With these facts before us it is easy to discern the nature of the symbol, being that of a Roman magistrate prepared to enforce his severe exactions upon the people at the exorbitant rate of three measures of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny, accompanied by the solemn injunction, “See thou hurt not the oil and the wine,” that is, the olive-trees and the vines.

It is evident that we must, as before, go out of the department of civil and military life into the realm of ecclesiastical history to find the true fulfilment of this symbol.  The black color of the horse would denote something directly opposite to that of the first seal; and since the symbol of the first seal represented the establishment of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, this symbol must represent the great apostasy and spiritual darkness that covered the world at a later period.  And if the horseman of the first seal represented the chosen ministry who went forth in a glorious mission to win trophies of grace, the horseman of this seal must represent an apostate ministry, possessing power and authority to enforce the severest exactions upon the bread of life, thus producing a desolating spiritual famine.

This marvelous change from the humble apostolic ministry to an apostate one did not occur suddenly, but by degrees; and as it has a great bearing upon other lines of truth to be brought out in subsequent chapters, it will be profitable to consider the most important steps by which this transformation was effected.

When the desire for precedence or superiority first manifested itself among the disciples, Christ repressed it (Mat. 20:25, 26), and it appeared no more in their midst; but before the close of the first century it is evident that a thirst for preeminence existed in the hearts of some who had been the servants of the church.  An example of this is to be found in Diotrephes, who exalted himself above his ministerial associates.  The Apostle John says concerning him:  “I wrote unto the church:  but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.  Wherefore if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words:  and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.” 3 John 9, 10.

In the historical extracts given in the explanation of the first horseman, it is clear that the first ministers were all equal; but a time came about the close of the first century when the most influential among the clergy grasped the power and exalted themselves to a position of authority over the rest.  The manner in which this transformation was effected is explained by the learned Gieseler as follows:  “After the death of the apostles, and the pupils of the apostles, to whom the general direction of the churches had always been conceded, some one amongst the presbyters of each church was suffered gradually