Revelation 6:3

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say , Come and see .

Revelation 6:3 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 6:3

And when he had opened the second seal
Of the sealed book; that is, the Lamb, as before:

I heard the second beast say, come and see;
this living creature was the ox, whose situation was on the west side of the throne, as the standard of Ephraim, on which was an ox, was on the west of the camp of Israel; no mention is made of the noise of thunder, as before, the voice of the ox being lower than that of the lion; and this perhaps may point out a decrease in the Gospel ministry; to fix on any particular person, as, with Grotius, the Evangelist Matthew, because he says, ( Matthew 24:7 ) , nation shall rise against nation, which carries in it some likeness to what is said at the opening of this seal; or, as with Brightman, Justin Martyr, whose second apology was not regarded by the emperor, is mere conjecture; the ministers of the Gospel are intended who lived under this seal, who, though they might not be strong and courageous like the lion, or their predecessors, yet were like the ox, laborious in preaching, and patient in suffering; and these are represented in this vision as inviting John to behold and observe the following hieroglyphic.

Revelation 6:3 In-Context

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard , as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying , Come and see .

2 And I saw , and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering , and to conquer .

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say , Come and see .

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 kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

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 him had a pair of balances in his hand.