at the altar:" and from under the altar we hear their complaint. Ib. They cried.] In the figurative language of Scripture, the blood of the murdered is said to cry from the ground to the Lord for vengeance †. Ver. 10. Sovereign Lord.] In the Greek, SETTOTYS, which is applied to God, as the sovereign Arbiter and Disposer of all things ‡. Ib. How long?] Such, with pious sufferers, has ever been the subject of enquiry and complaint: "How long "shall the ungodly triumph§? For wise reasons, in part discoverable now, but which will be completely apparent hereafter, the Almighty, in forbearance, suspends his certain vengeance on the triumphant wicked ||. But in chapter xv. of this prophecy, we shall see a complete answer to this complaint;-we shall see the martyrs triumphant, and the "just judgments of God" manifested. Ver. 11. And there was given unto them white raiment.] White raiment is emblematic of innocence, purity, and justification through Christ ¶. "Precious "in the sight of the Lord is the blood of his saints **.” To those who suffer in the cause of their Redeemer, are promised great rewards in heaven tt: and what can be more glorious, than to be presented pure, and blameless, and justified, in the sight of God! To this blessing, they who suffer for the word are entitled ++. *Rom. viii. 36. 2 Tim. iv. 6. Phil. ii, 17. Gen. iv. 10: and see Grotius on Heb. xi. 4. Luke ii. 29; Acts iv. 24; 2 Pet. ii. 1. § Psalm xciv. 3. See Luke xviii. 7, 8; which has resemblance to this passage. See note, ch. iii. 4. ++ Matt. v. 12. ** Psalm lxxii. 14. #Dan, xii. 10. Ib. They should rest yet a time, until their fellowservants also and their brethren should be completed, who were about to be slain, even as they had been.] A general day of recompense, and of vengeance on wicked persecutors, is universally promised in the Word of God. Until that time come, although persecutors may be seen to suffer some exemplary punishments *, yet the adequate and complete vengeance of a Just God is delayed. Under this seal, the promise of a Divine retribution is renewed, and the lists are still kept open for additional martyrs who shall conquer in the cause of their Redeemer. At the time when this prophecy was delivered, there had been but few martyrs to the Christian cause. We are here taught to expect (that which subsequent history has produced) a numerous succession of suffering witnesses, through a long period of time. We were prepared, by the imagery of the second and third, and more especially of the fourth seal, to expect some account of those that should be ex slain in such times "for the testimony of the word." In this seal it comes forward, but in general description only, (as in the preceding seals,) to be resumed in the sequel of the prophecy †. The period of time, occupied by the martyrs under this seal, is therefore from the death of our Lord, who is properly the first Christian Martyr, to the great day of recompense, when the "noble Army of Martyrs" will be completed and avenged. But the point of time in which their history is especially delineated, under this seal, seems to be towards the close of the fourth seal, when they had suffered cessatio of the him. * See some striking instances adduced in Jortin's Eccl. Hist. iiiich 246-322. + See ch. xi. 7-14. xiii. 7. xv. 2—5. xviii. 20. xx. 4. vaih such enormities of persecution, that the question "how "long," seems more emphatically called forth, and thus the events of the fifth seal, as here interpreted, will be found to stand in their proper place. PART II. SECTION VIII. The opening of the sixth Seal. 12 Καὶ εἶδον, ὅτι ἤνοια ξε την σφραγίδα τὴν ἕκτην και σεισ μος μέγας ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ἐγένετο μέλας, ὡς σάκχα τρίχινον, καὶ ἡ σε λήνη ὅλη ἐγένετο ὡς 13 αἷμα· Καὶ οἱ ἀδέ ρες τῇ ἐρανῦ ἔπεσαν εἰς τὴν γῆν, ὡς συκῆ βαλλει τὲς ἐλύνθος αὐτῆς, ὑπὸ μεγάλες 14ἀνέμει σειομένη Καὶ ὁ ἐρανὸς ἀπεχωείσθη ὡς βιβλίον είν λισσόμενον, καὶ πᾶν ὄξος καὶ νῆσος ἐκ τῶν τόπων αὑτῶν ἐκινή 15θησαν Καὶ οἱ βασι CHAP. VI. VER. 12-to the end. 12 And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal; and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black, as sack-cloth of hair; and all the moon became 13 as blood: And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when shaken by a 14 mighty wind: And the heaven was removed as a volume rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the chief captains, and the rich men, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and [every] freeman, 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal; and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sack-cloth of hair, and the moon became 13 as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty 14 wind: And the heaven departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of 15 their places: And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every J ἐλεύθερΘ, ἔκρυψαν ἡ μεγάλη τῆς ὀργῆς hid themselves in the "day of his wrath is bond-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the 16 mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? ται ςαθῆναι ; Ver. 12. Sixth seal.] In the complaint of the martyrs under the fifth seal, it was asked, "how long" the day of vengeance and of recompence should be delayed? The answer to which was expressed in general terms, "When the number of martyrs should be com'pleted." The sixth seal represents the arrival of this awful day: "The great day of his wrath is come; and "who may be able to stand!" Now, if this great day be (as I trust will be made apparent in these notes) the great day of universal recompence, and which cannot take place till all martyrdom is over, the prophecy bends fore us evidently describes a time which is still future. Such a prophecy cannot be now illustrated, as all prophecy should be, by the event, as delivered in history. In a prophecy of this description, all that the commentator can prudently attempt is, to cast upon it what assistant light he can, by comparing it with the other prophecies of the Old and New Testament, which bear relation to it. This shall be our present object, after having first ascertained the meaning of the figurative terms employed in the narration. Ib. A great earthquake.] When the earth is shaken violently by subterraneous commotion, the buildings erected upon it fall. Agreeably to this, in ... prophetical language, whatever commotion, by Divine appointment, shakes and overturns political fabrics and 10) empires, is called earthquake*. I above Ib. The sun became black as sack-cloth of hair, and all the moon became as blood.] In such figurative language, great calamities, which bereave men of the usual sources of their comforts, are frequently expressed. The sun, under such deprivation, seems no longer to shine, but is enveloped in raiment of mourning; for, such, with the eastern nations of antiquity, was sackcloth of hair. The moon glares horribly, like blood; the stars fall. Ver. 13. Figs.] See Isaiah xxxiv. 4. Nahum iii. 12. Ver. 14. As a volume rolled up.] A sheet of parchment, upon which the ancient books were written §, being in its nature elastic, is seen to roll up in an instant, when he that extends it quits his hold. Then the characters, written or painted upon it, vanish from the sight, with a rapidity, which aptly expresses this sudden disappearance of the splendid luminaries in heaven, at the command of their Maker. The same image is used by Isaiah, ch. xxxiv. 4. * Psalm ix. 2. xcvii. 1-7. xcix. 1. Isaiah ii. 19. xiii. 13. xxiv 18-21. Jer. iv. 24. x. 10. xlix. 21. Joel ii. 10. iii. 16. Mic. vi. 2. Hab. xii. 26. Amos viii. 8. Hagg. ii. 6, 7, 21, 22. Isaiah xiii. 10. xxiv. 4, 23. Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8. Amos viii. 8, 9. Joel ii. 10. iii, 15. Matt. xxiv. 29. Mark xiii. 24, 25. Luke xxi. 25. Acts ii. 20. § See note, ch. v. 1. |