The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 147

in eanh ''). hcl llfft1l 9JII• The - the /OM and ttmat, d4-. u. ?eJ;lll!lenfA.. eye, . aymbolize perfeet knowled~mni- tive of the Church (.ee on eh. 1y. ¼. 6) aoience (cf. Zech. iv. 10. "They shall Having every one of them barpa. (On the rejoice, and shall - the plummet in the difficulty of kow each one could hold _harpa hand of Zerub~bel with those seven; they an,d bowls, see on ver. 6.) It ia po88ible that are the eye11 of the Lord, which run to and .the phrase ref81'11 only to the elders; for fro through the whole earth; " and 2 Chron. these seem Jl10l'8 suitably employed in off~ xvi. 9, "For the eyee of the Lord run to ing the f)f'GfCIN of thB taiilta than the repre,, and fro throughout the whole earth, to sentatives of all creation. If, however, _a,ii 11how himself ··strong in behalf of them Wordsworth considers, the four living beiµga _wh0tl8 heart ie perfect .towards him"). and the tweniy-fom. el~ . together 11)'.Ul• Which are the seven Spirits of God. bolize the Chmeh, the phrase woul!l .applJ "Which" refers to the "1lffl eyu ( cf. eh. to both. The 1turopci of 1 .Sam. xvi. 16,. 2!1 ._ ¼, •• The se-v_en Spirits which are before (the xr.84Pf& of this ~ge) was played wiUa his throne:" an,d oh. iii. 1, •• He that bath the har.d, and the matrnment inaicated wu the seven Spirits of God, and the seven probably more of the nature of a guitar than star&;" and eh. iv. 5, ".Seven lamps of fire the modem barp. hd golden ~ fall. of burning before the throne, which are the odours. 'fhe Revised Version. "bowls" .sevell Spirits.of God"). The Holy Ghost, is better than "vials." The idea ~ no proceeding from the Father and the Son, doubt, taken ftoDI. the shallow bowls which with his sevenfold gifts, is indicated by were placed upon the golden altar (Exod. these symbols of illumination. For he s:xx. 1-10), and in whioh incenaa WIii illuminates and makes brighter those in burned. The odour, are the • - • ID whom he dwells, and renders clearer to the same chapter of Exodus direotio1111 ~ them those things outside themselvlJII, and given concerning the preparation and use of enables. them more fully to appreciate the the incense, which was always a sy.mbol of manifold wisdom of God. Sent forth into prayer, ahd always offered to God alQne all the earth. That is, the seven Spirits are (of. Pa. cxli. 2, "Let my r,rayer be ·set ,sent forth (il:r•<rra.1!.,.tJ1a.: though, as ,..,,,,l.. forth before thee u incense ; ' also Lnke i. µaTa., "the spirits," are also ll4>9a.AfU14 "the 9, 10; Isa. vi. 3, ¼). Which are the prajer, eyee," A reads «11'Ell'Ta.A,.l.,o,). of saints. TIICI _ealnt1; that is, the piel}l~ Ver. 7.-And he came Q.d took the book; of the Church of God. Some-authoriti.e11 or, and ha oame and "6 hath taken it. consider "vials" the antecedent of" which; 11 -" llath taken" is perfect (,fA,ilj)<), while but it seems best to refer •• which • io "came" is the aorist (iMe). If the differ- " odours." though the sense _is not materially ence is intentionally significant, it renders different, since the former inolndes the .the deseription somewhat more vivid, (For latter. the consideration of the question low the Ver. -9.-And they aug a n:ew song, Lamb could do this, see on ver. 6,) WorJ.e- sa.Jing, They riBg j the worahil? ta un- worth contrast, the sponteneoua 'act of the cet1Sing. The song ia nN because 1t is only Lamb in taking the book of his own accord now, subsequent to the aooompliehJUent. of as his right, with the call to St. John to Christ's work of redemption, that the. ii>ng take the little book (eh. s:, 8). Out of the can be sung. It is not" Thou art worthy, for ·right . hand. The position of power and thou taiU ~ . , but "thou ditW_ redeem.',' honour., He to whom all power was given Viotorinus says, "It is the preaching of the in heaven and in earth (Matt. xs:-viii) is the Old Testament together with_ that of the only, One who can ,penetrate the mysteries New which enablee the world to sing a µe• ,and dispense the power of God's right hand. song." Thou art worthy to talra the bo!lk, · .Of.him that aa.t upon the Ulrone; of 11im and to open the aeala thereof. (For a_ oon- .#,hat aitteth. That ii, the Triune Goii (see sideration of the book, and the opening of on eh. i-v. 2). The Son in bis human it, see on ver. L) Por thou wut •laia. m capacity, as indicated by his saorificia.l form hast. redeemed 118 to God by thJ blood. The _of the Lamb, can take and reveal the reason why Chris~ is worthy, .And dicld mysteriee of the eternal Godhead iu which redeem U11to God ·b11 thy blood out "/, •-r he, as God, ha.a pa.rt. kindred, etc. Though lhe reading ~" ia Vtr. 8.-And when he had taken the supported by various manusoripta, and limi,,, book. "Had to.ken" (l;\a/j~) is here aorist, Ja.rly the first person :ia 1188d in ~r. I<) not perfeot, as in ver. 7. The tes:t should r.et, on the 'whole, it seems better to onrl:l probably read, wAen 716 took UICI book; that 1t, the phrase being takeu in a partiti"6 is to say, the adoration offered coincidee sense-" Thou didst redeem unto God by in point of time with the act of taking the thy blood BOme out of every kindred. t1to., book. Tho four beasts a.nd four and twenty and ha.at made them, etc., an'1 UleJ/ sh$ll elders_ fell down before the Lamb. Tl&e four reigu." Again. "Thou didst pUICliase U1 flClfl3U as representing animated erca.tfon; at t];e price of thy blood" would, peib&pa.  189 ffi REVR'LA TYON OF' ST. JOHN TllE DIVINE. [OR, v. 1-14'.