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The first seal broken: war 1 And I saw that the Lamb had opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures, as it were the voice of thunder, saying: Come, and see. 2 And I saw: and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and there was a crown given him, and he went forth conquering that he might conquer. 6:2 The white horse is the Church, and its rider is Christ. (St. Caesarius, Primasius, St. Bede) Or the white horse is the body of Christ (Ps. Jerome) or the gospel, and the rider is a symbol victory. (Oecumenius) The bow is the preached word. (Nicholas of Lyra) or that is, the bow of the Scriptures, which strikes our hearts in order that we may be wounded with love. (St. Thomas Aquinas) The second seal broken: strife 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature, saying: Come, and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and to him that sat thereon, it was given that he should take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, and a great sword was given to him. 6:4 red horse: That is sinister and evil people, bloodthirsty from its rider, the Devil. (St. Caesarius of Arles, St. Bede) Or the red horse is a symbol of the martyrs and the rider is Christ. (Ps. Jerome) Red denotes what is fiery, hence also anger and wrath. (Dionysius the Areopagite Cel Hier 15) take peace: For the Lord did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword, and to raise up a son against his father and a bride against her mother-in-law.Matt. 10:34-35 (Oecumenius) When to this most -wicked one sitting upon the horse it is shown that it is granted for the wicked to kill one another, we are not in this passage to understand a carnal but a spiritual slaughter; especially as in the figurative expressions under which the Apocalypse is concealed, the letter that kills is by no means to be introduced. And there was given to him a great sword: As if it should be said, a sword both spiritual and malignant, with which, by their spiritual wickedness, they fight against the church, and by which they slay not the bodies but the souls of the wicked. For the sword is that of evil speaking, the sword of corrupt persuasion and pestiferous deception. It is principally in these two ways that our ancient enemy strikes, when either by himself individually he deceives by creating an interior spiritual language, or else, when he attains his object in effecting the slaying of the soul, by outwardly actuating the tongue of his carnally-minded followers. (St. Ambrosius Autpertus) The third seal broken: pestilence 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying: Come, and see. And behold a black horse, and he that sat on him had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying: Two pounds of wheat for a penny, and thrice two pounds of barley for a penny, and see you hurt not the wine and the oil. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature, saying: Come, and see. 8 And behold a pale horse, and he that sat upon him, his name was Death, and hell followed him. And power was given to him over the four parts of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. 6:5 The black horse signifies famine, for the Lord says, "There shall be famines in divers places;" but the word is specially extended to the times of Antichrist, when there shall be a great famine, and when all shall be injured. Moreover, the scales in the hand is the examining scales, wherein He might show forth the merits of every individual. (St. Victorinus) Or black signifies heretics who are black with the turpitude of error. (Rabanus Maurus) Or the scales signify a right and just discretion in the understanding and preaching of the Scriptures. Hand signifies the heretics themselves, by whom the devil operates. The sitter, therefore, is said to have had a pair of balances in his hand, because the discretion and intelligence which heretics say they possess is here ascribed to the devil. (Richard of St. Victor) 6:6 By wine it is understood the blood of Christ, by the oil the annointing of chrism. In the wheat and barley is understood the whole Church, either with its greatest to the least, or with its ecclesiastical superiors and its people. (St. Caesarius of Arles) The fifth seal broken: martyrs 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. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (holy and true) do you not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given to every one of them one; and it was said to them, that they should rest for a little time, till their fellow servants, and their brethren, who are to be slain, even as they, should be filled up. 6:9 under the alter: At present the souls of the saints are under the altar, that is, less exalted than they will be. Therefore their happiness will be greater after the resurrection than after their death. (St. Thomas Aquinas) 6:10 how long: They ask not this in hatred of their enemies, for whom they made supplication in this age. But in a love of justice, in which, as they who are placed near the Judge Himself, they agree with Him, they pray for the coming of the day of judgment, in which the reign of sin may be destroyed, and the resurrection of their lifeless bodies may come. For we also, in the present time, when we are commanded to pray for our enemies, say nevertheless, when we pray to the Lord, "Thy kingdom come." (St. Bede) The sixth seal broken: great signs 12 And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair: and the whole moon became as blood: 13 And the stars from heaven fell upon the earth, as the fig tree casts its green figs when it is shaken by a great wind: 14 And the heaven departed as a book folded up: and every mountain, and the islands were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and tribunes, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains: 16 And they say to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitsh upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of their wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? 6:12 This is believed partly as something which had been done at the Lord's passion, and partly as something to be done in the future, (St. Bede) and of the taking of Jerusalem. It is said, indeed, that many such phenomena actually did occur in the sky, as Josephus attests. (St. John Chrysostom) Firstly, this clearly describes for us the miracles that took place at the cross- the earthquake and the turbulence of the earth Matt. 27:52, the darkness of the sun Lk. 23:44, and the changing of the full moon into blood, (Oecumenius) and these are also the signs of the end of the world. (St. Basil) The blackness of the sun, and the obscuration of the moon 'and its blood color, denote the blindness and darkness of those whom the Lord will then overtake in his wrath. (Andreas of Caesarea) 6:13 The falling of the stars perhaps actually took place, but if not, the account symbolically means that the heavenly light ceased, and that it became completely dark. (Oecumenius) Or the stars falling to the earth signify those who were reputed to be lights of the world; who, being cast down through fear of punishment, will fall away from the faith and truth, into perfidy and error. For, as Christ the Lord forewarns us, so great will be the affliction, that, if it were possible, the very elect will be seduced. (Andreas of Caesarea) 6:14 heaven departed as a book: This means that because of God’s mercy He prevented the powers in heaven from destroying the earth and those who live on it. mountain and islands: Mountains means the disobedient kings and leaders of Satan. The islands are those who have indulged in the luxury of the world but do not live according to the faith. These shall quickly perish and they shall be removed from eternal life. ( Bulus al-Bushi) Or the heaven departed as a scroll; heaven, that is, the Church, in which are reposited the Sacraments of the Church; rolled up and closed; for they will withdraw themselves from the use of Christians, and be hidden from public and solemn observance. Men's hearts failing them from fear of Antichrist, and for the expectation of those things which will come upon the whole earth. (Anselm of Havelberg) 6:15-16 For they do not want to experience the divine wrath that with divine consent will pour down upon them either at the coming of the Antichrist in the form of punishments from the famine and other plagues of in endless torments which are expected after the resurrection. For then the divine anger will burn righteously as a furnace, consuming those who built upon the foundation of faith with wood and chaff and stubble, as though food for the fire. (St. Andrew of Caesrea) Or the kings of the earth, princes, and tribunes designate the wicked according to their quality of action, proceeding by the several grades of wickedness. Those are called rich men, who, to whatever sin they have wished to extend their hands, feel no need of consolation from others. The mighty men are those who are strong to mingle drink, and to subvert the life of others by unjust councils. The slave of sin, is he who is free from righteousness; whence says Paul, ' When ye were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.' These all doubtless, when the future judgment is impending, betake themselves to help from demons; since, being without hope, they presume not to approach to any of the saints; that is, they seek hiding places in the caves and rocks of mountains, and wish to be covered under their ruins. But how shall those hide others from the wrath of fury, who will themselves be the first to receive it? All these things, even if understood according to the letter, inspire fear into the hearers ; But figurative expressions are not therefore to be violently wrested into a literal meaning. (St. Ambrosius Autpertus) Interpretations of the Seven Seals Among the ancient Christian commentators there are various interpretations of the seven seals. Some understood them to be symbolic of the life of Christ. Others understood them to be symbolic of the history of the Church. Some thought them to be symbolic of the history of God’s plan for the Church. For a nice study on the subject I recommend getting “The Seven Seals Of The Apocalypse Medieval Texts in Translation.” Below is a comparison between the three interpretations from a range of interpreters. Even among the three positions taken by these commentators, the details vary among other commentators.
Bible Cross Reference
16: Isaiah 2:19.; Hos 10:8.; Luke 23:30.
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