Salvation and judgment in history from the throne of god and of the little lamb

676 ^The only other place in Revelation where the color "red" (πυρρός, purros) is mentioned is in 13:2, where John sees a "great red dragon." We may conclude that red, the color of blood, signifies killing, and the shedding of blood. The rest of the imagery involved in this vision of the red horse implies war (the taking away of peace; the use of a great knife) and carnage (they slaughter one another).
Hendricksen, however, noted that the Greek noun μάχαιρα, machaira ("knife," "dagger") is used here, not the later noun ῥομφαίᾳ, hromphaia, "sword," (in the dative; see verse 8), and interpreted as follows: "We believe that this horse and its rider refers to religious persecution of God's children rather than to war between nations; to slaughter and sacrifice rather than to warfare...This view is confirmed by the parallel passage, Matthew 10:34, ‘I came not to send peace, but a knife (μάχαιρα, machaira)’...The Lord Jesus Christ in this book is speaking to believers who, when this vision was first revealed, were being persecuted to death. The slaughter of believers was their immediate problem; that, more than warfare in general...The rider on the red horse does not refer to one definite person. He does not belong to one particular age. No century is without its rider upon the red horse: the world is always persecuting the Church. Christ always brings the sword. Peace is taken from the earth (Matthew 10:34)." (Pp. 99-101)

677 ^The dative pronoun αὐτῳ, auto, “to him,” is omitted by a corrector of Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Minuscule 2344, and a few other Greek manuscripts. This omission is the work of later copyists who wanted to eliminate unnecessary words from the original text. The omission does not change the meaning of Revelation.

678 ^The only other place in Revelation where we hear this word "peace" is in 1:4, where John in his greetings to the seven churches of Asia wishes them divine favor and peace from the One Who is being, and the One Who was being, and from the One Who is coming. The divine gift is peace; but here is a red horse and its rider whose mission upon earth is to take away the peace!
The author of Revelation states that it was given to the rider upon the red horse to take the peace from the earth. That means, at the very least, that God allowed this to happen. The taking away of peace, and the coming of persecution, bloodshed, and slaughter is not outside the divine purpose, but is part of its fulfillment! So, at least, John understands this difficult reality of human history!
Our interpretation of the rider on the white horse is that it means the missionaries of Jesus and the proclamation of the good news--that brings genuine "peace" to a hurting world, in the very midst of its conflicts and sufferings. But there are other forces, allowed by the divine will, which operate in human history, and which are designed to take away exactly what the good news is intended to give. That means, the peace of God's Kingdom will only come in human history in the midst of the fires of struggle, and in the face of relentless opposition. The followers of the King of peace will be faced with persecuting earthly powers that bring war in the train of the good news of peace!

679 ^The preposition ἐκ, ek, “out of,” or “from,” is changed to the preposition avpo,, apo, “from,” by Minuscule 2053 and a few other Greek manuscripts. It is changed to the preposition evpi,, epi, “upon,” by Minuscule 2344. There is no preposition read by Alexandrinus and some other Greek manuscripts. A corrector of Sinaiticus omits the entire phrase ἐκ τ­ς γ­ς, ek tes ges, “out of the earth.” These variant readings do not change the meaning of Revelation, but reflect varying views of later copyists as to the meaning of these similar prepositions.

680


^Aune comments that “When the verb sfa,zein, sphazein, ‘to slaughter’ is used with reference to people, the connotations of violence and savagery are clearly present...The function of the cavalier in taking peace from the earth is portrayed as a universal phenomenon, perhaps as a conscious reversal of the Roman achievement of pax Romana, ‘Roman peace,’ by Augustus.” (P. 395) Contrast Hendriksen’s view in footnote 676.

681 ^The conjunction kai,, kai, “and,” is omitted by Minuscules 1611, 2053, 2351, the Majority Text (K), and the Philoxenian Syriac. The omission does not change the meaning

of Revelation, and probably is another example of, and attempt by later copyists and translators to leave out unnecessary words found in the original text.

682 ^The future verb σφάξουσιν, sphaksousin, “they will slaughter,” is read by Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus and Minuscule 2329. It is changed to the subjunctive form, sfa,xwsin, sphaksosin, “they might slaughter,” by Sinaiticus and the Majority Text. It seems obvious that this is a correction by copyists attempting to improve the original text, which needs the subjunctive tense instead of the future. But this very fact is evidence that the change is secondary, not original. The variant reading does not change the meaning of Revelation.
The verb sfa,zw, sphazo, "slaughter," occurs in the following places in Revelation: 5:6, 9, 12 (all three of the Little Lamb Who has been slaughtered); 6:4 (here--they slaughter one another, ἀλλήλους σφάξουσιν, allelous sphaksousin, literally “one another they will slaughter”), 9 (the souls underneath the heavenly altar who have been slaughtered because of their testimony to the Word of God); 13:3 (one of the heads of the many-headed beast looks like it has been slaughtered) 13:8 (a Little Lamb that has been slaughtered); 18:24 (John sees the innermost beings of those who have been slaughtered because of their testimony to the word of God here upon earth; they are beneath the altar in the heavenly throne-room; compare 6:9, and 20:4 where those who have been behead-ed live and reign with Christ for a thousand years).
This verb “slaughter” occurs oftentimes in the Greek Bible, especially in Leviticus with reference to the slaughtering of animal sacrifices, and in Genesis 22:10, where it is said that Abraham was preparing to “slaughter” Isaac.

Those who slaughter the followers of the Little Lamb, Who Himself has been

slaughtered, begin a process that results in their slaughtering of themselves; this also is a "divine given."
Hough emphasizes the fact that people slaughter one another: "...The forces of evil are not to be attacked from without. They are to destroy each other. There is an inherent principle of self-destruction in evil. The second horseman sets into action those inner energies of disintegration by whose means evil men become their own worst foes. When the tale of wrong is told to the finish, it means destruction in every way. Foes without and foes within betray those who are the foes of God." (P. 568)

683 ^John states concerning the rider on the red horse, ἐδόθη αὐτè, edothe auto, “it was given to him” (compare footnote 669), the opportunity and the power to use a "great dagger"--i.e., to inflict terrible wounds, to engage in devastating battles. We are reminded of a number of statements in the New Testament in which this word "dagger" (μάχαιρα, machaira, a relatively short sword) occurs:
"Do not think that I came to cast peace upon the earth; I did not come to cast peace, but a μάχαιρα, dagger. For I came to divide...a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--and the enemies of a man will be his own family members!" (Matthew 10:34-36)
“Put up your μάχαιρα into its place! For all those who take up a μάχαιρα by a μάχαιρα will perish!" (Matthew 26:52)
"The person who does not have a μάχαιρα, let him buy one!" (Luke 22:36)
"The (governmental authority) does not bear the μάχαιρα in vain!" (Romans 13:4)
"If anyone kills by a μάχαιρα, it is necessary for him to be killed by a μάχαιρα." (Revelation 13:14)
Aune notes on p. 396 that “Roman emperors carried a dagger or sword as an emblem of office...The ius gladii, ‘right of the sword,’ in cases of capital punishment was a symbol of imperium [‘absolute rule,’ ‘supreme power’] exclusively exercised by the emperor in Rome but delegated to provincial officials...Wearing a sword was also the right of only the highest military officials during the Roman Republic...and during the Empire a sword was worn exclusively by the emperor...
“That this cavalier was given a sword, therefore, indicates the authority and power with which he was temporarily entrusted by God...The sword was a typical weapon used by ancient cavalry in warfare...” (P. 396)

We read this kind of biblical material and ask ourselves, "Was the Second World War or the Vietnam Conflict, or is the continuing war in Iraq an expression of the will of God, and of the Little Lamb?" "Were Hitler and Mussolini and Hirohito and the Viet Cong and the United States Special Forces and George W. Bush ‘given’ the power and the authority to make war on others?" Or, alternatively, "Did God and the Little Lamb have nothing to do with World War II or the Vietnam Conflict?" "Is the will of God not being done in human history? But if it is, how so?"

We probably would all agree that God blessed Jonas Salk in his scientific ability to discover the vaccine that has helped to eliminate the dread disease polio from our world. But was the same God not also blessing and enabling Albert Einstein and Robert Oppen-heimer to discover the laws of atomic physics, that eventually resulted in the invention and deployment of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
The vision seen by John insists that God is active in human history, and that the wars and slaughters (such as the execution of the believers in King Jesus at the close of the first century by the Romans, or the Jewish people in the Holocaust in Nazi Germany) do not occur outside divine permission, but are included within the divine purpose! What do you think? Does this kind of thinking fit into your personal theology and understanding of history? If John's later pictures of "dragons" and "beasts" (as in chapters 12 and 13) are meant to describe the Roman Empire with its emperor worship and false religion, and if they are the ones bearing the μάχαιρα that beheads the followers of King Jesus, does not John understand that they are able to wield that μάχαιρα only because it has been given to them by God?
We understand John's vision as clearly implying that such evil powers have been "given" their power by God; but it also teaches that such misuse of divinely given power will ultimately be self-defeating. Nonetheless, it is in just such a world that the white horse and

its rider, the missionaries of the risen Lord Jesus, go forth conquering and in order to conquer!

Gregg outlines the four different interpretations given to the second seal and this second horseman:
“Historicist: Most relate the second seal...to the period from the accession of Commodus (A.D. 180) to the accession of Diocletian (A.D. 284). As Eliott says, ‘It was the period of civil wars and bloodshed in the Roman Empire.’ ‘During that period, 32 emperors, and 27 pretenders alternately hurled each other from the throne by incessant civil warfare’ [Sismondi]...The fiery red...horse rider thus depicts these civil conflicts that spelled the beginning of the end of the Roman empire.” (Pp. 107-108)
“Preterist: The second horseman represents the loss of peace from the ‘land’ (a preferred translation to ‘earth’–verse 4) of Israel. Beside the war that the Jews were

fighting against the Romans (suggested by the first seal), there were civil wars among the Jews themselves [as described so graphically by Josephus in The Jewish War].”

“Futurist: The fiery red...color of this horse suggests bloodshed, and speaks of a time of war that comes upon the earth as the Tribulation progresses. Walvoord writes that... ‘There apparently is a series of wars, the greatest of which is under way at the time of the

second coming.’ Hal Lindsey identifies the rider on the red horse with Russia, with her Arab allies in the Middle East, attacking Israel (Ezekiel 38; Daniel 11), and places this at the midpoint of the Tribulation. Lindsey writes: ‘The war escalates until it involves all the major powers on the earth and becomes the greatest battle in the history of mankind–the Battle of Armageddon.’ Ray Stedman writes ‘Understandably, many Bible scholars today view this ‘large sword’ as a symbol of the awesome power of the nuclear bomb.’” (Pp. 107, 109)

“Spiritual: The fiery red...horse represents war in general...As the story of civilization is the story of war and conflict, the judgment of God can be seen everywhere throughout

man’s career...Hobbs points out that the Roman Empire, built through warfare, ‘would ultimately perish by it,’ thus fulfilling Jesus’ axiom that ‘all who take the sword will perish by the sword’ (Matthew 26:52)...Hendriksen and Hailey, who saw the white horse as Christ riding forth in the [proclamation] of the gospel, now understand the red horse to represent the persecution of the church that inevitably follows the spread of Christianity into heathen lands...[in line with the statement of Jesus] in Matthew 10:34: ‘I did not come to bring peace but a sword.’” (Pp. 107, 109)

What do you think? It is obvious that war is being depicted by this second seal and the second horseman. But there is nothing that we see in the description to justify specific applications such as the historicist (specific events in the on-going history of Rome; Rome’s history is a constant story of warfare!) and preterist (the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.) interpretations envision, and not a word is said in the vision of the second horseman concerning “the Tribulation,” or Russia and the Arabs, or the Battle of Armageddon. There is no reference to Ezekiel 38 or to Daniel 11. We are much more inclined to agree with Hendricksen and Hailey in understanding that as the gospel goes forth conquering in the world, the messengers of the gospel will meet fierce opposition, even death, even though we doubt that the rider is Jesus Christ Himself, but rather, is symbolical of His followers.

684 ^Once again the phrase kai. ivde,, kai ide, “and see,” is interpolated following the imper-ative verb “Come!” by Sinaiticus, Minuscules 2329, 2344, the Majority Text (K), the Old Latin manuscript a, the Clementine Latin Vulgate, the Harclean Syriac (with markings to indicate the phrase was not found in the exemplar being copied / translated), Primasius (who died about 567 A.D.), and Beatus of Liebana (8^th century A.D.).

685 ^The phrase καὶ εÉδον, kai eidon, “and I saw,” is omitted by Minuscule 1854, the Majority Text (K), the Old Latin manuscripts a and gig, the Clementine Latin Vulgate, the Philoxenian Syriac, the Sahidic Coptic and Beatus of Liebana (8^th century A.D.). Compare footnotes 685 and 697. The omission does not change the meaning of Revelation.

686 ^The color black (μέλας, melas) occurs in Revelation only here in verse 5 and then in verse 12, where the sun is described as turning "black." There can be little doubt that "black" is intended as the opposite of "white," and is meant to symbolize darkness, evil, and malignancy. However, in the continuation of the vision, it seems that the black horse symbolizes famine and scarcity, rather than moral evil.

687 ^The accusative noun zugo,n, zugon means "yoke," and is used figuratively for any burden which people are called upon to carry, including the "responsibility for learning and following a ‘load’ or ‘burden’ of teaching." But because a yoke was carefully balanced in its construction, in order to distribute weight evenly between two animals, it came to be used as a description of the "lever of a balance," and then to mean "a balance," "a pair of scales."
Beasley-Murray notes that "The balance implies that food will have to be weighed out and rationed with care (compare Leviticus 26:26 (‘When I cut off your supply of bread...they will dole out the bread by weight...’); Ezekiel 4:16 (‘I will cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety...’)." (P. 132)

688 ^The adverbial conjunction ὡς, hos, “like,” is omitted by Minuscules 1006, 1611, 1841, 2053, the Majority Text (K), the Syriac and Coptic traditions plus Primasius (who died about 567 A.D.) and Beatus of Liebana (8^th century A.D.). We see no reason for this omission, other than perhaps a desire on the part of these later textual workers to eliminate the emphasis on the symbolic nature of John’s vision–much like some modern students who want to understand Revelation in a very literal, straight-forward way. But according to the original text, John says he heard “like a voice,” and that emphasizes the non-literal, symbolic nature of the vision. If what he heard was only “like a voice,” what did he hear? It is something mysterious, puzzling–and John wants his readers to know this!

689 ^Aune comments that “Unidentified heavenly voices were relatively rare in Greek tradition...but they are common in Revelation (6:5; 9:13; 10:4, 8; 11:12, 15; 12:10; 16:1, 17; 18:4; 19:5; 21:3.” (P. 397)

690 ^The noun ΧοÃνιξ, choinix means a dry measure, often used for grain, which consisted of approximately one quart--the daily ration of wheat for one person.

691 ^Aune comments that “This statement suggests an exorbitant price for basic commodities during a period of famine caused either by drought or war (about eight times the normal price for wheat and five-and-one-third times the normal price for barley...
“One liter of wheat and three liters of barley are mentioned together here because it is the appropriate ration for a cavalryman and his mount, or for an individual and his domestic animals.” (P. 397)
The voice means, "We live in a time of scarcity, when it takes all that one person can earn to just barely eke by--a whole day's wage for just enough wheat to sustain one person's life."

692 ^The feminine plural genitive noun κριθäν, krithon, literally “of barleys,” is changed to the genitive singular kriqh/j, krithes, “of barley,” by Minuscules 2344, 2351, the Majority Text (K) and by the Philoxenian Syriac. The variant reading does not change the meaning of Revelation, but reflects the desire of later copyists and translators to simplify the original text.
Barley has a much lower protein content than wheat, and John's language implies that it would take approximately three quarts of barley to equal the nutritional value of a quart of wheat. Again the voice that John hears seems to mean that scarcity is the order of the day.
Beasley-Murray comments that "...A man's entire earnings are required to buy bread for himself alone. But what of his family? They can feed only if he buys inferior barley. Even so three quarts of barley represent a very low subsistence for a whole family, and the price for such a starvation diet is exorbitant (it is eleven to sixteen times the prices cited by Cicero for wheat sold in Sicily)..." (Pp. 132-33)
Immediately following the noun κριθäν, krithon, “barleys,” the genitive singular definite article tou/, tou, “of the,” or “for the,” is interpolated into the original text by Alexandrinus. The interpolation does not change the meaning of Revelation, but does make it read smoother–and this very fact is an indication of its secondary status.

693 ^Literally, “for a dhnari,ou, denariou”; we believe that it is best to not try and give a monetary equivalent, but to indicate that in other places within the New Testament, the

dhna,rion, denarion was the equivalent of a day’s wage. See Aune, pp. 381 and 387.

694 ^The implication of the last statement is that the most common necessities of life--daily staples--must be carefully guarded and rationed out. There is simply no more room for abuse of these common foods. Swete comments that "Wheat and barley, oil and wine, were the staple food both of Palestine and Asia Minor, and the voice from the midst of the [living creatures] deprecates any heavy loss in these crops. Yet the very cry reveals the presence of relative hardships, and the danger of worse things." (P. 88)
Hendricksen, however, sees the statement concerning the oil and the wine quite differently. While there is great scarcity among the poor followers of Jesus for even the barest of necessities, their wealthy persecutors have an abundance of luxurious items symbolized by the oil and the wine: "Oil and wine, representing all the comforts of life, are in plentiful supply! But they are utterly beyond the reach of the man who is making hardly enough to provide coarse food for his family. Now we have the entire picture: we see the

rich enjoying their food in abundance and all the comforts of life besides. But the poor have hardly enough to keep body and soul together...One could hardly remain a member of his trade-guild without sacrificing his religious principles and convictions. And if a person did withdraw from such an organization? It requires very little imagination to realize that the result of such withdrawal would be material loss and physical suffering...

“Has not this been true throughout the ages? Is it not a principle of human conduct to oppress believers and to cause them to suffer physical want? How often have the children of God been crowded out of their job, business, or profession, because they insisted on being true to their convictions?...
"The second and the third riders belong together. Both describe the persecution of the people of God. Some believers are slaughtered. Their blood is poured out. These are the martyrs in the more restricted sense of that term. The second (red) horse and its rider describes them. But not all believers suffer actual martyrdom in that sense. Yet, in a broader sense, the others too, are martyrs. They suffer poverty and hardship...Thus the second and the third riders describe those woes which in a very special manner affect believers. They symbolize that throughout the entire dispensation the world will persecute the Church in every conceivable way...” (Pp. 101-03)
Again, Gregg outlines the different views of this third seal and horseman:
“Historicist: Many see the black horse...as the fiscal oppression imposed by some of the emperors of the 3^rd century...Caracalla (218-222) granted citizenship to all free men in the empire, but only so he could tax them more. Gibbon refers to ‘the land tax, the capita-tion [a tax fixed at an equal amount per person], and the heavy contributions of corn, wine, oil, and wheat, exacted from the provinces for the use of the court, the army and the capital’ of this period.” (P. 110)
“Preterist ..This horse represents famine or shortage of food. The color black also is reminiscent of famine...The Jews in Jerusalem suffered terrible food shortages during the Roman siege.” (P. 110)

“Futurist: Most...understand this horseman to represent famine conditions brought on by the warfare in the previous seal during the future Tribulation...Henry Morris...sees in this seal a reference to the power of commerce to generate prosperity or calamity, inflation or depression, opulence or starvation. International capitalists will take advantage of the period of peace to gain full control of the oil, food, and money resources of the world...Ray Stedman [writes]: ‘Another possible explanation of the third seal is economic upheaval– inflation, recession, panic...Inflation may well be the justification the Antichrist will use to impose rigid controls over buying and selling, as we shall see in Revelation 13.” (P. 111)

“Spiritual: Possibly as a consequence of war (the red horse), or simply as the result of God-ordained drought (Deuteronomy 28:23-24), famine comes as a judgment upon sinners. It is one of the ‘four severe judgments’ (Ezekiel 14:21) by which God takes

vengeance on corrupt societies...Hendriksen and Hailey...understand the second and third seals to be consequences that follow upon the first seal, which they take to be the advance of the gospel in the earth. The second seal represents bloody persecutions of the believ-ers, whereas this third seal speaks of economic persecutions of the same.” (Pp. 111, 113)

What do you think? There can be little doubt that the 3^rd seal and horseman repre-sent famine, but is there any real indication of specific periods of famine in the text, whether to periods in Roman history, or to the fall of Jerusalem, or to some future time? Here again, we are much more inclined to follow the lead of Hendriksen and Hailey, and to see it as depicting the hardships that the followers of Jesus must expect to endure as they proclaim the gospel of peace in a warring world–especially the kind of economic hardship that would accompany the refusal of Christians to burn incense to Domitian in the cities of Asia, resulting in their being unable to buy or sell in the markets.

695 ^The accusative noun φωνὴν, phonen, “voice,” is read by P24, Sinaiticus, Alexand-rinus, Minuscules 1006, 1841, 2344, the Majority Text (A), a majority of the Old Latin witnesses, the Philoxenian Syriac, and the Sahidic Coptic. It is omitted by Ephraemi Rescriptus, P, Minuscules 1611, 1854, 2053, 2329, 2351, the Majority Text (K), the Old Latin manuscript gig, the Harclean Syriac, the Bohairic Coptic, Primasius (who died about 567 A.D.) and Beatus of Liebana (8^th century A.D.). The noun is unnecessary for the meaning of the Greek text, since oftentimes the verb avkou,ein, akouein is followed by a

genitive noun. The omission does not change the meaning of Revelation, and can be viewed as an attempted improvement on the original text by later copyists and translators.

696 ^Again, following the imperative “Come!” the phrase kai. iv,de, kai ide, “and see,” is interpolated into the original text by Sinaiticus, the Majority Text (K), a majority of the Old Latin witnesses, the Clementine Latin Vulgate, the Harclean Syriac (with markings to indicate the words were not found in the exemplar being copied / translated), Primasius (who died about 567 A.D.), and Beatus of Liebana (8^th century A.D.). Compare verses 3, 5, and 7, along with their footnotes.

697 ^The phrase καὶ εÉδον, kai eidon, “and I saw,” is omitted by Minuscules 1854, 2329, 2351, the Majority Text (K), the Old Latin manuscript gig, the Clementine Latin Vulgate, and Beatus of Liebana (8^th century A.D.). Compare footnotes 297 and 314. The omission does not change the meaning of Revelation.

698 ^The adjective χλωρός, chloros, translated here "yellowish green," means "light green," or "pale." In medical writing, it is used of the color of a person who is sick, in contrast to healthy appearance. Swete holds that the word is used here, not in its more

normal meaning "green," but in the meaning "of pale complexion"--the grey, ashen color of a faced filled with fear. (P. 88) Aune says it is also used to describe the pallor of corpses (p. 400).

699 ^The definite article ὁ, ho, “the (one who),” is omitted by Ephraemi Rescriptus. The omission does not change the meaning of Revelation, but we see no reason for its omission other than simply being an oversight.

700 ^The phrase ἐπάνω αὐτοØ, epano autou, “above (or ‘over’) it,” is changed to read simply ἐπάνω, “above,” or “over” by Ephraemi Rescriptus, Minuscules 1611, 2053, the Majority Text (A) and the Stuttgartiensis Latin Vulgate. It is changed to read ep’ auvto,n, ep’ auton, “upon it,” by Minuscules 1854 and a few other Greek manuscripts–a synonymous phrase to that of the original. The variant readings do not change the meaning of Revelation, but they once again show that the later copyists and translators did not consider themselves bound to the exact reproduction of what was found written in the original text.

701 ^The definite article o`, ho, ”the,” is read by Alexandrinus and the Majority Text. It is omitted by Sinaiticus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Minuscules 1006, 1611, 1841, 1854, 2053 and a few other Greek manuscripts. Perhaps this variant has arisen from the differences in conviction across the centuries by Greek writers as to whether or not the definite article was to be used before nouns and names. The textual witnesses incline us to include the definite article as part of the original text.

702 ^The noun Θάνατος, thanatos, “death,” is changed to the noun avqa,natoj, athanatos, “immortal,” or “deathless,” the exact opposite of qnhto,j, thnetos, (“mortal,” “subject to death”) by Alexandrinus. This is a striking change in meaning for Revelation, but obvious-ly, we think, a mistake, with no possibility of having been the original reading. It is possible that the mistake was caused by the copyist’s working “by ear,” and confusing o` qa,natoj, “the death,” with the similar sounding avqa,natoj, athanatos.
Swete suggests appropriately, that "death" here may equal "pestilence," on the basis of the translation of the Hebrew noun rb,d,, dhebher into the Greek noun for death, qa,natoj, thanatos, which is used here. See Ezekiel 14:21, as quoted in footnote 708.
Aune notes that “Death is personified four times in Revelation (1:18; 6:8 (here); 20:13, 14), and each time it is linked to a personified Hades...In Greek mythology the underworld is personified by the god Hades.” (P. 401)
It is an interesting question to ask in our study of Revelation: "How can 'Death' (or, 'pestilence') ride on a horse?" And, "How can 'the underworld' follow closely behind 'Death'? Are we to conceive of the underworld as likewise riding a powerful steed?" It is obvious that we are dealing with highly symbolic literature, and will only become greatly confused and mistaken if we insist on taking such symbolical language in a literal, straight-forward manner! There are those who advertise widely that they accept Revelation "for what it says," emphasizing that they believe that "What Revelation says is true."
Hidden behind such claims is a wooden, literalistic interpretation of Revelation that simply cannot do justice to the symbolic nature of the entire work, or to the biblical description of the nature of prophecy as being enigmatic, given in riddles, seen “through a mirror darkly”! No, Death does not, and never will ride a literal horse! Murderous soldiers may ride such a horse, as they rush to kill their victims, but not death itself. Neither does the underworld ride a horse in pursuit of death’s horse! But that fact does not diminish the importance or truth of the message which John is giving! This is symbolic language!

703 ^The noun ὁ ᾅδης, ho hades is used throughout the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible to render the Hebrew noun lwav, she)ol. It means "grave," and, especially with its Greek background, means "underworld," as the place where the dead go when they leave their physical bodies. See Revelation 1:18, with its footnote, where we have quoted pas-sages from the Jewish Bible which picture the grave, lwav, she)ol or ᾅδης, hades, in a terrifyingly pessimistic way, where there can be no worship and YHWH's faithfulness can no longer reach. It is pictured as a hungry monster that is never satisfied, that feeds upon human beings, and where our physical forms decay. It is barred by huge gates that cannot be broken or breached by its inhabitants.
But we have also quoted passages that express the hope that YHWH will one day ransom his people out from the power of the grave, from the plagues of death, and from the grave's destruction (see Hosea 13:14). Psalm 49:12-15 makes a powerful statement of trust in the eventual conquering of the grave and death by God: “God will redeem my innermost being [iyvip.n;i, naphsi] from the grave [lAa+v.-dY:mI), miyyadh-she(ol], He will surely take me to Himself!” We have interpreted Revelation 1:18 as affirming that the risen Lord Jesus has indeed conquered both death and the grave through His own death and resurrection--and holds the keys of death and of the underworld in His great hands!
Nonetheless, John sees in his vision that death and the underworld continue on their grisly ride through human history. The risen Lord has indeed conquered them both; but their work is not ended or complete as of yet. The yellowish-green horse is still being ridden by its rider named "Death," and the underworld follows right behind him! Where the

victorious rider on the white horse rides, the yellowish-green horse also continues to ride! This is the context in which the Christian mission goes forth!

704 ^The imperfect verb ἠκολούθει, ekolouthei, “it was following,” is changed to the present indicative active verb avkolou,qei, akolouthei, “it is following,” by the Majority Text (A), the Syriac and Coptic traditions, plus Victorinus of Pettau (who died 304 A.D.). The change in tense from imperfect to present does not change the meaning of Revelation except in a very minor way. However, this kind of change in tense from imperfect (“past”) to present indicative is a clear indication of how interpretation of Revelation has shifted from a “preterist” to a “spiritual” understanding across the centuries. What do you think?

705 ^The phrase μετ̓ αὐτοØ, met’ autou, “with him,” is read by Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Minuscule 1611 and the Majority Text (A). It is changed to read ovpi,sw auvtou/, opiso autou, “after him,” by Minuscule 2329, a few other Greek manuscripts and the Harclean Syriac. It is changed to the one word, the dative singular pronoun auvtw|/, auto, “to (or ‘for’) him,” by Sinaiticus, Minuscules 1006, 1841, 1854, the first writer of 2053 (see), 2344, 2351, the Majority Text (K) and the Philoxenian Syriac. The variant readings do not change the meaning of Revelation, but demonstrate the differences among later copyists and translators as to how the original language should be understood.
Is John's vision reporting on reality? A better question: "Have you visited in any city or town in America, or any other country, where there are no funeral parlors, no grave-yards, no deaths? Do you know human beings who are exempt from the actuarial tables, whose bodies will continue on with vibrant, youthful health forever, never to be subject to death's decay?" Or again, "Is there a church you can join, in which there will never have to be any funerals?" John's vision says to its readers, "Yes, we are followers of the Little Lamb Who was slaughtered, but Who is now risen, Who sits on the throne of the universe, and Who holds the keys of death and of the underworld in His hands. But don't think that this means we will be exempt from death, or from the loss of our loved ones. Our King’s missionaries are riding forth into human history, constantly winning victories over the forces of evil, yes! But there are other forces riding in history--including the red horse of war and slaughter, as well as the black horse of scarcity and famine, and the yellowish-green horse of death and the underworld! The ultimate victory has already been won, but there is still a demanding struggle to be fought, there is still work to be done, there is suffering to be endured! Those who follow in the train of the rider on the white horse are not exempt from death and the grave's sting, even though they have the assurance of eternal life. Never forget that!"

706


^The dative plural pronoun αὐτοÃς, autois, “to them,” is changed to the dative singular form of the pronoun auvtw|/, auto, “to him,” by Minuscules 1611, 1854, 2329, 2351, the Majority Text (K), a majority of the Old Latin witnesses, plus the Syriac and Coptic traditions. The variant reading changes the meaning of Revelation in a minor way–the authority is given to death and the grave (and perhaps the fourth rider), instead of only to the rider as the original text seems to say. But even so, the meaning of Revelation remains basically the same.
Aune comments that “The plural pronoun...’to them’ either refers to Death and Hades and this sentence forms a conclusion to the fourth seal, or the pronoun refers to all four cavaliers and this sentence forms a conclusion to the entire textual unit in 6:1-8.” (P. 402)
Neither the yellowish-green horse and its rider, nor death and the underworld have any "authority" on their own. They too are the subjects of the heavenly Throne, obedient to divine permission or withdrawal of authority. The risen Lord holds the keys of death and of the underworld (1:18), and despite all that they may do to destroy the people of God, they will never be ultimately successful--for they are under divine authority, and the last word in human history belongs to our God, and to the Little Lamb, not to death or to the under-world! They will both be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14), to meet complete and final destruction, while the people of God, even though having suffered under their hands, will live and reign with God and with the Little Lamb forever and forever! This is the good news of Revelation!

707 ^This opening of the fourth seal does not envision a world-wide or universal trauma or period of destruction. Rather, the picture is that of a partial (one-quarter), limited visitation of destruction through loss of life.

708 ^Four forms of suffering and loss of life are detailed in John's vision of the fourth horse and its rider, "Death." They are (1) the sword; (2) famine; (3) death; and (4) beasts. These are the four forms of judgment mentioned in Ezekiel 14:21, where YHWH says: "For in this way my Lord YHWH has spoken: ‘Surely, if I sent my four evil judgments--sword [r`omfai,a, hromphaia] and famine, and evil beast, and pestilence [in Greek, ‘death’] upon Jerusalem, to cut off from them human and beast...!’" (See Ezekiel 5:16-17; Deuteronomy 32:23-25; Jeremiah 14:12; 15:3, 7, Psalms of Solomon 13:2-3; Sibylline Oracles 3.316-17, 335.)
By "the sword" John most probably means the threat of death by the sword (beheading) wielded by the Roman authorities, as they searched out and put to death those who openly acknowledged their faith in Jesus as "King." By "famine" John means the loss of daily necessities of life, such as have been vividly pictured by the third horse and its depiction of scarcity–something that believers in the seven churches of Asia were going through as they refused to burn incense to Domitian, and were excluded from being able to buy or sell in the markets.. By "death" John most probably means "pestilence," and the death that follows in cases such as bubonic plague, etc. By "beasts" John may mean marauding animals that were a constant threat to human life in the ancient world (as seen in the monuments from the Ancient Near East, where great kings are pictured as being able to destroy vicious animals that threatened the lives of their subjects). But John may have more specific reference to the wild animals that would be used in the arenas of the Roman government to destroy confessing followers of King Jesus.
Again, we look to Gregg, to outline the different views taken of this 4^th seal and horseman:
“Historicist: The time of fulfillment, according to Barnes, is the 20 years from A.D. 248 to 268, encompassing the reigns of Decius, Gallus, Aemilianus, Valerian, and Gallienus...Gibbon [writes:] ‘During this calamitous period of time...every province of the Roman world was afflicted by barbarous invaders and military tyrants, and the ruined empire seemed to approach the last and fatal moment of its dissolution...5,000 persons died daily in Rome; and many towns that escaped the hands of the barbarians were entirely depopulated.’ Does this not correspond well with the figure of Death and Hades riding rampant in the earth?...Gibbon documents that...sword, famine, and pestilence–did indeed wreak havoc in the empire and estimates that ½ (not the conservative fourth of Scripture) the human population of earth was killed in this period.” (Pp. 114-116)
“Preterist: ...Because of the internal fighting and starvation of the Jews, conditions in besieged Jerusalem in A.D. 70 could readily be described in the terms found here...a deliberate echo of Ezekiel 14:21...In Ezekiel God used these means to inflict judgment at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 B.C., which was a precursor of this event, simialr in detail and in significance, in A.D. 70 [as graphically described in Josephus’ The Jewish War]. (Pp. 114, 116)
“Futurist: Applying these seals to the end times Tribulation...Walvoord [writes:] ‘Treated geographically it would be equivalent to the destruction of more than the entire population of Europe and South America.’ Because of the current world population being so great, one fourth of the inhabitants would represent a number larger than those destroyed in Noah’s day. Therefore, this would be the ‘Great Tribulation’ of unprecedented

magnitude spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24:21 [but which is spoken concerning the fall of Jerusalem!].” (P. 115)

“Spiritual: The pale horse and its rider represent Death (verse 8) by various causes: sword, famine, death, and beasts of the earth. In a sense this summarizes all four horsemen...Swete [writes:] ‘This series of pictures repeats itself in history, and the militarism and lust of conquest...are among the forces set loose by the hand of Christ to prepare the way for His coming and the final publication of the secrets of the Sealed Book’ ...We are not at this point seeing a global catastrophe, but only recurring instances of geographically limited judgments...This seal ‘summarizes the effect of the four horsemen... And in large measure they combined to destroy the Roman Empire’ [Hobbs]...Thus the recurring patterns suggested by these seals had a contemporary relevance to the original readers in that they predicted the means by which the Roman persecutors would meet

their end...Hailey and Hendriksen interpret the seals in connection with their effects upon the church, in contrast to the later trumpet judgments of God upon the unbelieving world... Hendriksen writes: ‘These four...are symbolical of all universal woes which believers suffer along with the rest of humanity...’” (Pp. 115, 117)

So, what shall we conclude concerning the meaning of the first four seals, and their teaching for human history? If the Little Lamb is breaking the seals, and unrolling the scroll of human destiny, in which God's eternal purpose is being fulfilled, what does the vision of

the four horses and their riders, which follow the breaking open of the first four seals mean?

We are being told by John that human history is going to be a time of great testing and hardship and conflict for the people of God. The white horse, with its rider (which we are interpreting in terms of the proclamation of the Gospel by His followers, in their world-wide mission) is going on its way, conquering the powers of evil that it confronts in human history. But let the people of God take notice that those powers of evil are real, dreadfully, terrifyingly real, and will not yield without a terrible fight! John's vision of the succeeding three horses tells its readers something like:
“Don't get the mistaken idea that because you are the people of the Lord of history, and His mission is going forth into human history to extend His eternal victory to the ends of the earth, that everything is therefore going to be happy and bright from now on, or that His followers will never have any sufferings or hardships to endure. No, expect to face the harsh realities of Roman persecution; don't think that you will be exempt from such disasters as famine (or drought, or economic depression, or loss of property and income). Don't think that the grim reaper (death) will not know your address, or call upon the members of your family, or congregation, or upon you yourself! Don't get the idea that

because Jesus is Lord of lords, and King of kings, that therefore the wild animals of the Roman arena will turn into peaceful doves when the Romans force you to face them!

“No, all of these things will happen in your history. But they are not the ultimate reality. They are all under the Lordship of our risen Lord and King, Who is on the throne of the universe! Know that such things will happen in your history; don't be dismayed or surprised when they happen to you. But don't forget that they are only temporary; they can
never separate you from the eternal purpose and hope that are ours because God and the Little Lamb are on the throne of the universe, and history is unfolding at their bidding!”
It is at this last point that the fifth seal becomes of great importance. Not all of the seals have been opened as yet. When the fifth seal is opened, John will show the reader the certain hope that is theirs as the confessing people of God! We still have great suffering to endure; there will be persecution, wars, famines, scarcity, and all sorts of painful, terrifying opposition. But beyond the shadows and the darkness shines the eternal light, the blessed future which our God has assured His people! John's symbolic visions say that very powerfully and clearly!

709 ^The phrase τὴν πέμπτην σφραγÃδα, ten pempten sphragida, “the fifth seal,” is changed to read τὴν πέμπτην τὴν σφραγÃδα, ten pempten ten sphragida, literally “the fifth the seal,” by the first writer of Sinaiticus, Minuscules 1611, 1854, 2344, a few other Greek manuscripts and the Harclean Syriac. The variant reading does not change the meaning of Revelation, but demonstrates the freedom felt by later copyists and translators to slightly re-word the original text being copied in order to enhance its meaning.
Swete comments that "With the fifth seal the Church comes into sight, in its persecuted, suffering, state...The loosing of the fifth seal interprets the age of persecution, and shows its relations to the Divine plan of history." (P. 89)

710 ^The noun used here is θυσιαστηρίου, thusiasteriou, literally, "of a fixed place for sacrifices," which means in biblical literature simply "of an altar." In the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible, it is the word used to describe altars in general, but it is also used particularly for the altar of burnt offering in the inner forecourt of the temple at Jerusalem, as well as for the altar of incense in the innermost court of the temple.
Here, in Revelation, it seems that the altar of incense and the altar of burnt offerings in the Jewish temple have been combined as the background upon which this imagery is based, when it speaks of the prayers of God's people being like the smoke of the incense

being offered (see 5:8; here at 6:9, the innermost beings of the martyrs cry out in prayer; see also 8:3, 5; 9:13; 11:1; 14:18, and 16:7), and then when it implies that their life-blood

has been poured out at the base of the altar–only, this “altar” is no longer located in the earthly city of Jerusalem, but in the heavenly throne-room!

711 ^The accusative plural noun Revelation 6:9 yuca,j, psuchas means "souls," "lives," the seat and center of the inner life of human beings that transcends earthly life. Following this noun, there is the interpolated phrase tw/n avnqrw,pwn, ton anthropon, “of the people,” that is read by Sinaiticus, Minuscules 1841, 2344, the Majority Text (A) and the Coptic
tradition. The interpolation does not change the meaning of Revelation, but is an attempt by copyists and translators to enhance its meaning, making it more exact.

712 ^Compare footnote 682 for a listing of all the places in Revelation where this verb sfa,zein, sphazein, “to slaughter,” occurs. The Little Lamb is described as "having been slaughtered," and the same passive participle is used concerning these whose innermost beings are now beneath the heavenly altar. They too are those ἐσφαγμένων, esphag-menon, "those having been slaughtered." That means that they have borne the same sufferings as the Little Lamb--they have identified with Him, not only with their lives, but also in their willingness to face death as "sacrificial lambs," just as He had done. This is the harsh reality that faces those symbolized by the rider on the white horse, as they go forth conquering in human history--many of them will be slaughtered in a manner similar to

His own slaughtering! But that will not be their end--far from it, as the vision goes on to make clear.

713 ^This second use of the preposition dia,, dia, “on account of,” is omitted by Alexandri-nus, Minuscule 1854, a majority of the Old Latin witnesses, some manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate, Cyprian (who died 258 A.D.) and Primasius (who died about 567 A.D.). It is true that the second preposition is unnecessary for the sense of the text, and that is probably the reason for its being omitted by these copyists and translators. Whether read or not makes no difference for the meaning of Revelation.

714 ^Immediately following the noun μαρτυρίαν, marturian, “testimony,” the phrase tou/ avrni,ou, tou arniou, “of the Little Lamb” is interpolated into the original text by a corrector of Minuscule 1611, Minuscule 2351, the Majority Text (K) and the Harclean Syriac (with markings to indicate the reading was not found in the exemplar being copied / translated). The interpolation does not change the meaning of Revelation, but is of the nature of expansion of, and comment upon the original text by later copyists and translators, emphasizing how the martyrs are sharing in the fate of the Little Lamb before them.
This unusual phrase, "because of the Word of God and because of the testimony..." is characteristic of Revelation. See 1:2 (John, the author of Revelation, bore witness to the testimony of Jesus and the Word of God), 9 (that is the reason why he is on Patmos); 6:9 (here; the souls underneath the altar are there because of the Word of God and their testimony which they were having); 20:4 (those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God are enthroned for a thousand years) and compare 11:7 (the two witnesses will prophesy for 1,260 days, giving their testimony); 12:11 (the followers of the Little Lamb have overcome the accuser by the blood of the Little Lamb and by the word of their testimony), 12:17 (the dragon makes war against those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus); 19:10 (John and his brothers hold to the testimony of Jesus) and 19:10 (the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of speaking for God. It is a theme running throughout Revelation–the followers of Jesus / the Little Lamb are those who bear testimony to Jesus and to the Word of God. They are not afraid; they are not bashful. They openly proclaim their faith and their convictions, even when it costs them their lives!

715 ^The verb εÉχον, eichon, is in the imperfect tense, implying a continuous action in the past, “they were having.” Aune comments that the imperfect verb, used here in a narrative setting dominated by aorist verbs, emphasizes “a process occurring in the past that provides the background for a present activity, which is indicated by the aorist verb ev,kraxan, ekraksan, ‘they cried, in verse 10.” (P. 383) He adds on p. 406 that “While it is obvious that ‘those who had been slain for the word of God and because of the testimony which they bore’ are martyrs, their specific identity is unclear.” We think that given the context in which this passage occurs, we can identify them as the faithful members of the 7 churches of Asia, who, like Antipas (2:13) and later Polycarp, along with 11 members of the church in Philadelphia, were beheaded or burned at the stake because of their refusal to deny Jesus.
Here is, we believe, a "heavenly view" of what is happening in the life of the churches of Asia at the close of the first century. They are actively testifying to the Word of God, and as a result of their bold testimony, there are those who are being beheaded and burned at the stake--"slaughtered" because of their courageous witness to their faith. But from heaven's standpoint, those who endure such suffering, are coming home to their proper place--to the altar of God in the presence of the Throne of the universe, close to the

Divine Being on the Throne, and to the Little Lamb, where their future is secure. Such faithful testimony to the death is the very definition of true sacrifice to God! Compare 2 Esdras 4:35, which may well be based on this passage in Revelation.

716 ^The aorist verb ἔκραξαν, ekraksan, “they cried out,” is changed to the imperfect form of the verb ev,krazon, ekrazon, “they were crying out,” by Minuscules 1006, 1611, 1841,

1854, 2053, 2351 and the Majority Text (A). The variant reading does not change the meaning of Revelation, but is an enhancement of the original text.

717 ^Swete comments, that, "As the blood of Abel cried for vengeance on Cain (Genesis 4:10...), so in the ears of the Seer the souls of the martyrs (i.e., their sacrificed lives) called aloud for judgment on the pagan world." (P. 90)
Hough says concerning their cry, "They cry with a loud voice that the world cannot be left merely a place of the martyrdom of the faithful. It must be a place of the punish-ment of their murderers...The cry for vengeance is a cry for a world where justice is not defeated and injustice does not sit upon the throne." (P. 568)
There are, of course, critics who look at such a prayer or cry as "sub-Christian" in nature. What do you think?

718 ^Or, perhaps, "How long...?" It is an impatient cry, which claims that the suffering of God's people is lasting too long; how much longer until the Lord of history comes to take vengeance upon the cruel oppressors of his people?
This is the same cry that has been heard again and again in the Psalms of individual lament, and on the mouth of the Spokespersons: see Psalm 6:3; 13:1-2 (four times); 35:17; 74:10; 79:5 (twice); 80:4; 89:46 (twice); 90:13; 94:3 (twice); Isaiah 6:11; Jeremiah 4:21; 12:4; Habakkuk 1:2, and Zechariah 1:12. Compare 2 Esdras 4:35.
It is the cry that is heard in heaven, uttered by those who have been slaughtered by the Roman officials. But if the cry is heard in heaven, how much more so is it heard and felt in the hearts of the suffering Christians still in the churches in Asia, who face the grim prospects of execution because of their faith. "Until when?" "How long?"
Beasley Murray comments, “For the modern reader in the western world this passage may well appear like an antiquarian's cameo--a vision from remote days, to be viewed with interest and curiosity. For the Christian of John's day, facing pagan pressures which at times erupted into fearful persecution, and which now threatened to escalate into the ultimate war on the Church, it was otherwise. The ‘how long?’ ascended from earth, as well as from beneath the altar. To a Church facing a struggle with powers able to inflict the worst at will, it is consolation to know that there is a limit to the activities of those who shed blood on the earth, and that the sacrifice of Christ's slain witnesses is not in vain...and is to be vindicated in the day when their prayer is answered.” (Pp. 136-37)

719 ^The noun δεσπότης, despotes is commonly used in Greek literature for the "master" of a slave, but occurs only here in Revelation. It means "master," "lord," or "owner." It is commonly used in the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible as the equivalent for the Hebrew noun !Ada', )adon, "Lord." In the New Testament it is used in address to God in only the following passages: Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 4 and here, Revelation 6:10. Its usage implies that those so addressing the divine being acknowledge

themselves as "slaves" of the divine "Master." As Aune notes, it is “a regular Greek translation of two Latin terms for the Roman emperor, dominus and princeps.” (P. 407)

The question is, Who is being addressed as "Master"? Is it the One sitting on the Throne of the universe, i.e., God? Or is it the Little Lamb, Who has taken His seat at the right hand of God? The answer is that the address is ambiguous, and can be understood as being addressed to either of the two Who sit side by side upon that Throne.

720 ^This phrase, "the Set-apart One, and True One," occurs earlier in Revelation, at 3:7, where it occurs in the "Self-designation" of the risen Lord. It is tantalizingly ambiguous here--since it can be taken to refer to God or to the Little Lamb. However, because of its earlier usage in 3:7, it is best, we think, to understand it here as spoken to the Little Lamb.

721 ^Aune states that “in this context the verb [‘judge’] refers to the final eschatological judgment...However, kri,neij, krineis, ‘you judge,’ is then linked with the present evkdikei/j, ekdikeis (from evkdikei/n, ekdikein, ‘to punish,’ ‘avenge’)...a specific aspect of eschato-logical judgment, namely, divine vengeance for Christians who have been martyred.” (P. 383) But we insist that this phrase, “the final eschatological judgment” does not occur in Revelation, and is being read into this text. In biblical teaching, the judgments of God on evil persecutors of God’s people occur time and again, as God comes to destroy the Midianites, the Egyptians, or the Babylonians, etc., and avenges the blood of His people. These two verbs, “to judge” and “to avenge” are commonly used throughout the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible to describe the divine activity in human history. Compare Jeremiah 51:36 (in Hebrew, 28:36) in Greek (concerning Babylon),

722 ^The prayer that comes from the innermost-beings of those who have been slaughtered for their testimony is that their blood be avenged; it is a plea for the Little Lamb to "take vengeance" upon those who have murdered them, His followers.
Compare Luke 18:7-8, "And will not God take vengeance for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night, and He is long-suffering over them? I tell you, He will take vengeance for them, quickly!" Also, see Deuteronomy 32:39-43; Hosea 1:4; Joel 3:1-16, and Revelation 19:2.
Aune comments that “Revelation 6:10 is essentially a prayer for vengeance, with precedents in the Old Testament in the so-called imprecatory psalms (Psalms 7 (verse 11, ~Ay*-lk'B. ~[eîzO laeªw>÷ qyDI_c; jpeäAv ~yhil{a/â, “God Who is judging a rightly-related person, and a God Who is angry on every day,” that is, divine justice is being exercised daily);