Revelation 6:13

13 and the starres of heven fell vnto the erth even as a fygge tree castith from her her fygges when she is shaken of a myghty wynde.

Revelation 6:13 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 6:13

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth
All the other inferior deities lost their esteem, worship, and honour; for the idol temples being now opened, the idols and statues were exposed to the common people, and were found to be stuffed with hay and straw, which brought them into great contempt F12. Moreover, as stars sometimes signify the ministers of the Gospel in the Christian church, ( Revelation 1:20 ) , and sometimes the priests in the Jewish church, ( Daniel 8:10 ) ; so they may here likewise include the idolatrous priests among the Heathens, who were discharged and removed by Constantine, and had their posts and profits taken away from them; yea, Maximinus, an Heathen emperor, or tyrant, being beaten by Licinius, who was then Constantine's colleague, killed many of the priests and prophets of his gods, which were formerly had in great admiration by him, as deceivers and betrayers of him, by whose oracles he was animated to the war F13. And in like manner Licinius put to death the priests and prophets of the new idol at Antioch F14.

Even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of
a mighty wind;
which figs being young and green, and not fixed, fall off easily, and in great numbers, when a blustering wind beats upon them; and so the rabble of Pagan deities, and idolatrous priests, were easily, and in great numbers, removed through the power of Constantine, which carried all before it.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 Sozomen, l. 2. c. 5.
F13 Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 9. c. 10.
F14 Ib. c. 11.

Revelation 6:13 In-Context

11 And longe whyte garmentes were geven vnto every one of them. And it was sayde vnto them that they shulde reste for a lyttle season vntyll the nomber of their felowes and brethre and of them that shulde be kylled as they were were fulfylled.
12 And I behelde when he opened the sixte seale and loo there was a grett erth quake and the sunne was as blacke as sacke clothe made of heare. And the mone wexed even as bloud:
13 and the starres of heven fell vnto the erth even as a fygge tree castith from her her fygges when she is shaken of a myghty wynde.
14 And heven vanysshed awaye as a scroll whe it is rolled togedder. And all mountayns and yles were moved oute of their places.
15 And the kynges of the erth and the gret men and the ryche men and the chefe captaynes and the myghty men and every bond man and every free man hyd them selves in dennes and in rockes of the hylles
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