in which both εὐχαριστία and δύναμις appear. But in the similar sevenfold doxology of the Lamb, at R. v. 12, dúvaμıv has the first place, and there is no exapioría.

We may suppose that the crowns of the ancients—“σrepávol” -were crowns of laurel, oak, or bay leaf, wrought in gold.

"Because thou hast created all things" connects with "Who liveth for ever and ever" above, and at R. x. 6.

The ancients acknowledge that they have received their crowns from God.

CHAPTER V

1. Καὶ εἶδον ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ του θρόνου βιβλίον γεγραμμένον ἔσωθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν, κατεσφραγισ μένον σφραγῖσιν ἐπτά.

I. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.

The vision of the throne of God is continued and the sealed book is introduced. It is the source of the visions in the Jewish theme, to which these Chapters iv. and v. are an introduction. It is held in the right hand of God, showing its importance: and it is sealed with seven seals, because it consisted of seven separate revelations. The seals were not made of sealing wax nor placed on the outside of the manuscript. Bißxíov denotes a papyrus manuscript. Our Lord is represented as "unrolling the book," avaπTúžas тò Bißiov (Luke iv. 17). There were seven manuscripts; the seventh was rolled up and carefully tied with string, the ends of which were secured in a clay seal, which hung down. The sixth was rolled round the seventh and tied up and sealed in like manner, the seal again visibly hanging down. The fifth was rolled round the sixth, the fourth round the fifth, and so on, till the first which had its own fastenings and seal. Layard found at Nineveh clay seals, with holes in them for string for sealing papyri (“Ninev. and Bab." xiii. 71). Wilkinson found similar seals in Egypt ("Egypt of the Pharaohs"). It was the ancient way of fastening and sealing papyri. There was no difficulty in opening the seals, but it was not permissible to do so without authority. Isaias says, “And the vision of all shall be unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which when they shall deliver to one that is learned, they shall say, Read this; and he shall answer, I cannot, for it is sealed" (xxix. 11). The sealed book would

bring to the minds of the Hebrew servants of God the book of Daniel, relating to the destruction of the Temple and the scattering of the band of the holy people, "shut up and sealed till the appointed time" (Dan. xii. 9). The appointed time had arrived in the year 67. The completion of the prophecy of Daniel is contained in the seven-sealed book held in the right hand of God. The significance of seven is completeness.

The book was "written within and without." The outside writing referred to the known events of the present and of the past. The writing within contained the hidden secrets of the future, which God alone knew. The vision of Ezechiel came to him in like manner in a book, "written within and without, and there were written in it lamentations and canticles and woe" (ii. 9). Ezechiel's prophecy, like that of S. John, related to the siege of Jerusalem.

2. Καὶ εἶδον ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν κηρύσσοντα ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, Τίς ἄξιος ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον καὶ λῦσαι τὰς σφρα γίδας αὐτοῦ.

2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?

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"Ayyeλov iσxupòv is translated here "a strong angel," and at R. x. I and xviii. 21, where the same words recur, a mighty angel." Judging from the action of this angel, “ioxupòv means "greatness" rather than physical strength. The "loud voice is particularised (as we shall see in the next verse), because it has to carry to the ends of the earth, and even to the lower regions. "Who is worthy?" It is purely a question of worthiness. There is no force required to open the book. The seals are not to be broken. They are to be loosed; λvoai comes from Avó, " to loose," "to unfasten," "to untie."

3. Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐδὲ ὑποκάτο τῆς γῆς ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον οὐδὲ βλέπειν αὐτό.

3. And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it.

"Heaven and earth and under the earth" meant to the Hebrews, the whole world, the under-world, or "Hades" in

cluded. No angel, or man, could open the book, because none were worthy (agios) to reveal the secrets of God. 'Avoîţai means to open, to undo.

Ανοίξαι

4. Καὶ ἐγὼ ἔκλαιον πολύ, ὅτι οὐδεις ἄξιος εὑρέθη ἀνοίξαι τὸ βιβλίον οὔτε βλέπειν αὐτό.

4. And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it.

(S. omits éya.)

The Seer "wept much because no one was found worthy to open the Book, nor to see it." He recognised the sealed Book of Daniel containing the revelation of the fall of the Temple and the fate of the Jews. He wept for disappointment, because he longed to warn the Nazarene Church, then under the harrow of Rome, of the approaching catastrophe. This confession is made to the servants of God at Jerusalem.

5. Καὶ εἷς ἐκ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων λέγει μοι.

Μὴ κλαῖε· ἰδοὺ ἐνίκησεν ὁ λέων ὁ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα, ἡ ῥίζα Δαυείδ, ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον καὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ.

5. And one of the ancients said to me, Weep not; behold the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath conquered to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Our Lord was of the tribe of Juda (Heb. vii. 14). In Genesis we read, “Juda is a lion's whelp" (xlix. 9). The sceptre remained with Juda till the end of the Covenant. E píša Aaveid, according to Prof. M. Stuart is a root-shoot from the stem of David. Compare Isa. xi. I. In this Book our Lord declares himself "the root and stock of David" (R. xxii. 16, where see notes). "Hath conquered," évíkŋoev, refers to our Lord's conquest by his death upon the cross. ẻyò vevíkŋka TÒV KÓσμOV, "I have conquered the world" (Jhn. xvi. 33). We have had the word before at R. iii. 21, és kȧyà éviκnσa, where it is translated " as I also have overcome." To overcome and to conquer have not exactly the same meaning.

6. Καὶ εἶδον ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀρνίον ἑστηκὸς ὡς ἐσφαγ μένον, ἔχων κέρατα ἑπτὰ καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἑπτὰ, οἵ εἰσιν τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπεσταλμένα εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. (S. has ἀπεσταλμένοι.)

6. And I saw and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb, standing as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

As the Seer looked, a Lamb appeared, in the midst of the throne, 'Apvíov, an innocent Lamb. S. John the Evangelist records the exclamation of S. John the Baptist, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (Jhn. i. 29). "As it were slain" refers to the death upon the cross-His propitiatory sacrifice (Isa. liii. 7). A little later the choirs of heaven acclaim the Lamb that was slain as worthy of Divinity (R. v. 12). He is the risen Lamb, standing ready to protect His Church, with seven horns. Horns are used as emblems of power in the Hebrew Scriptures; see Ps. lxxiv. II; Dan. vii. 7, 8, 20, 24, viii. 3, 8, 9, 20, 21; Zach. i. 18. Seven has no limits. Hence, "seven horns" means unlimited power.

Seven eyes, "which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." The Seven Spirits are put for the Paraclete. "These things saith he who has the Seven Spirits of God" (R. iii. 1). "Seven lamps burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God" (Ř. iv. 5). We read in the Gospel of S. John, " If I go not the paraclete will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to you" (Jhn. xvi. 7).

7. Καὶ ἦλθεν καὶ εἴληφεν ἐκ τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου.

7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.

This is a symbolic illustration of the first sentence of the Book. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to make known to his servants." The Lamb took the seven sealed book of Revelation out of the right hand of God.

8. Καὶ ὅτε ἔλαβεν τὸ βιβλίον, τὰ τέσσερα ζῷα καὶ οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι έπεσαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρνίου ἔχοντες ἕκαστος κιθάραν καὶ φιάλας χρυσᾶς γεμούσας θυμιαμάτων, αἱ εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων.

8. And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the four-and-twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints.

The four living creatures as well as the four-and-twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb and acknowledged his Divinity, (see R. iv. 9, 10). Kiápav, translated "harps," refers to the zither of the O.T. (Ps. xxxii. 2). All are ready to give the music of the zither to song, (see next verse). Golden vials Prof. M. Stuart points out should be rendered golden goblets. Diáλn means a shallow vessel, very different from the chemist's "phial" of our day. The dictionaries described it as a flat, shallow cup, or drinking bowl, such as was used for burning incense in the Temple of Jerusalem.

They are "full of odours which are the prayers of the saints,' showing that the angels and saints of heaven both plead themselves, and offer up the prayers of Christians, Tŵv ȧytov, before the throne of God. 'Ayov stands for the Church militant. At R. xx. 8, the camp of the saints, "Twv åyiov," is put for the Church on earth. This doctrine of the Communion of Saints is taught again at R. vi. 10, and viii. 3, 4. (See ȧyιáv, pp. 49, 91.)

9. Καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν, λέγοντες, ̓́Αξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ Θεῷ ἐν τῷ αἷματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους.

9. And they sang a new canticle, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book and to open the seals thereof, because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God in thy blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

Canticles were numerous in the O.T. See Psalm xxxii. The Canticle of Canticles is one of the Books of Solomon. This is a N.T. canticle, in homage of Christ, the Lamb. He is worthy because He was slain, and has redeemed us to God in His blood. There is a peculiarity about the use of the verb opáleσlai, denoting sacrifice, in regard to our Redeemer (R. v. 6, 9, 12, xiii. 8). It is derived from the figure of