Note, Revelation 5:1. Mede, Fleming, Newton, etc., hold that all these seals are fulfilled, the sixth by the overthrow of Paganism and establishment of Christianity under Constantine's edict, 313 AD But, in the full sense at least, the sixth seal is future, to be realized at the coming again of Christ. The objection to the seals having been finally and exhaustively fulfilled (though particular events may be partial fulfillments typical of the final one), is that, if so, they ought to furnish (as the destruction of Jerusalem, according to Christ's prophecy, does) external evidence of revelation. But they cannot be used for this, as hardly two interpreters of this school agree on what events constitute the fulfillment. Probably, not isolated facts, but classes of events preparing for Christ's coming kingdom, are intended. The first horse marks conquests; the second, third, and fourth horses mark civil wars, scarcity, and mortality. The fifth seal marks even persecutions of Christians overruled to Christ's final triumph. The four living creatures severally cry at the opening of the first four seals, "Come;" which divides the seven, as often, into four and three.
One of the seals. 'Aleph (') A B C, Vulgate, Syriac, read, 'one of the seven seals.'
Noise. A B C read this [ foonee , or foonei ] nominative, or dative, not the genitive: 'I heard one from among the four living creatures saying, as (it were) the voice (or, as with the voice) of thunder' ['Aleph (') manuscript: fooneen ]. The first living creature was like a lion (Revelation 4:7): his voice corresponds to the lion-like boldness with which, in successive revivals, the faithful have testified for Christ, and especially before His coming shall testify. Rather, their earnestness in praying for Christ's coming.
Come and see. So 'Aleph (') B [ ide ]; but A C, Vulgate, reject it. Alford objects to "Come and see," 'Where was John to come? Separated by the glassy sea from the throne, was he to cross it?' Contrast the expression, Revelation 10:8. It is more probably the cry of the redeemed to the Redeemer "Come," deliver the groaning creature from the bondage of corruption [ erchou echoing His erchomia]. Thus Revelation 2:1-29 answers the cry, 'went (literally, came) forth,' corresponding to, "Come." "Come" (Grotius) is the living creature's address to John, calling his earnest attention. "Come" can hardly mean this. Compare the only other places of its occurrence in Revelation (Revelation 22:17) [ elthee , Revelation 22:20, erchou ]. If the four living creatures represent the four gospels, "Come" will be their invitation to everyone (for their address is not necessarily to John) to accept Christ's salvation while there is time, as the opening of the seals marks a progressive step toward the end. Judgments are foretold as accompanying the preaching of the Gospel as a witness to all nations (Matthew 24:6-14; Revelation 14:6-11, to which the invitation, "Come," is parallel. The opening of the four first seals is followed by judgments preparatory for His coming. At the opening of the fifth, the martyrs above express the same (cf. Zechariah 1:10; Revelation 6:9-10). At the opening of the sixth, the Lord's coming is ushered in with terrors to the ungodly. At the seventh, the consummation is reached (Revelation 11:15).