And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of
the
four beasts
These words, "in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts",
are left out in the Syriac version:
and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb;
John, upon the intimation given him by the elder, lift up his
eyes, and with great earnestness looked about, and saw the person
he pointed at, though not in the form of a lion, but in the
appearance of a lamb, to which Christ, both in the Old and New
Testament, is often compared; and that very aptly, for his
innocence and purity of nature; for his harmless and inoffensive
conversation; and for his meek and humble deportment throughout
the whole of his life; and for his patience at the time of his
sufferings and death; and for his usefulness both for food and
clothing to his people; and chiefly for his sacrifice for them,
typified both by the passover lamb, and by the lambs of the daily
sacrifice: hence it follows,
as it had been slain;
or "as having been slain"; Christ had been really slain by the
wicked hands of the Jews, and not in appearance only; the as,
here, is not a note of mere similitude and likeness, but of
reality and truth; see ( John 1:14 ) ( Philippians
2:7 ) ; but he was now risen from the dead, and therefore is
said to have been slain some time before, though now alive; and
he appeared to have the marks of his sufferings and death upon
him, as he had after his resurrection the print of the nails and
spear, in his hands, feet, and side; and he was as a lamb that
had been newly or lately slain: and it may denote the continued
efficacy of his blood, to cleanse from all sin, and of his
sacrifice to take it away; he was as a Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, with respect to the continual virtue of
his blood and sacrifice; and he will be, on the same account, the
Lamb as it had been slain, unto the end of the world. The
position and situation of this Lamb were, he "stood in the midst
of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the
elders"; he "stood", being risen from the dead, and ascended up
into heaven, but was not as yet set down upon the throne with his
Father, but was very near it; he stood before it, ready to be
placed upon it, and receive his power and his kingdom; he stood
between the throne, and between the living creatures, and the
elders, being the Mediator between God, and his church, and
people; he, appeared before the throne for them, as their
advocate, and stood ready to give them all the assistance, and to
do them all the good he could: and this his situation may also
denote, that he is continually in view, is always in the sight of
God, as the Lamb that had been slain; his blood is carried within
the vail, is sprinkled upon the mercy seat, and is always in
sight, and calls for peace and pardon; and God the Father always
looks upon it, and to his righteousness, sacrifice, and
satisfaction, on account of his people: moreover, his being in
the midst of the four living creatures, and elders, may signify
his presence in his churches, and with his ministers, which he
has promised them to the end of the world. This Lamb is further
represented,
as having seven horns;
it is very unusual for a lamb to have horns, and especially
seven: these horns are expressive of the power of Christ, of his
dominion and government, even of his kingly power and authority;
so kings are signified by horns in ( Daniel 8:20 Daniel 8:21 ) (
7:24 ) ; and
Christ himself is called the horn of David, and the horn of
salvation, ( Psalms
132:17 ) ( Luke 1:69 ) ; and
signify, that upon his resurrection from the dead, and ascension
to heaven, he was made and declared Lord and Christ; and the
number "seven" expresses the fulness and perfection of his power
and authority, having, as Mediator, all power in heaves and in
earth given him; and what is above all power, might, dominion,
and every name in this world, and that to come; and may have some
relation to the seven states of his churches in so many periods
of time; and show not only that he has power sufficient to
protect and defend his people in all times, and to push at and
destroy his and their enemies, but to open the then sealed book,
and unloose the seals: and as another qualification for this
work, it follows,
and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent
into all the
earth;
which some understand of angels, and of a sufficient number of
them, which belong to Christ, and are at his command, and who are
ready to do his will, and to be sent forth by him, into the
several parts of the earth, to execute his pleasure: but these
rather design the Spirit of God and his gifts, which Christ
received without measure, both in his human nature, at his
incarnation, and after his resurrection from the dead, and
ascension; which he bestowed on his apostles and ministering
servants, whom he sent forth into all the world, to preach his
Gospel with them; and which he has, more or less, ever since
continued to do. The Ethiopic version reads in the singular
number, "and this is the Spirit of God which is sent into all the
earth"; (See Gill on
Revelation 1:4); these "seven eyes" may design the
perfect knowledge of Christ, his foresight of future events, and
his all wise providence, which is always and everywhere concerned
to fulfil and accomplish them; so that he is every way qualified
to take the book of future events, as to the church and world,
and reveal it, open and explain it, and fulfil the things
contained in it; see ( Zechariah
3:9 ) .