THE SEVEN SEALS
CHAPTER 6
1. And I [the John Class] saw when the Lamb
[the meek and humble One] opened one of the seals [phase of obscure
prophecies], and I [the John Class] heard, as it were the noise
of thunder [sound of a great controversy], one of the four beasts
[living creatures, attributes, namely power], saying, Come [and see,
not in older MSS].
2. And I [the John Class] saw, and behold a white horse
[pure doctrine of Ephesus period-the first or principle, covering from CE 33-70, pictured
as white in pureness of the early church]: and he that sat on him had a bow
[the ambitious class that had pure teachings had evil devices to forward their conquests];
and a crown [authority] was given unto him [the apostate
element]: and he [the apostate element in the church] went forth
conquering, and to conquer [using many of the pure doctrines while at the same
time bringing in errors].
3. And when he [the meek and humble One] had
opened the second seal [of obscure prophecies in the Smyrna
period-"bitter," covering from CE 70-313], I [the John Class] heard
the second beast [living creature, namely, love], say, Come [and
see, not in older MSS].
4. And there went out another horse [doctrine] that was red
[polluted with sinful heresies]: and power was given to him [the apostate
element in the church] that sat thereon to take peace from the earth
[society], and that they should kill [expel or ostracize] one
another [from the church]: and there [to this apostate element] was
given unto him a great sword [power to misuse the Scriptures greatly].
5. And when he [the meek and humble One] had opened the third
seal [of obscure prophecies in the Pergamum period--"heighth,"Diaglott,
covering from CE 313-1160], I [the John Class] heard the third
beast [living creature, the third attribute of wisdom] say, Come
[and see, not in older MSS]. And I [the John Class] beheld,
and lo a black horse [doctrine of darkness on the nature of God and Christ];
and he [the apostate element] that sat on him had a pair of balances in
his hand [not only to suppress the truth but also to ration the truth to others].
6. And I [the John Class] heard a voice
[proclamation from the Lord Jesus] in the midst of the four beasts
[living creatures, attributes of God] say, A measure [quart] of
wheat for a penny [a day’s wages, starvation rations of spiritual truths
were all that could be gotten from day to day], and three measures
[quarts] of barley [(Leviticus 23:11; Numbers 5:15; Hosea 3:2; John
6:9-15). Barley was a symbol of Christ’s resurrection.] for a penny
[a day’s wages, greater proportions of dimly perceived truth were to be had. Possibly
the wheat--the bread of life--the ransom truths were in short supply while the barley
truths of Christ’s person and resurrection were in better supply]; and see
thou hurt not the oil [the holy Spirit and the true doctrines] and the
wine [truths of Christ’s suffering and death, the apostate element was
somewhat restrained here in this period].
7. And when he [the meek and humble One] had opened the fourth
seal [of obscure prophecies in the Thyatira period-- Diaglott, "sacrifice
of labor," covering from CE 1160-1378], I [the John Class] heard
the voice of the fourth beast [living creature, namely, justice] say,
Come and see.
8. And I [the John Class] looked, and behold a
pale horse [doctrine devoid of any life-giving qualities]: and his name
[the name of those using this doctrine] that sat on him was Death
[showing how the apostate element so perverted the truth that nothing was left to sustain
spiritual life and death resulted], and Hell [spiritual lifelessness] followed
with him [in a false ministry]. And power was given unto them
[the apostate element] over the fourth part of the earth [over the Roman
Empire], to kill with the sword [destroy true Christians by the misuse of
the Scriptures], and with hunger [by limiting spiritual food],
and with death [ostracism and persecution], and with the beasts of the
earth [by uniting with the civil powers and persecuting the saints].
9. And when he [the meek and humble One] opened
the fifth seal [of obscure prophecies in the Sardis period-"that which
remains" is a traditional reading hard to confirm but, Diaglott,defines as "Prince
of joy," covering from CE 1378-1518-28], I [the John Class] saw
under the altar [of those who were offered in sacrifice and whose memory were in
the ashes under the brazen altar in the court] the souls of them who were slain
[ostracized and persecuted some even unto death] for the word of God, and for the
testimony which they held:
10. And they [the souls under the altar] cried
with a loud voice [proclamation], saying, How long, O Lord, holy and
true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth
[society]? [For the answer see Revelation 16:5-7.]
11. And white robes [worthiness and righteousness] were
given [accredited] unto every one of them; and it was said unto them,
that they should rest [in death] yet for a little season [360
years covering from CE 1518-1878 and extending through the period of the next seal], until
their fellowservants also and their brethren, should be killed [ostracized and
persecuted] as they were, should be fulfilled.
12. And I [the John Class] beheld when he
[the meek and humble One] had opened the sixth seal [of obscure
prophecies in the Philadelphia period-"love of a brother," Diaglott, from
CE 1518-1874-8], and, lo, there was a great earthquake [the French
revolution]; and the sun [Gospel light] became black as sackcloth
[obscure] of hair, and the moon [the Mosaic Law] became as blood
[appeared bloody or barbaric];
13. And the stars of heaven [the ecclesiastical
leaders] fell unto the earth [came down to a worldly level of philosophy
and the Christian-citizenship-politics level], even as a fig tree [the
Jewish nation] casteth her untimely figs [threw off its immature show of
character], when she is shaken of a mighty wind [surrounded by the armies
of Titus, CE 70, and as it shall also throw off its immature show of character when
surrounded in the very end by "Gog"].
14. And the heaven [ecclesiastical powers] departed
as a scroll [separated into two parts just as a scroll when it is rolled together
has two parts] when it is rolled together; and every mountain [kingdom] and
island [republic] were moved out of their places.
15. And the kings [political rulers] of the
earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains [military
leaders], and the mighty men [leaders of labor], and every bond
man [laboring man], and every free man [small business man and
professional man], hid themselves [sought refuge] in the dens
[secret societies, such as, Free Masonry, Odd Fellowship, guilds, etc., Vol. 2, p. 139
; Vol. 4, p. 45] and in the rocks
[fortresses] of the mountains [kingdoms, leagues, military alliances, and
ecclesiastical alliances];
16. And said to the mountains [kingdoms] and
rocks [fortresses] of the earth [society], Fall on us,
and hide us [shelter us] from the face of him [presence of him] that
sitteth on the throne [the divine government], and from the wrath of Lamb
[the meek and humble One--please note a lamb is not usually a wrathful animal,
but it is here]:
17. For the great day of his wrath [trouble] is
come; and who shall be able to stand [abide]?
