The vision of the four chariots. Crowns are ordered for Jesus the high
priest, as a type of Christ.
6:1. And I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and saw: and behold four
chariots came out from the midst of two mountains: and the mountains
were mountains of brass.
Four chariots... The four great empires of the Chaldeans, Persians,
Grecians, and Romans. Or perhaps by the fourth chariot are represented
the kings of Egypt and of Asia, the descendants of Ptolemeus and
Seleucus.
6:2. In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot
black horses.
6:3. And in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot
grisled horses, and strong ones.
6:4. And I answered, and said to the angel that spoke in me: What are
these, my lord?
6:5. And the angel answered, and said to me: These are the four winds of
the heaven, which go forth to stand before the Lord of all the earth.
6:6. That in which were the black horses went forth into the land of the
north, and the white went forth after them: and the grisled went forth
to the land the south.
The land of the north... So Babylon is called; because it lay to the
north in respect of Jerusalem. The black horses, that is, the Medes and
Persians: and after them Alexander and his Greeks, signified by the
white horses, went thither because they conquered Babylon, executed upon
it the judgments of God, which is signified, ver. 8, by the expression
of quieting his spirit.-Ibid. The land of the south... Egypt, which lay
to the south of Jerusalem, and was occupied first by Ptolemeus, and then
by the Romans.
6:7. And they that were most strong, went out, and sought to go, and to
run to and fro through all the earth. And he said: Go, walk throughout
the earth: and they walked throughout the earth.
6:8. And he called me, and spoke to me, saying: Behold they that go
forth into the land of the north, have quieted my spirit in the land of
the north.
6:9. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
6:10. Take of them of the captivity, of Holdai, and of Tobias, and of
Idaias; thou shalt come in that day, a shalt go into the house of
Josias, the son of Sophonias, who came out of Babylon.
6:11. And thou shalt take gold and silver: and shalt make crowns, and
thou shalt set them on the head of Jesus the son of Josedec, the high
priest.
6:12. And thou shalt speak to him, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
saying: BEHOLD A MAN, THE ORIENT IS HIS NAME: and under him shall he
spring up, a shall build a temple to the Lord.
6:13. Yea, he shall build a temple to the Lord: and he shall bear the
glory, and shall sit, and rule upon his throne: and he shall be a priest
upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Between them both... That is, he shall unite in himself the two offices
or dignities of king and priest.
6:14. And the crowns shall be to Helem, and Tobias, and Idaias, and to
Hem, the son of Sophonias, a memorial in the temple of the Lord.
6:15. And they that are far off, shall come and shall build in the
temple of the Lord: and you shall know that the Lord of hosts sent me to
you. But this shall come to pass, if hearing you will hear the voice of
the Lord your God.