TRANSLATION. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should afflict one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. READING. 4 And there went out another faith that was sin-dyed: and power was given to him [Solomon] that rested thereon to take contentment from the ungodly, and that they should afflict one another: and there was given unto him much wisdom. [SECOND TRUMPET.-And the second messenger sounded, and a great king, burning with holy zeal, was cast amidst sin: and the third part of sin became life. And the third part of the creatures died unto sin, saving their souls, and the third part of those abiding in sin were destroyed.-Rev.viii. 8.] 5 And when he had opened the 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on the same had a yoke in his hand. third seal, I heard the beast which had the appearance of a man say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a dead faith: and he [Rehoboam] that rested on the same had a yoke in his hand. [THIRD TRUMPET.-And the third messenger sounded, and there fell a great angel from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the sources of the people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the name of the angel is called wormwood; and the third part of the people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues became as wormwood, and many men died by reason of the people, and tongues, and multitudes, and nations, because they were made bitter.—Rev. viii. 10.] govern Suyov (in Latin, jugum) signifies yoke, bondage, subjection, and is emblematical of the conduct of Rehoboam and the character of his ment, which is indicated in the following extract: :-" So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I WILL ADD TO YOUR YOKE: my father also chastised you with whips, but I WILL CHASTISE YOU WITH SCORPIONS. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: Now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died: therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: TRANSLATION. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. READING. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the beast which was like a flying eagle say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a 8 And I looked, and behold the pale horse and the name of him shadow of faith: and the name of that sat thereon was Death, and him [Jeroboam] that hovered over it Hell followed with him. And in- was Death, and Hell followed with fluence was given unto them over him. And influence was given unto the fourth part of the earth, to kill them over the fourth part of the with sword, and with hunger, and flesh, to kill with discord, and with with death, and with the beasts of hunger, and with death, and with the earth. idolatry. e [FOURTH TRUMPET.-And the fourth messenger sounded, and the third part of the righteous were smitten, and the third part of the ceremonial worship, and the third part of the angels, so that the third part of them was darkened, and the light manifested not a third of itself, and the darkness likewise. And I beheld and heard a messenger flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to those abiding in the flesh by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three messengers which are yet to sound.-Rev. viii. 12.] 9 And, when he had opened the 9 And, when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw about 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, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? fifth seal, I saw about 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, dost thou not adjudge and restore our life to them that abide in the flesh ? there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” -1 Kings xii. 12—21. a The preposition inì, on or thereon, is here iπávw, signifying over; word "hover" in the reading is not a translation strictly literal. The worship of the golden calves in Dan and Bethel. the f This prayer of those who were under obedience to, or about, the altar, appears to be referred to by the following passage:-" And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel."-2 Kings ix. 7. TRANSLATION. 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. READING. 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. [FIFTH TRUMPET.-And the fifth messenger sounded, and I saw an angel rush down from heaven unto the flesh and to him was given the custody of the idolatrous altar. And he split the idolatrous altar; and there arose a smoke out of the altar as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the altar. And there came out of the smoke idolaters amidst the people of the flesh and unto them was given influence as the scorpions of the flesh have influence. And it was commanded them that they should not infect the people of the flesh [those who are in darkness], neither any tender creature [babes in Christ], neither any great men [elders], but only those men who keep not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months, and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it stingeth a man. And in these days men shall seek death, and shall not find it, and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the appearance of the idolaters was like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns resembling gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they held out allurements as it were the allurements of women, and their spears were as the spears of the brave. And they had throats as it were throats of iron; and the praise of their congregations was as the praise of instruments of war, of diversity of faiths rushing to battle. And they had false prophets like unto scorpions, and their dependence was in their false prophets and their influence was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, the messenger of the idolatrous altar, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is " Abaddon,' but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [the destroyer]. One woe is passed, and, behold, there come two woes more on account of these things.-Rev. ix. 1.] 12 And I beheld when he had 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the was a great fear in the flesh; and sun became black as sackcloth of righteousness mourned, and the hair, and the moon became as ceremonial worship became as life; blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 13 And the ministers of righteousness fell unto the flesh, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And heaven departed in like 14 And righteousness departed in manner as the rolled-up book; and like manner as the rolled-up cove TRANSLATION. every mountain and island moved out of their places. READING. were nant; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. The sixth seal opens the reign of Josiah (2 Kings xxii.) who “did that which was right in the sight of the LORD (v. 2), and, in the eighteenth year of his reign (v. 3), having caused the breaches in the house of the LORD to be repaired (v. 5), Hilkiah the high priest found the book of the law (v. 8), which Shaphan the scribe read to the king (v. 10); and it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes (v. 11). [Righteousness mourned, see v. 12.] And he commanded Hilkiah and others (v. 12) to enquire of the LORD for him, and the people, and for all Judah (v. 13), and the LORD said unto him by the mouth of the prophetess Huldah (v. 14, 15), Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: because they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, AND SHALL NOT BE QUENCHED. But to the king of Judah, which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, THAT THEY SHOULD BECOME A DESOLATION AND A CURSE, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me ; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. Behold, therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and THINE EYES SHALL NOT SEE ALL THE EVIL WHICH I WILL BRING UPON THIS PLACE. they brought the king word again.-2 Kings xxiii. 21-27. And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant. SURELY THERE WAS ye And NOT HOLDEN SUCH A PASSOVER FROM THE DAYS OF THE JUDGES THAT JUDGED ISRAEL, NOR IN ALL THE DAYS OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL, NOR OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH [ceremonial worship became life]: but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover, the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal. And the LORD said, I WILL REMOVE JUDAH ALSO OUT OF MY SIGHT, AS I HAVE REMOVED ISRAEL, AND WILL CAST OFF THIS CITY JERUSALEM WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN, AND THE HOUSE OF WHICH I SAID, MY NAME SHALL BE THERE.' Josiah lived only thirteen years in promoting this revival, for he was slain in battle as "he hearkened not unto READING. TRANSLATION. 15 And the kings" of the earth, 15 And the kings" of the earth, and the great men, and the rich and the great men, and the rich the words of Nechoh from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo" (2 Chron. xxxv. 22); therefore the fruit of his labour was green, and "fell to the earth as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind, and heaven departed in like manner as the rolled-up book." [Sixth seal, 13th and 14th verses.] "Josiah's son succeeded to the throne, and reigned but three months, when Nechoh conquered and "condemned Jerusalem in one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold."-2 Chron. xxxvi. 3. This and other conquests of Nechoh having excited the alarm of the Chaldeans, Nebuchadnezzar marched against him and gained a complete victory over him at Carchemish, a city on the Euphrates, and, pursuing his victory, rendered himself master of Canaan and part of Phenice. He attacked Jerusalem with (see "four angels bound on the great river Euphrates," ix. 14) "bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; and also for the innocent blood that he shed (for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood), which the LORD would not pardon."-2 Kings xxiv. 2—4. The king of Jerusalem became the servant of the king of Babylon, but, having rebelled, "it came to pass, in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. AND THE CITY WAS BROKEN UP, AND ALL THE MEN OF WAR FLED BY NIGHT, BY THE WAY OF THE Gate, between TWO WALLS, WHICH IS BY THE KING'S GARDEN (NOW THE CHALDEES WERE AGAINST THE CITY ROUND ABOUT): and THE KING WENT THE WAY TOWARD THE PLAIN.”—2 Kings xxiv. 1-4. This is that which is described by the 15th verse, sixth seal. The mountains and islands having been moved out of their places, as in the latter part of the 14th verse, is also stated in the following continuation of the extract :- "And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army were scattered from him. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon."-2 Kings XXV. 5-7. "But the captain of the guard left the poor of the land to be vine-dressers and husbandmen," ver. 12. "And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler. But it came to pass, in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishma, of the seed royal, came, and ten |