Annotations Upon the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
IN this Chapter the seales are against Pagane Rome, in the eighth Chapter the Trumpets are against Christian Rome, in the 16. Chapter the vialls are poured on Rome Antichristian.
Vers. 2. And I saw, and behold a white horse] This figureth the Virgin primitive Church upholding the purity of doctrine, and discipline of faith and workes,Vide Pareum. as appointed by the Apostles.
And he that sat on him had a bow] Christ riding on his white horse hath a bow,See 19.11. See Psal. 45.6. Dr Sibbes. Ministers are called whit… horses, 1. Horses in that God useth them in his battailes against sin, Satan, the world and wicked ones, and white for the purity of their doctrine and integrity of their lives. and goeth forth conquering in the Ministry, that he may overcome either to conversion, or confusion, Rev. 19.11. The conquerers entred into Rome carried on a white horse, The doubling of the word (saith Pareus) designes his present and future victory.
And a Crowne was given to him] viz. Regall or rather triumphall.
Vers. 4. There went out another horse that was red] This deciphers the Church now red with martyrdome, under the ten great persecutions raised up by Domitian, Trajane, Nero, Antonine, Decius, Dioclesian, Maxentius, Licinius, and other cruell tyrants, even untill the times of Constantine the great.
Vers. 5. Lo a black horse] This notes the estate of the Church now blacke and in an afflicted condition by Hereticks which had mingled the truth of pure white doctrine with blacke darknesse of heresies and errours.
To this horse is attributed a ballance to designe exceeding great scarcity, when according to the curse of the Law, Levit. 26.26. men shall eate their bread by weight;By the ballance is meant the Scripture faith Pareus, which Heretickes pretend. See Lam. 4.8. rather saith Pareus, a scarcitie of the word, Amos 8.11. Mr Mede would have the matter of this seale to bee, not famine or dearth of victuall, but the administration and severity of Justice through the Romane Empire. The colour of the horse agrees (saith hee) to the severity of justice, and the weights *Justice is painted with a paire of ballances.are a symbole of justice.
Vers. 7. Come and see] That is, come that thou maist see.
Vers. 8. And behold a pale horse] Austen and Beda, apply it to the martyring of Saints, Bullenger and Forbes to plagues of death.
Pale] The Greeke word properly signifieth, Greene as the grosse; sometimes it is that dead coulour of herbes that wax dry, whence it is sometimes put for palenesse, Equus hic dicitur foreign, quod significat viridem colorem, eum qui ad pallorem tendit cujusmodi hoc autumnali tempore arborum & vitium folia conspicimus quae deficiente succo nunc defluunt. Pareus.which is the hew of any withering and fading thing, so Constance the Father of Constantine the Great was called Chlorus, because of his palenesse, as Zonarus saith in the life of Dioclesian.
And hell followed with him] Hell the page of death attends him where ever he goes among the wicked sort, therefore they are often coupled in this booke, Death and Hell. Some understand by it the grave, when they are dead, they goe to be buried;Vide Cornel à Lapide. so some interpret that article in the Creed, hee descended into hell, That is, abode in the state of the dead; but he speakes here (say some) of the wicked, and judgements to them, therefore it is meant of Hell.
Brightman would rather have the Grave to be here meant, seeing many Saints (saith hee) dyed among the rest, of whom it were wicked to thinke that they were devoured of the Hell of the damned.
And with death] i.e. The Plague. The LXX use this word, Exod. 9.3.2. Sam. 24.13. It is called mortality by ecclesiasticall writers,Vide Bezam, & Mede. which now hath passed into many mother Tongues.
Soules] i.e. The persons which were martyred. under the Altar] Bcause their martyrdome was a certaine sacrifice. 2 Tim. 4.6. Phil. 2.11.Vers. 9. I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held] That is under Christs protection and custody. Haymo, Aquinas, Beza, Pareus. Under the shadow of his wings, the phrase alluding to the Tabernacle which gave the offerings grace and acceptation
Lying under the Altar] That is, (saith Mr Mede) upon the ground, at the foote of the Altar, like Sacrifices newly slaine.
Vers. 10. And they cryed with a loud voyce] This is not to bee understood of the desire of blessed soules, or of any proper act of theirs, since it will not agree to their felicity;River. but in the same manner that Abells bloud is said to cry, because their death being alwayes fresh in Gods fight, requires revenge from the divine justice, the Saints in the meane time remaining secure.
That which the propheticall vision representeth is to be understood suitably to Christianity, and to the kingdome of God attained by it. Since therefore revenge is contrary to the principles of Christianity,Thorndikes right of the Church in a Christian state. ch. 5. we cannot imagine, that blessed soules desire it, but the cry which they make, must be understood to bee the provocation of God to vengeance, which their sufferings produce: So much more pertinently attributed to blessed soules, in as much as, being acquainted with Gods counsells, they approve and rejoyce in his Justice, and the advancement of his Church by the meanes of it.
Vers. 11. And white robes were given unto every one of them] A cloathing of Princes in their great solemnities of coronation and triumphs,White was ever the colour of joy, 2 Sam. 6.14. Stola Albae principium gloriae caelestis defiguant. Pareus. sayes Eusebius; they were wont so to dignifie servants at their manumissions with white apparell, in token of their new liberty and preferment. In the Primitive Church one of the *B. Lake. The whole Easter weeke Christians wore wh…te apparell, they were baptized then, and wore white after. The weeke some while after Easter was called Dominica in albis and Whitsontide from white, See Mede.Ceremonies of baptisme was this, that the baptized person had a cleane white garment put upon him, with these words, Take this white garment, and keepe it unspotted untill thou be presented before the Tribunall of Christ; the Churches meaning was, he should continue in that innocencie which he received in baptisme.
Fulgentes animas vestis quoque candida signat.
Esay 13.10. Mede.Vers. 12. And the Sun became blacke as sackcloth of haire, and the Moone became as bloud] This is a circumlocution of the eclipse of these lights, wherein the Sun is wont to appeare blacke, but the Moone reddish.