from the sixth chapter.

1, 2. “And when the Lamb had opened one of the seven seals, I saw, and heard one of the four living creatures saying, Come and see. And, lo, a white horse, and He who sat upon him had a bow.” ] The first seal being opened, he says that he saw a white horse, and a crowned horseman having a bow. For this was at first done by Himself. For after the Lord ascended into heaven and opened all things, He sent the Holy Spirit, whose words the preachers sent forth as arrows reaching to the human heart, that they might overcome unbelief. And the crown on the head is promised to the preachers by the Holy Spirit. The other three horses very plainly signify the wars, famines, and pestilences announced by our Lord in the Gospel. And thus he says that one of the four living creatures said (because all four are one), “Come and see.” “Come” is said to him that is invited to faith; “see” is said to him who saw not. Therefore the white horse is the word of preaching with the Holy Spirit sent into the world. For the Lord says, “This Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world for a testimony to all nations, and then shall come the end.”35    Matt. xxiv. 14    

3, 4. “And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red, and to him that sat upon him was given a great sword.”] The red horse, and he that sat upon him, having a sword, signify the coming wars, as we read in the Gospel: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in divers places.”36    Luke xxi. 10, 11   This is the ruddy horse.  

5. “And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And, lo, a black horse; and he who sat upon it had a balance in his hand.”] 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 balance in the hand is the examining scales, wherein He might show forth the merits of every individual. He then says:—  

6. “Hurt not the wine and the oil.”] That is, strike not the spiritual man with thy inflictions. This is the black horse.  

7, 8. “And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, Come and see. And, lo, a pale horse; and he who sat upon him was named Death.”] For the pale horse and he who sat upon him bore the name of Death. These same things also the Lord had promised among the rest of the coming destructions—great pestilences and deaths; since, moreover, he says:—  

“And hell followed him.”] That is, it was waiting for the devouring of many unrighteous souls. This is the pale horse.  

9. “And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain.”] He relates that he saw under the altar of God, that is, under the earth, the souls of them that were slain. For both heaven and earth are called God’s altar, as saith the law, commanding in the symbolical form of the truth two altars to be made,—a golden one within, and a brazen one without. But we perceive that the golden altar is thus called heaven, by the testimony that our Lord bears to it; for He says, “When thou bringest thy gift to the altar” (assuredly our gifts are the prayers which we offer), “and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar.”37    Matt. v. 23, 24   Assuredly prayers ascend to heaven. Therefore heaven is understood to be the golden altar which was within; for the priests also were accustomed to enter once in the year—as they who had the anointing—to the golden altar, the Holy Spirit signifying that Christ should do this once for all. As the golden altar is acknowledged to be heaven, so also by the brazen altar is understood the earth, under which is the Hades,—a region withdrawn from punishments and fires, and a place of repose for the saints, wherein indeed the righteous are seen and heard by the wicked, but they cannot be carried across to them. He who sees all things would have us to know that these saints, therefore—that is, the souls of the slain—are asking for vengeance for their blood, that is, of their body, from those that dwell upon the earth; but because in the last time, moreover, the reward of the saints will be perpetual, and the condemnation of the wicked shall come, it was told them to wait. And for a solace to their body, there were given unto each of them white robes. They received, says he, white robes, that is, the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

12. “And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake.”] In the sixth seal, then, was a great earthquake: this is that very last persecution.  

“And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair.”] The sun becomes as sackcloth; that is, the brightness of doctrine will be obscured by unbelievers.  

“And the entire moon became as blood.”] By the moon of blood is set forth the Church of the saints as pouring out her blood for Christ.  

13. “And the stars fell to the earth.”] The falling of the stars are the faithful who are troubled for Christ’s sake.  

“Even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs.”] The fig-tree, when shaken, loses its untimely figs—when men are separated from the Church by persecution.  

14. “And the heaven withdrew as a scroll that is rolled up.”] For the heaven to be rolled away, that is, that the Church shall be taken away.  

“And every mountain and the islands were moved from their places.”] Mountains and islands removed from their places intimate that in the last persecution all men departed from their places; that is, that the good will be removed, seeking to avoid the persecution.  

EX CAPITE VI.

1, 2. Et cum aperuisset agnus unum de septem sigillis, vidi et audivi unum de quatuor animalibus dicens, Veni et vide. Et ecce equus albus, et qui sedebat super illum habens arcum. Aperto sigillo primo dicit se vidisse equum album et equitem coronatum habentem arcum. Hoc enim per ipsum primo factum est. Postquam enim ascendit in coelos Dominus, et aperuit universa, misit Spiritum sanctum, cujus verba praedicatores tamquam sagittas ad cor humanum pertingentes 0328D emiserunt , ut evincerent incredulitatem. Corona autem super caput praedicatoribus est promissa per Spiritum sanctum. Caeteri tres equi, bella, fames et pestilentias in Evangelio a Domino nostro praedicata manifestius significant. Ideoque ait, unum de animalibus dixisse (quia omnia quatuor unum sunt), Veni et vide. Veni dicitur invitato ad fidem. Vide dicitur ei, qui non videbat. Ergo equus albus verbum est praedicationis cum Spiritu sancto in orbem missum. 0329A Ait enim Dominus: Praedicabitur hoc Evangelium per totum orbem terrarum in testimonium omnibus gentibus, et tunc veniet finis.

3, 4. Et cum aperuisset signaculum secundum, audivi secundum animal dicens, Veni et vide. Et exiit alter equus rufus, et sedenti super illum datus est gladius magnus. Equus rufus et qui sedebat super eum habens gladium, bella futura significant, ut legimus in Evangelio: Surget enim gens contra gentem, et regnum adversus regnum, et erunt terrae motus magni per loca (Luc., XXI, 10, 11). Hic est equus roseus.

5. Et cum aperuisset signaculum tertium, audivi tertium animal dicens, Veni et vide. Et ecce equus niger, et qui sedebat in eo habens stateram in manu sua. Equus niger famem significat; ait enim Dominus, 0329B erunt fames per loca: proprie autem extenditur verbum usque ad antichristi tempora, quando magna fames est futura, quandoque omnes laedentur. Statera autem in manu libra examinis est, in qua merita singulorum ostenderet, ait dein.

6. Vinum et oleum ne laeseris. Id est hominem spiritualem ne plagis percusseris. Hic est equus niger.

7, 8. Et cum aperuisset signaculum quartum, audivi quartum animal dicens, Veni et vide. Et ecce equus pallidus; et qui sedebat in illo, nomen illi Mors. Equus autem pallidus, et qui sedebat super eum, nomen habebat, Mors. Haec eadem quoque inter caeteras clades promiserat Dominus venturas, pestes magnas et mortalitates, cum enim dicat.

Et infernus sequebatur illum. Id est, exspectabat 0329C devorationem animarum multarum impiarum. Hic est equus pallidus.

9. Et cum aperuisset quintum signaculum, vidi subtus altare animas interfectorum. Animas occisorum vidisse se narrat sub ara Dei, id est sub terra. Ara enim et coelum et terra dicitur, sicut lex ait, imaginaria veritatis facie mandans duas aras fieri , auream intrinsecus, et aeream extrinsecus. Nos autem intelligimus aram auream coelum ita dici, Domino nostro nobis testimonium perhibente; ait enim: Cum offers munus tuum ad aram (utique munera nostra orationes sunt, quas offerimus) et ibi recordatus fueris habere aliquid fratrem tuum adversum te, relinque ibi munus tuum ante aram (Matth., V, 23, 24). Utique ad coelum ascendunt orationes. Ergo coelum intelligitur 0329D ara aurea quae erat interior: nam et sacerdotes semel in anno introibant qui habebant chrisma, ad aram auream, significante Spiritu sancto Christum hoc semel facturum. Sicut ara aurea coelum agnoscitur, 0330A sic et ara aerea terra intelligitur, sub qua est infernus remota a poenis et ignibus regio, et requies sanctorum; in qua quidem ab impiis videntur et audientur justi, sed non illuc transvectari possunt. Hos ergo sanctos, id est animas occisorum expetere vindictam sanguinis, id est corporis sui de habitantibus super terram, voluit nos cognoscere qui omnia videt: sed quia in novissimo tempore etiam sanctorum remuneratio perpetua, et impiorum est ventura damnatio, dictum est eis exspectare. Et pro corporis sui solatio, datae sunt illis singulae stolae albae. Acceperunt, inquit, stolas albas, id est, donum Spiritus sancti.

12. Et vidi cum aperuisset sigillum sextum, terrae motus factus est magnus. In sexto sigillo factus terrae motus magnus, ipsa est illa novissima persecutio.

0330B Et factus est sol niger tamquam saccus cilicinus. Sol fit ut saccus, id est incredulis obscurabitur splendor doctrinae.

Et luna tota facta est ut sanguis. Luna sanguinea Ecclesia sanctorum ostenditur pro Christo sanguinem fundere.

13. Et stellae ceciderunt in terram. Stellarum casus fideles sunt, qui pro Christo turbantur.

Quemadmodum ficus jactat grossos suos. Agitata ficus amittit grossos suos, quando persecutione homines ab Ecclesia separantur.

14. Et coelum recessit tamquam liber qui involvitur. Coelum involvi, id est Ecclesia de medio fiet.

Et omnis mons et insulae de locis suis motae sunt. Mons et insulae de locis suis motae novissima persecutione 0330C innuunt omnes recessisse de locis suis. Id est, boni movebuntur persecutionem fugientes.