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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 6:3-8

The next three seals give us a sad prospect of great and desolating judgments with which God punishes those who either refuse or abuse the everlasting gospel. Though some understand them of the persecutions that befel the church of Christ, and others of the destruction of the Jews, they rather seem more generally to represent God's terrible judgments, by which he avenges the quarrel of his covenant upon those who make light of it. I. Upon opening the second seal, to which John was called to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 6:1-8

As one by one the seals of the roll are opened, history unfolds itself before John's eyes. As we study this section, we must remember one general fact which is basic to its understanding. In this series of visions John is seeing in advance the end of terror and judgment which could bring in the golden age of God. Before we study the section in detail, we note one general point. In the first section of the visions, Revelation 6:1-8 , the King James Version consistently follows a form of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 6:1-8

6:1-8 And I saw when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a loud voice like the sound of thunder, "Come!" And I saw, and, behold, a white horse, and he who was seated on it had a bow, and a conqueror's crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. And, when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" And there came forth another horse blood-red in colour, and to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 6:7

And when he had opened the fourth seal ,.... 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 6:8

And I looked, and behold a pale horse ,.... An emblem either of the state of the church, pale not with persecution, as some think, for through that it was red; but with the hypocrisy and superstition of many of its members, who were paving the way for the man of sin, and on account of whom the church was grown sickly and dying; or rather this is an emblem of the sickly and dying state of the Pagan Roman empire, through a complication of judgments upon it, hereafter mentioned, as war, famine,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 6:7

The fourth beast - That which had the face of an eagle. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 6:8

A pale horse - The symbol of death. Pallida mors , pale death, was a very usual poetic epithet; of this symbol there can be no doubt, because it is immediately said, His name that sat on him was Death. And hell followed with him - The grave, or state of the dead, received the slain. This is a very elegant prosopopaeia, or personification. Over the fourth part of the earth - One fourth of mankind was to feel the desolating effects of this seal. To kill with sword - War; with... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 6:1-17

Six seals opened. The ground thought of this book is "The Lord is coming." Concerning this Professor Godet remarks, "L'histoire du monde dans son essence se resume dans ces trois roots: Il vient; il est venu; il revient. C'est sur cette idee que repose le plan du drame apocalyptique." £ Even the prophecies of the Old Testament, which dealt so largely with the first coming, shot far ahead and reached even to the second, e.g. Joel. Our Lord himself is very clear on this topic ( ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 6:1-17

The opening of the seals. The Book of Revelation may be said to consist—with the exception of Revelation 2:1-29 and Revelation 3:1-22 —of a vast picture gallery. And this not so much because of the number of the pictures, as their sublimity and extent. Revelation 1:1-20 . is the portraiture of "the Son of man." Then there is a vast canvas, stretching from Revelation 4:1-11 to 11, and representing the judgment and fall of Jerusalem. Then from Revelation 12:1-17 to 19 another... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 6:1-17

The seven seals; or, the development of good and evil in human history. "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see," etc. In this chapter we have the breaking open of six of the seals of that mystic roll containing the Divine plan of the government of the world, and as held in the bands of Christ who is the great Expounder. The opening of these seals suggests to our notice and presses on... read more

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