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and by the crowns of gold which they wear. And we must observe, that similar typical representations of the church in the exercise of the attribute of power, accompanying the ark or throne of Christ, are amongst the most constant which occur in the Old Testament. Thus whenever the ark moved from its place in its passage through the wilderness, we find it was preceded by the armed and marshalled tribes of Israel, and moved forward in power'; Moses pronouncing these words, "Rise up Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee." And so when the typical arrangements were prescribed for the destruction of the city of Jericho, (the figure of the destruction of the kingdoms of this world,) the ark was in like manner preceded by the armed bands of Israel; Christ manifesting himself in power, with a drawn sword in his hand, as Captain of the host of the Lord." And again, before David would decide to bring up the ark from Kirjathjearim we read, that he "consulted with the captains of thousands, and hundreds, and with every leader;" and again, that " David and the el'ders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the 'ark of the covenant of the Lord ' out of the house of Obed-edom" to Jerusalem; and further, that when Solomon had completed the building of the temple he assembled "the ' elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the 'fathers of the children of Israel, to 'bring up the ark of the covenant

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of the Lord out of Zion." (See 1 Chron. XIII. 1; xv. 25; 2 Chron. v. 2.) After this description of the throne of Christ, surrounded, like the mercy seat of the ark, by the elders, heads of tribes, and captains of thousands, representing all the glorified spirits

of the true Israel partaking in the power of Christ and waiting the reunion to their bodies, which though sown in weakness shall hereafter themselves also be raised in power, the prophecy thus continues.

Verse 5. "And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices." These are the tokens of the active exercise of that power of Christ and his church, the passive possession of which is shewn by the symbols already considered; and they correspond to the appearances described at the promulgation of the law by Christ, the supreme judge and law giver, from mount Sinai; given, as the Apostle informs us, by the ministration of angels, and into whose offices the church of the departed saints, since the resurrection of Christ, have been admitted. For we read that this act also was attended by the awful sanctions of "thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud." (Exod. xix. 16.)

The lightnings in this vision, as in that of Ezekiel, where it is said that the Cherubim or "living crea⚫tures ran and returned as a flash of

lightning," represent the swift a gency of these spiritual beings in ministering around the throne of Christ, and especially in inflicting destruction upon his and the church's enemies. According to the promise of participation in these acts made to the saints of Thyatira, and to that prophecy of Enoch,-Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment, -and to the description of the future fulfilment of these prophecies and promises as contained in Rev.XIX.

The thunder is spoken of in the book of Job as a demonstration of the power of God, when he says "the thunder of his power who can understand;" and again in chap.

XXVII. 2—5, it is spoken of at large, as being his voice. So likewise we find that the voice which came to Christ from heaven, (John x11. 28,29,) was compared by some who heard it to thunder; while by others it was supposed to be the voice of an angel speaking to him. In Rev. xiv. 2, the voice of the church on earth is compared to "the voice of a great thunder;" but in the description before us this symbol indicates the voices of the Cherubim, or church in heaven, whose speech is compared (Rev. vi. 1) to "the noise of thunder," and who in Ezekiel 1. 24, 25, are described in these corresponding and awful terms:-" And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as 'the noise of an host; when they 'stood they let down their wings, ⚫ and there was a voice from the fir'mament that was over their heads."

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The "voices" here heard from the throne, though mentioned as in addition to the thunders, are equivalent to them, and are like them the voices of the Cherubim or church in heaven. As voices directing the judgments to be poured out on the adversaries of the church on earth they occur Rev. xv. 7; xvi. 1, where one of the Cherubim, having given the seven vials of wrath into the hands of seven angels, the prophet hears " a great voice" from the temple in heaven, or holy of holies, where the Cherubim are, accompanying this act and saying, "Go your ways, and pour out the vials of 'the wrath of God upon the earth." And more particularly upon the infliction of the seventh and most important of these last plagues, or judgments, a voice is again heard out of the temple, from the throne, where the Cherubim are, saying, "It is done." And though these

words are, on another occasion, represented as uttered by Christ himself, this fact is only confirmatory of the interesting doctrine, established by numerous similar evidences in this book, of the entire union existing between Christ the common head, the church in heaven, and the church on earth.

Again, we meet with these voices of the Cherubim as the voices of triumphant joy, ushering in the several periods of Christ's kingdom. Thus its first period, commencing from the sounding of the seventh trumpet, is thus announced Rev. xi. 15, -"And there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." And this is responded to by the church on carth, Rev. xiv. 2, in "a voice as of many waters, and as the ' voice of a great thunder, and as the voice of harpers harping with 'their harps."

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Again the same voices, or choruses of the church in heaven, as of thunder, accompanied in this instance by the lightnings, or indications of the severity of the divine law, always usher in, when described in each of the separate narratives of the Apocalypse, the second period of the kingdom of Christ; viz. that in which is poured out the seventh and last vial of the wrath of the Lamb; this period containing the great event of the battle of Armageddon, when Christ will destroy by the law, which is like unto fire, or by the sword which proceedeth out of his mouth, all those who have disobeyed his commandments and rejected his gospel. Thus at Rev. xvI. 18, where this judgment first occurs as belonging to the supplementary history of the western branch of the Roman empire, it is said to be accompanied by "voices, and thunders, and light

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nings." At chap. VIII. 5, where it is set forth as the final one which is to come upon its eastern branch, there is the same description given of it as at Rev. xI. 19, where it is introduced as being also the final one upon the apostate church. The last chorus of voices mentioned in this book ushers in the third period of the kingdom of Christ, and of his saints; or the thousand years of his peaceful reign, and is thus described, Rev. xix. 1-6: "I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, and 'glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are his judgments.—And the four and twenty elders, and 'the four living creatures, fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia; and a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants; and ye that fear ' him, both small and great; and I 'heard, as it were, the voice of a 'great multitude, and as the voice

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of many waters, and as the voice

of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the Lord God omni'potent reigneth." It appears evident then, from a consideration of these passages, and especially from the words therein used, "our God," that the voices or thunders proceeding at different times from the throne, and described in this opening vision of the sealed book and in other passages as accompanying the lightnings are the voices of the Cherubim or church in heaven, the delegates of Christ, whom he associates with himself, in the administration of his mediatorial kingdom; and that the only voice from the throne which is peculiarly that of Christ himself, is that referring to the new creation, (Rev. xxi. 5,) which is described differently from the rest, not simply as proceeding

"from the throne," but from him "that sat upon the throne."

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And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God." The symbols of lamps of fire, may be considered as answering to those tongues of fire under which appearance the Holy Spirit manifested himself on the day of Pentecost, when Christ endued his church with miraculous gifts. They are said to be "burning before the throne;" and every object which in this revelation is described as standing "before the throne," or "before God," that is, in his immediate presence, will be found to be thus designated in reference to its connexion with the elect church; which is thus represented as being never removed from his thoughts and providential care, as it is said in Zech. 11. 8, concerning the care of the Lord for Zion,- He 'that toucheth thee, toucheth the

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apple of his eye;" and again in Isaiah XLIX. 15, 16, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea they may forget, yet will I not forget thee,' (i. e. rather than I will forget thee.) Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me.' The Holy Spirit, represented by the seven lamps burning, as it is said, "before the throne," is then by that particular expression designated as being here represented, not abstractedly, but in reference to his covenant office of illuminating the universal church; as the seven eyes are said (chap. v. 6,) to be "sent forth into all the earth." In like manner as Christ is also in this vision to be considered as manifested in his covenant office, as a Lamb that had been slain; and God the Father is also represented on the mediatorial throne as manifested in Christ, encircled

by the rainbow of the covenant. Verse 6. " And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto chrystal." An allusion is probably here made to the laver, or brazen sea of the tabernacle and temple, in which the priests washed before they officiated,—an emblem of the purifying influences of the Holy Spirit, and of the blood of Christ. A sea

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of glass, or glassy sea, is used how ever in a subsequent vision as an apt emblem of political tranquillity: nor is there any reason why we should here separate the idea of peace and tranquillity, from that of purity; for we are told of the wisdom which is from above, that is first pure and then peaceable," and that the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, and peace." Under the symbol of a tranquil and glassy sea, clear as chrystal, seen before the throne, which no breath of violence or discord ever disturbs, we have then a representation, not only of the purity but of the peace prevailing throughout those heavenly regions, where the divine being manifests himself as the spirit of love, as well as the source of all power. To obtain a just idea of the peace and blessedness of the heavenly state, as compared with the condition of the world, we must contrast this picture with that given by Daniel of the four winds striving with all opposition and violence upon the great sea; out of which troubled source have arisen the four great powers which have successively held the dominion of this world.

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offices cannot however in any manner be so fully and distinctly set forth as by the use of a separate and distinct symbol for each of them. Thus Christ is spoken of in this vision in his regal character under the title of the Lion of the tribe of Judah;" and is represented also in the same character, as sitting upon a throne; but in his priestly office he is represented as a Lamb that had been slain," standing by the side of the throne, having seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God. We have already considered the church of the departed saints in the former of these two characters of which they are made to partake with Christ, and under which they are represented like him as sitting upon thrones; we are now called upon to contemplate them as partaking of his priestly character, acting under the strong power and influence of the Spirit of God, and here represented, like the Lamb in whose seven horns were seven eyes, under the symbol of four animals or living creatures, full of eyes; which are in our translation of Ezekiel xv. 19, &c. correctly denominated Living Creatures," though the corresponding term is here unsuitably rendered Beasts."

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The Holy Spirit is we find spoken of in Scripture under those symbols which are most pure and impalpable, as by a rushing mighty wind, which, though invisible, is so powerful in its effects. By fire also, from its being unsubstantial, and from its powerful, purifying, enlightning and vivifying influences. Water also, from its purity, and purifying properties, is another emblem; as is also, oil, in reference to the pure flame which it produces, and, in the case of the holy anointing oil, the grateful perfume it yielded. But the only solid substance used to represent the Spirit of God, is the eye

of man; a substance which should hardly be called a substance, but rather embodied life; and so appropriate an emblem of spirit, or of the Holy Spirit, has the eye of man appeared, that it is used in ordinary symbolical language as the type of wisdom, intelligence, and divine prescience. That the eye is here used absolutely to signify the Holy Spirit is shewn by the fact, that the Living Creatures are said to be full of eyes, not only before and behind but within also; which we cannot explain by referring to the use of the eye, but must interpret by simply substituting the word Holy Spirit for that symbol, and say, that the church in heaven are here represented as filled and thoroughly imbued with the Holy Spirit. Which thing is equally declared in the vision of Ezekiel, when it is said of the Cherubim that " their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, full of eyes round about."

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On referring to other representations of the Cherubim we shall find, that in the tabernacle and in the temple they were above the ark and mediatorial throne on which Christ manifested himself; while in the vision described in Ezek. I. 26; IX. 18, they are represented as beneath the throne and in the vision under consideration they are seen by St. John as in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, or rather, (as it should be rendered,) in the circle of the throne; these several variations in the description tending to shew, that the only permanent idea designed to be enforced is that of the throne of Christ and his saints being one and the same. A similar remark may be made upon the circumstance, that in the tabernacle and in the temple the Cherubim were only two, which were beaten out of the same piece of gold,

and looked towards each other; but in the vision of Ezek. 1. 10 they were four, each having the four faces of a Man, a Lion, an Ox, and an Eagle; while again in this vision, though they are four in number, each has the appearance of one only of these four animals.-These differences apparently intimate that the only permanent idea meant to be conveyed is, that the whole constitute one symbolical elect body, by whatever number of individual forms it may be represented. A third variation to be noticed is, that in the vision of Ezekiel the four Cherubim are accompanied by four wheels, which are represented as partaking of the same spirit with the Cherubim themselves: for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels; and of which it is also said that "as for their rings they were so high that they

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were dreadful." (Ezek. 1. 8.) And they appear to occupy the same place in this vision as the elders do in that of St. John, the one combined symbol of the Cherubim full of eyes, accompanied by or guiding these dreadful and awful wheels full of eyes, thus appearing to represent, equally with the two separate and distinct symbols of the Apocalyptic vision, the church in heaven exercising both the regal and priestly office in subordination to Christ, who as the creator and governor of the world directs and overrules the events of all ages; or as the poet expresses it,

"Whose hands the wheels of nature guide, With an unerring skill; And thousand worlds extended wide, Obey his sovereign will." Neither are these various descriptions of the exercise of the attribute of power by the church altogether without a difference of meaning; for in the wheels we may see the exercise of Christ's power over inanimate and over animate but irrational nature, governing and sustaining all things in their due course

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