And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying: Come and see.
και οτε ηνοιξεν την σφραγιδα την τεταρτην ηκουσα του τεταρτου ζωου λεγοντος ερχου και ιδε OMIT και ιδε
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
By its high flight and swift assault upon prey, the eagle indicates that punishment by plagues comes from above, from the wrath of God. It comes in vengeance for the pious and as punishment for sinners, unless they amend themselves and turn to what is better.
The opening of the fourth seal, and of the rest, signifies the beginning of the removal of the sinful consequences of Adam's transgression. Their removal makes our nearness to God visible. For if, according to Isaiah, our iniquities have made a separation between us and God (Is 59:2), then their destruction makes us God's own. What, then, does the opening of the seal mean? It is the blows given to Christ, through which we gained freedom. Truly, since we became guilty through the pleasure of tasting, we received healing through what was opposite. A blow, which brings the sensation of pain, is something opposite to pleasure. Christ fully redeemed us from that by which we were being led to mortal ruin. He redeemed us through opposites: disobedience by obedience, pleasure by submission to suffering, and the hands rashly touching the forbidden tree by His hands stretched manfully upon the Cross.
To kill spiritually means to destroy the life of a man’s soul by false teaching, bad examples of life, love of self, and lusts, these savage beasts for the soul.
The opening of the fourth seal is the manifestation of God’s wrath, in vengeance for the pious and as punishment for sinners.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 14 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS