Revelation 5

1. AND I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the 2 backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 3 Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither 5 to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven 6 seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven 7 eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and 8 took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, hav- ing every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of 9 saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of 10 every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings 11 and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was 12 ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, 13 and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the 14 throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

THAT song of angels which ceases neither day nor night—we would not detract from its harmony or its significance. Verily the majesty of the Invisible is deserving of such homage; and the wonders of crea- tion even of old waked into melody the sons of God, when with the morning stars they “shouted and sang together for joy.” Yet there is a song more rapturous and elevated, such as breaks from the lips of each new inmate, and is echoed by the sympathetic choir of the saints, until all heaven rings with the gladsome acclamation, “Worthy the Lamb that was slain, for he has redeemed me by his blood.” Although angels join in that song, it has a significance which they can never learn. They can never say, This Lamb was slain for us. Accordingly, the nearest to the throne of Jesus are those who represent the Church of the redeemed. They commence the new and exalted strain, “Thou art worthy to take 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, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests.” Next after them, the angels who circle around, unable to repress their sympathy and admiration, to the number of “ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,” cry with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” And, finally, the whole intelligent universe is introduced as uniting in this glorious tribute, and the chorus that swells all hearts and voices is, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Homer.

It is to be noted that this revelation of God is as the God of his Church. The Father seated on the throne; the Lamb in the midst of the throne, bear- ing the marks of his atoning sacrifice; the sevenfold Spirit with his lamps of fire—this is Jehovah the covenant God of his redeemed. And next we have creation, symbolized by the four living beings; the Church, patriarchal and apostolic, represented by the twenty-four elders; and the innumerable company of angels, ministering in their glory and might, now by one of them, now by another, throughout the course of the prophecy. A.

1-7. In the right hand of God is seen a sealed roll; and Jesus Christ, appearing as a lamb which had been slain, takes the roll amid loud acclamations of praise, and proceeds to open its seven seals. Thus, while the preliminary vision to the first series represents Christ as the Inspector of the Churches, this reveals him as the powerful ruler in the midst of the throne, who “has prevailed to open the roll, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” D. F.

5,6. Here the divine nature of our Lord is distinctly displayed. He is in the midst of the throne. The Saviour is in intimate union with the Father. The throne is subsequently called “the throne of God and the Lamb.” He is also in intimate union with the Holy Spirit. He is the Lamb, having “seven horns”—a customary Scripture expression of majesty and power. The number seven implies perfection. The Saviour is thus Omnipotence and Omniscience—God! The connection of the Jewish and Christian dispensation is sustained as in the previous chapter. Christ is at once the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” and “the Lamb that was slain”: the Jewish conqueror and the Christian sacrifice. Croly.—Lion of the tribe of Judah. Under this emblem Jesus Christ is represented, alluding to the prophetic benediction of the patriarch Jacob (Gen. 19 : 9). Judah was the regal tribe, and famous for its warlike exploits; distinguished by a succession of illustrious princes and conquerors, the descendants of David, who were at most but the forerunners and representatives of an incomparably greater personage, the Son of God, who, after he had vanquished the powers of darkness, was to be invested with an everlasting dominion, that all nations, tongues, and people should serve him. R. Hall.

6. Surely these notes of preparation, this wonderful and splendid preliminary process, would lead us to anticipate in the person of him who alone was able to open the book the appearance at least of surpassing glory; and yet, while the apostle looks with admiring expectation for the coming of one thus hailed and announced, he beholds not a being wearing an aspect of resistless power, and seemingly able to trample upon principalities and powers, but “a Lamb as it had been slain,” a being, wearing amid all the grandeur by which he was surrounded the imagery of death. It was the glorified humanity of Jesus Christ upon which he gazed, bearing yet the evidences of a cruel and languishing death, to which it had submitted; the print of the nails was there, the gash of the spear was there. Exalted though he was, the evidences of his humiliation had not been effaced; there amid all his glory were the traces of his previous infamy and suffering: ing: the crucified is not lost in the glorified. We can not measure his power, his dignity, or his happiness; but, whatever they may be, they have not removed Christ to a distance from his members; he is still linked with all “who sorrow in Zion”; for, though he is in the midst of the throne, and surrounded by the praises of heaven, he is there, and is praised there, “a Lamb as it had been slain”; and while he bears the marks of the scourge, the nails, and the spear, we are safe in believing that he can feel for us in trouble, and succor us in trial. It is precisely this combination of the emblems of grandeur and the mementoes of sorrow which makes the exhibition so beautiful and interesting to us: there are the traces of his sorrow to teach us his sympathy; there is the throne to reveal to us his power; and thus the Lamb in the midst of the throne is still our sympathizing and Almighty Saviour. E. M.

Once I was troubled to know whether the Lord Jesus was a man as well as God, and God as well as man; and truly, in those days, let men say what they would, unless I had it with evidence from heaven, all was nothing to me. I was much troubled about this point, and could not tell how to be resolved; at last, that in Rev. 5 : 6 came into my mind: “And lo, in the midst of the throne, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb.” “In the midst of the throne”—thought I, there is the Godhead; “in the midst of the elders”—there is his manhood; but oh, methought this did glister; it was a goodly touch, and gave me sweet satisfaction. Bun.

9. It must be that each soul in heaven being for ever full of love will for ever be full of praise. Every new sight of grandeur or of beauty, and every new contrivance of the Creator’s wisdom or power, will but prompt the beholder to praise the wondrous Creator. Every intellectual height reached in the infinite progress of the soul, onward and upward, must awe it into a profounder sense of the glory of the great Intelligence. Every active pursuit will swell the tide of gratitude and praise to him the ceaseless worker, in whom all persons and things “live, move, and have their being”; while the loving and holy soul, ever consciously dwelling in him who is everywhere present, must derive from increasing knowledge of and communion with the infinite and glorious One a source of exulting, endless praise—praise which will be intensified by the sympathy and song of the great minds and great hearts of the “innumerable company of angels” and of “just men made perfect”! But if in that voiceful temple any one song of praise will more than any other issue from a deeper love, or express a deeper joy, that must be the song of the redeemed! For that is a “new song” never heard before by the angels in the amplitudes of creation,

and which the strange race of mankind alone can sing. N. M.