John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 6:4
And there went out another horse, that was red ,.... Which may be an emblem either of the suffering state of the church, being answerable to the Smyrnaean one, as the purity and power of the Gospel, represented in the former seal, may answer to the Ephesine church; or else of those contentions and divisions occasioned among men through the Gospel, which, though of a peaceable nature, yet, through the corruption and depravity of men, brings not peace, but a sword; or rather of those bloody... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 6:3
And when he had opened the second seal ,.... Of the sealed book; that is, the Lamb, as before: I heard the second beast say, come and see ; this living creature was the ox, whose situation was on the west side of the throne, as the standard of Ephraim, on which was an ox, was on the west of the camp of Israel; no mention is made of the noise of thunder, as before, the voice of the ox being lower than that of the lion; and this perhaps may point out a decrease in the Gospel ministry; to... read more