7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8. 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 odors, which are the prayers of saints.
9. 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 G.o.d by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10. And hast made us unto our G.o.d 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 the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12. Saying 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.
13. 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 it saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
The vision of this chapter is but a continuation of the preceding one, being a sublime description of the exaltation and office-work of Christ in his two-fold character as the Lion of the tribe of Juda and as a sacrificial offering for the sins of the world. The Apocalypse opens with the words, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which G.o.d gave unto him," and it is fitting that his special prerogatives and characteristics, together with the true position he occupies, should first be revealed. This was especially necessary in view of the fact to be revealed, that another would soon arise usurping the rights and prerogatives belonging to Christ alone, claiming to be supreme head of the church, sitting as G.o.d in the temple of G.o.d, and "showing himself that _he_ is G.o.d." 2 Thes. 2:4.
The attention of John was directed to an object "in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne"--a book sealed with seven seals--and to a mighty angel calling with a loud voice for some one to come forward and loose the seals and open the book. No created intelligence of earth or heaven dared to step forward and declare himself able to accomplish the result required, and because of this John wept much.
The form of books in use when the Revelation was given was unlike those used now. They consisted of strips of parchment or other material, longer or shorter, rolled up. The book in the symbolic vision before us consisted of a roll containing seven pieces each one rolled and sealed separately, so that the outer seal could be broken and the contents of its strip read without disturbing the remaining ones. Had the seals all been on the outside, nothing could have been read until they were all broken; whereas the loosing of each seal was followed by some discovery of the contents of the roll.
This book in the hand of G.o.d is symbolical of something. Most of the commentators think it represents the book of Revelation, in which case, of course, it would not include the present description of the book itself, but only of its contents as applied to subsequent chapters. But this view, of itself, is unsatisfactory for many reasons. The rules governing the use and the interpretation of symbolic language would forbid the thought of one book"s symbolizing another book; for the main idea conveyed by the term _symbol_ is, that the symbolic object stands as the representative, not of itself, but of something a.n.a.lagous.
Reasoning by a.n.a.logy, what would the contents of a sealed book in the hand of G.o.d symbolize? Evidently, the infinite counsels and purposes known only to Jehovah. Its being written within and on the backside would indicate that those purposes were full and complete, being all written out and understood by him who "knoweth the end from the beginning" and "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."
Its being sealed denotes that the contents were unrevealed, while its being in the right hand of G.o.d--the hand of his power--shows that he is able to carry into execution his divine purposes and that none shall be able to alter them or to wrest them from him.
While the events future of John"s time form a part of the great plan and counsels of Jehovah, yet it is taking a very limited view of the subject to suppose that they alone const.i.tute the sealed book of this vision; for then would that greatest of all events, the atonement of Christ and the earliest triumphs of the gospel, have no special part in the sealed, mysterious counsels of the infinite One. It is much more consistent with the characteristics and attributes of G.o.d to make this book a symbol, not merely of a part, but of all his divine plans and purposes in the entire gospel dispensation. This position gains credence from the fact that the visions of the Revelation cover many times the whole period from the incarnation to the end. When the very first seal is broken, the early success and triumphs of the gospel, as experienced in John"s lifetime, are portrayed. According to the vision before us, it was by virtue of Christ"s death that he was able to open the book at all; and the plan of redemption itself, which is based upon his atonement, is declared by the Scriptures to be a "mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been _hid in G.o.d_." Eph. 3:9. This redemption scheme was the great center of attraction to the prophets of the old dispensation, who "inquired and searched diligently" that they might comprehend its deep mysteries, "which things the _angels desired to look into_." 1 Pet.
1:10-12.
Now, if the contents of the sealed book were (at the time of this vision) only the history of events to be, why was it that no man on earth or in heaven, nor even an angel before the throne, was found worthy to "look into" it or to communicate its secrets to the children of men. Gabriel was sent as a worthy messenger to communicate to Daniel a long series of future events reaching even until the end of time. But the contents of this roll were such that no created intelligence of earth or heaven was able to unfold them. All remained unfathomable mystery--until Christ stepped forward in his character as a sacrificial Lamb and declared himself able to undertake the task of loosing the seals and of opening the book. "Unto you it is given to _know the mystery_ of the kingdom of G.o.d" (Mark 4:11), he said to his disciples, "even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is _made manifest_ to his saints." Col. 1:26. "Verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear." Mat. 13:17, 16.
The fact that the suffering and death of Christ was a past event at the time when the Revelation was given does not const.i.tute a valid objection to the position taken, that the contents of the sealed book embrace the plan of redemption during the entire period of its operation; for the reason that, in order to form a complete and continuous narrative, past events are frequently referred to in the Apocalypse. Thus, John saw a beast with seven heads signifying seven kings; but he was expressly informed that "_five are fallen_, one is [exists at present], and the other is not yet come." Chap. 17:10.
When Christ appears on the symbolic stage, he is introduced by the elder as "the Lion of the tribe of Juda," and "the Root of David." The lion, being the king of beasts and the monarch of the forest, is indicative of power, such as Christ possesses. Christ is elsewhere denominated "King of kings and Lord of lords," and he himself laid claim to "all power in heaven and on earth," it having "pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." Why he is termed "the Lion of the tribe of Juda," I am unable to say, unless the expression is borrowed from the prophecy recorded of him in Gen. 49:10--"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." His being the "Root of David"
shows that he is the source and sustainer of David as to his position and power. David was specially ordained of the Lord and sustained by him. Of this there can be no doubt. David was a type; Christ is the ant.i.type. David"s position as ruler over natural Israel const.i.tutes a type of Christ"s position as ruler over the spiritual Israel; and it is in this sense that Christ reigns upon the throne of his father David.
Luke 1:32, 33. And since Christ came in the line of David"s descendants, he is called the offspring of David and a rod out of the stem of Jesse.
Isa. 11:1, 10. His connection with the throne of David being evident, he is ent.i.tled to the right to reign over his people. The appellation _Lamb_ is one of the peculiar t.i.tles by which the Son of G.o.d is designated, having reference to that part of his mission in which he const.i.tuted a sacrificial offering for sin. His forerunner John was able to prophetically discern him in this character, and pointed to him as "the Lamb of G.o.d, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.
The Lamb was said to have seven horns and seven eyes. A horn is a symbol of power, and seven, being a sacred or perfect number, denotes the fulness of power possessed by Christ; while the seven eyes signify the seven spirits of G.o.d, or the Holy Spirit, which, being under the direct control of Christ, is sent forth into the world to effect the regeneration of men.
When the Lion of the tribe of Juda stepped forward and undertook the task of revealing the secret counsels and purposes of Jehovah to the world, immediately a song of praise ascended from the lips of the redeemed sons of earth. The song was new, adapted to a new theme, and sung on a new occasion. "The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials [censers] full of odors, which are the prayers of 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 G.o.d by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our G.o.d kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth." This song beautifully expresses the honor due to Jesus Christ in his office-work as Redeemer of the world, by virtue of which people out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, are saved unto G.o.d and made kings and priests on the earth. The angel who appeared to the Judean shepherds while they were watching their flocks by night, comforted them with the welcome announcement: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to _all people_. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10, 11.
Since the preaching of the gospel began, men are instructed to "seek first the kingdom of G.o.d" (Mat. 6:33), and they "press into it" (Luke 16:16) by the saving virtue of Him "who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us _into the kingdom_ of his dear Son."
Col. 1:13. Taking our place by the side of the writer of the Revelation, we testify with him that we are already "in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 1:9), and that we "receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness," whereby "we _reign in life_ by one Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:17. In this happy condition, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, our Savior, made "a royal [kingly] priesthood" in the "holy nation" of "peculiar people" that have been gathered out of all nations of earth (1 Pet. 2:5, 9), we feel like singing anew this glad song of redemption in honor of Jesus, our only Lord and Savior, who is G.o.d over all, blessed forever! Amen.
This new and rapturous song of the redeemed was immediately caught by a greater mult.i.tude of the angelic order, an innumerable company, even "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands," and together, with loud and united voices, did they swell the mighty anthem, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." And again the heavenly strain was raised to loftier heights, until the stupendous chorus rolled around the universe, by every creature in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, saying, "Blessing and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." A few gifted voices of earth may possess such power and sweetness as almost to entrance us with their melody of song; but what an oratorio will it be, my brethren, when, released from the narrow limits of mortality, that sublime strain sung by the redeemed of all ages and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, bursts in upon our ransomed souls! Did human thought ever reach the conception of music like this? Did the eyes of a mortal ever behold such rapturous scenes? You may feast your eyes upon earth"s greatest beauty--Yosemite Valley, Yellowstone Park, Niagara Falls, may pa.s.s before your vision; you may climb the lofty Alpine summit and behold the snow-streaked and snow-capped peaks towering to the heavens around you--or you may listen to the best music ever composed by a Mozart, a Handel, or a Beethoven, or the finest ever executed by a Liszt, a Rubenstein, or a Paderewski; yet I must tell you upon the authority of G.o.d"s word that "eye hath not _seen_, nor ear _heard_, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which G.o.d hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Cor. 2:9.
This vision shows very clearly the lofty position to which Christ has been exalted, possessing "a name which is above every name"; for the entire company of angels and redeemed saints unite in extolling him with songs of praise, and that, too, before the very throne of the Deity and in the presence of his infinite Majesty. Surely we can not doubt that ours is a divine Savior, and one worthy of all praise, honor, power and dominion both now and forever.
Though John beheld this wonderful vision in heaven, yet we must remember that it was given and recorded for the benefit of G.o.d"s people upon earth. The plan of redemption was not actually revealed in heaven, for "Jesus Christ came _into the world_ to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15), and it was here that he was ordained to "taste death for every man." Heb.
2:9. The ransomed company thus brought to view is intended to point out the redeemed of earth; for there is no salvation to be obtained in heaven, in which place no blood was shed--the blood is one of the agents that bears witness in the earth. 1 John 5:7, 8. The central figures of this vision were G.o.d, the Holy Spirit, and Christ, around whom the living creatures and elders were gathered, and they, in turn, were surrounded by the angelic throng. This entire scene was doubtless intended to represent the exalted character of spiritual things on earth, where the plan of redemption was revealed and the redeemed host gathered out of all nations. In a very important sense the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost all dwell in the spiritual church, or new Jerusalem, and are thus "in the midst" of G.o.d"s people, surrounded by the redeemed host who unceasingly worship them, and they, in turn, have the promise that "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them"
(Psa. 34:7); yea, "an innumerable company of angels" reside in this "heavenly Jerusalem," or "city of the living G.o.d," unto which we, as a part of the "general a.s.sembly and church of the first-born," "_are come_" in this dispensation. Heb. 12:22, 23.
CHAPTER VI.
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
We have now reached the point where the thrilling interest of this book commences. With the opening of the seals of the book of G.o.d"s purposes we have the prophecies of the future, the unfolding of the events to be, described under appropriate symbols. The contents of six seals are contained in this and the following chapter, while the seventh occupies the remainder of the volume.
A word relative to the plan of the prophecies will be appropriate at this time. I will again state what will be made very clear hereafter--that the events are narrated by series, and not by centuries.
A particular theme is taken up and carried through to its completion, then the narrative returns and another subject is traced to its end.
Thus, the entire book consists of a number of distinct parallel series covering the same ground.
Upon the opening of the first seal, John is summoned as with a voice of thunder by one of the living creatures to draw near; and the object that meets his vision is a white horse with its rider. The symbol is that of a victorious warrior, being drawn from the civil and military life of the Romans. The symbol is one of dignity. It does not consist of some inanimate object such as a mountain, a sea, or a river, neither is it a wild ferocious beast; but it is that of a living, active, intelligent being, and he, as denoted by various insignia, a conqueror. He rides a white horse, such as victors used in triumphal procession; his bow and crown are also symbols of victory. He goes forth conquering and to conquer, or to make conquests.
This symbol is a faithful representation of the early triumphs of Christianity in its aggressive conflict with the huge systems of error with which it had to contend. Some have supposed that the rider represented Jesus Christ; but this can not be, for many reasons, two of which I will give. First. Christ always appears on the symbolic stage in his own character, unrepresented by another, for the reason, as before stated, that there is no creature that can a.n.a.lagously represent Him who claims equality with G.o.d. Not one name or attribute peculiar to him is mentioned in the description. Second. There are four hors.e.m.e.n brought to view in this chapter, and the symbols all being drawn from the same department, must have the same general application. If the first horseman symbolizes _a definite personage_, so do the remaining three; but we should have great difficulty in identifying the last three, giving them an individual application.
Others make the first horseman a symbol of the gospel itself, but the gospel is not a living, active, intelligent agent, such as the symbol evidently is, but is only a system of the revealed truth. All congruity and appropriateness in the comparison is lacking.
But let us give this symbol further consideration. It is not enough that its interpretation alone be given, but the reader is justly ent.i.tled to a knowledge of the process by which we arrive at the truth. In the first place, we have a symbol of great dignity and excellence, and we must look for an object of corresponding character. The symbol is that of a living agent, and consequently, we must look for its fulfillment in an active, intelligent agent. The purity, or whiteness, of the horse on which the rider was seated would indicate an agency of mild, beneficent character. Finally, the symbol is drawn, as before stated, from the civil and military life of the Romans. Now, according to the laws of symbolic language, a symbol never represents an object like itself, but an a.n.a.lagous one in another department. A wild beast does not represent a wild beast, but something of a.n.a.lagous character. Seven fat and seven lean kine do not represent kine like themselves, but something a.n.a.lagous--seven years of plenty and as many of famine. There are only two great series of events described in the Revelation--the history of ecclesiastical events and the political history of certain nations. The present symbol is drawn from one of these departments--the political or the civil life of the Romans; and leaving the latter department to find its signification in another department, we have no place to go except into the department of ecclesiastical affairs. Entering, therefore, the spiritual realm, and looking about us for an object that perfectly meets every requirement of the symbol, we find it in _the humble ministers of Christ_, who boldly went forth in obedience to the divine command to extend the peaceful triumphs of the cross and to carry the gospel of the kingdom of G.o.d "into all the world." Mark 16:15-18; Mat. 28:19, 20. This succession of faithful, holy, devoted men is worthy of a place in Apocalyptic vision. They went forth "conquering and to conquer"; and the victories they gained were such as the world never witnessed before.
Worthy are they to wear a victor"s crown, for they have "fought a good fight."
Because of its connection with events following, it is necessary for us to consider the divine position of these first ministers of the church.
Their _equality_ is clearly taught in the New Testament. Christ gave them the express command, "Be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are _brethren_." Mat. 23:8. When two of the disciples manifested a desire to gain preeminence over their brethren and their aspirations displeased the ten, Christ said to them all, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it _shall not be so among you_." Mat. 20:25, 26. Thus a perfect standard of equality in the ministry is lifted up. The beloved apostle, the writer of the Revelation, when addressing the elders of the seven churches of Asia in particular, humbly and affectionately represented himself as their "_brother_ and companion in tribulation." Rev. 1:9.
I will now adduce the testimony of several creditable historians, who are compelled to admit the humble equality of the New Testament ministry, notwithstanding the fact that some of them belonged to churches containing a very _unequal_ ministry.
Mosheim says: "The rulers of the church were called their presbyters or bishops, which two t.i.tles are, in the New Testament, undoubtedly applied to the same order of men.... Let no one confound the bishops of this primitive and golden period of the church, with those of whom we read in the following ages. For, though they were both distinguished by the same name, yet they differed extremely, and that in many respects." Vol. I, p. 99.
This fact is now admitted by nearly all denominations, even Episcopalians. In the work ent.i.tled "Episcopacy Tested by Scripture,"
published by the Protestant Episcopal Tract Society, New York, the author, one of their able advocates, makes the following admission concerning the t.i.tle _bishop_ in the New Testament, "that the name is there given to the middle order or presbyters; and _all_ that we read in the New Testament concerning _bishops_, including of course the words _overseer_ and _oversight_, which have the same derivation, is to be regarded as pertaining to that middle grade"--the presbyters or elders.
Page 12.
The noted historian Waddington, also an Episcopalian, makes the same admission in the following words: "It is also true that in the earliest government of the first Christian society, that of Jerusalem, not the elders only, but the "whole church" were a.s.sociated with the apostles; and it is even _certain_ that the terms _bishop_ and _elder_ or _presbyter_ were, in the first instances, and for a short period, sometimes used synomously, and indiscriminately applied to the _same order_ in the ministry." Church History, Part I, p. 41. The italicizing is mine.
The well-known historian Milman, also an Episcopalian, in his History of Christianity, says, "The earliest Christian communities appear to have been ruled and represented, in the absence of the apostle who was their first founder, by their elders, who are likewise called bishops, or overseers of the church." Page 194.
Kurtz, in his Church History, says: "To aid them in their work, or to supply their places in their absence (Acts 14:23), the apostles ordained rulers in every church, who bore the common name of _elders_ from their dignity, and of _bishops_ from the nature of their office. That originally the elders were the same as the bishops, we gather with absolute certainty from the statements of the New Testament and of Clement of Rome, a disciple of the apostles. (See his first epistle to the Corinthians, Chaps. 42, 44:52.) 1. The presbyters are expressly called bishops--compare [the Greek especially] Acts 20:17 with verse 28, and t.i.tus 1:5 with verse 7. 2. The office of presbyter is described as next to and highest after that of apostle (Acts 15:6, 22). Similarly, the elders are represented as those to whom alone the rule, the teaching and the care of the church is entrusted (1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1, etc.).... In [several] pa.s.sages of the New Testament and of Clement we read of many bishops in one and the same church. In the face of such indubitable evidence, it is difficult to account for the pertinacity with which Romish and Anglican theologians insist that these two offices had from the first been different in name and functions.... Even Jerome, Augustine, Urban II. (1091) and Petrus Lombardus admit that originally the two had been identical. It was reserved for the Council of Trent to convert this truth into a heresy." Pages 67, 68. Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others also admitted the same.
Many similar historical testimonies now lying before me to the humble equality of the New Testament ministry could be added; but lest the reader become weary, I will conclude with the following beautiful description from D"Aubigne in his noted History of the Reformation: "The church was in the beginning a community of brethren, guided by a few of the _brethren_." Again, "All Christians were priests of the living G.o.d, with _humble pastors_ as their guides." Vol. I, pp. 35, 50.
With this description of the early ministers of Christ, who went forth under the symbol of the first horseman to disciple all nations, we have the events pertaining to the early history of the church, laid before us; until the opening of the second seal brings us to another important phase of its history.
3. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.