And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
The verse opens the fourth seal with the invitation to come and see. It belongs to the book with seven seals, which contains the roll of God's providences, the prophetic history of nations and the church, divine utterances, authority, commandments, laws, the symbolic counsel of the Eternal, the history of all ruling powers, and the influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the beginning of earth's history to its close. The chapter is full of meaning about terrible judgments of God revealed against the wicked, belonging to the Lord going forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, when the earth shall disclose her blood and no more cover her slain. That work of punishment is committed to seven angels standing before God to receive their commission, to whom were given seven trumpets. When the plagues of God come upon the earth, hail about the weight of a talent will fall upon the wicked who would not care for and obey God but insulted Him and despised all His mercies, and hail falling now foreshadows what must come. But mercies are mixed with judgment, for the Lord has a people whom He will preserve.
The fourth seal represents a spirit of confusion and perplexity and conflict that recurs in history; history is to be repeated and that which has been will be again, and the spirit represented is seen and at work today. That spirit produces dissension among nations, to be seen in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and disorder and strife and confusion in the church. It works on the minds of people who have received spiritual light but resist following it. Those who reject the light God has given become confused and act blindly, driven by unholy ambition. Those who have not followed the light God has given through His living oracles and appointed agencies will become confused and their judgment will reveal weakness.
The verse opens the fourth seal with the invitation to come and see. It belongs to the book with seven seals, which contains the roll of God's providences, the prophetic history of nations and the church, divine utterances, authority, commandments, laws, the symbolic counsel of the Eternal, the history of all ruling powers, and the influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the beginning of earth's history to its close. The chapter is full of meaning about terrible judgments of God revealed against the wicked, belonging to the Lord going forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, when the earth shall disclose her blood and no more cover her slain. That work of punishment is committed to seven angels standing before God to receive their commission, to whom were given seven trumpets. When the plagues of God come upon the earth, hail about the weight of a talent will fall upon the wicked who would not care for and obey God but insulted Him and despised all His mercies, and hail falling now foreshadows what must come. But mercies are mixed with judgment, for the Lord has a people whom He will preserve.
The fourth seal represents a spirit of confusion and perplexity and conflict that recurs in history; history is to be repeated and that which has been will be again, and the spirit represented is seen and at work today. That spirit produces dissension among nations, to be seen in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and disorder and strife and confusion in the church. It works on the minds of people who have received spiritual light but resist following it. Those who reject the light God has given become confused and act blindly, driven by unholy ambition. Those who have not followed the light God has given through His living oracles and appointed agencies will become confused and their judgment will reveal weakness.