rst four seals of the
book are opened. Christ appears riding on a white horse, and is
followed by four symbolic powers of evil: (a) Apollyon, who rides on a
red horse; (b) the Steward, who rides on a black horse, and dispenses
corn at a dear price, representing a perverted ministry of the Word,
which nevertheless cannot hurt the unction given to the Christian nor
the wine of Christ's Passion; (c) Death on a pale horse; and (d) his
companion Hell. When the fifth scene is opened, the martyrs who are
under the altar which is before the throne cry in expectancy. With the
sixth seal there is a warning of prophetic horrors. The day of God's
wrath all but comes. But judgment is restrained for a season (vi.).
Chastisement is suspended until 144,000 of Israelites are sealed, then
a multitude of all nations, _chorus of salvation_ (vii.). The seventh
seal, which discloses a war against God, can now be opened; silence
(viii. 1).

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III. Revelation of the Trumpets: viii. 2-xi. 18.--Seven angels receive
trumpets, incense offered. With the sounding of each of the first four
trumpets a chastisement is sent from above to rouse repentance (viii.).
With the fifth, chastisement ascends from the pit; with the sixth,
angels and terrific horsemen come from the Euphrates; but men repent
not (ix.). Before the seventh trumpet sounds, an angel tells the seer
that when it has sounded the mystery of God as declared to the prophets
will be finished (x.). Two prophets resembling Elijah and Moses appear
as the symbols of Christian prophecy; they are slain in Jerusalem where
our Lord was crucified, they ascend like Christ amid the wreck of a
tenth of the city. The city confesses God. Then the seventh trumpet
proclaims the subject of the next revelation: the kingdoms of the world
becoming the kingdoms of Christ, _chorus of God reigning_ (xi. 1-18).

IV. Revelation of the Lamb's Redemption: xi. 19-xv. 4.--The ark itself
is revealed to show that the coming revelation manifests what is most
sacred and most profound. The conflict between Christ and evil is
shown first as the conflict of the Child of the Woman against the
dragon, then as the conflict of Michael and his angels against the
dragon, then as the conflict of the dragon against the woman's seed
(xii.). Next come the allies of the dragon, the beast out of the sea,
which is imperial pagan Rome; and the beast out of the earth, which is
the priesthood of Asia appointed to promote