Ver. 1. And I turned, and lift up mine eyes] i.e. I passed on to another vision; and I lifted up the eyes of my mind, higher to heaven, saith Jerome, to receive a further revelation from God. And whereas he saith, I turned, he declareth, that God from on every side giveth his Church clear testimonies of his care of her so that she will give heed unto them, and lift up her eyes. There came four chariots out] i.e. Four squadrons of angels, God’s warriors, and ministers of his manifold decrees, which are here set forth by the name of brazen mountains, see Zechariah 1:8, [See Trapp on “Zec 1:8”] Chariots the angels are called in many places, 2 Kings 2:11 6:17 Hab 3:8, but especially Psalms 68:17. The chariots of God (in the Hebrew it is chariot, in the singular, to note the joint service of all the angels) are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels (of cheerful ones, so the Septuagint: ευθυμουντων, of such as serve the Lord readily and freely, with joy and tranquillity, and so do quiet his spirit, as it is said here, Zechariah 6:8, give him full satisfaction). The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place; that is, the angels by their swiftness and warlike prowess make Zion, the Church, as dreadful to all her enemies (did not one of them so to Sennacherib?) as those angels made Sinai, at the delivery of the law, which was given in fire, Deuteronomy 33:2. God rideth upon the heavens for Israel’s help, i.e. upon the angels. Heb. the word rendered angels, in the above cited Psalms 68:17 (and so the Chaldee plainly expresseth it), is by some (who derive it from Shaan, to sharpen) referred to chariots; to note a kind of chariots armed with sharp hooks, used in wars, as many humane writers record. And so it maketh something to the confirmation of this interpretation, concerning angels, rather than the four monarchies. But the angel himself is our best interpreter, Zechariah 6:5, where, being asked by Zechariah what these chariots were? he answereth, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth, for a plain periphrase of the angels, Zechariah 1:10. [See Trapp on “Zec 1:10”] From between two mountains] Tanquam e carceribus, as designed by God’s all-disposing providence and power, and ready pressed at his appointment and pleasure to run their race, do their office, execute God’s judgments, which are both unsearchable and inevitable; and this the poets hammered at in their ineluctabile Fatum, unescapable destiny, as they called it. God’s decrees lie hidden under mountains of brass, as it were, till they come to execution; they run as a river underground, till they break out and show themselves. When he hath once signified his will then we understand it, which before lay hidden from us; that is, when these chariots come out from between the mountains of brass, when the event declareth what was the immutable decree of God. Hence the Psalmist, “Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep”; this for the decree. And for the execution, “Thou preservest man and beast,” (Psalms 36:6) but by such means and in such manner as to thee seemeth best. It is our part to say Amen to his Amen, and to put our Fiat and Placet to his. “The will of the Lord be done,” said those primitive Christians, Acts 21:14 “Here am I, send me,” Isaiah 6:8.
Ver. 2. In the first chariot were red horses, &c.] These various colours seem to set forth the various administrations of the angels, deputed to various employments. The black colour betokeneth sorrowful occurrences and revolutions. The white, joyful. The red, bloody. The grizzled, various and mixed matters, partly joyful and partly sorrowful. But I easily subscribe to him that said, We must be content to be ignorant of the full meaning of this vision. Tanta est profunditas Christianarnm literarum, saith Austin so great is the depth of divine learning that there is no fathoming of it. Prophecy is pictured like a matron, with her eyes covered, for the diffculty. For which cause Paulinus Nolanus would never be drawn to write commentaries; and Psellus in Thedoret asketh pardon for expounding the Canticles of Solomon.
Ver. 4. What are these, my lord?] Difficulty doth but whet desire in heroic spirits; the harder the vision the more earnest was the prophet’s inquisition: he was restless till better resolved; and therefore applieth himself again to his angel tutor, rather than Tutelar, whom, for honour’s sake, he called My lord; [See Trapp on “Zec 4:5”] and take notice of the truth of St Peter’s assertion concerning the prophetic scrutiny, (1 Peter 1:11) with greatest sagacity and sedulity.
Ver. 5. These are the four spirits of the heavens] Angels are spirits, Hebrews 1:7,14, and spirits of heaven, Matthew 24:36 Ga 1:8, resembling their creator, as Children do their Father (hence they are called sons of God, Job 1:6 38:7), both in their substance, which is incorporeal, and in their excellent properties, life and immortality, blessedness and glory; a part whereof is their just lordship and command over inferior creatures. For like as ministering spirits they stand before the Lord of the whole earth, who sends them out at his pleasure, to serve his providence; so, they have, as his agents and instruments, no small stroke in the ordering and managing of natural and civil affairs, as may be seen in the first of Ezekiel. The wheels, that is, the events of things, have eyes, that is, something that might show the reason of their turnings, if we could see it. And they are stirred but as the living creatures, that is, the angels, stirred them; and both the wheels and living creatures were acted and guided by God’s Spirit as the principal and supreme cause of all, the Lord of the whole earth, as he is here called. That stand before, &c.] As waiting his commands, and ready to run on his errand, Matthew 18:10 Da 7:10. Jacob at Bethel saw them, 1. Ascending, sc. to contemplate and praise God, and to minister to him. 2. Descending, sc. to execute God’s will upon men, for mercy, or for judgment, Psalms 103:20. For which purpose, Ezekiel tells us that they have four faces, to look every way, when as God’s watchmen they stand sentinel in heaven’s turret. And that the sole of their feet is like the sole of calves’ feet, round, and ready to go either forward or backward with greatest facility; that as they see every way, so they are apt to go every way for the dispensing of God’s benefits, and executing of his chastisements toward the elect, and vengeance on the reprobates, 2 Samuel 24:17 2Ki 19:35 Ge 19:1,11 Ac 12:23 Re 16:12,16. All this they do justly, diligently, and purely, with faith in receiving God’s commands, Revelation 15:6, clothed in pure white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. Let us labour to obey God, as angels do; else we may be angels for gifts, and yet go to hell.