The seventh chapter of this book contains two visions, and it is of importance to determine the relation in which they stand to the general plan of the book, as well as to what immediately precedes and follows them. We may at once conclude that they are not a part either of the sixth or of the seven... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:1. The words AFTER THIS denote succession of visions rather than of time. The Seer beholds four ANGELS STANDING AT THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH. The number four is that of the world; and hence ‘the four corners,' North, South, East, West, as well as four angels (comp. chap. Revelation... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:2-3. The more peculiar contents of the vision follow. AND I SAW ANOTHER ANGEL ASCENDING FROM THE SUNRISING, from the quarter whence issues that great orb of day which is the symbol of the Sun of righteousness (comp. chap. Revelation 16:12). Having a seal of the living God, of that God w... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:4-8. One or two subordinate points may be noticed before we ask who these sealed ones are. (1) There is no difficulty in determining the manner in which the number 144,000 is obtained. First we have the number 12, that of the witnessing Church, taken from the 12 tribes of Israel; and, m... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:9. The vision now introduced is distinguished from the former by the fact that it belongs to heaven, while the sealing took place on earth. Those beheld stand BEFORE THE THRONE AND BEFORE THE LAMB (comp. Revelation 4:5-6; Revelation 4:10; Revelation 5:8, etc.), and the other particulars... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:10. THEY CRY WITH A GREAT VOICE, a voice expressing the intensity of their thankfulness and joy, and in their cry they attribute the glory of their salvation to Him whom they describe as our God which sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb. To this psalm of praise which, as shown by the... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:11-12. THE ANGELS spoken of in these verses must be the same as those at chap. Revelation 5:11, although it may be worthy of notice that the other beings in the neighbourhood of the throne are here arranged in a different order, the ‘living creatures' of chap. Revelation 5:11 there taki... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:13. THESE WHICH ARE ARRAYED IN WHITE ROBES, WHO ARE THEY, AND WHENCE CAME THEY? The question is not asked by the Seer. It is Addressed to him in order that his attention may be drawn to it with greater force, and one of the elders is the speaker. In chap, vi the four living creatures sp... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 7:14-17. The Seer does not say that he cannot answer the question, but he implies that the elder is better able to do so. He himself has no experience of the state described, and he cannot therefore speak of it as it should be spoken of. His language is peculiarly graphic, neither ‘I said... [ Continue Reading ]