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Chapter 16. The opening of the fourth seal, showing the plagues found for wickedness Rev.6:7. “And when I had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come and see.” Belonging to the fourth animal, i.e. The eagle's high flight and speed to steal prey can show that plagues are found from above from the irritated wrath of God to avenge the pious and to punish the wicked, unless they turn him away by becoming better. Rev.6:8. “And I saw, and behold a pale horse, and he that sat on it, his name was death: and hell followed after him, and a region was given to him in the fourth part of the earth, to be killed with weapons, and with famine, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” What has been said here also applies to the present. For in the 8th chapter of the ninth word of his Church History, Eusebius says that at the height of the persecution, under Maximian of Nicea, countless people died from hunger and ulcers, which struck along with other diseases, so that they could not be buried, although Christians carefully took care of the burial and philanthropically led the erring to the knowledge of the truth. And when the Armenians rebelled against the Romans, a considerable number were killed with the sword, and the bodies of the dead were tormented by dogs, so that the survivors were forced to turn to the defeat of the dogs for fear that they themselves, after their death, would find themselves a living coffin in them. There is nothing incongruous if, due to the abundance of food, there were also wild animals participating in the feast along with the dogs; we know that this happens in our time. Chapter 17. The opening of the fifth seal, showing the cry of holy souls to the Lord about the end Rev. 6:9–10. “And when I opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those beaten for the word of God and for the testimony they had. And he cried out with a great voice, saying: Until the holy and true Lord judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth.” If anyone attributes the opening of the four seals to the events that preceded Christ, then this should be attributed to the Prophets and other Saints who died before, who appeal to Divine forbearance, for the sake of which He, embittered by the Jews, endures even to the cross. If anyone, having considered the opinions of the teachers of the Church, takes this as a prediction about the future, he should think that this proclamation befits those who were beaten for Christ against their persecutors, so that the worthy would turn, and the wickedness of the unbelievers would be destroyed at the end of the whole world, so that the righteous would not stretch out their hands in iniquity (Psalm 124). For although even then, as it was said, the wicked experienced Divine wrath, nevertheless their remnants need blows, either converting or punishing. Rev.6:11. “And white robes were given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest for a little while, until their detractors and their brethren, who had suffered beatings, should be as they were.” Until the end and their deceivers will die shows that the saints, apparently, ask for the end of the world, which is why they were commanded to endure long, even until their brothers are committed, so that, according to the Apostle, they would not receive perfection without them. White robes show the lordship of the virtues that appears in them, with which they are already invested, although they have not yet received what was promised. With this hope, which they look at with their mental eye, as if already freed from all debility, they truly rejoice, resting in the bosom of Abraham. For it was said by many saints that each of the doers of virtues receives a corresponding place, by which they are assured of their future glory. Chapter 18. Opening of the sixth seal, signifying the plagues sent at the end Rev. 6:12–13. “And I saw, when I opened the sixth seal, and behold, he was a great coward, and the sun was dark like sackcloth, and the moon was like blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, like a fig tree sweeping away its navels, driven by the great wind.” And some people accepted this about the ruin of Vespasian (the king), understanding everything said in a figurative sense. It seems to us that there is a transition here from the times of persecution to the time before the coming of the Antichrist, when, according to prophecy, there will be such plagues, perhaps so that, having thought about them, they will not refuse to endure the executions sent by the Antichrist, which, as we know, never happened. An earthquake, as we often find in scripture, is a change of affairs. For this: with one more I will shake (Hag. 2:7) means a change in what is shaken, as the Apostle says (Heb. 12:26–27). And in the Old Testament it is said about the procession of the Israelites from Egypt: the earth shook, for the heavens were in ruins (Ps. 67:9). The blackness of the sun, and the darkness of the light and the bloody appearance of the moon shows the absence of light in those whom the wrath of God will seize. For Blessed Cyril also often accepted this. And the fact that the stars fell (as was also written regarding those deceived by Antiochus) means that even those who seem to be the luminaries in the world will fall, yielding to what is happening, when, as Christ said, if possible, even the elect would be deceived, because of the multitude of sorrows. Perhaps, therefore, the fig tree can be cited as an example, since, shaken by the devil’s wind, it drops fruits that are still imperfect, not yet ripened by the heat of temptation, not yet delighted by grace. For that this is taken in two ways, both in a good and in a bad sense, we know from the two pots of good and bad figs shown to Jeremiah (chap. 24), from the fig tree withered by Christ (Matthew 24), and wearing out its color in the Song of Songs (chap. 13). But whether this will be accomplished sensually when the Judge Christ comes with glory, He Himself, who has the secret treasures of knowledge and wisdom, knows about this. Rev.6:14. “And the sky departed, like a scroll being rolled up.” And that the sky is unrolled like a scroll, or indicates the unknown of the second coming of Christ, for the book is opened without noise and instantly, or that the heavenly powers, pained by those who have fallen from the faith, seem to have compassion and sadness. This also signifies something else; namely, that what is destined for heaven is not destruction, but, as it were, some twisting and change for the better, as Irenaeus said in the fifth word of his denunciation of the false mind, literally like this: neither the being nor the essence of creation is destroyed, for he who created it is true and faithful, but the image of the world passes away, in which the crime was committed, as the elders say. And this is the great Irenaeus (Irin. Prot. of Heresies, Book 5, Chapter 26:1). We think that the Apostle also took advantage of the ancient custom. For the Jews, instead of our books, used scrolls, the development of which did not produce destruction, but the discovery of what was described. So the development of the heavenly body shows the revelation of the good things prepared for the saints. And this, according to the gift given to us from God, we have stated in four ways, but let’s move on to the next one. Rev. 6:14–17. “And every mountain and island moved from their places. And the kings of the earth and the nobles and the rich and the thousands and the mighty and every slave and every free man hid in caves and stones in handfuls. And he said to the mountains and stones: Fall on us and cover us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can? Our Lord, when the Apostles asked Him about the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem and its death, predicted the future for them, how much they could contain, which already happened to the Christ-killing Jews, during the ruin of Vespasian and Titus, as the Jew Joseph narrates. At the end, all this will come with greater power at the coming of the Antichrist, as it has been said. Then, especially those in authority, either over the church deanery or over the worldly dominion, figuratively called mountains, and the churches of the faithful, figuratively called islands, and to God, according to Isaiah, renewed, will flee from their places, changing one place to another, because of the false Christ, which we also humanely experienced before his coming for our sins. The royal zemstias, i.e. those who own it, but have not acquired anything in heaven, together with the nobles and the rich, with the slaves of the earth and free (which should not be) from the work of Christ, will pray that it would be better to hide their caves and stones and mountains, rather than experience Divine wrath, which, by God's permission, at the coming of the Antichrist will rain upon them plagues from hunger and other disasters, or be subjected to those expected after the resurrection endless torment. Then, predominantly, the wrath of God will righteously flare up like a furnace, burning those who, on the basis of faith, created wood, hay, reeds (1 Cor. 3:12), like food of fire. From which God, the lover of mankind, may deliver us, may He make us partakers of the eternal blessings prepared for His saints, numbering among the fullness of those saved by the grace of His Only Begotten Son, with whom glory befits the Father with His Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.