Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth' (i^) unites already nearly all forms of designating Him employed in the book. Here Is the simple name, the recognition of His dependableness, and the ascription to Him of the Inauguration of life and of universal sovereignty. The Messianic ground tone is especially prominent In such designations as those which call Him * the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David' (5^), or 'the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright, the morning Star ' (22^^) , but passes more into the background In such as those which speak of Him as ' the Son of God who hath eyes like a flame of fire and His feet are like unto burnished brass ' (2^^), or 'He that holdeth the seven stars In His right hand, He that walketh In the midst of the seven golden candlesticks ' (2^), or ' He that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars' (3^). It Is His Messianic function of judgment which Is thrown for- ward In the description of Him as ' He that hath the sharp two-edged sword' (2^") ; 'He that Is the ruler of the kings of the earth' (i^), 'whose eyes are like a flame of fire' (2^^), and who, since His dominion is universal, Is ' the Lord of Lords and King of Kings ' (17^^ 1 9^6) — although a greater than a Messiah Is obviously here. The climax is attained In the descrip- tion of Him as ' the First and the Last, which was dead and lived again ' (2^), ' the First and the Last, and the Living One' (i^^), 'the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End' (22^^), In whose hands are the destinies of men (i^^ 3^)-^*
10 Cf. A. B. Davidson, The Theology of the O. T., p. 165, on the high meaning of these phrases here applied to Jesus : " ' The first and
294 ^^^^ Designations of Our Lord
It seems scarcely necessary to draw out in detail the
wealth of implication of deity which these designations
contain. The Apocalypse does not
f O L ^d ^PP^y ^^ ^^^ Lord directly the simple designation ' God.' But everything short of that is done to emphasize the seer's estimate of Him as a divine Being clothed with all the divine attributes." This is generally allowed; and those who are set upon having the Apocalypse witness to a lower christology commonly content themselves with the re- mark that its language must not be taken at its face value. Baur, for example, contends that although the highest predicates are ascribed to Jesus, they are " only names borne outwardly by Him, and are not associated with His person in any inner unity of nature"; that
last' (Is 44^) is a surprising generalization for a comparatively early time. It is not a mere statement that Jehovah was from the beginning and will be at the end. It is a name indicating His relation to history and the life of men. He initiates it, and He winds it up. And He is present in all its movements. 'Since it was, there am I' (481^). Even the last book in the N. T. has nothing loftier to say of Jehovah than that He is ' the first and the last ' : ' I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, saith the Lord, the Almighty' (Rev i^)." It is by these lofty designations that Jesus is spoken of in the Apocalypse. Cf. Swete on the passage.
11 Cf. the brief but instructive sketch of the christology of the Apoca- lypse in Swete, pp. civ. seg., especially the summary of the relations of Christ to God on p. clvii.: " (i) He has the prerogatives of God. He searches men's hearts (2-^) ; He can kill or restore life (i^* 2^^) ; He receives a worship which is rendered without distinction to God (5^^) ; His priests are also priests of God (so*') ; He occupies one throne with God (22^'^), and shares one sovereignty (ii^^). (2) Christ receives the titles of God. He is the Living One (i^^), the Holy and True (3^), the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (22^^). (3) Passages which in the O. T. relate to God are without hesitation applied to Christ, e.g. Deut lo^^ (17^*), Prov 3^2
The JVitness of the Apocalypse 295