(b) Christ. — Christ is conceived as one equal to His task, which is threefold. (1) He is to over- throw the Roman empire (19""2i) and its allies (17"), and so is described as warrior and king, wholly in Jewish terms. He is the lion of tha tribe of Judah (5", cf. 22"), with a sword in Hii
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mouth (l" 2'2-" 19", Is 11<), the destined ruler of the heathen (2»'- 12» 19'», Ps 2», of. PsSol 17="). (2) But since the real power of evil is not Rome but Satan, Christ must be conceived not only as the greatest of kings, ' King of kings and Lord of lords ' (17'^ 19'« 1'), as God is in the OT (Dn 2^'), but 83 one supreme in tlie world of spirits. So in the first vision of Him (l'"*"). He appears as an angelic being, like Gabriel in Dn 10, but above him, since He applies to Himself (1" 2' 22") Uie name 'the first and the last,' which belongs to God (1* 21*, la 41' 44» 48'=). He is 'the living one' (1'*), as God also is (4'- "> lU") ; the One wlio lias already, b}' His resurrection, gained the mastery over those
Sowers of evil which are tlie last of all to be estroyed. Death and Hades (I'S cf. 20'*, 1 Co 15"). The second vision of Christ (5'""} shows still more clearly His superiority to all angelic powers, even those that stand closest to the throne of God. He only of them all can open the book of the Divine purposes. The seven spirits of (Jod are His eyes (5"), or are in His hand (3'). This elevation is His, — just as in Ph 2°"", — because of His redemptive death (5°). Tlie whole creation joins in ascribing to II im praises as to God (5""", of. l**-- » 7'°).
The angel-like and God-like nature of the risen Christ is tlie best proof that our writer's view went beyond the political. Such a One as this was not needed for tlie overthrow of Uome. Yet it is a striking fact tliat the victory over spirit powers of evil is not, as we sliould expect, expressly ascribed to Christ. The demon-beasts of Korae are taken and i-.ist into the lake of lire, but by whom is not said (19"''-'"), though it is the sword in Christ's mouth that slays their followers (v.='). The dragon recog- nized in Christ liis deadly foe (1'2*'-), but it is Micliael who cast him down from heaven (12'"°), ' an angel ' who chained him in the abyss (20'"', cf. 9'"") ; fire from heaven devoured his liusts, and it in not said who cast him, and after him Deatli, into tlie lake of lire (20'»- '*). So the key of the abyss is in an angel's hand (9' 20') in spite of 1'". Our writer does not feel the need of formally dis- placing the angel by Christ in these Jewisli figures. Angelology had already influenced the Jewisli con- ception of Messiah in Enoch 3711. (see 46') on the basis of Daniel. But in general Michael retained his place as Israel's heavenly representative, defender, priestly intercessor, liousset suggested (Der Antichrvit, p. 151) that Jewisli speculations about Michael may have infiuenced early Chris- tian ideas about Christ, and Luekcn (Michael, Gfittingen, 1898) has made the hypothesis probable. In our book, however, Michael is not displaced, but performs one of his cliief functions (12'"-) ; on the other hand, the worship of angels is expressly forbidden ( ig'" 22»- ») ; and Christ is, with God— in spite of 19'" 'worship God' — the oliject of the worship of angels ana men alike. A\ liile angels are classed with men, Chri.st is classed with (Jod ; and various titles and expressions carry us beyond not only the Messianic but also the angelological speculations of Judaism. He is once called ' the Son of God ' (2'«, but see also 2-'' 3»-=', cf. 1» 14") ; once, 'tlie beginning of the creation of God' (3"), as only the Divine wisdom is called in OT (Pr ^''], and as Christ is called only by St. Paul in the NT (Col 1"). He is called once also the Word of God (19"), and even this Johannine (Hellenistic) title is surpassed by the title of eternity, ' the first and the last' (1" 2« 22'^). Yet one hesitates to put stress on the pro-existence which these titles imply, because the resurrection so sujiremely marks Christ and conditions His exaltation (]»*• '" 2» 5""-). A cosinical significance and fitness to (leal with the cosniii al principle of evil the writer certainly " isli.s to otliriu. He would seem almost to identify Christ
and God if, as seems probable, he adds to Jewish sources the expressions 'and of his Christ' (11"*), •and of the Lamb' (22^), without feeling the need of changin" the following words to jilurals. Yet close as is tlie as.sociation, closer and more abiding than in 1 Co 15"'"''", subordination remains, and is expressed in simple and unreserved fashion (1' 2'- '■" 32. VI. ij.i:i) _(3) iJut it is neither the world-empire, nor its demon-gods, nor Satan himself that fur- nished the chief task of Christ. The Christian community was His greatest deed. He created it by His redeeming death (1« 5'- '"), and is first and last the Lord of the Churches, knowing them as they are (2= etc.), ruling them in love, but with severity (2"---»3'»), their Lord (ll" 14'^ 22M-2'). For Him the perfected communitj' is destined as a bride (19'-* 2r''' "). Believers are His .servants (1' 2™), as they are the servants of God (7' 10' 11" etc.). The name which most expresses what Christ is to the Christian is the ' Lamb,' u.sed twenty-nine times in the book. The figure of a lamb as if slain, i.e. with throat cut as if about to be sacrificed, the author is able to use in such a way that it gives an impression of power and excites feelings of reverence and awe. Although the Lamb slain is a striking Christian transformation of the Lion of Jiulah's tribe (5°-"), yet lion-like rather than lamb-like qualities remain dominant. The seven horns and the seven eyes picture kingly power and Divine knowledge. The Christian Messiah is one crucified, indeed, but nevertheless kingly and powei ful, a stern warrior and righteous judge ((ji« 1411J i;u) jjig place is near the throne of God (.')«• 8 79. 17)^ and at last upon it (21--'--^ 22'-'). Although the name Jesus is commonly used (1' 12" 17" 19'» 20-' 221"), yet the reference is to the heavenly, not the cartlily life. Neither allusions to the hirth of Christ (12'-», cf. 5° 22'"), nor to Hia death (5'"-, cf. Is 53; 1', cf. Zee 12'», Dn 7'-'), indicate a use of the Gospel accounts. The .fact of the death, however, is of vital significance. The crucifixion was the crowning sin of Jerusalem (11"), but the slaying— the blood of the Lamb — is that through which He made men a kingdom, priests, unto God (1" 5'"). This ellect is exjilained as a jiurcliase (redemjition), b'' 14'- •■ (cf. 1 Co 6'* 7-^), with wliictli the reading, XuaavTi. in, in 1' ('loosed'), would correspond. But it is also said that the redeemed had ' washed their robes and made tlieni white in the blood of the Lamb ' (7", cf. 22'* N.\, and the less probable reading, XoiKrarTi. aird, in 1°),