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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. |
The Lamb – The newly slain Lamb. R5080:6
Four beasts – See comments on Rev. 4:6, 8.
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| 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sitteth thereon hath a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering and to conquer. |
Behold, a white horse – The events of the opening of the first seal, are identical with those of Rev. 19 which occur after the marriage of the Lamb. HG81:5
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| 3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. |
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| 4 And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sitteth thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. |
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| 5 And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sitteth thereon had a balance in his hand. |
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| 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not. |
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| 7 And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. |
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| 8 And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth. |
And Hell – Greek, hades, oblivion. E378; R2600:4
Symbol of destruction or the grave. R2600:4
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| 9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the witness which they held: |
Souls of them – The martyrs of the past. R5462:6, 4015:6
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| 10 and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? |
And they cried – A symbolical picture of justice, long deferred, crying for vengeance. R4036:5, 5462:6, 5240:2,4, 4651:6, 4015:6
The fears and sufferings of the Lord's people and their trials and difficulties ascend to the Lord in prayer and call to divine justice for vengeance, recompense, punishments, without any word from his people to this effect. R4347:2
How long – Reason assures that it cannot be the divine purpose to forever permit the victory of sin and death. SM185:T
O Lord – Greek, despotes, sovereign or autocrat. E70
Avenge our blood – The Lord has an accurate system of bookkeeping. Q299:T
There are many sins, many injustices of the past, as well of the present, which are still unaccounted for to justice. R4428:5
There is a great back-account of retribution owing to the rest of the world which will be fully squared in the awful trouble with which this age will end. R4273:6; 5874:3, 4; NS486:2
All the remaining accounts of the world will be squared during the great time of trouble just before us. R5874:4, 5462:6, 4273:6; OV346:1
There seems to be a special charge of justice against whoever is culpable, or responsible for the death or persecution of the saints. R4651:6, 4652:1
That Day of Vengeance is about at the door of Christendom. R5240:2
Justice is merely waiting for the full number of those persecuted for righteousness' sake to be completed, and then the punishment will come. R4428:5
On them – The living generation will in a measure become responsible for the transgressions of the past as well as for their own, and be permitted to fill up a measure of the retribution represented in this time of trouble and its seven last plagues. NS486:2
All the blood of God's holy ones, from the beginning of this Gospel age, will be required of the present generation. R4015:6, 5462:6
For willful sin there will be satisfaction rendered through the great time of trouble. R5240:2; Q299:T
It seems that the legal expiation of these sins must be accomplished by the scapegoat class. R5463:2, 5874:2,3
The Great Company, failing to sacrifice during the acceptable time, will be permitted to share a considerable measure of that trouble coming upon the world. R4428:5, 4016:4
The cry of justice will be satisfied in connection with the death of these innocent persons of the Great Company class in the time of trouble. In this way the vengeance will be met. R4652:5, 2
They will be permitted to share in this time of trouble to the extent of laying down their lives, because if they do not die, they cannot have a share in the spiritual blessings. Q299:T
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| 11 And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have completed their course. |
Rest yet for a little season – The answer was not that their blood should never be avenged, but that a time would intervene because others, their brethren, would suffer in like manner. NS486:2
Wait a little season, the vengeance will come. OV346:2
Should be killed – The faithful minister of the Gospel is persecuted. Thus are the prophets prohibited, "killed" and "beheaded" who do not shun to declare the truth, the whole counsel of God, today. R2282:4
Should be fulfilled – When all of this class shall have experienced their share of the sufferings of Christ. OV346:2
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| 12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; |
A great earthquake – Revolution. R2334:4; A336; D528
And the sun – Symbolically, the Gospel light, the truth, and thus Christ Jesus. D590
Became black – Literally in the dark day of May 19, 1780, which extended over 320,000 square miles. D587
Symbolically, by denial that we were bought with the precious blood, and by substituting the theory of Evolution. D592
And the moon – Symbolically, the light of the Mosaic Law. D590
Became as blood – By claims that the typical sacrifices were bloody and barbaric. D592
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| 13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth its unripe figs when it is shaken of a great wind. |
And the stars – Symbolically, the false stars, wandering stars, vainly aspiring to be considered of equal authority with the "Twelve stars," (Rev. 12:1), the inspired apostles. D591, D593
Fell unto the earth – Literally, the meteoric shower of Nov. 13, 1833, covering 11 million square miles. D588
Symbolically, the false stars make a great display in coming down from spiritual things to the Christian-citizenship-politics level. D595
Untimely figs – The first, crude, untimely growth. R4844:1*
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| 14 And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. |
And the heaven – Religious societies. R1705:5
The nominal church, the ecclesiastical heavens. D552; A318; R1947:6, 1766:2; HG316:5
The powers of the heavens (ecclesiastical powers) are being shaken. (Matt. 24:29) R1947:6
Certainly not the literal heavens, separated by millions of miles of space in which there is nothing to roll away. B169
Departed as a scroll – Not in one great roll, but in two separate divisions or parts. R1705:5; D552
Protestantism and Catholicism will never unite in one system. The coming Protestant federation will be distinct from Catholicism and that, while treating each other with respect, the two will really be in opposition as the two sides of a scroll down to the time of their mutual and sudden collapse. (Isa. 34:4) R2061:6, 1705:5
The coming union will not be an amalgamation but a federation. R1766:5
The heavens of ecclesiasticism rolling together, uniting for mutual protection or strength, will eventually be destroyed by the social conflagration of that great Day of the Lord. NS200:2
Is rolled together – The way is preparing for the rolling together of the heaven--Protestant and Roman Catholic--in the near future. (Matt. 24:29; Isa. 34:4; Volume IV, Chapter 12) R2309:4; R2047
As their confusion increases, Catholicism and Protestantism roll together for self-protection. D258; R5349:4
They believe that in union there is strength. R1947:6
The extremes of the ecclesiastical heavens, Catholic and Protestant, will be drawn together. R4698:6
Papacy and Protestantism, as the two distinct ends of the scroll are even now rapidly approaching each other. D552, D551, D258, D267; R1766:2, 1705:5
All not disposed to unite with either side of the scroll are likely to be classed as "infidels," not only by unionists, but also by the worldly. R1766:2
And every mountain – Kingdom. A318; D45; R511:4, 716:2*, 268:6
Island – Republican government. R511:3, 716:2*; D45
Were moved – The time of falling of kingdoms. R268:6, 26:6
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| 15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; |
Hid themselves – The powers of earth will seek to make alliances with one another for self-protection, and to hide themselves from the sure-coming storm. R592:6; SM738:1
Dens and in the rocks – The fortresses of society--insurance companies, beneficial societies, Free Masonry, Odd Fellowship, Trade Unions, Guilds, Trusts, and all societies secular and ecclesiastical. B139; D45; R621:5, 268:6, 26:3; SM738:1
Secret orders. HG612:1; SM738:1
By seeking protection and cover of social organizations. NS200:2
Of the mountains – Governments of earth. B139; R716:2*, 621:5, 511:4; HG612:1
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| 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall over us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: |
To the mountains – Kingdoms. A318; D45; R1963:4, 592:6, 268:6, 26:3
And rocks – The rocks of society are its social organizations, each of which seeks to protect its own membership. R5577:3, 592:6, 268:6; B139; CR291:4
Fall on us – Greek, epi, over or about, to cover and protect us, not to destroy us. The common view that wicked men will get enough faith to pray for mountains to fall is absurd. B139; R5577:3, 268:6, 26:3; SM738:1
The tendency of all as the storm approaches will be to seek cover, protection, under the great mountains (kingdoms) and in the rocks of society (beneficial orders). R1963:4
The great, the rich and no less the poor are already seeking shelter from the darkening storm of trouble which all see is gathering. B139
To hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. HG83:2
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| 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? |
Day of his wrath – A period of time during which the Gospel and Millennial ages lap. R409:1, 25:3
The way in which the change of dispensation will be effected. R1814:2
A natural consequence of the transfer of authority and rulership from the devil to Christ. R409:3, 592:2
The great day of trouble coming--"the Day of Jehovah." R2935:6
"The day of the Lord is darkness and not light." (Amos 5:18) R592:2
"And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come." (Rev. 11:18) R592:2
"I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen (nations)." (Hag. 2:22) R592:2
"A day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess." (Zeph. 1:15) R409:4
In which the world will have an illustration of its own money-mad condition. R4522:2
God's wrath will continue to its completion-- anarchy. R5567:4
Is come – Those who could not see the Lord's presence from the Scriptures will learn of it from the transpiring events. R621:5
We are in the testing time, when (in the Church) every man's faith and works are to be tested "so as by fire." (1 Cor. 3:15) R2453:2
Who shall be able – "Who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth." (Mal. 3:2) R3865:2
"He that hath clean hands and a pure heart." (Psa. 24:4) "The very elect," (Matt. 24:24), will not be deceived. D582; R3719:2
The holy--the sanctified in Christ Jesus. R5268:5
Those whose habitation is the Lord. (Psa. 91:9) R4304:2
None but the faithful, because the Lord will purposely make the test so severe as to sift out all others. R1280:1
"A thousand shall fall at thy side." (Psa. 91:7) R3198:6
The inspection will be so crucial as to test all of the saints. R3865:2
To stand – The hour of temptation which shall come upon the whole world. SM117:2
See comments on Rev. 3:10.
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