throne;" and whom Nathaniel confessed, saying, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel."

2. The throned elders-pictorially regarded—are the Supreme Council of the Divine Monarchy. Designedly, they bring to mind" the thrones of the House of David ;" and thus, the throned Counsellors of the Davidian Dynasty. In the intent of the vision they constitute an integral part of the revelation of Jesus Christ." This is shown by the position of their thrones-in relation to and on equality with "the throne."

Their appellation is the official and historic title of Senatorial wisdom and authority. In the intent of the vision, they are venerable personifications of the Divine legislative and administrative intelligence, wisdom and authority of the Lord Christ, the "Wonderful Counsellor" of whom Isaiah testified; and whose wondrous works, and wisdom's ways, are exalted themes in David's ancient psalms.

The white robes of those dignified personifications are symbolic of the purity and perfectness of the Legislation of the Lord Christ, and of the equity of His Administration. And their golden garlands are emblems of His appreciable excellence or moral glory-the illustrious ornament of His governmental ways.

3. The seven lamps of fire before the throne-said to be "the Seven Spirits of God" are symbolic of the truth, that the sevenfold or complete energies of the Spirit of God-the Divine Agent in universal government

are active in the maintenance of the supreme dominion of the Christ. 4. The lightnings, thunderings, and voices proceeding from the throne, announce that He who sits upon the throne is the Holy One of Israel; that, His dominion is over a world in which sin and iniquity abound; that He will yet manifestly assert His right to reign as the Lord of all, and that, in the end, He will vindicate His authority by the destruction of evil.

5. The rainbow, "green as an emerald round about the throne," is the memorial of the Divine covenant of providential goodness and mercy instituted in the days of Noah, on the basis of the fore-appointed sacrifice of Christ, and of which He is the Administrator, as the "One Mediator between God and men." The natural rainbow is the token and pledge of that covenant; and the emerald arch around the throne is the token and pledge of a more abundant bestowment of providential bounties, when the Lord Christ shall have established His kingdom over all the nations upon earth, by the suppression of both moral and physical evil.

The emerald hue of that arched ornament of the throne is emblematic of Divine condescension. God has clothed the earth with green, and the green earth was the basis of His tabernacle in the wilderness-the tent of the pilgrim God.

More especially the brilliant verdure of the arch around the throne is the memorial of the voluntary humiliation of the eternal Word; "who took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: wherefore God also

* In the divine system of Hebrew Hieroglyphics-exemplified in the structure and furniture of the Mosaic tabernacle, and in the vestments of the high priest, -gold is emblematic f the appreciable excellence or moral and manifestive glory of the LORD GOD of Israel.

hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name." Hence, the memorial of His condescension is the emerald ornament of the throne.

6. The crystalline laver involves an allusion to the bronze laver in the court of the Mosaic tabernacle, and to its ceremonial and symbolic uses. This laver is symbolic of the moral purity of the human nature of the Son of God, and of His perfect holiness throughout His path on earth, till He offered Himself without spot to God. It also signifies that, when He had put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, He passed through death and resurrection to the throne of universal dominion.

7. The four preternatural and vigorous ones are similar to those which Ezekiel saw in vision, and "knew them to be the cherubim." In so saying, he alluded to the cherubic phenomena entabernacled at the east of Eden to guard the tree of life, and also to " the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat."

Ezekiel saw the cherubim bearing away the governmental glory of the LORD from the temple and the city; and afterwards he saw them returning as the associates of that governmental glory. And in the most holy place of the Mosaic tabernacle, the golden cherubim-an integral part of the mercy-seat-were the symbolic conservators of the governmental glory of the LORD. In this vision, the cherubim are emblematic of His executive perfections and powers, for the maintenance of righteous dominion.

The likeness of the lion denotes the majestic might of the Lord of all : the likeness of a young bullock implies His long-suffering or patient forbearance the face as of a man is expressive of His benevolence towards mankind: and the likeness of a flying eagle tells of His accurate observation of all that is being done on the earth. The multitude of eyes signifies the omniscience of the Lord; and the many wings His preparedness for sudden and swift movement when the time has come for the execution of His revealed and righteous judgments.

The cherubic chant in the emblematic praise is the same that Isaiah heard in vision, antiphoned by the seraphim, when he beheld the throne and glory of the Lord. In that vision, and in this, the chanted praise is an ideal celebration of the Divine holiness manifested in the moral government of the world by the eternal Word prior to His incarnation, and in His present exaltation-the Christ in glorified manhood. It is also prophetic of a fuller display of governmental holiness, when he shall manifestly reign over the earth.

The Lord God, the Almighty," made known in the history of the Patriarchs, and of the nation of Israel, is He who became man, as it is written, "God was manifested in flesh." The Divine titles in the cherubic chant are His; and the celebration of His immortality is responsive to the assuring words which John heard in the first vision recorded:"Fear not: I am the First and the Last, and the Living One, and became dead; and, behold, I am living unto the ages of the ages. Amen."

And the prostrate worship by the elders, who cast their golden garlands before the throne, is an ideal celebration of the intelligence and wisdom of the "Wonderful Counsellor," who is the actual Creator and Sustainer of the universe, whose manifestive glory shines forth in His wonderful works, and thus His Divine intelligence and wisdom glorify Him (Read ch. v. 1-10).

It has been shown that the former part of the vision is wholly governmental. The redemptive purpose of God, and its fundamental accomplishment are now brought in.

1. The seven-sealed scroll is an emblem of the undivulged counsels of the Godhead. And the proclamation made is an ideal and dramatic challenge to the universe, the intention of which is to show that no created or originated being-however originated and however exaltedis competent to reveal the mind and intentions of God.

2. The lamb, which now had suddenly and mysteriously come into the midst of the throne and the cherubim and the elders, is a marvellous object. That mysterious lamb is a hieroglyphic intimation and illustration of the redemptive achievement of Jesus Christ, who, when on the earth, had been called "the Lamb of God."

3. The appearance of that lamb, as being preternaturally alive and active, is an enigmatic intimation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the power of an endless life-a supernatural, indissoluble, immortal life.

4. The seven horns and seven eyes of that emblematic lamb-said to be "the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth "- -are symbolic of the truth that the complete powers and intelligence of the Holy Spirit pertain to the redemptive achievement and relations of Christ Jesus, for the application of the benefits of the redemption accomplished by Him on the cross. The words, "sent forth into all the earth," signify that for effectuating the full intent of redemption, the Spirit of God is abidingly present on the earth, in the exercise of His gracious and effectual powers.

5. The action of the emblematic lamb, in taking the scroll from the right hand of the throne, denotes the consciousness of Christ relative to His personal Deity, and His competency to disclose the counsels of the Godhead.

6. The harps, and golden bowls full of incense, possessed by every one of the cherubim and the elders, are said to be "the prayers of the saints." They lead the mind back to the golden bells and odorous incense of the high priest of God for Israel; and they signify the moral melody and spiritual fragrance of the ways of Christ in His celestial Priesthood, particularly in presenting to God the Father the prayers of His needy saints on the earth. And the possession of those harps, and golden bowls full of incense, by the cherubim and the elders, is an illustration of the truth that the omnipotence of the "Mighty God" and the wisdom of the "Wonderful Counsellor" are engaged with His heavenly Priesthood in behalf of all who come to God through Him.

7. The "new song" of the cherubim and the elders is a dramatic celebration of the truth, that the title and competency of Jesus Christ to disclose the counsels of the Godhead are made manifest by His works of creation, and His ways in moral government, and are additionally made manifest in His work of eternal redemption,-the effectiveness and value of His redemptive sacrifice being derived from His personal Deity through His human obedience unto death.

From the Received Text, it would seem that the cherubim and elders -with their " harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints," were intended to represent glorified saints in heaven, and that those saints are mediators on behalf of other saints on

the earth. Such is the effect of the pronoun

"us

But that interpolated pronoun can be accounted for.

in the "new song."

The style of the Apostle John includes the rhetorical figure called the ellipsis; but some earlier transcriber, disregarding the ellipsis in the "new song," inserted in its place the Greek pronoun heemas, "us," which pronoun is not found in two of the most ancient and valuable Greek manuscripts. But when it had been inserted in other manuscripts, the pronouns and verb that follow in the passage were changed from the third person to the first, so that they might agree with the interpolated word, heemas. And hence the incorrect reading of the passage, and the false constructions* that have been variously put thereon.

The changes made, from the third person to the first, have been discovered and corrected by learned collators of ancient Greek manuscripts -such eminent men as Lachman, Tischendorf, and Tregelles. And the corrections made by them in the text necessitate the exclusion of the pronoun "us" (Read ch. v. 11-14).f

The immense concourse of superhuman appearances which the seer now beheld around the throne and the cherubim and the elders, and which to his entranced mind were angelic beings, represent ideas of a celestial convocation-a festive assembly of angels and principalities and powers from every province in the heavens, engaged in celebrating the achievement of redemption; ascribing all the honour and glory thereof, and all the riches of blessing resulting therefrom, to Jesus Christ, and to the sacrifice of Himself. Such is the truth illustrated in this part of the vision.

The angels of God celebrated in the hearing of men upon the earth the mystery of the Incarnation; they were observant of the humiliation of the Son of God along His path on earth to "the death of the cross;" they were witnesses of His resurrection and ascension to heaven; and their ideal presence in the vision is as if they had assembled to celebrate His return in glory.

The grand chorus of praise which was heard to resound throughout the creation, and in which all the mind in the universe was one, is both historic and prophetic. It is an illustration of the truth, that all the works of the Lord, in all places of His dominion, praise and glorify Him, by the display made therein of His perfections and powers; and it is anticipative of the consummated results of His victory achieved on the cross over all the powers of evil; for in that consummation the universe

* All such misconstructions are productive of false conceptions and habits of mind, even in the case of the children of God. The most evil effects are the idolatrous teaching and practice of the worship of supposed glorified saints, and of prayers to them, as unto Mediators and Intercessors with God. From this exceeding evil, the true saints and servants of Christ are free; but the minor evils are detrimental to them, touching their advancement in spiritual intelligence, and their communion with God the Father and the Son in the knowledge of the truth.

Those metaphoric words," the Lamb that was slain," are in accordance with sacrificial ideas and symbolic imagery; but it must ever be borne in mind that the Son of God died on the cross by His own volition, in obedience to the commandment which He had received from the Father; and that it was by that voluntary sacrifice of Himself that He annulled sin, and accomplished the redemption of men to God.

shall have been freed from the presence and the possibility of evil; and from every province and every world—and from every being then existing -in the universe of God, songs of thanksgiving and praise shall ascend to the eternal throne (Read ch. vii. 9-12).

The vision of the throne may now be advantageously reviewed. On a spacious area in the heavens, the entranced seer beheld a circular arrangement of thrones. He who sat on "the throne was veiled from view by an emblematic curtain. On the other thrones twenty-four elders were seated, clothed with white robes,-their venerable brows adorned with golden garlands. Above and around the throne was an ornamental arch in the form of a rainbow, and having the brilliant colour of the emerald. Before the throne seven lamps of fire glowed. At some little distance in front of the throne stood the crystalline laver: and on the space amid the thrones, stood the four cherubic appearances.

Then suddenly, as if out of the throne, came a lamb, into the midst of the elders and the cherubim—a lamb slain, and yet alive.

And then, with equal mystery and suddenness, myriads of angelic forms appeared around the throne and the cherubim and the elders.

But, in all that august and marvellous assemblage, the redeemed to God from among men are not represented. Redemption, as an accomplished fact, was celebrated in the new song of the cherubim and the elders, and in the acclamations of the celestial myriads. But the redeemed are not personated, nor in any manner symbolized. In relation to them, the present vision is the complement of the vision of the throne. 1. The countless multitude of (seemingly) human beings were, to the mind of the seer, "out of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues;" and the impression to this effect was given him through the great variety of countenance and colour which he beheld. That multitude are ideal personators of the redeemed to God, "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" made mention of in the 66 new song."

Standing before the throne, within the circle formed by the celestial myriads, those ideal personators serve to illustrate a twofold form of the truth, namely: That redemption to God, and salvation by the grace of God, are co-extensive; and, that all the persons redeemed to God by the sacrificial death of Christ shall assuredly be brought home to God in immortality and glory.

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2. The "white robes " of that picturesque multitude are emblematic of the sanctitude which is proper to the children and saints of God. In modern language this sanctitude is called "the Christian character." In Divine teaching it is enjoined as "the holiness without which no one shall see the Lord ;" and therein it is compared to a comely and priestly robe, the moral and spiritual costume of those who are in Christ. That robe may be truly said to be a gift of God: for its internal origin is the principle of eternal life which is "the gift of God," and is "a divine nature," the moral principles of which answer to the perfections of God; and the practical development of which is by virtue of the in-dwelling presence and operation of the Holy Spirit in the saints.

3. The "palms in their hands" are the well-known emblems of a pilgrimage performed, a conflict ended, and a victory gained; and they are pledges of final conquest "through Him who loved us."