The meaning of the Revelation, or, A paraphrase with questions on the Revelation of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Divine in which the synchronisms of Mr. Joseph Mede, and the expositions of other interpreters are called in question, and a new exposition given of the prophecies of the revelation, never heard of before, nor extant in any author whatsoever, from the sixth chapter to the eighteenth, with variety of reasons for the exposition / by Richard Hayter ...

The Prophecy of the first Seal.

1. AND when Jesus Christ had opened the first Seal, I heard the first living Creature say unto me, Come and see what shall come to pass hereafter, not short∣ly as the things thou hast seen already shall, but a great while hence, and that not in Europe, but in Asia.

2. And I saw that there should come a man riding on a white Horse, which is a sign of conquest, and that he should be a King, and should have first a Bow, and afterwards a Crown, and should go forth Conquering, and to Conquer; but some things should be left unconquered by him.

The Prophecie of the second Seal.

3. And when he had opened the second Seal, I heard the second living Creature say unto me, Come and see what shall come to pass hereafter, not shortly as the things in the Epistles to the seven Churches shall, but a great while hence, and that not in Europe, but in Asia.

4. And I saw that there should come another man after the

Prophecy of the first Seal is ended, riding on a red Horse, which is a sign of blood, and that he should take peace from off the earth, or the place where he lived, and should cause that men should kill one another by intestine Wars, and that he should have a great Sword to commit a great and mighty slaughter, and slay many men therewith.

The Prophecy of the third Seal.

5. And when he had opened the third Seal, I heard the third living Creature say unto me, Come and see what shall come to pass hereafter not long before the day of Judgment doth begin, and that not in Europe or the Isles afar off, but in Asia.

6. Then I looked and saw that there should come a third man after the Prophecy of the second Seal is ended, riding on a Black Horse, with a pair of balances in his hand, which are a sign of Civil Justice. And I heard a voice among the four living Creatures say, that in the time of this rider men should not live by rapine as in the time of War, but should pay for what they took; if any one would have a measure of Wheat, he should pay a penny for it, and if any one would have a mea∣sure of Barley, he should pay a penny for it, and if any man would have any Oyl, or Wine, he should pay good money for it, and wrong no man therein.

The Prophecy of the fourth Seal.

7. And when he had opened the fourth Seal, I heard the forth living Creature say unto me, Come and see what shall come to pass hereafter, not in Europe, but in Asia, a little before the day of judgment shall begin.

8. And I saw that there should come a fourth man after the Prophecy of the third Seal is ended, riding on a pale Horse, which is a sign of Death, and that should be this riders name, because so many people should be killed and destroyed by

him, that death it self should go along with him where ever he went, and the compass they should fetch should be the fourth part of Asia, to slay men with Sword, and with Famine, and with Pestilence, and with the Wild ravenous beasts that should be therein.

The Prophecy of the fifth Seal.

9. And when he had opened the fifth Seal, I saw the Souls of them which had been slain for the word of God, and for the witnessing of Jesus Christ a long time before this Pro∣phecy should begin.

10. That they should now cry to God for vengeance of their blood, and it should be a loud and earnest cry, which they should make, as if they did expostulate with God and say, How long Lord holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on the bloody inhabiters of the earth? why dost thou delay the time so long?

11. And hereupon I saw that some addition should be made unto their present happiness; and as for the revenging of their blood, it was said unto them, that it should be deferred a little longer, until their fellow Servants, and their Brethren which should profess the same Faith which they did, should be slain as they were, and this is to be done in the time of this Seal, before the sixth Prophecy shall begin, and when this slaughter of their fellow Servants, and their Brethren should be over, then God will revenge their blood all together.

The Prophecy of the sixth Seal.

12. And when he had opened the sixth Seal, I saw that there should be a great shaking and concussion in the Heavens, and that the Sun it self should be∣come as black as Sack-cloth made of Goats hair, and the Moon as red as blood.

13. And divers Meteors should fall from Heaven to the earth in clusters, like as unripe Figs of a latter spring fall off

from the Tree in heaps, when the Tree is shaken of a mighty wind.

14. And black gloomy clouds should cover the face of all the Sky, and the Heaven should depart from mens eyes and sight, like a scroll of Parchment when it is folded up and rolled together, and a Star should not be seen in all the Sky, no more than a letter is discernable in a roll of Parchment when it is folded up and rolled together: and by the many earthquakes which should happen, every mountain in the earth should be removed out of his place, and every Island in the Sea.

15. And men of all sorts should be astonished at the sight of these things, the Kings and Great men of the earth, the Soldiers and their chief Commanders, the rich men and the poor men, the bond-men, and the free men should be asto∣nished all together as well the one as the other, and should seek a place to hide themselves, some in Dens and Caves that be below the earth, and some in Rocks that be upon the Hills and Mountains.

16. And such a fear should come upon them all that they would cry unto the Mountains to fall upon them, and to the Rocks to cover them from the presence of that angry God which sits upon the throne, and from the face of Jesus Christ represented by the Holy Lamb.

17. For they shall now perceive and know that the great day of his revenging wrath is come, and who is able to stand before it?

Notes

• Prov. 16. 11.
• 2 King. 7. 1.
• Ezek. 14. 21.
• Mat. 24. 29.
• Mark. 13. 24, 25.
• Luk. 21. 25, 26.