REVELATION III.

593

in white raiment; and I will by no means blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my 6 Father, and before his angels.' He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches.

7

"And to the angel of the church at Philadelphia write : 'These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shutteth, 8 and that shutteth and none openeth: I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door, which' none can shut for thou hast but little power, and yet hast kept 9 my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan (who say that they are Jews, and are not, but speak falsely, behold I will make them) to come, and do obeisance before thy feet, and know 10 that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept my com

*

mandment concerning patience, 1 also will keep thee from the hour of trial, which is about to come on all the world, 11 to try those who dwell upon the earth. I shall come quickly: hold fast what thou hast, that no man take thy crown 12 from thee. Him that overcometh, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, of the new Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from my God; and I will write upon 13 him my new name.' He that hat an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches.

"And to the angel of the church at Laodicea3 write: "These things saith the Amen+, the faithful and true wit15 ness, the chief of the creation of God +: I know thy works,

14

1 and none, R. T.
diceans, R. T.

2 Behold, I shall come quickly: R.T. 3 of the Lao4 the Truth, N.

* Satan, the principle of opposition, personified. The synagogue of Satan are Jewish adversaries to the gospel.

+ Or, the beginning of the creation of God. The first-born of the new creation, being the first who was rased from the dead. See Col. i. 15. 18.

2 Q

that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert 16 cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and nei

ther hot nor cold, I will soon cast thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and grown wealthy, and

have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art 18 wretched, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked; I counsel thee to buy of me gold purified in the fire, that thou mayest grow wealthy; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear and to anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou 19 mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be 20 zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door

:

and knock: if any one hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he shall sup 21 with me. To him that overcometh I will grant to sit with

me on my throne; even as I also overcame, and sit with 22 my father on his throne.' He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches."

CH. IV. AFTER these things I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, and saying, "Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be here. 2 after." [And] immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold,

a throne was placed in heaven, and one sat on the throne*. 3 [And he who sat] was in appearance like a jasper and a sardius and a rainbow was round about the throne in ap

:

* "We are not to imagine," says Doddridge," that the person sitting on the throne, [or the Lamb,] or the twenty-four elders, or the four animals, were real beings, existing in nature; though they represented, in a figurative manner, things that did really exist. I think it-probable that all which passed was in the imagination of St. John." This observation is very just and im portant. The whole scenery of this vision passed in the imagination of St. John; and we can no more argue the real external existence of such beings as angels and devils are commonly conceived to be, from their appearance in this vision, than we can infer the real existence of a lamb with seven eyes, or a dragon with seven heads. All these visionary characters are alike symbolical of the means by which events, whether good or evil, are brought to pass under the direction of divine Providence.

REVELATION IV. V.

595

4 pearance like an emerald. And round about the throne were
twenty-four thrones: and upon the thrones' twenty-four.
elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and on their heads
5 crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceed lightnings,
and voices, and thunderings. And seven lamps of fire were
burning before his throne 2; which are the seven spirits of
6 God. And there was before the throne as it were a laver3 of
glass like crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round
about the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes be-
7 fore and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion,
and the second living creature like a steer, and the third liv-
ing creature had the face of a man', and the fourth living
8 creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures
had each of them six wings, which were full of eyes round
about and within: and they rest not day and night, saying,
"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, that was, and is, and
9 is to come." And when those living creatures give glory, and
honour, and thanks, to Him who sat on the throne, who
10 liveth for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down
before Him who sat on the throne, and worship Him who
liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the
11 throne, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all

things, and by thy will they were", and were created."
CH. V. And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the

throne a book, written within and without", sealed with
2 seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a
loud voice, "Who [is] worthy to open the book, and to
3 loose the seals of it?" And none in heaven above", or on
the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book,
4 and to look therein. And I wept much because none was

זי

saw, R. T. and N. the throne, R. T. and N.
man, R. T. and N.
5 Or, are, Mss. and R. T. Or,
they exist and were created. 6 Gr. on the back.
R. T. and N.

3 Gr. sea. 4 a face as a
on account of thy will
7 "above" wanting in

ខ

5 found worthy to open the book', and to look therein. Then one of the elders saith to me, "Weep not: behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevail. 6 ed so as to open the book, and the seven seals of it." And I beheld, in the midst between the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst between the elders, a lamb standing, as if it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes; which are the seven spirits of God sent 7 forth into all the earth. And he came and took [the book] 8 out of the right hand of him who sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders, fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden phials full of incense, 9 which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang' a new song, saying, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals of it: for thou wast slain, and hast bought us to God by thy blood, out of every tribe, and language, 10 and people, and nation; whom thou hast made kings and

5

priests to our God; and they shall reign on the earth"." 11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and round about the living creatures and the elders; (and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands ;) saying with a 12 loud voice, "Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power, and wealth, and wisdom, and might, and honour, 13 and glory, and blessing." And every creature that [is] in

heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and [those that] are on the sea, and all things that are in them, I heard, saying, “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and dominion, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb,

66

3 and to loose

1 to open and to read the book, R. T. 2" who is," R. T.
the seven seals of it. R. T. and lo! R. T. and N. 5 bowls, N. odours, N.
7 Gr. sing. $ thou hast made us kings &c.; and we shall reign, R. T. 9 Gr.
myriads of myriads.

14 for ever and ever'." And the four living creatures said, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped *. CH. VI. And I saw when the lamb opened one of the seven seals; and I heard, as it were the sound of thunder, the first of the four living creatures saying, "Come and see.” 2 [And I looked,] and, behold, a white horse: and he that sat thereon had a bow; and a crown was given to him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

3

3

And when the lamb had opened the second seal, I heard 4 the second living creature saying, "Come "." And another horse, that was red, went forth; and power was given to him who sat thereon to take peace [from] the earth, [and] that men should kill one another: and a great sword was given to him.

5 And when the lamb had opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come and see"." [And I looked,] and, behold, a black horse: and he who sat on him 6 had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A small measure of wheat for a denarius, and three small measures of barley for a denarius: but hurt thou not the oil and the wine."

7

And when the lamb had opened the fourth seal, I heard 8 the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." [And

6" and

1 Gr. ages of ages. 2 "the twenty-four elders," R. T. 3 "seven" wanting
in R.T. 4 "sound" wanting in R.T. 5 Come and see. R. T.
see" wanting in N.; and so ver. 7.

7 I heard the voice of the fourth, R. T.

* Him that liveth for ever and ever: or, ages of ages. R. T. and N. This homage paid to a symbolical representation of Christ in a visionary scene, by symbolical persons represented as visibly present with him, cannot justify the actual worship of Christ, when he is not visible, and in direct opposition to his own express precept, Luke xi. 1, 2; John iv. 23, 24. Least of all can it be concluded, as Mr. Lindsey well observes, (Seq. p. 96,)“ that equal honour and worship are to be given to Christ and to God, from their being thus joined in the same act of worship. Because if so, it will follow that equal honour and worship is to be given to David and to God; for it is expressly said (1 Chron. xxix. 20.) that all the congregation bowed down their heads and worshiped the Lord and the king."