Chapter XXVII (continued, part 44)
10, proving His Godhead). This attribute implies His infinite power by the Spirit to convict of sin and of a hollow profession, and the seven stars—(Ch. 1. 16, 20.) His having the seven stars, or presiding ministers, flows, as a consequence, from His having the seven Spirits, or the fulness of the Holy Spirit. The human ministry is the fruit of Christ's sending down the gifts of the Spirit. Stars imply brilliancy and glory; the fulness of the Spirit, and the fulness of brilliant light in Him, form a designed contrast to the formality which He reproves, name . . . llvest . . . dead—(1 Timothy 5. 6; 2 Timothy 3. 5; Titus 1.
16; cf. Ephesians 2. 1, 5; 5. 14.) "A name," i. e., a reputation. Sardis was famed among the churches for spiritual vitality; yet the Heart-searcher, who seeth not as man
seeth, pronounces her dead / how great searchings of heart should her case create among even the best of us ! Laodioea deceived herself as to her true state (v. 17), but it is not written that she had a high name among the other churches, as Sardis had. !J. Be—Greek, "Become," what thou art not, " watchful," or "wakeful," lit., "waking." tlie things which remain—.Strengthen those thy remaining few graces, which, in thyspiritual deadly slumber, are not yet quite extinct. [Alfokd.] "The things that remain'' can hardly mean "the persons that are not yet dead, but are ready to die^'' for v. 4 implies that the " few'' faithful ones at Sardis were not '* ready to die," but were full of life, are—The two oldest MSS. read, " were ready," lit,, " were about to die," viz., at the time when you " strengthen" them. This implies that " thou art dea<l," v. 1, is to be taken with limitation; for those must have some life who are told to strengthen the things that remain, perfect —lit., "filled up in full complement;" tran-ilalc, "complete." Weighed in the balance of Him who requires living faith as the motive of works, and found wanting, befcfre God Greek, "in the sight of God." The three oldest M8S., Vulgate, Syriae, and Coptic, read, "before (in the sight of) MV God:" Christ's Judgment Is God the
ri^al saints in the midst of unreal professors, not deflled
tlieir garments—j)iz., the garments of their Cliristiau profession, of which baptism is the initiatory seal, whence
tlie candidates for baptism used in the ancient Church to be arrayed in white. Cf. also Ephesians 5. 27, as to the spotlessness of the Church when she shall be presented to Christ; and ch. 19. 8, as to the "fine linen, clean and white, the righteousness of the saints," in which it shall be granted to her t.» be arrayed; and "the wedding garment." Meanwhile she is not to sully her Christian pro-
fession with any defllement of flesh or spirit, but to " keep her garments." For no defilement shall enter the heavenly city. Not that any keep themselves here wholly
free from defllement; but, as compared with hollow pro-
fessors, the godly keep themselves unspotted from the world; and when they do contract It, they wash it away, so as to have their "robes white in the blood of the Lamb" (<!h.
7. 14). The Greek is not " to stain" Greek miainein), hut to
Tlie Promise to the Cliurch at Sardis. REVELATION III. The Epistle to the Church at Philadelphia.
mixed praise, lie tliat Is holy—as in the Old Testament, "the Holy One of Israel." Thus Jesus and the God of the Old Testament are one. None but God is absolutely holy (Greek hagios, .separate from evil, and perfectly haticg it). In contrast to "tiie synagogue of Satan" (v. 9 tru^— Greek alethinos: very God, as distinguished from . jr< false gods, and from all tliose who say that they are what they are not (v. 9): real, genuine. Furthermore, He perj'ecUy realizes all that is involved in the narces, God, Light (Jolin 1. 9; 1 John 2. 8), Bread (John 6. 3'2), the Vine (John 15. 1); as distinguished from all typical, partial, and imperfect realizations of the idea. His nature answers to His name (Jolin 17. 3; 1 Thessalonians 1. 9). The Greek alethes, on the oilier hand, is truth-speaking, truthloving (John 3. 33; Titus 1. 2). he that hath the key of Daviil—the antitype of Eliakim, to whom the "key," the emblem of authority "over the house of David,'' was transferred from .Shebna, who was removed from the
"defile," or besmear (Greek molunein). Song of Solonion 5.
8. tikey sliall walk with lue iu ivlklte—TUe pioiuiKed reward accords with llie character of tliose to be revaided : keeping tlieir garments vndcfilcd and white
til rough the blood of the Lamb now, they sliall ic<ilk ivith
lliiii in wJiitc liereafter. On " willi me," of. the very same
\vf>rds, Lulie 23. 43; John 17. 24. " WaiU" inlp^u^^s spiritual
life, for only the living walk; also lil)ort,v, for it is only the free who walk at large. The grace and dignity of flowing long garments is seen to best advantage wlten the person " walks: " so the graces of the saint's manifested cliaracter shall appear fully when he nitall At-rve the Lord perfectly hereafter (ch. 22. 3). tliey ai« woilliy—with the wortliiness (not their own, but that) which Christ has
5)ut on tliem (ch.7. 14). Ezekiel 16. 14, "perfect through MY comeliness which I had put upon thee." Grace is glory in the bud. "The worthiness here denotes a congruity between the saint's state of grace on earth, and that of
t/lory, which the Lord has appointed for them, about to be estimated by the law itself of grace" [Vitkin(;a]. Contrast Acts 13. 46. 5. white—not a dull white, but glittering, dazzling white. [Gkotitis.] Cf. Alatthew 13. 43. The body transfigured into the likeness of Christ's body, and emitting beams of light reflected from Ilini, is probably the "white raiment'' promised here, the same Greek, "THIS man ;" he and he alone. So one oldest MS. reads. But two oldest M.SS., and most of the ancient versions, ".shall THUS be clothed," etc. raiment— Gi-ce/:, "garments." "He that overcometU" shall receive the same
otlice of chamberlain or treasurer, as unwortiiy of it. Christ, the Heir of the throne of David, shall supplant all the less worthy stewards who have abused their trust iu God's spiritual house, and "shall reign over the house of Jacob," literal and spiritual (Luke 1.32,33), "for ever," "as a Son over His own house" (Hebrews 3. 2-6). It rests with Christ to open or shut the heavenly palace, deciding who is, and who is not, to be .admitted : as He also opens, or shuts, the prison, having t?ie keys of hell (the grave) and death (ch. 1. 18). The power of the ke.ys was given to Peter and the other apostles, only when, and in so far as, Christ made him and them infallible. Whatever degrees of this power may have been committed to minis-
it vvard as they who "have not defiled their garments"
(r. 4); therefore the two are identical. I will not— Greek, "I will not by any means." blot out ... name out of . .. Iiook of life—of the heavenly city. A register was kept iu ancient cities of their citizens: the names of the dead v.ere of course erased. So those wlio have a name that theij live and are dead {v. 1), are blotted out of God's roll of
ters, the supreme power belongs to Ciirlst alone. Thus Peter rightly opened the Gospel door to the Gentiles (Acts 10.; 11.17,18; especially 14. 27, end). But he wrongly tried to shut the door in part again (Galatlans 2. 11-18). Eliakim had "the key of the liouse of David laid upoa his shoulder :" Christ, as the antitypical David, Himself
tile heavenly citizens and heirs of eternal life; not that in God's electing decree tliey ever were in His book of
lias the key of the supreme "government upon His shoulder." His attribute here, as in the former addresses, accords with His promise. Though "the synagogue of Satan," false "Jews" (v. 9) try to "shut" the "door'' which I "set open before thee;'' "no man can shut it" (r. 8). shutteth—So Vulgate and S'yriac Versions read. l!ut the four oldest MSS. read, "shall shut:" so Coptic Version and Okigen. situtteth, and no man openeth—Two oldest MSS., B, N, CopticVersion, and OiilGEN read, "shall open." Two oldest JISS., A, C, and Vulgate Vei-sion, support English V't*)-*io;i reading. 8. I hove
life. But, according to human conceptions, those who bad a high name for piety would be supposed to be la
it, and were, in respect to privileges, actually among those In the way of salvation; hut these privileges, and
tlie fact that they ouce miglit iiave been saved, shall be of no avail to them. As to the book of life, ef. ch. 13.8;
17. 8; 20. 1-2, 15; 21. 27; Exodus 32. 32; Psalm 69. 2S\ Daniel
12. 1. In the sense of the cull, many are enrolled among the called to salvation, wlio sliall not be found among the chosen at last. The pale of salvation is wider than that of election. Election is li.xed. Salvation is open to all, and is pending (luimanly speaking) in the case of those mentioned here. But ch. '20. 15; 21. 27, exhil)it the hook of the elect alone In the narrower sense, after the erasure of the others, before . . . before Greek, "\n the presence of." Cf. the same promise of Christ's eonfrsslng before His Father, &c., thosH wlio confessed Uim, Iilalthew 10. .32, ;«; Lnke 12.8,9. He omits "in heaven" alter " my Kather," because there Is, now that He is in lieaven, no contrast between the Father m heaven and the Son on earth. He now sels His seal from heaven upon many of His words uttered on earth. [TiiUNCil.] An undesigned coincidence, proving that these epistles are, as they jirofess, in their words, as well as substance, Christ's own addresses; not even tinged with the colour of John's
Bet—fj'jccA:, "given :" It is my gracious (/i/Mo tltee. open «loor— lor evangelization ; a door of spiritual usefulness. The opening of a door by Him to the Phlladelphlan Church ai'cords witli tlte previous assignation to Him of "the key of David." and-The three oldest MSS., A, B, C, and Okiokn read, "which no man can shut." for—" because." a little-This gives the idea that Christ says, He sets before Plilladelphla an open door becau.se she has some little strength ; whereas the .staise rather is. Ho docs so because she has "but little strength:" being con.sciously weak her-
self, she Is the litter object for God's power to rest on [so AiilHNAsJ, that so the Lord Christ n\ay have all the glory, mill hast kept and so, the iitileness of thy strength becoming the source of Almighty power to thee, as leading thee to rest wholly on my great power, tliou liast kept my word. Gturnus nuikes " Utile strength ' to mean that sho had a Church small in numbers and ejclernal re.iourccs: "a
st.vle, su<-h as It appears In his Gospel and ICpistles. The coincidence Is mainly with the three other Gospels, and not with John's, which mak<s the coincidence more markedly undesigned. So also 1he<rlause, "lie that hath an ear, let lilm hear," Is not repeated from John's Gospel, hut from the Lord's own words In the three .s.ynoptlc Gosiiels (.Matthew 11. 15; 13. 9; Mark 4. 9, 2:1; 7. 1(1; laike 8.
little flock poor in worldly goods, and of small account In the eyes of men." [Tkenoi.] So Ai.I'OUD. I prefer the view given above. The Greek verbs are in the aorlst tense: "'Thou didst keep . . . didst not deny my name:" alluding to some particular occasion when her lalthftilness was put to the test. O. 1 will make— (Vrw/c present, "I make," lit., "I give" (iXole, v.H). The promise to I'hlludeli)hia is larger than that to Smyrna. To Smyrna the promise was that "the syiuigogue of Satan" should notprevail against the faithful In her: to Philadelphia, that she should even win over some of "the synagoguS of Satan" to fall on their faces and conjcss God is in her itf a
8; 11. 35). O. (Cf. Note, ch. 2. 7.) 7. PhUn<lel|ihln— In Lydia, twenty-eight miles south-east of Sardls, built by AltaluH I'hlladelphus, king of I'ergnmos, who died 1;J8 A.n. It was nearly destroyed by an eartlKjuuke in the reign of Tiberius. tTAClTU.s, Annals, 2. 47.J The connection of this Church with .I(!ws there causes the address to
It to have an ()l<l Tesliuner.t (colouring in lli<^ Images employed. Jl and Smyriiu alone of the seven receive uu-
truth. Translatt, "(some) of the synagogue." For uuUl
ofiO
The Epistle to the Church at Philadelphia. REVELATION III, The Epistle to the Church at LaodicecL
Christ sliall come, and all Israel then be saved, there is but "a remnant" being gathered out of tiie Jews "accoi'dlng to the election of grace." Th's is an instance of how Christ set before her an "open door," some of iier greatest adversaries, the Jews, being brought to the obedience of tlie laith. Their UHirshipputg before lier feet expresses the convert's willingness to take the very lowest phice in the Chnrch, doing servile honour to those whom once they pei-secuteci, rather than dwell with tlie ungodly. Bo the Philippiau jailer before Paul. 10. patience—"endunince." " The word of my endurance" is my GoxpeliDOrd, which teaches patient endurance in expectation of my coming ^ch. 1. 9). My endurance is the endurance which I require, and wliich I practise. Clirist Him.self uow endures, palienUy waiting until the usurper be
beast's followers (ch. 13. Ifi, 17), and on the harlot (ch. 17. S cf. 20. 4). name of tite city of my God—as one of Its citizens (c)i. 21. 2, 3, 10, which is briefly alluded to by anticipation here). The full description of the city forms the appropriate close of the book. The saint's citizenship is now hidden, but then it shall be manifested: he shall have tlie r if/hi to enter in through the gates into the city (ch.
22. 14). This was the city which Abraham looked for. new — Greek, kaines. Not the old Jerusalem, once called " the Iiniy city," l)ut having forfeited the name. Greek nea would express that it had reeenlly come into existence; but (ireek kaine, that which Is iieiv and different, supt^rseding tlie worn-outold Jerusalem and its polity. "John, in the Gospel, applies to the old city the Greek name Hierosoly»u/. But in the Apocalypse, always, to the heavenly city the Hebrew name Hierousalem. The Hebrew name is the o:lginal and holier one: the Greek, recent and more secular and political one." [Bengel.] my new name—at present incommunicable, and only known to God : to be hereafter revealed and made the believer's own in union with God in Christ. Christ's name written on him denotes he shall be tcholly Christ's. New also relates to Christ, who shall assume a neic character (answering to His "new name") entering with His saints on a kingdom—not that which He had with the Father before the worlds, but that earned by His humiliation as Son of man. Gibbon, the infidel {Decline and Fall, ch. 64), gives an unwilling testimony to the fulfilment of tlie prophecy as to Philadelphia in a temporal point of view, " Among
citst out, and all "His enemies be made his footstool." Ko, too, His C'huich, for the joy before her of sharing His coming kingdom, endures paiieul.ly. Hence, in v. U, follows, " Behold, I come quickly." 1 also—Tlie reward
Is in kind: "because thou didst keep," <tc., "I also (on my side) will keep thee," <tc. from Greek, "(so as to deliver thee) out of" not to exempt from temptation.
tl»c Hour of tcin]>latton—the appointed «cawrt of atHiction and templaiion (so in Deuteronomy 4. 34 the plagues are called "the temptations of Egypt"), lit., "tlie temptation:" the sore temptation wliich is coming on: the time of great tribulation before Christ's second coming, to try tliein tliat (twvll upou tite earth—those wlio ure of earth, eartliy (ch. 8. 13). "Dwell" implies that their home is earth, not heaven. All mankind, except Uie elect (ch. 13. 8, 11). The temptation brings out the
the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is
still erect,—a column in scene of ruins—a pleasing example that the paths of honour and safety may sometimes be the same." X3. (Note, ch. 2. 7.) 11. I.aodlceana — The city was in the south-west of Plirygia, on the river Lycus, not far from Colosse, and lying between it and Pliiladelphia. It was destroyed by an earthquake, 62 A. D., and rebuilt Ijy its wealthy citizens without the help of the stale. [Tacitu.s, Annals 14. 27.] This wealth (arising from the excellence of its wools) led to a self-sat-
fidelity of those kept by Christ, and hardens the unbelieving reprobates (ch. 9. 20, 21; Hi. 11, 21). Tlie particular pereecu Lions wliich befell Philadelphia shortly after, were the earuestof the great last tribulation before Christ's coming,
to wliich the Church's attention in all ages is directed. 11. Behold—Omitted by tlie three oldest M.SS. and most ancient versions. Icome qulckiy—tliegreat incentive to persevering faithfulness, and the consolation under pres-
euit trials, that . . . which thou lia«t—"The word of my palieuce," or "endurance" (u. 10), which He had just cotnruended them for keeping, and which involved with
isfied, lukewarm state in spiritual things, as r. 17 describes. See Noteon Colossians 4. Ki, on the Epistle which
is thought to have been written to the Laodicean Cliuich
It the attaining of tlie kingdom ; this they would lose if Ihey yielded to the temptation of exchanging consistency and Kuflfering for compromise and ease. tliAt no man take tliy crown—wliicli otherwise thou wouldst receive: that no tempter cause thee to lose it : not that the tempter would thus secure it for himself (Colossiaus 2. 18). 1;4.
bj' Paul. The Church in latter times was apparently flourishing; for one of the councils at which the canon of Scripiiire was determined was held in I/aodicea in 361
A. D. Hardly a Christian is now to be found on or near
its site, the Amen—(Isaiah 6.5. Ki, Hebrew, "Bless Him-
self in the God of ^meii . . . swear by the God of Amen;"
|>lllar in tlie temple—In one sen.se there shall be " no temple" in the heavenly city, because there shall be no distinction of things into sacred and secular, for all things and persons shall be holy to the Lord. The city Bball be all one great temple. In wh;ch the saints shall be not merely stones, as in the spiritual temple now on earth, but all eminent as pillars: Immovably firm (unlike Philadelphia, the city which was so often shaken by earthquakes, Stra bo, 12. and 13.), like the colossal pillars before Solomon's temple, Uoaz (i.e., "In it is strength") and Jachin ("It shall be established"): only that those pillars were outside, these shall be within the temple, my God (Note, ch. 2. 7.) go no more out—the Greek is Btronger, iiever more at all. As the elect angels are beyond the possibility of falling, being now under (as the Schoolmen say) "the blessed necessity of goodness," so shall the saints be. The door shall be once for all shut, as well to shut safely in for ever the elect, as to shut out the lost (Matthew 2.5. 10; John 8.35; cf. Isaiah 22. 2.3. the type, Eliakim). They shall be priests for ever unto God (ch. 1.
2 Corinthians 1.20.) He who not only says, but is, the Truth. The saints used Amen at the end of prayer, or in assenting to the word of Go<l ; but none, save the Son of God, ever said, "Amen, I say unto you," for it is the language peculiar to God, who avers by Himself. The New Testament formula, "Amen, I say unto you," is equivalent to the Old Testament (orniula, "as Hive, saitli Jehovah." In St. John's Gospel alone He uses (in the Greek) the double "Amen," John 1. .51; 3. 3, <Sc., In English Ver-
sion, " Verily, verily." The title happily harmonizes with the addre.ss. His unchanging faithfulness as " the Amen "
contrasts with Laodicea's wavering of purpose, "neither hot nor cold " (v. 16). The angel of Laodicea has with some probaliility been conjectured to be Archippus, to whom, thirty years previously, Paul had already given a moni-
tion, as needing to be stirred up to diligence in his min-
istry. So the Apostolic Constitutions, 8. 4(i, name him as the first bishop of Laodicea: Kupj)Osed to be the son of Philemon (Philemon 2). faitlifnl and true Witness—As "the Amen" expresses the unchangeable truth of His promises; so "the faithful the true witness," the truth
6). " Who would not yearn for that city out of which no friend <leparts, and into which no enemy enters?" [AuODSXINE in TUENCH.] write upon him the name of my God—as belonging to God in a peculiar sense (ch. 7. 3; 1).
of His revelations as to the heavenly things which He has seen and testifies. "Faithful," i.e., trustworthy (J Timothy 2.11,13). "True" is here {Greek, alethinos) not
triilh-speaking (Greek, alethes), but " perfectly realizing all that is comprehended in the name Witness" (1 Timothy 6.
4; 14. 1; and especially 23. 4), therefore secure. As the name of Jehpvah ("Holiness to the Lord") was on the Koldeu plate on the high priest's forehead (Exodus 28. 3ft-
13). Three things are necessary for this: (1.) To have seen with his own eyes what Heattosls; (2.) to be competent
S8); so the saints In their heavenly royal prh stliood shall bear His name openly, as consecrated to Him. Cf. the caricature of this in tbe brand on the forehead of the
to relate It for others; (3.) to be willing truthfully to do so. In Christ all these conditions meet. [Tkknch.I begin*
5til
The Laodiceans Rebuked /or EEVELATION III. being nfUher Hot nor Cold.
nlng of the crratiou of God—not He whom.God created
Colossians 2. 1, 3 ; 4. 16, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge). " Buy" does not imply that we can, by any work or merit of ours, purchase God's free gift; nay the very purchase-money consists in the renunciation of all self-righteousness, such as Lao<ticea had (u. 17). " Buy" at the cost of thine own self-sufficiency (so Paul, Philippians 3. 7, 8); and the giving up of all things, however dear to us, that would prevent our receiving Christ's salvation as a free gift, e. g., self and worldly desires. GU Isaiah 55. 1, "Buy . . . without money and price." gold tried In— lit., "fired (and fresh) from the fire," i. e., just fresh /com the furnace which has proved its purity, and retaining its bright gloss. Sterling spiritual wealth, as contrasted with its counterfeit, in which Laodicea boasted
first, but as iu Colossians 1. 15-18 (cf. Azotes there), the Beginner of all creation. Its originating instrument. All creation would not be represented adoring Him, if He were but one of themselves. His being the Creator is a strong guarantee for His faithfulness as "the Witness and Amen." 15. neither cold—The antithesis to "hot,"
lit:, boiling ("fervent," Acts 18. 25; Romans 12. 11; cf. Song of Solomon 8. 6; Luke 24. 32), requires that "cold " should here mean more than negatively cold; it is rather, positively icy cold : having never yet been warmed. The Laodiceans were in spiritual things cold comparatively, but not cold as the world outside, and as those wlio had never belonged to the Cliurch. The lukejvarm state, if it be the transitional stage to a warmer, is a desirable state (for a
itself. Having bought this gold she will be no longer poor
(v. 17). of me—the source of " unsearchable riches" (Ephcsians 3.8). Laodicea was a city of extensive money transactions. [CiCEKO.] mayest be rich Greek, "... enriched." white raiment—"garments." Laodicea's wools were famous. Christ oilers infinitely whiter raiment. As "gold tried in the fir^" expresses faith tested by fiery trials : so " white raiment," Christ's rigliteousness imputed to the believer in justification, and imparted in sanctiflcation. appear Greek, "be manifested," viz., at the last day, when every one without the wedding-garment shall • be discovered. To strip one, is in the East the image of putting to open shame. So also to clothe one witJi fine apparel is the image of doing him honour. Man can discover his shame, God alone can cover it, so that his nakedness shall not be manifested at last (Colossians 10-
little religion, if real, is better than none) ; but most fatal when, as hej e, an abiding condition, for it is mistaken for a safe state («. 17). This accounts for Christ's desiring that Ihey were cold rather than lukewarm. For then there would not be the .same "danger of mixed motive and disregarded principle." [Alfgrd.I Also, there is more hope of the cold, i. e., those who are of the world, and not yet warmed by the Gospel call ; for, when called, they may become hot and fervent Cbristians: such did the onceeold publicans, Zaccheus and Matthew, become. But the lukeivarm has been brought within reach of the lioly fire, without being heated by it into fervours having religion enough to lull the conscience in false security, but not religion enough to save the soul: as Bemas, 2 Timothy 4. Such were the halters behveen two opinions in Israel (1 Kings 18. 21; cf. 2 Kings 17. 41 ; Matthew 6. 24). 16. neither cold nor hot—So one oldest MS., B., and Vulgate read. But two oldest MSS., Syriac, and Coptic, transpose thus, "hot nor cold." It is remarkable tliat tlie GVeeAr adjectives are in the masculine, agreeing witli the angel, not feminine, agreeing with the Church. The Lord addresses the angel as the embodiment and representative of the Church. The chief minister is answerable for his flock,
14). Blessed is he whose sin is so covered. The hypocrite's shame may be manifested now, it must be .so at
last, nnoiiit . . . with eye-salve—The oldest MSS. read, " (buy of me) eye-salve (collyrlum, a roll of oiutineut), to anoitU tliine eyes." Christ has for Laodicea an ointment far more precious than all the costly unguents of th» East. The eye is here the conscience or inner light of th« mind. According as it is sound and " single" (Greek, hap-
lorn, "simple"), or otherwise, the man sees aright spirit ually, or does not. The Holy Spirit's unction, like th< ancient eye-salve's, first smarts willi conviction of siu. then heals. He opens our eyes first to ourselves in our wretchedness, then to the Saviour in His preciousness. Tkench notices that the most sunken churches of the seven, 1)12., Sardis and Laodicea, are the ones in which alone are specified no opponents from without, uor here-
if he have not laithluUy warned the members of it. I will— Greek, "I am about to," "I am ready to:" I have it in m.y mind: implying graciously tlie possibility of the threat not being e.xecuttd, if only they repent at once. Hisd(!alings towards them will depend on theirs towards Him. spue thee OHt of my nkouth—reject willi righteous loutliiiig, as Canaan spued out its inhabitants for their abominations. Piiysicians used lukewarm water to cau.se vomiting. Cold and liot drinlts were common at feasts, .but never lukewarm. There were hot and cold springs near Laodicea. 17. Sell-sufficiency Is the fatal danger of a lukewarm state (Note, v. 15). thou ««ves>t— virtually atid mentally: if not in so many words, increased tvitU goods Gruek, "have become enriched," implying sell-pral.se iu self-acquired riches. Tlie Lord alludes to Ho.sca 12. 8. The riclies on whlcli they prided themselves were spiritual riclies; though, <l(>ubM<'ss, llieir spiritual self-sufliclency (" 1 have need of nothing") was much fostered by their worldly wealth ; as, on the other hand, povei ty of spirit Is fostered by poverty in respect to worldly riches, hnowest n<»t that tikoii— in particular, above all others. The " thou" in \\\e Ureck Is enipliallCal. artwretel»«d Greek, " ul t the wretched one." niUcrable—So oni^ oldest MSS. reads. Hut two oldest M.S.S. prelix "the." Translate, " the pitiable;" "the one especially to be pitied." How dillerent Christ's estlnnile of men, from their own estimate of themselves, "1 have need of nothing!" lillndwhereas Laodicea boasted of a deeper than common i/t.viV/W Into Divine things. They were not absolulely WtM</, else c^t-jirt^ye would have bi^en of no avail to them; but short-sighted. 18. CJentlo and loving Iron.v. Tiiktt my advice, thou who fanciest lliy.sill in need of nothing. Not only ai t thou not in need of nothing, but art In need of the commonest nccessai lcs of exlsl-
sies from within. The Church owes much to God's overruling Providence wiiich has made so often internal and external foes, in spite of themselves, to promote His cause
by calling forth her energies in contending for tlie faith once delivered to the saints. Peace is dearly bought at the cost of spiritual stagnation, where there is not interest enough felt in religion to contend about it at all. 19. (Job 5. 17 ; Proverbs .3. U, 12 ; Hebrews 12. 5, 6.) So in the case of Manu.sscs (2 Clironicles ,3.!. 11-13). As many—All. " He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. And
slialt thou be an exception'? If excepled from sulleriug the scourge, thou art excepted from the number of the sons." [AiiGU.sriNK.] This is an encouragement to Laodicea not to deupair, but lo ii'gard tliexebnke as a token
for gooti, if she profit by II. I Inw-Greek, philo, the love of giatiiitous (if)'eetion, iiidepeiuleiit of any giounds
for esteem ill the object loved. But In the case ol Plilladelplila (D. »), "I have loved thee" {Greek, egajiesa)
tlie love of e.\leem, founded on the Judgment. Cf. Note In my Knglish Gnomon of BiiiNUHL, .loiin 21. 15-17. 1 rebuke —The " 1" In the Greek stands first of tlie sentence eiupluitically. / in my di'ullngs, so altogether unlike man's, in the case of all irhvm J love, rebuke. The Greek elencUo Is the same verb as In John Iti. 8, "(the Hol.v tihost) will convince (rebuke unto convh^llon) the world of sill." clkuiitcu—"chastise." The Greek paiileu, wliiuil In classlcul Greek nieaii.s (o instruct. In llii> New Testuuieiit means to instruct by chasti.icinint (Hebrews 1'^
fciice. He graciously 8t<)o|)H to their modes of thought and speech: Thou an a ixople ready to listen to any cfji/fuvi UK lo how to buj, to advantage; I hen, listen lo niy counsel
5, (i). David was rebuked unto conviction, when he cried, "1 have sinned against the Lord:" the chastening followed, when his child was taken from him (2 Samuel
(for I am " Counsellor," Isaiah 9. U), "buy of mi;
" {in whom, ttccoidlug to I'aul's Epistle written to the neighbouring Colosse, and intended for tiie I^iUidlcean CluucU uUo,
IU. 13, 11;. In the Divine chastening, the sinner ut ou«
6U'J
Christ Standeth at the Door and Knocketh. EEVELATION IV. The Vision of God^s Throne in Heaven.
and the same time winces under the rod and learns righteousness, toe zealous—habitually. Present tense In the Greek, of a life-long course of zeal. The opposite of "lukewarm." The Greek by alliteration marks this: Laodlcea had not been "hot" {Greek, zestos), she is therefore urged to "be zea,\o\\%" (Greek, zeleue) : both are derived from the same verb, Greek, zeo, to boil, repent —Greek aorist: of an act to be once for all done, and Cone at once. 30. stand— waiting in wonderful condescension and long-suffering, knock—(Song of Solomon 5. 2.) This is a further manifestation of His loving desire for the sinner's salvation. He who is Himself " the Door," and who bids us " knock " that it may be " opened unto" us, is first Himself to knock at the door of our hearts. If He did not knock first, we should never come to knock at His door. Cf. Song of Solomon 5. 4-C, which is plainly alluded to here; the Spirit thus in Revelation sealing the canonicity of that mystical book. The spiritual state of the bride there, between waking and sleeping, slow to open the door to her Divine lover, answers to that of the lukewarm Laodicea here. "Love in regaid to men emptied (humbled) God ; for He does not remain in His place and call to Himself the servant wliom He loved, but He comes down Himself to seek him, and He who is allrich arrives at the lodging of the pauper, and with His own voice intimates His yearning love, and seeks a similar return, and withdraws not when disowned, and is not impatient at insult, and when persecuted still waits at the doors." [Nicolaus Cabasilas m Tkexch.] iny voice —Heappeals to the sinner not only witli His hand (His providences) A;nocA:mg', but with His roice (His word read or heard ; or rather. His Spirit inwardly applying to man's spirit tlie lessons to be drawn from His providence and His word). If we reluse to answer to His knocking at our door now. He will refuse to hear our knocking at His door hereafter. In respect to His second coming also. He is even now at the door, and we know not how soon He may knock; therefore we should always be ready to open to Him immediately, if any man hear—for man is not compelled l)y irresistible force: Christ knocks, but does not break oi^en the door, though the violent take heaven by the force of prayer (Mattliew 11. 12): whosoever does hear, does so not of himsell', but by the draioinys of God's grace (John 6. 4-1): repentance is Christ's gift (Acts 5. 31). He dratvs, not drags. Tlie 8uu of righteousness, like the natural sun, the moment that the door is opened, pours In His light, which could not previouslj' find an entrance.
figured elect Church shall with Christ judge and reign over the nations in the fiesh, and Israel the foremost of them ; ministering blessings to them as angels were the Lord's mediators of blessing and administrators of His government in settiug up His throne in Israel at Sinai. This privilege of our high calling belongs exclusively to the present time whilst Satan reigns, when alone there is scope for conflict and for victory (2 Timothy 2. 11, 12). When Satan shall be bound (ch. 20. 4) there shall be no longer scope for it, for all on earth shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest. This, the grandest and crowning promise. Is placed at the end of all the seven addresses, to gather all in one. It also forms the link to the next part of the book, where the Lamb is introduced seated on His Father's throne (ch. 4. 2, 3; 5. 5, 6). The Eastern throne Is broader than ours, admitting others besides him who, as chief, occupies the centre. Trench notices, The order of the promises in the seven epistles corresponds to that of the unfolding of the kingdom of God from its first beginnings on earth to its consummation in heaven. To the faithful at Ephesus, (1.) the tree of life inihe Paradise of God is promised (ch. 2. 7), answering to Genesis 2. (2.) Sin entered the world and death by sin ; but to the faithful at Smyrna it is promised, they shall not be hurl by the second death fch. 2. 11). The promise of the hidden manna (ch. 2.
17) to Pergamos (3.) brings us to the Mosaic period, the Church in the wilderness. (4.) That to Thyatira, viz., triumph over the nations (ch. 2. 26, 27), forms the consummation of the kingdom in prophetic type, the period of David and Solomon characterized by this power of the nations. Here there is a division, the seven falling into two groups, /o!tr and three, as often, e. <7., the Lord's Prayer, three and four. The scenery of tlie last three passes from earth to heaven, the Church ooutemplated as triumphant, with its steps from glory to glory. (5.) Christ promises to the believer of Sardis not to blot out his name out of the book of life, but to confess him before His Father and the angels at the Judgment day, and clothe him with a glorified body of dazzling whiteness (v. 4, 5). To the faithful at Philadelphia (6.) Christ promises they shall be citizens of the new Jerusalem, fixed as immovable pillars there, where city and temple are one (v. 12) ; here not only individual salvation is promised to the believer, as in the case of Sardis, but also privileges in the blessed communion of the Church triumphant. (7.) Lastly, to the faithful of Laodicea is given the crowning promise, not only the two former blessings, but a seat with Christ on His throne, even as He has sat with His Father on His Father's throne (v. 21).
Cf. Hilary on Psahn IIS. 89. I wlU coine in to liim—as I did to Zaccheus. stip witJi lilm, and lie witli me—Delightful reciprocity! Cf. "dwelleth in me, and I in Him," John 6. 56. Whereas, ordinarily, the admitted guest sups witli the admitter, here the Divine guest becomes Himself the host, for He is the bread of life, and the Giver of the marriage feast. Here again he alludes to the imagery Of the Song of Solomon t. 10, where the Bride invites Him to eat pleasant fruits, even as He had first prepared a feast for lier, " His fruit was sweet to my taste." Cf. the same Intercli.mge, John 21. 9-13, the feast being made up of the viands tliat Jesus brought, and those which the disciples brought. The consummation of ttiis blessed intercommunion sliall be at tlie Marriage Supper of the Lamb, of whicli tlie Lord's Supper is the earnest and foretaste, til. sit with me in my throne—(Ch. 2. 26, 27 ; 20. G ; Matthew 10.28; 20.23; Jolin 17. 22, 21; 2 Timothy 2. 12.) The same wliom Christ had just before threatened to spue out of His mouth, is now offered a seat with Him on His throne .' " The highest place is within reach of the lowest; the faintest spark of grace may be fanned into the mightiest flame of love." [Tkench.] even as I also—Two til rones are here mentioned, (1.) His Father's, upon which He now sits, and has sat since His ascension, after His victory over death, sin, the world ; up<ni this none can sit save God, and tiie Ood-man Clirist Jesus, for it is the incommunicable prerogative of God aloue; (2.) the throne wliich shall ha peculiarly His as the once humbled and then glo-
Ver. 1-11. Vision op God's Throne in Heaven ; Thh Four and Twenty Edders; The Four Living Creatures. Here begins the Revelation proper ; and first, chs.
4. and 5. set before us the heavenly scenery of the succeeding visions, and God on His throne, as the covenant God
of His Church, the Revealer of them to His apostle through Jesus Christ. The first great portion comprises the opening of the seals and the sounding of tlie trumpets (chs. i,
to 11). As the communication respecting the seven churches opened with a suitable vision of tlie Lord Jesus as Head of the Church, so the second part opens with a vision suitable to the matter to be revealed. The scene is changed Irom earth to heaven. X. Airter tlxla— Greek, " After these things," marking the opening of the next vision in the succession. Here is the transition from "the things which are" (ch. 1. 19), the existing state of the seven cliurches, as a type of the Church in general,
in John's time, to "the things which shall be here-
after," viz., in relation to the time when John wrote. I looked—rather as Greek, "I saw" In vision; not as English Version means, I directed my look that way. was—Omit, as not being in the Greek, opened— " standing open ;" not as though John saw it in the act of being opened. Cf. Ezckiel 1. 1; Matthew 3. 10; Acts
7. 56; 10. 11. But in those visions the heavens opened, disclosing the visions to those below on earth. Whereaa
rifled Son of man, to be set up over the whole earih (heretofore usurped by Satan) at His coming again ; in this the
here, heaven, the te)uple of God, remains closed to thoM
vtcCorious saiulu shall share (1 Corinthians 0.2). The trans-
5G3
The Four and Twenty Elders. REVELATION IV. The Four BeaMs Full of Eyts,
tioned before, whereas the twenty -four thrones were. They are not angels, for they have iihite robes and croutis of victory, implying a conflict and endurance, "Thou hasl redeemed us": they represent the Heads of the Old and New Testament churches respectively, the Twelve Patriarchs (cf. ch. 7. 5-8, not in their personal, but in their rep« resentative character), and Twelve Apostles. So In ch. 13^
on earth, hut John is transported lu vision through nn open door up into heaven, whence he can see things passing on eurth or in heaven, according as tlie scenes of the several visions require. tl»e first voice wUicli I lienrd the voice which I heard at first, ru'z., in cli. 1. 10; the former
voice, was as it were —Omit u'a*, it not being in the Greek. "Behold" governs in sense both "a door," Ac, and " the
first voice which," &e. Come up lillUer— through the "open door." be— come to pass. Hereafter Greek, "atler these tilings:" after the present time (ch. 1. 19).
3, " the song of Moses, and of the Lamb," the double constituents of the Church are implied, the Old Testament and the New Testament. "Elders" is the very term for the viinistry both of the Old and New Testament, the Jewish and the catholic Gentile Church. The tabernacle was a " pattern" of the heavenly antitype ; the holy place, a figure of HEAVEN ITSELF. Tlius Jehovali's thrOne is rep» resented by the mercy -seat in the holiest, the Shekinah cloud over it. "The seven lamps of fire before the throne" (u.o) are antitypical to the seven-branched candlestick also In the holiest, emblem of the manifold Spirit of God : " the sea of glass" (v. 6) corresponds tothe molten
a. Aud—Omitted in the two oldest MSS., Vulgate, Syriac.
[ waLS— Greek, "I became in the Spirit" (Note, ch. 1. 10): I was completely rapt in vision into the heavenly world, was set—not xvas placed, but was situated, lit., lay. one sat on tlie tliroiie—the Eternal Father: the Creator fr.
11): also cf. f. 8 with ch. 1. 4, where also the Father is deBiguated " Which is, and was, and is to come." When the Sou, "tb.e Lamb," is introduced, ch. 5. 5-9, a nexv song
is sung which distinguishes the Sitter on the throne from
sea' before the sanctuary, wherein the priests washed themselves before entering on their holy service ; so introduced here in connection with the redeemed " priests unto God" (ef. Note, ch.15.2). The "four living creatures"
the Lamb, "Thou hast redeemed us to God," and v. IS, "Unto Him that sitteth upon the tlirone, and unto the Lamb." .So also in ch. 5. 7, as in Daniel 7. 13, the Son of man brought before the Ancient of days Is distinguished from Him. The Father in essence is invisible, but in Scripture at times is represented as assuming a visible form. 3. was—Omitted in the two oldest M.S.S., but supported by Vulgate and Coptic, to look upoi\—Grefk, "in sight," or "appearance." j!»»i>er—From ch. 21. U, wliere it is called most precious, which the jasper was not, Ebkaud infers it was a diamond. Ordinarily, X,\ie jasper is a stone of various wavy colours, somewhat transparent: in ch. 21. 11 it represents watery crystalline brightness. The .wrdine, our cornelian, or el.se a flery red. As the watery brightness represents God's holiness, so the flery red His justice executing flery wrath. The same union of white or watery brightness and tiery redness appears in ch. 1.14; 10.1; Ezf kit! 1.4; 8. 2 ; Daniel 7. 9. rainbow round about the tl»r«j»c—forming a complete circle (type of God's perfection and eternity: not a half circle as the earthly rainbow) surrounding the throne vertically. Its various colours, which combined form one pure solar ray, symbolize the varied aspects of God's providential dealings uniting in one harmonious whole. Here, however, the predominating colour among the prismatic colours is green, tlie most refreshing of colours to look upon, and so symljoluing God's consolatory promises in Christ to His people amidst Judgments on His foes. Jloreover, the raiul)i)W was the appointed token of God's covenant with all Ii<'sh, and His people in particular. Hereby God In type renewed to man the grant originally made to tlie
{v. 6, 7) answer to the cherubim over the mercy-seat. So the twenty-four throned and crowned elders are typified by the twenty-four chiefs of the twenty-four courses of priests, " Governors of the sanctuary, and governors of God" (1 Chronicles 24.5; 25). 5. proceeded— G'reeA-, " proceed." tliunderings and voices—The two oldest MSS. transpose, "voices and tliunderings." Cf. at the giving of the law on Sinai, Exodus 19. 16. "The thundei-iiiffs express God's threats against the ungodly: there are voices in the thunders (ch. 10. 3), f. e., not only does He threaten generally, but also predicts special judgments." [GroTIUS.] seven lamps . . . seven Spirits—The Holy Spirit in His sevenfold operation, as the light-and-Iife Giver (cf, ch. 5. 6, seven eyes . . . the seven Spirits of God ; 1. 4 ; 21. 2S; Psalm 119. 105) and flery purifier of the godly, and consumer of the ungodly (Matthew 3. 11). 6. Two oldest MSS., A, B, Vulgate, Cox>tic, and Syriac, read, "As it were a sea of glass." like . . . crystal—not imperfectly transparent as the anclentcommon glass, but like rock crystal. Contrast the turbid " many waters" on which the harlot " slttelh" (cli, 17). Cf. Job 37. 18, " the sky . . . as a molten looking-glass." Thus, primarily, the pure ether which separates God's throne from St. John, and from all things before it, may be meant, symbolizing the "purity, calin-
ne.ss, and majesty of God's rule." [Ai^fcJrd.] But see the' analogue In the temple, the molten sea before the sanctuary (A'o<<?, t'. 4, above). There Is in this sea depth and transparency, but not the fluidity and Instability of the natural .sea (cf. ch. 21. 1). It stanjls solid, calm, and clear. God's j!((f(7J)ien^* are called "a great deep" (Psalm 36. 6). In ch. 15. 2 It Is a " sea of glass mingled with fire." Thus there Is symbolized hero the purificatory baptlsni of water and the Spirit of all who are made "kings and priests unto God." In ch. 15. 2 the baptism with the
first Adam. The antitype will be the " new heavens and the new earth" restored to redeemed man, just as the earth, afler the destruction by the flood, was restored to Noah. As the rainbow was first reflected on the waters of the world's ruin, and continues to be seen only when a cloud is brouglit over the earth, so another deluge, ivz., of fire, shall precede the new heavens and earlh: the Lord, as here, on his throne, whence (u. 5) proceed " light-
fire of trial Is meant. Through both all the klngprlests have to pass In coming to God; liiii judgments, which overwhelm the ungodly, they stand flrnily upon,
nings and tliunderings," shall issue the commission to rid the earth of lis oppressors; but then, amidst Judgment, when other men's hearts fall them foifi'ar, the be-
lis on tt solid sea of glass; able like tMirist to walk on
IJie sea, as though It were solid. round about the throne—one lu the midst of each sideof the tlirone. four beasts—The Greek for " beasts," ch. 13. 1, 11, Is dIUerent,
llevcisliall be reassured by the ralnl)ow, tlie covenant token, round tlii' throne (cf. Dk IUtkoh, Rev.). The heavenly bow speaks of the shipwreck of the world through sin: It speaks also of calm and sunshine after the storm. The cloud In the regular token of God's and Christ's presence, e.g., in the tabernacle holiest place; on Mount Slnal at the giving of the law; at the ascension (.Vds 1.
thei-ion, tb(^ symbol for the carnal man by opposition to God losing Ills true glory, as lord, under Him, of the lower creatures, and di^graded to the level of the beast. Here It
Is zoon, " living creatures :" not beasts. 7. calf—"a steer." [.\LFOKD.] The LXX. often use the Greek term here for an ox (E.\odus 2*2. 1; 29. 10, Ac), as a man—The oldest MSS. have "as of a man." 8. about hUn—Greek, " round about him." Ai.eouu connects this with the following sentence: "All round and wltliln (lliclr wings) they are
9)-; at His (doming again (ch. 4. 7). 4. ncatii—rather as the Oreck Is translated In this very verse, " thrones," otcourse lower and smaller than the grand (central //ironc. So ch.
16.10, "the 8<:at (rather throne) of the beast," In hellish parody of (Jod's thione. four and twenty eldem Greek, "the lour and twenty (or as one oldest MH., ' twenty-four') eiders:" the well-known elders. [ALKOiin.] HutTitEOELLKH tranaliUes, "Upon the tw(?nty-four thrones (/ saw
(so two oldest MSS., A, li, and Vulgate read) lull of eyes."
St. Joliti's object Is to show that the six wings in »Mich did not Interfere with that which he had before declared, that they were "full of eyes before and bi^hlnd." The eyes were round tUo outside of each wing, and up the Mf
omitted In two oldest MMH.) elders sitting:" which is more probable, us tlie twenly-/our clderi were not nicn564
T t Four Beasts give Glory to Ood Almighty. EEVELATION V. The Elders Worship Jlim that Sul on the Thn
tide at each when half expanded, and of the part of body In that iuwaid recess, rest not lit., "have no rest." »Tow awfully difl'erent the reason why the worshippers of the beast "have no rest day nor night," viz., "their torment for ever and ever!" Holy, Iioly, Uoly—The " tris-hagiou" of the Oreek liturgies. In Isaiah 6.3, as here, it occurs; also Psalm 99. 3, 5, 9, where He is praised as "holy," (1.) on account of His majesty (v. 1) about to display itself, (2.) His justice {v. 4) already displaying it-
laborious diligence in every duty, the "ox;" (3.) human sympathy, the "man;" (4.) the contemplation of heavenly truth, the "eagle." As the high-soaring intelligence, the eagle, forms the contrasted complement to practical labour, the ox bound to the soil; so holy judicial vengeance against evil, the lion springing suddenly and terribly on the doomed, forms the contrasted complement to human sympathy, the man. In IsuiaU 6. 2 we read, "Each had six wings: with twain he covered his face [in reverence, as not presuming to lift up his face to God], with twain he covered his feet [in humility, as not worthy to stand in God's holy presence], and with twain he did fly [in obedient readiness to do instantly God's command]." 9-11. The ground of praise here is God's eternity, and God's power and glory manifested in the creation of all things for His pleasure. Creation is the foundation of all God's other acts of power, wisdom, and love, and therefore forms the tirst theme of His creatures' thanksgivings. The four living creatures lake the lead of tho twenty-four elders, both in this anthem, and in that new song which follows on the ground of their redemption (ch. 5. 8-10). 9. when—i. e., whensoever: as often as. A simultaneous giving of glory on the part of the Oeasts, and on the part of the elders, give—"shall give" in one oldest MS. for ever anil evKV— Greek, " un to the ages of the ages." 10. fall — immediately. Greek, "shall fall down:" implying that this ascription of praise shall bt repeated onward to eternity. So also "Shall worship •
self, (3.) His mercy (v. 6-8) which displayed itself in times past. So here " Holy," as He " who was:" " Holy," as He "who is:" "Holy," as He " who is to come." He showed Himself an object of holy worship in the past creation of
all things: more fully He shows Himself so in governing
all things: He will, in the highest degree, show Himself so in the consummation of all things. "Of (from) Him, through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." In Isaiah 6. 3 there Is added, "the whole earth Is full of His glory." But in Revelation this is deferred until the glory of the Lokd tills the
earth, His enemies having been destroyed. [Bengel.] Aliiiiglity—Answering to "Lord of hosts" (Subaoth), Isaiah 6. 3. The cherubim here have six wings, like the seraphim in Isaiah 6. ; wiiereas the cherubim in Ezekiel
I. 6 had four wings each. Tliey are called by the same name, " living creatures." But whereas in Ezekiel eacli living creature has all four faces, here the four belong Severally one to each. See my Note, Ezekiel 1. 6. The fuur living creatures answer by contiast to the lour worldpo\vers represented by four beasts. The Fathers identified them with the four Gospels,.Matthew the lion, Mark the ox, Luke the man, John the eagle: these symbols, thus viewed, express not the personal character of the J^van-
. . . shall cast their crowns," viz., in ackuowledgnieut that all the merit of their crowns (not kingly diudeias, but the crowns of conquerors) is due to Hiin. 11. O Lord— Tiie two oldest MSS., A, B, Vulgate, and Syriac, add, "And our God." "Our" by virtue of creation, and especially redemption. One oldest MS., B, and Synac, insert " the Holy One." But another. A, Vulgate, and Coptic, omit this, as English Version does, glory, Jic—"Z/ie glory—W*« honour—Z/ie power." thou—Emphatical in the Greek: "It is THOU who didst create." all things— Greefc, " the
gelisls, but the manifold aspect of Christ in relation to
tlie world (four being the number significant of worldwide extension, e. g., the lour quarters of the world) presented by them severally: the lion expressing royally, as Matthew gives prominence to this feature of Christ; the QX, laborious endurance, Christ's prominent characteristic
all things:" the universe, for Greek, "on account of:" " for the sake of thy pleasure," or " will." English Versior is good Greek. Though the context better sails, it was because of thy will, that " they were" (so one oldest MS., A,
111 Mark; man, brotherly sympathy with the whole race of man, Christ's prominent feature in Luke; the eagle, touring majesty, prominent in John's description of Christ as the Divine Word. But here the context best suits the view which regards the four living creatures as representing the ?"edeemed etection-CAMrcTi in its relation of ministering king-priests to God, and ministers of blessing to the redeemed earth, and the nations on it, and the animal creation. In which man stands at the head of all, the lion at the head of wild beasts, the ox at the head of tame beasts, tte eag'Je at the head of birds and of the creatures of the waters. Cf. ch. 5. 8-10, "Thou hast redeemed u.i by thy blood out of every kindred, . . . and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth;'' and ch. 20. 4, the partakers with Christ of the first resurrection, who conjointly with Him reign over tlie redeemed nations that are in the flesh. Cf. as to the happy and willing subjection of the lower animal world, Isaiah
Vulgate, Syriac, and Co2)tic read, instead of English Version "are:" another oldest MS., B, reads, "They were not, and were created," were created out of nothing), i. e., we)-e existing, as contrasted with their previous non-existence. With God to will Is to eflfect; to determine is to perform. So In Genesis 1. 3, "Let there be light, and there was light:" in Hebrew an expressive tautology, the same word and tense and letters being used for " let there be," and "there was," marking the simultaneity and identity of the will and the effect. D. Longinus, on the Sublime, sec. 9, a heathen, praises this description of God's power by "the lawgiver of the Jews, no ordinary man," as one worthy of the theme, were created—by Thy definite act of creation at a definite time.
II. 6-8; 65.25; Ezekiel 31.25; Hosea 2.18. Jewish tradition says, the "four standards" under which Israel encjimped in the wilderness, to the east, Judah, to the north, Dan, to the west, Ephraim, to the south, Reuben, were respectively a lion, an eagle, an ox, and a man, whilst in the midst was the tabernacle containing the Shekinah symbol of the Divine presence. Thus we have "the picture of that blessed period when—the earth having been
"Ver. 1-14. The Book with Seven Seals : None Worthy TO Open it but the Lamb: He Takes it amibst thk Praises of the Redeemed, and of the whole Heavenly Host. 1. in— Greek, " (lying) upon the riglit hand," &c. His right hand was open, and on it lay the book. On God's part there was no withliolding of His future purposes as contained in the book: the only obstacle to unsealing it Is stated ti. 3. [Alfokd.] book— rather, as accords with the ancient form of books, and with the
fitted for being the kingdom of the Father—the court of •Leaven will be transferred to earth, and the 'tabernacle of God shall be with men' (ch. 21. 3), and the whole world will be subject to a never-ending theocracy" (cf. De BUKGH, J2ev.). The point of union between the two views given above Is, Christ Is the perfect realization of the Ideal of man: Christ Is presented in His fourfold aspect lu the four Gospels respectively. The redeemed election- . Church similarly, when In and through Christ (with whom she shall reign) she realizes the Ideal of man, shall combine In herself human perfections having a fourfold aspect" (1.) kingly righteousness with hatred of 8VU and Judicial equity, answering to the "lion;" (2.)
xoriting on the backside, "a roll." The writing on the back implies fulness and completeness, so that nothing more needs to be added (ch. 22. 18). The roll, or book, appears from the context to be " the title-deed of man's inheritance" [De Burgh] redeemed by Christ, and contains the successive steps by which He shall recover It from its usuri)er, and obtain actual possession of the kingdom already "purchased" for Himself and His elect saints. How-
ever, no portion of the roll Is said to be wxfolded and read; but simply the seals are successively ojiened, giving flnai
The Book Sealed with Seven Seals, EE V ELATION V. which only the Lamb is Worchy to Open.
the idea of taking the lead of the flock. Another object, of the form Greek arnion, the Lamb, is to put Him in the more marked contrast to Greek therion, the Beast. Elsewhere Greek amnos is found, applying to Him as the paschal, sacriflcial Lamb (Isaiah 53. 7, LXX. ; John 1.29, 36; Acts 8. 32; 1 Peter 1.19). as it had been slain— bearing marks of His past death-wounds. He was standing, though bearing the marks of une slain. In the midst of heavenly glory Christ crucified is still the prominent object, seven horns— i'. e., perfect might, "seven'' symbolizing perfection; "horns,"' might, in contrast to the horns of the Antichristian world-powers, ch. 17. 3, &c.
access to its contents being read as a pprfect whole, which shall not be until the events symbolized by the seals shall have been past, when Ephesians 3. 10 sliall receive its complete accomplishment, and the Lamb sliall reveal God's provideutal plans in redemption in all their manifold beauties. Thus the opening of the seals will mean the successive steps by which God in Christ clears the way
for the final opening and reading of the book at tli^' visible Betting up of the kingdom of Christ. Cf., at tlie grand consummation, ch. 20. 12, " Anotlier book was opened . . . the book of life; "' 22. 19. None is wortliy to do so save the Xiamb, for He alone as such has redeemed man's forfeited inheritance, of which tJie book is the tille-deed. The question {v. 2) is not (as commonly supposed i, Wlio should reveal the destinies of the Church (.for this any inspired prophet would be competent to do)? but, Who has the yfORTU to give man a new title to his lost inheritance? [De
Daniel 7. 7, 20; 8. 3. seven eyes . . . the seven Sitlrita
. . . sent fortli—So one oldest MS., A. But B reads, "f(cm.7 sent forth." As the seven lamps before the throne represent the Spirit of God immanent in the Godhead, so the seven eyes of the Lamb represent the same sevenfold Spirit profluent from the incarnate Redeemer in His world-wide energy. The Greek for "sent forth,'' apostellomena, or else apestalmenoi, is akin to the term apostle, reminding us of the Spirit-impelled labours of Christ's apostles and minister throughout the world : if the present tense be read, as seems best, the idea will be that of those labours continually going on unto the end. "Eyes" symbolize His all-watchful and wise providence
• BuKGH.] sealed . . . seven seals Greek, "sealed up,'" or " firmly sealed," &c. The number seien (divided into four,
tt*e world-wide number, and tliree, the Divine) abounds in Revelation, and expresses completeness. Tlius, the seven
seals, representing all power given to the Lamb ; the seven trumpets, by wliich the world-kingdoms are shaken and overthrown, and the Lamb's kingdom ushered in; and the seven v.als, by whicli tlie beast's kingdom is destroyed.
for His Church, and against lier foes. 7. The book lay oa the open hand of Him that sat on the throne for any to take who was found worthy. [Alford.] The Lamb takes it from the Father in token of formal investiture Into His universal and everlasting dominion as Son of man. Tliis introductory vision thus presents before us, in summary, the consummation to which all the events in the seals, trumpets, and vials converge, 112., the setting up of Christ's kingdom visibly. Prophecy ever hurries to the grand crisis or end, and dwells on Intermediate events only in their t.vpictal relation to, and representation of, the end. 8. had taken— Greek, "took." fell doivn before the Lnmli—Who shares worship and the throne with the Father, harps—Two oldest MSS., A, B, Syriac and Coptic, read, "a harp:"' a kind of guitar, played with the hand or a quill, vials—" bowls '" [TiiKGEi.l/Es]: censers. odonrs—Greefc, " incense." prayers of saints—as the angel otlers their prayers (ch. 8. 3) witli incense (cf. Psalm HI. 2). This gives not the least sanction toRoine's dogma of our praying to saints. Tliough they be employed by God In some way unknown to us to present our prayers (nothing is said of their interceding for us), yet we are told to pray only to Him (ch. 19. 10 ; 22. 8, 9). Their own employment is praise (whence the.v all have harps): ours is prayer. 0. sun;; Greek, " sing :" it Is their blessed occupation continually. The theme of redemption is ever new, ever suggesting fresh thoughts of praise, embodied in the " new song." us to God—So MS. B, Coptic, Vulgate, and Cyi'RIAN. But A omits "us:" and X reads Instead, " to uur God." out of—The present eleclion-clumrh gathered out of the world, as distiiigulshed from the peoples gathered lo Christ as tin? sulijects, not of an election, but of a general and world-wide conversion of all nations, kindred , , , tongue . . . people . . . nation—The number /o»<r marks worldwide extension: the four quarters of the world. For " kindreil," trannlate as Greek, " tribe." This ti'rm an<l "people "are usually restricted to Jxrael: "tongue and nation" to the Gentiles (<.-U. 7. 'J ; 11.9; 13.7, the oldest reading; II. 6). Thus there Is here marked the election-Church gathered from Jews and Gentiles. In ch.
ft. strongKl^salm 103.20.) His voice penetrated heaven, earth, and Hades (ch. 10. 1-3). 2. no man— Greek, "no
* 3ne." Not -oierely no man, but also no one of any order of beings, in earth Greek, " upon the earth." under tlie eartit viz., in Hades, look thereon— to look upon the contents, so as to read them. 4. and to read—Inserted in English Version Greek text without good authority. One oldest MS., Okigen, Cyprian, and Hil.\ky, omit the clause. To read would be awkward standing between " to open the book" and "to look thereon." St. John having been promised a revelation of "things which must be
hereafter,' weeps aow at his earnest desire being apparently frustrated. He is ii pattern to us to imitate, as an eager and teacliable learner of the Apocalypse. 5. one ot— Greek, >ne from among." The "elder" meant is, according to some (in Lyra), Matthew. With tliis accords the description here given of Christ, " the Liun, which is
(so the Greek) of the tribe of Juda, tlie root of David ;" the royal, David-descended, lion-aspect of Christ being that prominent in Matthew, wlience the lion among the fourfold clierubim is commonly assigned to him. Gf;kHAKD in Besgel thought Jacob to be meant, being, doubt-
less, one of tliose who rose with Christ and ascended to heaven (Matthew 27. 52, SJ). The elders in heaven round God's tluone know bolter than John, still in the tiesh, the far-reaching power of Christ. Kootof David—(Isaiah 11.
1, 10.) Not merely "a sucker come up from David's ancient root" (as Ai-FOKi) limits it), but also Including the idea of His being Ilimstdf tlie root and origin of David : cf. these two truths brought together, Matthew 22. •12—15. Hence He is called not merely iSon of David, but also David. He
is at once " the branch" of David, and " the root " of David, David's Son and David's Lord, the iya»ii; slain and therefore the Liun of Juda: about to reign over Israel, and theuce over the whole earth, prevailed— C/rccAr, "conquered:" absolutely, as elsewhere (ch. 3. 21): gained the
victory : His past victory over all the powers of diu kness entitles lllm now to open the book, to open— t. e.,iso as to
open,&.c,. One oldest M.S., B, reads, "He that openeth,"
i.e., whose olUco it Is to open, but the weight of oldest authorities Is with English Version reading, viz.. A, Vul-
10. 11, for " tribes," we lind among thv four terms "kings;". In 17.15, "multitudes." 1<>. made us— .\, U, {< Vulgate,
gate, Cojjtic, and OltloiCN. 0. I beheld, and, lo—One oldest MS., A, omits "and, lo." Another, II, (.'Yi'itfAN, Ac., sup-
tSyriar, and Cfa;>^/<;, read " tlieni." The Hebrew construction (It tUf tliird person for the llrsi, has a graphic relal Ion to tlie redeemed, and also has a more modest sound than
port, "ami, lo," but omit, "and I beheld." In file midst of the throne— i. e., not on the throne (cf. v. 7), but in the midst of the company (ch. 4. 1) which was "round about the throni;." Livnali— Greek, arnion ; always found in Revelation I'Xclusl vely, exci'pt in John 21. 15 alone: it expresses e);e/ca»»/ieHi, ui^., the enilcarlng relation In which Christ now stands to us, as the (Consequence of His pnjvlous relation as the .mcrijieial iMniO. So also our relation lo lllm: He the precious Ltimh, wo Ills dear lambs, one with HIni. Bknuki. Ihlnlcs tlicre is in Greek a"niun
vs, priests. [Benoei^.J unio our tiod—So B, X read. But A omits the clause. kliiKS—So B reads. But A, X, Vulgate, 0>ptir, and Cyi'IIIAN. read, " .\ kingdom. ' K reads also "a pi les! luxxl " for priests. They whocast Ihelf Clowns ix'foie the throne, do not call themselves kings In the sight of the Kieat King (ch. i. 10, 11); though their priestly access has such dignity, that their reigning 00 earth cannot exceed it. So in ch. '20. C lliey are aalled
TJie Elders Ftaise the Lamb that was Slain. EEVELATION VI. The Opening of the First Six Seals.
"kings." [BEirGEl/.] we shall reigii on tlic eartli—This
edict, 312 A. D. There can, however, be no doubt that at least the sixth seal is future, and is to be at the coming again of Christ. The great objection to supposing the seals to be finally and exhaustively fulfilled (though, probably, particular events may be partial fulfilments typical of the final and fullest one), is that, if so, they ought to furnish (as the destruction of Jerusalem, according to Christ's prophecy, does) a strong external evidence of Revelation. But it is clear they cannot be used for this, as hardly any two interpreters of this school are agreed on what events constitute the fulfilment of each seal. Probably not isolated facts, but classes of events preparing the way for Christ's coming kingdom, are intended by the opening of the seals. The four living creatures severally cry at the opening of the first four seals, "Come," which fact marks the division of tl\e seven, rs often occurs in this sacred number, into four and three. 1. one of the seals—The oldest MSS., A, B, C, Vulgate, and iSyriac read, "one of the seven seals." noise—The three oldest MSS. read this in the nominative or dative, not the genitive, as English Version, "I heard one from among the four living creatures saying, as (it were) the voice (or, as with the voice) of thunder." The first living creature was like a lion (ch. 4.7): his voice Is in consonance. Implying the lion -like boldness with which, in the successive great revivals, the faithful have testified for Christ, and especially a little before His coming shall testify. Or, rather, their earnestness la praying for Christ's coming. Coine and see—One oldest MS., B, has "And see." But A, C, and Vulgale reject it. Alfokd rightly objects to English Version reading: ""Whither was John to come? Separated as he was by the glassy sea from the throne, was he to cross it ?" Contrast the form of expression, ch. 10. 8. It is much more likely to be the cry of the redeemed to the Redeemer, " Come" and deliver the groaning creature from the bondage of^orruption. Thus, v. 2 is an answer to tlie cry, went
Is a new feature added to ch. 1. 6. N, Vulgate and Coptic, read, " Ttiey shall reign." A, B read, " They reign." AJCtORD takes this reading, and explains it of the Church EVEN NOW, in Christ her Head, reigning on the earth : "all thing:* are being put under her feet, as under His; her kingly ofRce aud rank are asserted, even in tlie midst of persecution." But even if we read (I think the weiglit-