ἁπλὰ σφραγίδας αὐτ Τ σαν τὴν γῆν. Καὶ αἵ εἰσιν αἱ προσευ- 10 I beheld,' [and lo] in the midst of the throne, and of the four living-creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb, standing, as if smitten for the sacrifice, having seven horns, aud seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And he came and received [the book] from the right hand of him who was sitting upon the 8 throne. And when he had received the book, the four living-creatures and the twentyfour elders fell prostrate before the Lamb, having each of them harps, and golden vials. full of incense, which are the prayers of the 9 Saints. And they sing a new song, saying, "Worthy art thou to "receive the book, "and to open its "seals, because thou "wast sacrificed, and "hast redeemed us to "God by thy blood, "out of every tribe, "and language, and "people, and nation; 10" And hast made them 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 eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the 7 earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upS on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having 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 every kindred, and tongue, and peo 10 ple, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on 11 the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the Chap. v.] 11 γῆς. ἐποίησας αὐτὸς τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν βασιλεῖς καὶ ἱερεῖς καὶ βασι λεύσεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς Καὶ εἶδον, κι ήκεσα φωνὴν ἀγέλῶν πολλῶν κυ κλόθεν τῷ θρόνο, και τῶν ζώων, καὶ τῶν πρεσβυλέςων, καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν μυο ξιάδες μυριάδων, και χιλιάδες χιλιάδων | 12 Λέγονες φωνῇ με γάλῃ· "Αξιόν ἐσι τὸ ἀρνίον τὸ ἐσφα μένου λαβεῖν τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ πλέτον, καὶ σου φίαν, καὶ ἰσχὺν, και δόξαν, καὶ εὐλογίαν. 13 Καὶ πῶν κίσμα, ὅ [ἐσιν] ἐν τῷ ἐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης [ά] ἐςι, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς πάνα, ήκεσα λέγονίας Τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τῇ θρόνε, καὶ τῷ ἀρνίῳ ἡ εὐλο γία, καὶ ἡ τιμὴ, καὶ ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτο εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας τῶν 14 αἰώνων. Καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζώα ἔλε γον, Αμήν· καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπει σαν, καὶ προσεκύνη σαν ζώντι εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. APOCALYPSE. "to our God kings "and priests, and they "shall reign upon the 11“ earth.” And I beheld; and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living-creatures and the elders, (and the number of them was myriads of myriads,and thousands 12 of thousands,) Saying with a loud voice, 4 Worthy is the Lamb, "which was sacrifi. "ced, to receive the power, and riches, "and wisdom, and "might, and honour, « and glory, and 13" praise." And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are therein, I heard saying, "To him that "sitteth upon the throne, and to the "Lamb, be the praise, " and the honour, and "the glory, and the power, for ever and 14" and ever!" And the four living-creatures said σε Amen !” and the elders fell prostrate, and worshipped him who liveth for ever and ever. 12 sands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,and strength, and honour, and glory, and 13 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 throne, and unto the Lamb for 14 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. Ver. 1. A book.] The books of the ancients were generally skins of parchment, not reduced by repeated duplication, and bound together, as in modern days, but rolled up; whence in Latin they are called volumina, volumes or rolls. Frequent mention is made in Scripture, of the "roll of the book," and the book when opened for reading, is said to be spread*. When closed, it is called "the volume rolled up †.” To a roll or volume of this form, a seal might be easily affixed, so as to conceal its contents. And that this was the usual method, by which the contents of a book were kept secret, among the ancient Jews, is apparent from Isaiah xxix. 11. where "men deliver a ❝sealed book to one that is learned, saying, Read this, "I pray thee, and he saith, I cannot, for it is "sealed §." The prophecies delivered to Daniel concerning Christ's kingdom, which were then dark, and only to be unfolded by additional prophecy, (such as is contained in this Revelation,) are said to be "sealed;" or, which is synonymous, to be "closed, to be shut "" up for many days." And in chap. x. 4. of this book, the prophet is commanded not to write certain predictions which were uttered, but to seal them up; which evidently means that they were not to be disclosed at that time. Ezek. ii. 10. + Βιβλιον ειλισσομενον. Rev. vi. In Josephus, Antiq. Jud. lib. xv. c. 6, Herod rolls and seals a letter. § The Jews are said to use such rolls of parchment in their Synagogues, to this day. Such also was the custom with the Greeks and Romans; Horace addressing his book, as desirous of publication, says, - Odisti claves, et grata sigilla pudico. (Ep. lib. ii. 20.) 1 Ib. Written within and without.] Such also was the book of prophecy unfolded before Ezekiel*; it was written within and without," that is, on both sides of the roll; whereby is intimated the abundance of Ver. 5. One of the elders saith unto me.] The dis- Ib. The lion who is of the tribe of Judah.] The lion is represented by the most ancient authors, by Moses and Job among the scriptural, by Hesiod and Homer of the heathen writers, as the most terrible of animals. He has been accordingly regarded as the emblem of fortitude and strength. Under this description, it pleased the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of the dying Patriarch §, to foretel the victorious superiority of the tribe of Judah; which was seen to take place partially and typically, in the person of David and of his successors, but was to receive a more sublime and final completion in Christ. For David is declared to be a type of Christ: and in this sense, as well as on account of his pre-existence • Chap. ii. 10. † 1 Pet. i. 10. ↑ Col. i. 26. Ezek. xxxvii. 24, &c. Acts ii, 25. 30, &c. and as a and heavenly origin, Christ became "the root," as he styles himself, Rev. xxii. 16. at the same time that he was the offspring of David; that root, of which all men must be branches, otherwise they cannot bear fruit t. Isaiah calls him "the root of Jesse ‡;" intimating that David, the son of Jesse, was only a branch, of which the original stem was in Christ. "He shall grow up," says the same prophet, tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground, despised "and rejected."-Yet, in this neglected tree, afterwards extending its wide branches, "the birds of the "air shall shelter §." So did he likewise fulfil the other emblematical character, in which the Prophets had taught the Jews to expect him. They expected him as a lion; he came like a lamb, "like a lamb for "the slaughter," yet in fortitude, in power, in prowess, and complete victory over his enemies, he proved himself to be the very "lion of the tribe of Judah." But, by what arms he "conquered," namely, by pious faith, and suffering virtue, see explained in notes, chap. ii. 7. v. 9. xii. 11, 12. Ver. 6. In the midst of the throne.] The cherubim were represented, to be "in the midst of the "throne and around the throne;" but the expression here is"in the midst" only; which is the inner and more dignified situation; and in order that no doubt should remain concerning this station, it is added, "in the midst of the four living creatures and of the "elders." This is that exalted station of pre-eminence and glory, even "the bosom of the Father," to which the only-begotten Son of God alone can Mic. v. 2. Col. i. 16. John viii. 58. See note, chap. iv. 6. ↑ John xv. 1. 8. § Matt. xiii. 32. |