when by revelation we are admitted to behold the glory of God, we must expect the scenery to bear resemblance. But additions are made to this scenery by the intervention of the new covenant through Christ, which will be remarked as they occur*. Ver. 9. And when the living-creatures.] The Cherubim, as nearest to the throne, and whose office it was incessantly to sing praise, begin the adoration; then the elders, the redeemed from earth, now priests to God, commence their hymn. It is in unison with the Holy, Holy, Holy of the Cherubim, and is a Creation Hymn, simple and sublime! Of the same kind is the 148th Psalm, wherein the inanimate creation is called to give glory to God: "Let them praise the "name of the Lord;-for he commanded,—and they << were created." We have now before us a splendid exhibition of the Deity, attended by his ministering Spirits, and which continues as the apparatus or scenery, before which the vision is to be exhibited. But the scenery is not yet complete. In chap. v. the Lamb, the Son of God, in his gracious character of Redeemer, takes his station "in the midst of the throne," and an innumerable company of angels are seen to encompass the surrounding body of the elders and the living creatures, and are added to the chorus; which receives a further increase, when, (in chap. xiv. 1. xv. 2.) the innumerable company of the redeemed on earth are introduced by their Redeemer, and sing the new song before the throne. The whole representation is wonderfully sublime, and must tend to exalt See also Josephi Antiq. lib. iii. c. 5. and Philo de Vit. Mos. whence it will appear that the Jews accounted the Holy of Holies the earthly abode of God, and the type of his seat in heaven. religious religious devotion. One of the finest parts of the devotional exercises of our church, the beginning of that ancient and majestic hymn called Te Deum, seems to have been formed principally upon it. Ver. 10. Fall down.] This is expressed in the Greek by the future tense, by the Vulgate in the imperfect, which the French translators have followed. The English translators have given it in the present time, which may be allowed to stand, as expressing indefinitely what usually happens, and will ever continue to happen, in the church triumphant în heaven. Ib. Cast their crowns.] No sooner had the Almighty ceas'd, but all Tow'rds either throne they bow, and to the ground PARADISE LOST, iii. 344-352. No voice exempt, no voice but well could join IB. 370. PART PART II. SECTION II. The Sealed Book; the Lamb who opens it; and the Praises sung by the heavenly Choir. 1 Καὶ εἶδον ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν τῷ καθημέ να ἐπὶ τὸ θρόνο βιβλίον, γεγραμμέν τον ἔσωθεν καὶ ἔπισθεν, κατεστρατισμέ τον σφραγῖσιν ἑπλά. 2 Καὶ εἶδον ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν, κηρύσσονία ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλη Tis [is1y] äği ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ λῦσαι τὰς σφρα 3 γίδας αὐτῷ; Καὶ ἐδεὶς ἠδύνατο ἐν τῷ ὐρανῷ, ἐδε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐδὲ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, ἀνοῖξαι τὸ ἐδεὶς ἄξια εὐρέθη ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον, ἔτε βλέπειν αὐτό. 5 Καὶ εἷς ἐκ τῶν περσβυτέρων λέγει μοι· Μὴ κλαῖε· ἰδὲ, ἐνίκησεν ὁ λέων ὁ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰάδα, ἡ βίζα Δαβίδ, ἀνοίξαι τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ τὰς 1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within, and on the backside, sealed 2 with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the 3 seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither 4 to look thereon. And I wept much because was found worthy to open, and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders no man saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals there6 of. And I beheld, and ἁπλὰ σφραγίδας αὐτ 6 T. Kai tidor, [x ἰδὲ] ἐν μέσῳ το θρόνα καὶ τῶν τεσσάρων ζώων, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν πρεσβυτέ ξων, ἀρνίον έτη. κός, ὡς ἐσφαἷμένον, ἔχον κέραία ἑπτὰ, καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς ἑπτὰ, οἱ εἰσι τὰ ἑπτὰ τὰ Θεῷ πνεύματα το ·άπeçaλμéva eis wa-7 7 σαν τὴν γῆν. Καὶ ἦλθε, καὶ εἴληφε [τὸ βιβλίον] ἐκ τῆς δε ξιᾶς τὸ καθημένες 8 ἐπὶ τὸ θεόνε· Καὶ ὅτε ἔλαβε το βιο βλίον, τὰ τέσσαρα ζῶα καὶ οἱ εἴκοσι τέσ σαφές πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσον ἐνώπιον τα αρχίας, ἔχονίες έκα τα κιθάρας, κ φιάλας χρυσάς, γε μέσας θυμιαμάτων, αἴ εἰσιν αἱ προσευ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων. 9 Καὶ άδεσιν αδι XX11749 λέγονίες. *Αξία εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγίδας αὐτ τῶν ὅτι ἐσφάτης, και Αγόρασας τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σε, ἐκ πάσης φυλής και γλώσσης καὶ λαβ 10 vs. Kai I beheld, [and lo] in the midst of the throne, and of the four living-creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb, standing, as if smitten for the sacrifice, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And he came and received [the book] from the right hand of him who was sitting upon the 8 throne. And when he had received the book, the four living-creatures and the twentyfour elders fell prostrate before the Lamb, having each of them harps, and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the 9 Saints. And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to "receive the book, " and to open its "seals, because thou 66 wast sacrificed, and "hast redeemed us to "God by thy blood, "out of every tribe, "and language, and people, and nation; 10" And bast made them 66 lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven. horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the 7 earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat up8 on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of 9 saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and peo10 ple, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on 11 the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the ἐποίησας αὐτὸς τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν βασιλεῖς καὶ ἱερεῖς καὶ βασι λεύσεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς 11 γῆς. Καὶ εἶδον, κι ήκεσα φωνὴν ἀγέλῶν πολλῶν κυ κλόθεν τῷ θρόνος, κα τῶν ζώων, καὶ τῶν πρεσβυλέςων, καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν μυ ριάδες μυριάδων, και χιλιάδες χιλιάδων 12 Λέγολες φωνῇ με γάλη ̓́Αξιόν ἐςι τὸ ἀρνίον τὸ ἐσφαἷμένου λαβεῖν τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ πλύτον, καὶ σου φίαν, καὶ ἰσχὺν, καὶ δόξαν, καὶ εὐλογίαν. 13 Καὶ πᾶν κτίσμα, ὅ [ἐσιν] ἐν τῷ ἐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης [2] ἐσι, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς πάνια, ήκεσα λέγονίας. Τῷ καθη μένω ἐπὶ τῇ θρόνες καὶ τῷ ἀρνίῳ ἡ εὐλο γία, καὶ ἡ τιμὴ, καὶ ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτο εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας τῶν 14 αἰώνων. Καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζώα ἔλε γον, Αμήν· καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπε σαν, καὶ προσεκύνη σαν ζῶν εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. "to our God kings "and priests, and they "shall reign upon the 11" earth." And I be held; and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living-creatures and the elders, (and the number of them was myriads of myriads,and thousands 12 of thousands,) Saying with a loud voice, “ Worthy is the Lamb, "which was sacrifi. "ced, to receive the might, and honour, " and glory, and 13" praise," And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are therein, I heard saying, "To him that "sitteth upon the "throne, and to the "Lamb, be the praise, “ and the honour, and “ the glory, and the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thou12 sands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,and strength, and honour, and glory, and 13 blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for 14 ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. |