is wound over one stick, the material on the other is unwound, bringing fresh material to view. It is estimated that the scroll containing the book of Romans would require a roll of parchment eleven and one-half feet long; a roll containing the Gospel of Mark would be nineteen feet long.

How does one know that the seven seals are not symbolic? They are not symbolic because each seal in broken one after the other. When a person desired to keep something secret or desired to make something private he sealed it with sealing wax and placed an imprinted signet on the wax. The opening of the seals does not occur until chapter six, and at that time God's prophetic clock begins to move and the next seven years culminate in the second coming of Christ. One is reminded of another sealed book, in the Old Testament. Daniel must have longed to make the words of God's prophecy known to the public; however, Daniel was commanded to "...shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased...And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:4, 8, 9). Yeager says, "The Book of Daniel was revealed to him in Babylon, when Israel was in captivity. It contains a great deal of information about the course of political history. Daniel was given the ability to understand visions and dreams (Daniel 1:17)...Note Daniel 2:44, 45. The stone cut out without hands (verse 35) became a great kingdom and filled the earth. This kingdom is of God's making. It shall never be destroyed. This stone is Christ (I Peter 2:7, 8), who shall sit on David's throne forever (II Samuel 7:10 - 17; Luke 1:30 - 33)" (Volume XVIII, pp. 21, 22). There seems to be a direct relationship between Daniel's prophesy and the book of Revelation. The fact that the account applies to the two scriptures is known as double imagery. Now, the time of the end has come, as the book is to be unsealed, as the purposes of God are made known and executed in the earth. (See at the conclusion of this chapter a brief survey of Daniel's prophecies).

Hengstenberg views Ezekiel 2:9, 10 as a 'proto-type' of Revelation 5:1. Ezekiel reads, "And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me (reached out to me); and, lo a scroll was in it; and he spread it before me; and it was written within and without; and there was written in it lamentations, and mourning, and woe." The seals were broken one by one; when the first seal was broken, the manuscript could be unrolled; until one came to a second seal; and so in succession of the rest. The breaking of each seal indicates the purposes of God, judgment upon judgment. Some view the little book (scroll) as the book of redemption, such as "the Lamb's Book of Life" which contains the names of all true believers. Others view the book as "the Old Testament" in which Christ alone is able to unlock the true meaning of the Old Testament.

2 A strong (ischuron from ischuros - mighty) angel appears before John; he is proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy (equal to; capable) to open the book and to loose the seals thereof." God holds within his hand the book when unsealed will loose the hounds of heaven's holy warfare between Christ and a Christ-rejecting world. The judgment from heaven's throne will begin upon the unsaved.

3 A universal search was made and no one (oudeis - not any man) could be found in heaven, nor on the earth nor under the earth could open the book or look upon it. No one was ethically worthy to open the book (remove the seals). The apostle was as eager to have the book opened and unsealed as Daniel was disappointed to have his book sealed (Daniel 12:4, 8, 9; see reference to these verses above).

4 As a result of the dilemma John wept (eklaion from klaio - lamented; wailed) much (polu from polus - greatly). John's weeping was intense and lengthy; he began and continued to weep with audible sobs. John's soul is stirred within him as his eye rests on the sealed scroll on the open hand of the One Who sits on the throne, with no one in the past creation of God competent to disclose its contents and carry them into execution (Scott, p. 134).

5 One of the elders (see 4:10) came to John's rescue insisting that he stop weeping; "do not go on weeping." Phillips blesses us with this picture, "There stood the aged apostle, amid scenes of grandeur which defy description, weeping with salt tears running down his weather-beaten face, weeping in shame for all the sons of Adam's ruined race, not one of whom was worthy to take up the challenge from the throne. Think of it! Not a single man of all the billions who have lived on the earth, not one fit to rule and reign!" (p. 105). There is One, however, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, He has prevailed (enikesen from nikao - been victorious; has overcome) to open the book containing the seven seals. He is worthy to open the seven-sealed book because He has prevailed; He has been victorious. The office He now fills, as the instrument for disclosing what is to be here revealed, belongs to Him by virtue of that which He achieved in His humiliation, suffering and death. The fact that Jesus is called a Lion (Genesis 49:9; Isaiah 11:1) lends credence to His strength and a descendant of the tribe of Judah. Jacob, the dying patriarch, had a keen spiritual vision, but surely he could not have dreamed that his glorious prediction pointed to the advent of the Messiah nearly 4000 years afterwards, Who in irresistible might, majesty, and sovereignty would secure the blessing of Israel and of the whole earth. In His Lion-like character He is able to crush every opposing force and establish His universal kingdom on the ruin of all opposition. Here worth and might are combined (Scott, p. 134). He is also a Root (or Rod) meaning a descendant of David (Matthew 1:6; Revelation 3:7). Why David, because he represents Royalty as Moses does the Law and as Abraham does the Promise? Our Lord has fulfilled all requirements to open the sealed scroll; He is descended from the blessed family of Jacob and is a descendant of David the royal family. He is both Prince, capable of leading Israel, the descendants of Jacob, but also King by the right of Davidic lineage. One day He will exercise His prerogative of Judge (Matthew 7:1, 2; John 5:22). Our Messiah is both the Root and Offspring of David (22:16). He is the former as Divine, and the latter as Man. Psalm 110 will be fulfilled which reads, "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool...The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek...He shall judge among the nations; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries."

6 John manifested surprise, but he beheld in the midst of the throne and the four (beasts K. J. V.) living creatures (zoon - living beings) and the elders, not a lion but there stood a slain (esphagmenon from sphatto - wounded; slaughtered in sacrifice) Lamb. In Leviticus 9:3 the burnt offering must be a lamb "of the first year without blemish." John the Baptist was the first to point out our Lord as a lamb, and John the apostle was next to point out the same character in Him (see also Isaiah 53:7). The Lamb (a young lamb) had seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Without a doubt the seven horns are symbolic of perfect strength; the seven eyes that of perfect wisdom and the seven spirits that of perfect sovereignty. Although John looked for a Lion, Jesus must first of all be a Lamb purchasing salvation for His people, then He can be a Lion and Judge (John 5:22). Only in His sacrificial death can He overcome and become our Judge. Although He was a Lion He totally submitted to the heavenly Father and became a slain Lamb that He might redeem His people from their sins. "The seven spirits (cf. Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6) represent the Holy Spirit in the sevenfold plentitude of His sovereign power as He goes into all the world (Matthew 28:18 - 20) carrying the story of redemption and convincing the elect (John 6:7 - 11)" (Yeager, p. 31).

7 As John looked on breathlessly and overwhelmed by the majesty of the scene, the Lamb came and took (the scroll) out of the right hand of Jehovah God Who was seated upon His throne. As the Lamb advances to take the book out of the hand of Him that sits upon the throne, He appears as a man. "And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne." Criswell writes, "That is the greatest act in all the story of God's creation. That is the greatest act in the Apocalypse. That is the greatest act in the history of mankind" (Volume III, p. 75). Jesus came and took (the scroll) out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. "Neither the pencil of the artist nor the pen of the historian is needed here. The artless simplicity of the account is God-like. 'Simple and majestic, without pomp of words, or any effort to decorate the scene,' writes Moses Stuart. 'How calm and sublime,' says F. W. Grant. And with these testimonies we are in full accord" (Scott, p. 136). 8 In this verse can be found the greatest scene of universal adoration anywhere recorded. Whereupon the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down (epesan from pipto - fall physically for the purpose of worship) before the Lamb; each of the worshipers had harps and golden vials (phialas from phiale - bowls; deep saucers), full of odors (thumiamaton from thumiama - incenses; many aromatic substances), which were the prayers of the saints. Harps (lyres) were the traditional instrument used in the singing of the Psalms (see: Psalm 33:2). Furthermore, the Psalmist (141:2) writes, "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense;..." The harps give the clue to that which was about to transpire - the singing of praises and to the worship of the Lamb. Prayers of the saints are kept in store for a very special day; the golden bowls or vials smoking with incense symbolize the preciousness and acceptableness of prayer in the name of Jesus. Yeager writes, "No prayer that originates in the heart of the resurrected High Priest (Psalm 2:7, 8; 110:1, 4) and is formulated by the Holy Spirit (Jude 20) and which is uttered by a member of the Body of Christ on earth will go unanswered. Though judgments are soon to fall, the day of grace still has seven years to run" (p. 35).

9, 10 A new song, new in kind not a new song in point of time, was sung (new because it was the song of redemption or new and distinctive in point of quality - see also Psalm 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1), "Thou art worthy (axios - deserving; befitting) to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for you were slain and have redeemed (egorasas from egoraxo - bought us out of the slave market) to God by your blood out of every kindred (phules from phule - tribe; family group), and tongue (glosses from glossa - dialect), and people, and nation; and has made us unto our God a kingdom of priests, and we shall reign on the earth." Since the living creatures and the twenty-four elders can worship because they are redeemed, it is an accepted fact that they are human beings saved by the blood of Jesus. The redemption which our Lord purchased is individually selective but not ethically, linguistically, politically or nationally selective. God's family comes from every corner and every part of the earth. Had it not been for the cross, Jesus would have entered heaven alone; without it there could have been no redemption for sinners.

11, 12 As John watched and waited he heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders, there was a crowd consisting of ten thousand (myriades muriadon - innumerable host; a large number) times ten thousand and thousands of thousands (chiliades chiliadon - a thousand). They sang, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power (dunamin - might) and riches (plouton - wealth) and wisdom (sophian - broad knowledge) and strength (ischun - ability) and honor (timen - worth) and glory (doxan - praise) and blessing (eulogian - bounty)." The multiplication of adjectives are inadequate to express the greatness of our God and His son; the multiplication of the adjunctive kai adds dignity and majesty to the song. The word myarias is sometimes translated myriads.

13, 14 All creatures or every creature who could make a sound (those in heaven, on the earth, under the earth and in the sea) were heard to give blessing and honor and glory and power to Jehovah God Who sits on His throne and His Son Who stands by. Even the animal creation praises God and His Son. And the four living creatures said, Amen (Amen - so be it; agreed; truly)! And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him that lives forever and ever. Smith writes, "The picture is a wonderful one; the sweet, resounding chorus of the angelic host; the assenting response of creation, swelling its own acclaim of praise in the mingled voices of all creatures, the harmony filling the universe; as these die away, the solemn ' Amen' of the four living beings; and last of all, the silent adoration of the elders, as they lie prostrate before the throne" (p. 91). Here are the two Persons of the Triune Godhead receiving due worship and praise. Just because the Holy Spirit is not mentioned herein does not mean that He is purposely omitted, but it must be remembered that the Spirit always points to Jesus Who is the receive praise and worship (John 15:26; 16:7 - 11). Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "..he shall testify of me" (John 15:26). One is reminded of Philippians 2:9 - 11 which reads, "Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted (the Christ), and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father."

'Tis the church triumphant singing,
Worthy is the Lamb.
Heaven throughout with praises ringing,
Worthy is the Lamb.
Thrones and powers before Him bending,
Incense sweet and voice ascending.
Swell the chorus never ending,
Worthy is the Lamb.

Every kindred, tongue and nation,
Worthy is the Lamb.
Join to sing the great salvation,
Worthy is the Lamb.
Loud as might thunder roaring,
Floods of mighty waters pouring,
Prostrate at His feet adoring,
Worthy is the Lamb.

Harps and song forever sounding,
Worthy is the Lamb.
Mighty grace o'er sin abounding,
Worthy is the Lamb.
By His blood He dearly bought us,
Wandering from the fold He sought us,
And to glory faithful brought us,
Worthy is the Lamb.

Sing with blest anticipation,
Worthy is the Lamb.
Through the veil and tribulation,
Worthy is the Lamb.
Sweetest note, all excelling,
On the theme forever dwelling,
Still untold, though ever telling,
Worthy is the Lamb.

Anonymous

Excursus B

In Daniel 2 the prophet relates to us Nebuchadnezzar's vision; Nebuchadnezzar required of Daniel an interpretation of his vision (dream). Daniel interpreted the dream to mean that four great world empires were to arise after Nebuchadnezzer. Nebuchadnezzar was the first king of that world empire, Babylon, depicted by the head of gold. The second great empire was to be Medo-Persia depicted by the breast and arms of silver. The third empire was to be Greece depicted by the bronze torso and waist. The fourth great empire was Rome depicted by the legs, feet and toes of part iron and part clay. Daniel also prophesied that following those kingdoms a new kingdom would arise. Daniel 2:44, 45 reads, "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the dream is certain, and the interpretation of it sure." These four kingdoms are the only world governments that have taken place in the history of the world, they are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. There will be, however, a world ruler which will be called the Anti-christ; he will become a world ruler under the power of Satan. In fact, it will be necessary for the Lord Jesus Christ to return to the earth in order to put down this ruler.

Daniel writes of this world ruler in Daniel 9:24 - 27 which reads, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end of it shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

Of course all of Daniel 2:36 - 43 has been fulfilled; these four kingdoms are history now. The prophecy of Daniel in 2:44, 45 was fulfilled at the First Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. His kingdom of the gospel is going on until this present moment. As people are saved they are added to His kingdom. Moreover, contrary to the four world kingdoms; Christ's kingdom shall never end. After the church age there will be a kingdom age known as the millennium in which Jesus will reign supreme, and the saved will reign with Him. At least sixty-nine of the weeks (of years) mentioned in Daniel 9:24 - 27 have been completed (586 B. C. to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ). There remains only one of the weeks (seven years) which will take place during the Great Tribulation. It must be kept in mind that all this prophecy had to do with Israel and their rejection of the Messiah. After the reign of the Antichrist, the Jewish nation as a whole will accept Jesus as their Messiah. God's time clock ceases to run during the time from the crucifixion of the Messiah until the Antichrist begins to rule (Revelation 6). When the Anti-christ manifests himself and when he begins to rule, God's time clock will begin ticking away again. There is a gap of some 2000 years when God's time clock is not ticking, so far as the Jews are concerned - this period is known as the Gospel Age or the Age of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25). When the Antichrist begins his reign (Revelation 6) God's time clock will begin again with no programmed holds.

Revelation 6:1 - 17

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature, say, Come. 4 And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword.

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come. And I beheld and, lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances (scales used to weigh merchandise) in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures say, A measure (less than a quart) of wheat for a denarius (a silver coin), and three measures of barley for a denarius, and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come. 8 And I looked and, behold, a pale (sickly green; ghastly) horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger (famine), and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord (Master; Despot), holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge (revenge; rectify) our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them that they should rest (pause; relax) yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

12 And I beheld, when he had opened the sixth seal and, lo, there was a great earthquake (seismic shock; agitation), and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely (unripe) figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together (folded up); and every mountain and island were moved (removed) out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men (lords; magnates), and the rich men, and the chief captains (commanders of a thousand soldiers), and the mighty men, and every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath (anger; vengeance; indignation) of the Lamb; 17 For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?

1, 2 Most Bible students are acquainted with the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" which appear in both Zechariah and also in Revelation 6. Criswell writes, "This is not a pretty picture. But God is the Lord of truth, and He writes here things as they are, as they will be" (Vol, III, p. 89). The events that follow 6:1 remind one of the Olivet Discourse of our Lord (Matthew 24 and 25; Mark 13 and Luke 21); in fact, sometimes these passages have been referred to as the "Little Apocalypse" delivered a few days just prior to His crucifixion. The Apostle John saw the Lamb open the first seal and a noise like thunder was heard. Whereupon one of the living creatures said, "Come." The words "and see" are not in the best manuscripts. There are no words read from the scroll, but rather actions take place that are spellbinding with the opening of each seal. Possibly this command to "Come," is addressed to the white horse rider. Beginning with the seals, Yeager outlines the story of the last seven years beginning with the manifestation of the Antichrist with the religious picture (with the seven churches - 2:1 - 3:19); the political picture (with the seals - 6:1 - 17); and the divine judgments (with the seven trumpets - 8:7 - 11:18). The churches, seals, and trumpets are contemporaneous and coterminous and they extend, each with its own story to tell, from the beginning to the end of the seven year period. The other material in Revelation 1:1 - 20; 4:1 - 5:14; 7:1 - 8:2 - 6; 10:1 - 11:14; 12:1 - 15:8; 17:1 - 22:5 is designed to describe and explain the events that occur in connection with and during the time that the clock is running. The clock is not running in these explanatory sections. As each section will be studied with care as we come to them in sequence as his system of interpretation is followed. Yeager also sees a direct relationship between Revelation and Daniel 2:38 - 40; 7:4 - 7 and 6:1 - 6 and 13:1 - 10 (p. 54, 55).

Each scene is viewed as from a stage as the drama unfolds. From this seal a white horse gallops across the stage; however, the rider is unnamed. This white horse has a rider who holds a bow (toxon as designed for archery or war); a crown (stephanos - a crown awarded for winning a race - showing power) is given to him, and hhe goes forth conquering (nikese from nikao - to overcome; get the victory) and to conquer. The word stephanos is used here and not diadmea which is the crown of a sovereign monarch. Just as our Lord will come at His Second Coming riding on a white horse (Revelation 19:11, 14), Satan's counterfeit rides a white horse in 6:2. Did not Mark (13:22) predict that, "...false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect?" Smith writes, "the white horse, among the Romans, was a sign of victory and triumph, and upon such, in his triumphal entry of the city, the victorious emperor always rode" (p. 94). To the Oriental mind the white horse (the charger) was a sign of conquest, march, attack, battle and victory, The white horse rider has a bow meaning he is capable of waging a war (equipped with no arrow) probably indicating that he will usher in peace (see: Daniel 9:27a). Jesus stated in Matthew 24:5, "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Furthermore our Lord said to the Jews (John 5:43), "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. " The rider of the white horse claims to come in the name of peace (he is Peace personified) but has the ability to enforce that peace with a threat of war if necessary; a bloodless coup or a bloodless revolution takes place (without war, without destruction; without the shedding of human blood). This horse and rider will be replaced with a red horse and his rider (see verse 4). This horse and rider may be considered contemporaneous with the first trumpet (Revelation 8:7).

There may be a definite connection (or parallel) between the four horsemen of Revelation and Zechariah 1:8 - 10 which reads, "I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, sorrel (speckled), and white. Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel who talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." More on these passages will be included at the conclusion of this chapter. Smith quotes from a message by James Durham, of Glasgow, in lectures published at Amsterdam in 1660, remarks that, "by the horse and his rider, is understood in Scripture amongst the prophets some dispensation of the Lord to his church, brought about mediately by the ministry of angels or men, or immediately by God himself." Divine dispensations, he says, are "compared to horses and riders on them, for these reasons: (1) to let us see his sovereignty that hath all these at his command to send for good or ill, as great kings have their messengers for executing their will; (2) to show the speediness, swiftness, and unresistibleness of whatsoever dispensation he sendeth, as the horse is speedy and valiant; (3) to show the dependence of all events on his dominion, and his immediate ordering and guiding of them as a rider doth his horse; and he letteth them not run at random, or by guess, as a horse without a rider or bridle, but hath them all well ordered, whether good or bad" (p. 94). Although the horseman is unnamed apparently he goes from victory to victory, conquest to conquest, without reverse or cessation, marked by royal progress of the hero of the coming day and hour (Scott).

3, 4 A second seal is broken and another horse which is red gallops across the stage; he has power to take peace from the earth (he is War personified), and that they should kill one another; and given to him was a great sword (machaira - knife; curved sword used to cut the throat of an animal or human being) leaving the earth in carnage, murder and bloodshed everywhere. He has the power to take peace from the earth brought on by the white horse rider. Again, the rider is unnamed but his purpose is very clear; he takes peace from the earth. The red horse and rider may be contemporaneous with the second trumpet (Revelation 8:8, 9).

5, 6 A third seal is broken, and a black horse and a rider is seen with a pair of balances (zugon from zugos - scales that weigh merchandise) in his hand which is probably typical of famine. This rider is Famine personified. Usually following on the heels of devastating wars is famine especially in the area where the war is fought. Again the rider is unnamed but his purpose is clear; famine causing lamentation and mourning follows this horse and horseman. The balances may denote that careful economy in the dispensation and use of the necessities of life which the prevalence of famine makes necessary. Famine is an affliction originating in certain material conditions, and felt especially as a physical calamity (Smith, p. 96). The living creature is heard to utter, "A measure (choinix - somewhat less than a quart) of wheat for a penny (denariou from denarion = a silver coin) and three measures of barley for a penny, and see that thou hurt not the oil and the wine." The quart of wheat would make one loaf of wheat bread, and three quarts of barley would make three barley cakes with the inflated prices following a war. That measure was only enough for one man to sustain his health (a day's wages for one man). Smith points out that the denarius or "penny" was the amount of a soldier's daily pay or that of a day laborer. Herein one can see runaway inflation, just enough food for the minimal subsistence for a day's wages. The day laborer could barely procure his own personal sustenance, leaving nothing for the support of his family, if he had one. He would, therefore be driven to the much inferior food supplied by the cheaper grain (barley). There is no way that he could sustain his family on that small amount of food. The scarcity described should not affect the oil and the wine which would be available to the rich. This horse and rider are considered contemporaneous with the third trumpet (Revelation 8:10, 11).

7, 8 When the fourth seal is broken a pale horse (chloros - a sickly green; ashen; pallid; the color of a corpse or leprosy) with two riders appears, the riders are named Death and Hell (hades - the place; 'world' of departed spirits). Probably both Death and Hades are riders on the same horse; they have custody of the bodies and souls of men. They are inseparable companions; together they act in judgment and divide the spoil. Power is given these riders over one-fourth part (one person out of four) of the world's population to kill them with sword, hunger (limo from limos - famine; dearth), death and the beasts (therion) of the earth; death from a variety of means. Contrary to the preceding judgments, these riders have four different judgments from Jehovah God - the same four with which God threatened guilty Jerusalem. Ezekiel 14:21 reads, "For thus saith the Lord God, How much more when I send my four severe judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?" One is reminded of Psalm 46:1 - 3 which reads,

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear,
Though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried
Into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof."

9 - 11 With the next seal the scene changes from horseman to an altar in heaven. An altogether different scene greets John as the fifth seal is opened; there are no horses nor riders, but the souls of mankind who have paid the supreme penalty for their testimony for the Lord and His Word. The fifth seal revealed the souls under (at the foot of) the altar (thusiasterionu - place of sacrifices or burnt offerings) them that were slain (esphagmenon from sphatto - slaughtered as though for sacrifice) for the word of God and for their testimony or witness. They cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord (despotes - Despot; Master; Sovereign Ruler), holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge (ekdikeis from ekdikeo - to revenge; rectify) them of their blood for them that dwell on the earth?" Jehovah God never leaves Himself without witnesses! White robes were given to every one, and they were told to wait a season until their fellow servants and their brethren would be killed and their destiny fulfilled. The martyred saints, who have lost their lives under the first four seals, are wondering how much longer they must wait for revenge from those who have taken their lives. They were given white robes and asked to rest (anapausontai from ana + pauo - to pause; relax) a little while (chronon mikron - a little season) until their fellow servants would join them. All would be avenged together; the tribulation saints will have white robes denoting purity. Smith notes that the expression, "Dost thou not judge," implies an appeal to the divine justice;...to "avenge" is taken in the sense of that deserved requital with which justice visits the wicked and the cruel...others are to be killed as these souls were (p. 102). Unlike Stephen who prayed as he was being stoned to death (Acts 7:60), "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge..." these who were slain were seeking revenge for their death.

Where do the righteous go following their death? Jesus told the repentant thief (Luke 23:43), "...Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise." After His resurrection, the righteous dead go immediately into the presence of God. Paul said (II Corinthians 5:8), "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Soul-sleeping, second chances and purgatory are strange concepts to the Word of God; there are no such things; at death man's eternal destiny is settled and he/she is conscious in the presence of the Lord.

12, 13 When the sixth seal was broken a great earthquake (seismos - a seismic shock; an agitation) took place, the sun became black as sackcloth of hair (sakkos - a coarse cloth made from the hair of animals), and the moon became like blood; the stars of heaven fell unto the earth like a fig tree casting her untimely (olunthous from olunthos - unripe) figs as shaken by a mighty wind. One is reminded of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 24:21 - 28 as well as Joel 2:30 - 32). Although a part of Joel's prophecy was fulfilled during Pentecost, the remainder will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation. What happened to Babylon in Isaiah 13: 9, 10 may be a harbinger of what could happen during this period of tribulation, "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine."

14 The heavens departed as a scroll is rolled up together (elissomenon from elisso - to fold up; roll together), and the mountains and islands were moved (ekinethesan from kineo - removed) out of their places. This quake seems to be of worldwide in proportion devastatingly moving continents and islands. The prophet Haggai (2:6, 7) wrote, "For thus saith the Lord of hosts. Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts." In Exodus 19:18 when the law was given to Moses at Mount Sinai the whole earth shook greatly. When Jesus was crucified the earth shook, but there was no universal shaking as will happen when the sixth seal is opened.

15 - 17 Upon seeing such devastation the people were able to see heaven opened, and they experienced the wrath of the Lamb. All people - kings, great men (megistanes from megistan - lords; magnates), the rich, the chief captains (chiliarchoi from chiliarchos - commanders of a thousand soldiers), the mighty, the slaves and the freemen - they all called upon the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from God's wrath (orges - anger; vengeance). Yeager writes, "The rich, the mighty and the free will cry out to the rocks as loud as the slaves, for the merciful obliteration which, they imagine, will hide them from the face of the Judge. At the foot of the cross of Christ the ground is level. It is also level at the foot of the judgment throne...Man's miserable 'day' is over and the 'day of the Lord' is ushered in" (p. 82, 84). Needless to say the world will suffer great political convulsions, with consequent disorder, social chaos, and personal suffering such as that which Luke writes (21:25 - 28), "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption drawth near."

Furthermore, Jesus had predicted such days in Luke 23:29, 30 which read, "For, behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never nursed. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us." In the last days when the rocks of the mountains fall, when the great day of God's wrath is come, thank God, His people will have placed their faith in the Rock of Ages Who is that great, eternal, immovable Rock.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Could my tears forever flow,
Could my zeal no languor know,
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone:

In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

August M. Toplady