– Joel Beeke in Revelation
We must come to the point where what matters most to us is faithfulness to God. Faithfulness to the Word of God and the gospel must be more important to us than pleasure, more important to us than leisure, and more important than life itself. We must value faithfulness to God and his word more than we value the ability to go on living our peaceful, happy lives.
– James M. Hamilton, Jr. on Revelation 6 in Revelation (PTW)
God has been allowing crimes and injustices and blasphemies and abominations for so long, and he has been tolerating such lies and calumnies to be spoken about him all these years. Revelation 6 promises that one day the wrath will begin to fall. The debt finally comes due. Justice will be done. The wicked will give account. The righteous will be avenged. God will be glorified in his justice.
– James M. Hamilton, Jr. on Revelation 6 in Revelation (PTW)
The progression of the four seals is from lust to conquest (the first seal) to civil war (the second seal) to famine (the third seal) to pestilence and death (the fourth seal). This is the natural progression of man’s inhumanity to man. In other words, God simply allows human sin to come full circle, turn in upon itself, and self-destruct.
– Grant Osborne on Revelation 6 in Revelation (BEC)
The primary theme is divine sovereignty, as the Lamb initiates the event, and in three of them the divine passive “was given” (6:2, 4, 8) controls the action. This means that the activities of the horsemen take place only as authorized by God.
– Grant Osborne on Revelation 6 in Revelation (BEC)
– James M. Hamilton, Jr. on Revelation 5 in Revelation (PTW)
– Grant Osborne on Revelation 5 in Revelation (BEC)
And is it possible, if we sought to model our own worship, whether individual or corporate, on what is portrayed here, that, as we declared the same truths about God as the heavenly beings do, the same Holy Spirit who is pictured as being before the throne would deepen and transform our understanding of God and His glory in a way that touches our whole being, in its spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and even physical components?
– G.K. Beale on Revelation 4 in Revelation: A Shorter Commentary
– Grant Osborne on Revelation 4 in Revelation (BEC)
God is revealing himself in glory to you right now as we consider what chapters 4, 5 show us about the Creator and Redeemer. God reveals himself to you in his creation, which reflects his glory, and God reveals himself in a uniquely precise way in the Bible that he inspired. With the glory of God in creation all around you and with the Bible before you, you are surrounded by God’s glory. Drink it in and pray that God will set you free from the world’s idolatry, immorality, and godless way of interpreting life.
– James M Hamilton, Jr. on Revelation 4-5 in Revelation (PTW)
Brian J. Mikul 