6:5. And when He had opened the third seal.—Disclosing the third epoch in the history of Antichrist.
I heard the third beast.—Infinite Love.
Say, Come and see.—Come and see the apparently complete triumph of the powers of darkness and the apparent inaction of Infinite Love in permitting it.
And I beheld, and lo, a black horse.—Complete disregard of the Scriptures by clergy and people alike, and in their place the ugly creeds and bulls of popes and councils.
And he that sat on him.—The same rider, the Antichrist.
Had a pair of balances in his hand.—“Balance joined with symbols denoting the sale of corn and fruits by weight, becomes the symbol of scarcity; bread by weight being a curse in Lev. 26:26 and in Ezek. 4:16, 17.” (McC.) [pg 113] During this period the common people could have in their own tongue only a few words or verses of the Scriptures; and for these they were obliged to pay large sums to the clergy, who alone had the ability to translate from the dead languages, or even to read at all. As the services were in Latin the people were starved spiritually.
6:6. And I heard AS IT WERE a voice.—The voice of the Lord Jesus, the Guardian and Caretaker of the true Church.—Matt. 28:20.
In the midst of the four beasts.—“In the midst of the Throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb.”—Rev. 5:6.
Say, A measure.—“The word chenix denotes a measure containing one wine quart and a twelfth part of a quart.”—Diaglott.
Of wheat.—The true children of the Kingdom.—C. 137.