RELATIONS OF │ these events, in the hand of him that sat on THE CHURCH―― │ the throne. The Lamb of God only could open THE RELATION │ it. The joy in heaven that one was found who TO SECULAR │ could open the seals, chap. v. AFFAIRS―― │ ┌ POLITICAL │ II. The opening │ 1. The opening of the first seal, CHANGES AND │ of the seals │ chap. vi. 1, 2. REVOLUTIONS, │ │ _The white horse._――Peace, AS BEARING │ │ prosperity, and triumph, ON THE │ │ fulfilled in the state of CHURCH, CHAP. │ │ the Roman empire from the V.‒XI. 1‒18. │ │ death of Domitian, A.D. 96, │ │ to the accession of Commodus, │ │ A.D. 180. │ │ │ │ 2. The opening of the second seal, │ │ chap. vi. 3, 4. │ │ _The red horse._――Bloodshed, │ │ discord, civil strife; │ │ fulfilled in the state of the │ │ Roman empire from the death │ │ of Commodus, A.D. 193, and │ │ onward. │ │ │ │ 3. The opening of the third seal, │ │ chap. vi. 5, 6. │ │ _The black horse._――Calamity, │ │ distress, want, trouble; │ │ fulfilled in the Roman empire, │ │ in the scarcity of food that │ │ prevailed; the excessive │ │ taxation; the special order │ │ not to destroy the olive-yards │ │ and vineyards; the sources │ │ of revenue, in the time of │ │ Caracalla, A.D. 211, and │ │ onward. │ │ │ │ 4. The opening of the fourth seal, │ │ chap. vi. 7, 8. │ │ _The pale horse._――The reign │ │ of death, in the form of │ │ famine, pestilence, disease; │ │ fulfilled in the Roman empire │ │ in the bloodshed, famine, and │ │ pestilence that prevailed in