which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the matter very plain. How did the prophet Zechariah represent the allpervading vision of God? Ans. By "seven eyes;" ch. iii. 9. And in the next chapter he said, "they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth;" iv. 10. Here, evidently, the revelator found his metaphor; and there is another metaphor in this section of Zechariah's prophecy, of which we shall see, in another place, that the revelator made great use. By the seven eyes of the Lamb, sent forth, as the angels of God, unto all the earth, was signified his all-pervading vision. book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken was not intended. But worship was intended in this place; for there are all the accompaniments of worship. The worshippers all have harps in their hands, and golden vials full of odors. Some think it wrong to worship Christ. They believe that God alone ought to be worshipped. Christ they declare is a creature, and divine honors ought not to be paid to him. To this we do not agree. We allow that God alone ought to be worshipped as God; and the living creatures and the elders, as we shall see, did not worship the Lamb as God the Father. It is true that Christ is a creature; but he is also something else. He is "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world ;" and this can be said of no other being in heaven or on earth. If by divine honors be meant the honors due to God alone, we allow that such honors ought not to be paid to Christ; but if by divine honors be merely meant honors paid to a divine person, then Jesus is entitled to divine honors. We cannot possibly, in any way, understand the chapter which we are now examining, if Jesus may not rightfully be worshipped. But more on this subject as we proceed. ¶ Having every one of them harps. — This certainly is figurative, for it cannot be supposed there could be harps in the celestial, spiritual, immortal state. The harp was an instrument that had been long known to the Jews, and was much used in their temple service; see 1 Chron. xiii. 8; xv. 16; 2 Chron. v. 12; Neh. xii. 27; Psa. xxxiii. 2. John's vision of heaven seems to be drawn almost wholly from the 8. Fell down before the Lamb. The arrangements for the religious serliving creatures, and the four-and-vices of the Jews; and the worship twenty elders, fell down before the in heaven is made to bear a strong Lamb. This was the common form resemblance to that of the temple. of respect. It was often done when For further remarks on the mention worship, especially divine worship, made of the harp in the Scriptures, 7. And he [the Lamb] came and took the book. Did the Lamb take the book? inquires Prof. Stuart; or was the head only a lamb, and the rest a human figure? Thus he goes on with his questions. It seems to us that the true explanation is, that the revelator passes easily from the metaphor to the being signified by it. The Lamb, i. e., he who was signified by the Lamb, took the book. Out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. That is, he derived all his knowledge from the Father. The latter is represented as having the roll in possession, and as giving it into the hands of Jesus Christ, who is mentioned under the figure of the Lamb. The events that were revealed by the opening of the seals, one after another, must be looked for in the succeeding chapters. The remainder of this chapter is occupied with a description of the worship rendered to the Lamb, in consequence of his proceeding to open the book, and also to the Father. the book, the four beasts, and [ vials full of odors, which are the four and twenty elders fell down prayers of saints. before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden see notes on Rev. xiv. 2. ¶ Vials full of odors. In the temple services, incense was wafted unto the throne of God. The incense was mingled with rich odors. It was a representation of the prayers of the saints. While the priest offered incense within, the people prayed without; and the priest, by the incense, sent up the prayers of the people. See Luke i. 10: "And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense." This agrees with Psa. cxli. 2: "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands, as the evening sacrifice." Did not the revelator get his figure from this verse? ¶ Which are the prayers of saints. — He evidently set forth the prayers of the saints as incense. That these saints were on earth, not in the immortal state, is evident from verse 10, below. Dr. Hammond says, "It is evident that the saints here are the Christian people upon earth, and not the saints which reign in heaven. And this also is agreeable to the notion of odors, by which their prayers are expressed. For those refer to the incense which the priests were wont to offer in the sanctuary whilst the people prayed without, (Luke i. 10,) and their prayers were supposed to go up with that incense to heaven. By this it also appears that the four living creatures, and four and twenty elders which have here the vials in their hands, as also the harps, the one to denote the prayers, the other the praises of the Christians, are the apostles and bishops of Judea, (as in the laying of the scene appeared, ch. iv.,) whose office it was to present the prayers and praises of the Christians to God; and so by all these together, the Christian persecuted church of Judea (and by consent with them all 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take other Christians over the world) are represented here, as those that had now their prayers heard, and those by the destruction of their persecutors turned into praises.". See Com. on ver. 8. 9. And they sung.. Who sung? Ans. The four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, mentioned in the preceding verse as falling down before the Lamb. New song And this new song is in the following words: "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain," &c. This was called a new song, as if it never had been sung before; for who could sing the song of redeeming love, until the Lamb was slain? No such song was ever sung in the religious services of the Jews; they sung the praises of God; but never sung of the redemption of the world through Christ. The song of redeeming love, the song of redemption from sin and error, and the moral exaltation of men through Jesus Christ, that is the new song. None can sing this song except such as have been redeemed by Christ; and it shall be sung at last by all, when every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father; Phil. ii. 9-11. Rev. xiv. 3: "And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts and the elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." The new song, therefore, must be the song of redeeming love; which all will sing, when the work of redemption is complete. Is it not certain, then, that the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders stand, in this case, as representatives of the redeemed? ¶ Thou art worthy. — It is a song of praise to the the book, and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; Lamb. The phraseology is somewhat similar to what we found in Rev. iv. 11: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honor, and power," &c. And why was the Lamb worthy? and what was he worthy of? We shall find answers to these questions in the following words. To take the book. He was worthy to take the book, and to loose the seals thereof. There was an honor in being permitted to do this; and the Lamb was worthy of that honor. Thou wast slain. - This was the reason why he was worthy. He had given himself up to the cruel death of the cross, and suffered and died. He had not done this merely for the obtaining of glory. His own advantage was not what he was seeking. And hast redeemed us. -It was for the good of others that he suffered and died. What more could he do? It is the highest gift a man can bestow, to surrender his own life. Such was the sacrifice Jesus made; and on that account he was worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof. By thy blood. That is, by thy death. In consequence of Christ's death and resurrection, [and the latter could not have taken place without the former,] they had been redeemed. They had believed on him; they had obtained a knowledge of his word; and by faith in his death, and resurrection, and teachings, they had been delivered from their errors and their sins. This is what is meant by being redeemed by the blood of Christ. The blood is the metaphor for his death and for his doctrine. Out of every kindred, &c. These were the first fruits; they were not the general harvest. They were redeemed out of every nation, 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and kindred, and people and tongue. They were not Jewish Christians only; they were gathered from every nation; from the Gentiles as well as the Jews. The Gentiles were to praise, and honor, and glorify, Christ as the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. And what was to become of every nation, and kindred, and people, and tongue, out of whom these early converts, these first fruits, were gathered? Were they always to remain strangers to Christ? We shall see as we proceed. 10. Kings and priests. - This is still a part of the new song. The redeemed acknowledged that the Lamb had made them kings and priests unto God. They reigned with Christ in his moral kingdom. They had power over the nations to rule them; Rev. ii. 26, 27; also, i. 6. They joined with Christ in his kingly and priestly office; and so all true Christians will do, until he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, the Father. On the earth. - This part of the song is surely not to be forgotten. This living and reigning with Christ is on the earth. Faithful Christians are kings and priests unto God, on the earth. How does Jesus reign on the earth? In what sense is he a king? He reigns over the hearts and consciences of men; he is a spiritual king. Every pure-hearted Christian is joined with him in this reign, and exercises a like influence, though vastly below him, of course, in point of power. 11. Of many angels. In his further description of the celestial abode, John saw vast numbers of angels round about the throne, and round about the beasts and the elders. The number of them was illimitable. We and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, perceive here, that the beasts and elders are not to be regarded as representatives of angels, but of the church on earth. Number of them. - That is, the number of the angels was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. And what does this mean, only that they were innumerable? This phraseology is borrowed from the Old Testament. "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place;" Psa. lxviii. 17. Possibly the revelator had his mind on this passage, and possibly it was on the words of Daniel. "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;" vii. 10. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews copies this phraseology in his description of the heavenly Jerusalem. "Ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels;" xii. 22. 12. Loud voice. The mingling of so many voices would be well described by a loud voice. The intention of the revelator was not to give the idea that every one spoke as loudly as he could; but that such an innumerable host making an ascription together, it would of course be loud. This, therefore, furnishes no justification for the vociferous exhortations and prayers of some Christians. Worthy the Lamb. - How can we refrain from quoting one verse of that beautiful hymn of Watts ? "Worthy the Lamb, that died," they cry, "To be exalted thus;" "Worthy the Lamb," our hearts reply, "For he was slain for us." Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which They worshipped the Lamb that was slain; but they worshipped him not as God, for the worship of the Lamb is in all cases kept distinct from the worship of him "who sitteth on the throne." The Lamb is not in a single instance represented as the being that sitteth on the throne. But even though the Lamb is not worshipped as God, but as the Redeemer, yet in the latter character he is "Worthy to receive [ascriptions of] power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." This is a magnificent eulogium. And here we see again the tendency of the revelator's mind to the perfect number seven. The points of ascription were seven, and the evident_intent was to frame as grand an eulogium as the mind could conceive. 13. And every creature, &c. - Here was something additional to all that had been said. The first worship which John saw rendered was offered by the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, viz., the representatives of the church on earth; Rev. iv. 9-11. They fell down before Him that sat on the throne. They worshipped, at first, the Father only, for the Lamb had not then been seen. When the Lamb took the book, to open the knowledge of it to men, then the four living creatures and the elders fell down before him, and rendered the prayers and praises of all the redeemed, who had been taken from "every kindred and tongue and people and nation." But a sublimer scene was yet to appear. All the hosts of heaven joined in the worship: angels, the number of whom was "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands," said with a loud voice, "Wor thy is the Lamb that was slain," &c. Here all heaven is included, as well is in heaven, and on the earth, as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, and under the earth, and such cal, - the creation of the revelator's glowing fancy, to set forth, in the highest manner of which he was capable, the honor and glory which were due to the Lamb of God. Such being the principle on which we receive the language, we now proceed to make such inferences as seem to us to be justifiable. as all who had been redeemed on earth, "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" ver. 9. To understand the true intent of the revelator in these matters, we must look carefully at his object and his plan. The great subject of all the praise was, that the Lamb had prevailed to open the seals of the book; ver. 9. All that follows in That the four living creatures, and this chapter is designed to reflect the four and twenty elders, existed honor upon him, in connection with only in the imagination of John, has the Father. That is the great point already been stated by us. But they at which the revelator aims. His formed the court of heaven, in John's object was not to teach how many description, and he calls all heaven Christ died to save, or how many to his aid in rendering honor to the had at that time been redeemed, | Lamb. The second class that were -or how many angels there were, named had an actual existence, viz., or whether all mankind shall at last the redeemed. There were many be saved. We say, these were not who had been brought to know Christ, his objects. We may, indeed, very and had been redeemed out of every safely make inferences from what he nation, and kindred, and people, and said, in regard to these subjects. His tongue. These also John calls to his remarks are extraordinary, and very aid in magnifying the Lamb. In the valuable, as affecting important ques- third place, he summons all mantions in theology; but those points kind, every intelligent creature in were not the subjects to which he the universe, to aid him in praising directed his descriptions. His whole the Lamb; and the language which object was to glorify the Lamb. He he puts into their mouths is this, carries him up to the highest point of "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and honor; and puts all beings but God power, be unto him that sitteth upon himself beneath him. And what is the throne; and unto the Lamb, forthe plan followed by the revelator? ever and ever." Some writers, and We regard the passage, from the 8th among them Prof. Stuart in his late to the 14th verse of this chapter, as work on the Apocalypse, would try to one of the most eloquent which the make out that the revelator did not Apocalypse contains. There are three intend to embrace all mankind in his classes who are summoned to aid in description; that the word all here, ascribing glory to the Lamb. 1st. is not intended to signify every one, Those who had been redeemed out but is used merely in a general sense. of every nation, and kindred, and For ourself, we shall despair of ever people, and tongue. 2d. All the being able to frame language which angelic world, the number of whom will include all mankind, if this does was ten thousand times ten thousand, not. It seems to us that the phraseand thousands of thousands. And ology of the revelator is peculiar. as though this were not sufficiently He must have intended all intelligent brilliant, he summoned, 3d. "Every beings. This is the grandest periphcreature in heaven, and on earth, and rasis in the whole Bible, the fullest under the earth, and in the sea, and circumlocution. It is no wonder that all that are in them." We are Prof. Stuart said, several years ago, inclined to regard the whole as sceni-"Things in heaven, earth, and under |