Revelation 6

Revelation 6:1

These opened seals represent the fate of the Roman empire, but chiefly of the Christian church; and, as they relate to events rather than periods, we must not imagine that what was signified by one was altogether finished, when that which was signified by the next following began. While the white horse and his rider, ver. 2, may have some respect to the Roman victories gained by Vespasian, about A.D. 70, and Trajan, A.D. 110, under the providential direction of Christ, they chiefly represent Christ, as, by the gospel, and the influences of the Holy Ghost attending it, conquering the nations to the obedience of faith, A.D. 33—66, and afterwards.—The red horse and his sword-bearing rider, ver. 4, represent the persecutions of the Christian church by the emperors Nero, Demitian, Trajan, and Adrian, between A.D. 66, and 138: and the terrible bloodshed in the Roman empire in the Jewish and Parthian and other wars. The black horse and his rider with a pair of balances, 5, 6, may represent the church as corrupted with manifold errors, through which, and the more apparently legal persecutions of Aurelius about A. D. 160, and Severus about 202, was occasioned no small scarcity of pure gospel ordinances; to punish which the Lord plagued the Roman empire with terrible famines during the reigns of the two Antonines and Severus, about A. D. 140, 162, 200.—The pale horse with death and hell for his riders, represent the church as awfully corrupted with error and apostasy, and her members dreadfully murdered in the persecutions by Maximin, 235, Valerian, 257, Aurelian, 272, and especially by Decius, 250, and the just punishment thereof on the Roman empire in the terrible tyranny of their emperors between 235 and 284, and their frequent murdering one of another;—the desolating ravages of the Allemans, Goths, Quadians, Parthians, and others,—and a terrible pestilence of fifteen years’ continuance, which almost half desolated the whole Roman empire, about 252. And so accustomed were dogs, and other ravenous animals, to live on the unburied carcasses, that they sometimes fell upon and destroyed the living. The fifth seal, 9—11, represents the souls of such as had been slain for their adherence to Christ’s cause in the preceding persecutions, as enjoying rest and happiness through and with him in heaven; and as crying for vengeance on the Heathen persecuting empire, but required to wait till their fellow Christians should be also murdered in the terrible Dioclesian persecution, A. D. 302—312. The sixth seal, 12—17, represents the dreadful consternation, confusion, and fearful ruin of the heathen emperors and their armies, and of the idolatrous priests with their idolatries and superstitions, when Constantine the Great successfully warred against them, commenced a Christian himself, abolished heathenism, and established the Christian religion in its stead. [See Ex. 10. chap. iv. sect. xviii. xix.] 7

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. VI.—Orderly arranged are all the events of Providence: and gospel ministers ought carefully to observe them, and call their hearers to do the same. Glorious are the spread and conquests of the gospel when Christ rides forth on it with his gracious influence. Great are the trials of faith and patience, even unto death, which his people are sometimes called to suffer for their faithful attachment to his truths and interests. But it is enough if he support and encourage them under their troubles, and at last, through his righteousness, render them partakers of the purity, peace, and honour, of the heavenly state.—While his church languishes in her spiritual, or even external, condition, persecuted, and bereaved of pure gospel ordinances, and of eminent ministers and Christians; by terrible wars, famines, pestilences, and a miserable dissolution of their long established civil constitutions, he punishes her persecutors. No place, no difference of rank, can screen from his just vengeance.—How dreadful then must be the last judgment, and the damnation of hell!