And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come and see.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
The fourth seal. A pale horse, the rider's name death. It is also expounded of trials, afflictions, persecutions, and especially of plagues, over four parts of the earth, by which may be denoted the great power and extent of the Roman empire. In the Greek we read, over the fourth part of the earth; which some reconcile, by observing that the Roman empire had dominions under it in all the four parts of the world, east, west, north, and south; and that its dominions might be said to comprehend the fourth part of the world. (Witham)
By the pale horse, and the rider, death, who sat upon it, followed by hell, are meant that dreadful mortality which ever attends famines He had power to kill with sword, with famine All these evils came upon the Roman people, and history has preserved the memory of them, to show the truth of the prophecy here delivered by St. John. (Grotius; Calmet)
For the pale horse and he who sat upon him bore the name of Death. These same things also the Lord had promised among the rest of the coming destructions— great pestilences and deaths.
