World English Bible · Under Rome
Revelation 6
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I saw that opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of saying, as with a voice of thunder, "Come and see!" Then appeared, and he who sat on it had a bow. A was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second saying, "Come!" Another came out, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great . When he opened the third seal, I heard the third saying, "Come and see!" And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand. I heard a voice in the middle of saying, "A choenix of wheat for a , and three choenix of barley for a ! Don't damage the oil and the !" When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth saying, "Come and see!" And behold, a pale horse, and the name of he who sat on it was . followed with him. over one fourth of the earth, to kill with , with , with , and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the the of those who had been killed for the Word of , and for the of which they had. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the and true, until you judge and our on those who on the earth?" A long white robe was given to each of them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed even as they were, should complete their course. I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as made of hair, and the whole moon became as . The stars of fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind. was removed like a when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place. The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. They told the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the of , and from the of , for of his has come, and who is able to stand?"
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.