Matthew Henry

Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just…

“(1.) What was given to them-- white robes, the robes of victory and of honour; their present happiness was an abundant recompence of their past sufferings. (2.)”

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God.

“An account of the sealing of the servants of God, where observe, 1. To whom this work was committed--to an angel, another angel.”

After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

“Here observe, (1.) The posture of these praising saints: they stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, before the Creator and the Mediator.”

After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

“More are the children of the desolate than of the married woman. [2.] The Lord knows who are his, and he will keep them safe in times of dangerous temptation. [3.]”

And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen!

“(2.) Their posture, which is very humble, and expressive of the greatest reverence: They fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.”

“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in…

“It is not the blood of the martyrs themselves, but the blood of the Lamb, that can wash away sin, and make the soul pure and clean in the sight of God.”

Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar.

“The prayers of the saints themselves stand in need of the incense and intercession of Christ to make them acceptable and effectual, and there is provision made by Christ for that purpose; he has his incense, his censer, and his altar; he is all himself…”

Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,

“The most severe calamities have their bounds and limits set them by the great God. The second angel sounded, and the alarm was followed, as in the first, with terrible events: A great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third…”

Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,

“In these calamities, a third part of the people (called here the sea or collection of waters) were destroyed: here was still a limitation to the third part, for in the midst of judgment God remembers mercy.”

Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs…

“(5.) Corruptions of doctrine and worship in the church are themselves great judgments, and the usual causes and tokens of other judgments coming on a people.”

And as I observed, I heard an eagle flying overhead, calling in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe!

“If less judgments do not take effect, but the church and the world grow worse under them, they must expect greater.”

And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads, and faces like the faces of men.

“(2.) They had the show of wisdom and sagacity, the faces of men, though the spirit of devils. (3.) They had all the allurements of seeming beauty, to ensnare and defile the minds of men-- hair like women; their way of worship was very gaudy…”

Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet…

“The power of the church's enemies is restrained till God gives the word to have them turned loose. When nations are ripe for punishment, those instruments of God's anger that were before restrained are let loose upon them,”

saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

“The instruments that God makes use of to punish a people may sometimes lie at a great distance from them, so that no danger may be apprehended from them.”

So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

“The time of their military operations and executions is limited to an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year.”

Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur.

“It is Mr. Mede's opinion that this is a prediction of great guns, those instruments of cruelty which make such destruction: he observes, These were first used by the Turks at the siege of Constantinople, and, being new and strange, were very terrible, and did…”

Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.

“The most formidable powers have limits set them, which they cannot transgress. When God's judgments are in the earth, he expects the inhabitants thereof should repent of sin, and learn righteousness.”

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head.

“He was clothed with a cloud: he veils his glory, which is too great for mortality to behold; and he throws a veil upon his dispensations. Clouds and darkness are round about him.”

And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it…

“The solemn oath taken by this mighty angel. The manner of his swearing: He lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever, by himself, as God often has done, or by God as God, to whom he, as Lord…”

So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it; and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my…

“That which is least pleasing may be most profitable; however, God's messengers must not keep back any part of the counsel of God.”

But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

“Many will own and acknowledge Christ in times of prosperity who will desert and deny him in times of persecution; one witness, when the cause is upon trial, is worth many at other times.”

And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them.

“They were glad to be rid of these witnesses, who by their doctrine and example had teased, terrified, and tormented the consciences of their enemies; these spiritual weapons cut wicked men to the heart, and fill them with the greatest rage and malice against the…”

But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those…

“Here may be a reference to the resurrection of Christ, who is the resurrection and the life. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.”

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.

“Care was taken of this child: it was caught up to God, and to his throne; that is, taken into his special, powerful, and immediate protection.”

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.

“She fled into the wilderness, a place prepared both for her safety and her sustenance. The church was in an obscure state, dispersed; and this proved her security, through the care of divine Providence.”