that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. the devil himself, who was the author of all their misery. He was let loose at this time to utterly destroy the nation. See chap. 20: 2. And hell followed with him. The Roman army, the hell upon earth: who are elsewhere called the pit of perdition, the sons of the destroyer of the Gentiles, the most cruel, barbarous and inhuman set of men that ever lived; they spared neither men, women nor children, young nor old, rich nor poor. They even ripped open the women and strewed their very bowels about the street, and this in search of gold, which they heard had been swallowed by them. They also had fire, brimstone, and other combustible materials with them to burn up houses and cities and fortifications: and this may be another reason why John calls them the pit of perdition. Power over the fourth part of the earth. They had at this time dominion over every part of the earth; had conquered the whole world; and it was predicted by Daniel that when the Romans had dominion over the earth that the Messiah should then be cut off, but not for his own sins, but for the sins of the people. This proves, beyond doubt, that Messiah has come, for the Roman empire has fallen, and can never be restored again. Therefore the Messiah has come, and Jesus of Nazareth is the very person beyond a shadow of doubt. The fourth part of the earth, however, may refer to their conquest over the whole land of Judea, which was to be laid waste and utterly destroyed by them. See Ez. 6 11. To kill with sword. To destroy by war and bloodshed.* And with hunger. Famine, starvation.† This was a just retaliation, for they had shed the blood of the Lamb of God; also the blood of his zealous apostles, and innocent followers. See chap. 16: 6. + They refused to eat the bread of life, and they died literally for want of bread; and the famine was so great that women had to eat their own children, as had been foretold by Moses nearly two thousand years previous. But this was not the only instance of their misery, for others were obliged to eat their girdles, and the very shoes off their feet, and the leather that belonged to their shields they pulled off and gnawed; and the very wisps of old hay became food for some. How exactly was the prophecy of Ezekiel fulfilled. Chap. 4: 15, 16. Their own historian says that they staggered round the city like mad dogs, and reeled to and fro against the houses like drunken men, See Jer. 5: 17. 9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And with death. The pestilence as well as the famine.* And with the beasts of the earth. Wild, lawless, and savage nations. Ez. 14:21; Is. 56: 9.† 9 Opened the fifth seal. Explained the fifth prediction, that is, of Jeremiah. Chap. 2:34; 19: 4. I saw under the altar. That is, the sacred spot where their innocent blood was shed; some were slain in one place and some in another, but all in Jerusalem, and not in Rome, unless Paul, and this was at the instigation of the wicked and malicious Jews. Some were slain in the temple and in the city, and others at the very altar; some were stoned to death, and others sawn asunder outside the walls of it. But a prophet, as our Lord declares, could not perish out of Jerusalem. The souls of them that were slain. Ministers and martyrs of Jesus, who were offered up on the Jewish (not on the heathen) altar. Oh no! the Gentiles have not this sin to answer for. Even the crucifixion of Christ cannot be charged on them. Pontius Pilate washed his hands out of his innocent blood, and the Jews exclaimed, "His blood be on us and on our children!" and this curse is on them to this day. * They closed their eyes on the light of the glorious gospel, and when expiring, fixed their eyes on their temple, and died with their mouths and eyes open; many of them died with hunger, and others with grief, and some by the sword and by fire, and others by the pestilence, while some were their own murderers; others were crucified on crosses outside of their own walls, and others were torn to pieces by the wild beasts spoken of in the next clause of this verse. This was the miserable and unhappy end of these wicked and persecuting Jews. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Sinner, take warning by this, your end may be miserable if you harden your heart and stiffen your neck against reproof. The Lord is a consuming fire, out of Christ, to all the workers of iniquity. + Our Lord compares the Roman army to a flock of eagles, and the Jewish nation to a dead carcass, which was now going to be devoured by them. See Matt. 24:28. But here, and in Ezek. 32: 4, they are compared to the most wild and terrible beasts of the forest, which had been collected together to tear in pieces and devour those miserable Jews. Titus gave orders to his army to encompass Jerusalem with a wall; after which they died in thousands by the famine, and others swallowed down pieces of gold, and deserted to the Romans; and these unmerciful and cruel beasts heard of it, and without any regard to humanity, or any fear of punishment from their commanders, in one night they murdered two thousand of these deserters, and ripped them open, and searched their stomachs for the gold they had swallowed down. See Josephus, War, book 5, 13: 4. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. Hence, nash-me-thin da-ka-too-le, the souls of them that were slain. Zohar on Exod. fol. 79: 4. The Word of God. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And for the testimony which they held. The doctrines which they believed and preached to the world-that is, the divinity of Christ, inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, repentance and remission of sins through his name, the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. 10 Cried with a loud voice. For vengeance on their murderers and persecutors. The city had now become as famous for murder, robbery, and martyrdom, as it formerly was celebrated for piety. Hence," How has the faithful city become a harlot ! It was full of judgment-righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers." Is. 1: 21. Our Savior declares that all the innocent blood shed upon the earth, from the foundation of the world to this time, should come on that generation, and that a prophet could not perish out of Jerusalem. See Matt. 23: 35-37; 2 Kings, 21: 16; 24: 4; Is. 59: 7.* On them that dwell on the earth. On the proud, haughty, imperious nation, who has spiritual dominion over the earth, who professes to love God, but in works denies him. “ They killed the Lord Jesus," says Paul, "and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and they please not God, and are contrary to (more vile than) all men." 1 Thes. 1: 15, 16. 11 White robes. Pure, spotless garments. They had washed them white in the blood of the Lamb. Should rest yet for a little season. That is, three years and six months; the measure of their iniquity would then be full, and their final destruction accomplished; and all the ministers and martyrs of Jesus who died in the faith be raised from the dead, and reign with Christ a thousand years in Paradise. Chap. 20: 4. Should be fulfilled. In the general * If a man be guilty of murder, and the crime cannot be proved against him, and he is not willing to acknowledge it, yet the vengeance of God will pursue him, and the punishment that He will inflict on him inthis life will be more severe than the death of the gallows. 12 And 1 beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood: 13 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 wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is roll persecution raised against the church by the emperor Nero. Chap. 12: 7. When these blessed and holy men shall have sealed their testimony with their own blood, then all the martyrs shall be raised to glory, immortality, and eternal life. The Jews will then have sealed their own final destruction in this persecution, as they were the instigators of it. 12 The sixth seal. The prophecy of Joel. See Joel, 2:31. An earthquake. Ahaking, trembling of the nations. The calamities at this time were so great, dark, dismal, dreadful, that Jews and Gentiles believed that the world was coming to an end. Our Lord's prediction, as well as that of Daniel, were now on the very eve of fulfilment. Matt. 24: 7, 22; Isaiah, 29:6; Hagai, 2: 6,7; Joel, 3:16. The sun became black as sackcloth. Was turned into deep mourning, because of the wickedness of the people.* And the moon became as blood. To indicate that the blood of the nation should now be shed because of the murder of her own prophets and King Messiah. 13 The stars of heaven fell. The bright luminaries of the Jewish church. The prophets, priests, kings, 1. This may mean the glo of the nation, namely, the temple. It became entirely eclipsed by fire. See verse 14, and 21: 23. 2. It may have reference to the glorious Sun of Righteousness, who was shining upon them until the thick cloud of the Roman army veiled his light from the minds of the Jews. Ezek. 32: 7. 3. St. John may allude to the time of the great darkness which took place prior to our Savior's crucifixion, which continued over the whole land from the sixth to the ninth hour. Matt. 27: 45. At this time he might have perceived more clearly to what this darkness alluded, namely, that as the Jews had crucified the glorious Sun of Righteousness, and the natural sun refused to reflects light, because of the guilt of their crime. So, in like manner, when the Roman soldies should come to crucify them for the murder of their Messiah and prophets, the Sun Righteousness would be as black with wrath as the land of Judea was with darkness when they had crucified the Lord of Glory. ed together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, &c. These were extinguished for ever by the pestilence and famine, by war and bloodshed. Stars, among the Rabbins, mean prophets, priests, kings, and rulers. See Kimkie on Zech. 15:5; Is. 24: 23; Lam. 1: 15, 19. 14 The heaven departed. The Jewish heaven, the church; it vanished for ever. This title (heaven) is frequently applied in the Rabbinical writings to the Jewish nation, because once a holy, happy people. See Is. 1: 2; 13: 13. The following clause illustrates this more fully.* Every mountain. The rich, great, noble, princely. Hence we-el a-ze-lai be-nai yis ra-el. On the nobles of the children of Israel. Exod. 24: 11; Ez. 6:3; 36: 6. Kimkie and Mich. 6: 1. Island. Or hill. Ez. 6:3. Learned, popular, exalted, men. The Lord brought down the high and lofty looks of man low in the dust, and he alone was exalted in that day. Hence every valley (poor person) shall be filled up, (exalted,) and every mountain (noble man) and hill (rich, popular man) shall be brought low, (humbled, subdued,) and the rough places (barbarous nations) become smooth, (mild, harmless,) and the crooked places (dishonest, drunken men) become straight, (even, sober, upright, just,) and all flesh (Jew and Gentile) shall see the salvation of God Matt. 3: 5, 6. Hence, " every poor person shall be exalted, and every rich and proud person be humbled; the dishonest become just, upright and the barbarians mild, gentle." Is 40: 4. The wolf shall then, (in Messiah's day,) lie down with the lamb, and a little child shall lead them. Is. 11: 6. Were removed out of their places. *This is a title given to the Jewish nation, because God himself formerly resided among them. See Jer. 2: 12. They are here represented as departing, or passing away; the same as the sun, the moon, and the stars, at the day of judgment. Their sacrifices were all done away in Christ: their priests were destroyed, partly by themselves and partly by the Roman army. Lam. 4: 16, and 5: 12, &c. and chap. 9:21. The temple was burnt to ashes, and not one stone left upon another which was not thrown down, as our Lord predicted. Luke, 21: 5, 6. And the golden vessels belonging to the temple, with the priest's garments, and the book of the law, were a carried to Rome by Titus; and the city itself was burnt to ashes, and the very foundation of it ploughed up like a field, by Terentius Rufus, as had been foretold by the prophet Micah. See chap. 3: 12. This officer was left in care of the city after Titus had left it for Rome |