CHAPTER 1

TITLE. or . was the title of the book in the second century, cf. Iren. !"#. " !"#! can. Murat. #!$1 s%. &a'ocaly'se(s) etia* Iohannis et Petri tantu* reci'i*us+! Tert. adv. Marc. ,! &a'ocaly'sin eius -arcion res'uit.+ $ %# &'((&%) *&#( etc. are *anifestly due to later transcribers. + *&#( as a distincti.e title of /t 0ohn is 'erha's not earlier than the end of cent. ,. 1see e22. in /uicer, s.v.34 in Eus. praep. ev. 11!15 the E.an6elist *&(&,, but the writer of Hebrews is - *&#(. 1:13. /7PER/CRIPTI89. 1. .% /"%) occurs here only in this book. The noun is rare in literary :reek, but 0ero*e;s dictu* 1in Gal. 1!11 s%.3 &.erbu* i'su* 0& ... 'ro'rie scri'turaru* est eta nullo sa'ientu* saeculi a'ud :raecos usur'atu*+ is too swee'in6, for it is found in Plutarch mor. $# <. In the L==. 0& is far *ore fre%uent than 0&, and the noun is used

eu'he*istically for in 1 Re6n. >#!"#, and *eta'horically in /irach 111!>$, >>!>>, ,>!134 in the 9.T. in a *eta'horical sense is fairly co**on 1Lc.1, Paul1,, Pet.", A'oc.13. The E'istles use it in reference to 113 the re.elation of :od 1Ro*. >! 3, of Christ 11 Cor. 1!$, > Th. 1!$, 1 Pet. 1!$, 1!1", ,!1"3, and of the /aints 1Ro*. ?!153, which is to be *ade at the Parousia4 and 1>3 any re.elation now *ade to the Church 1Ro*. 1@!> , 1 Cor. 1,!@, 1,!>@, > Cor. 1>!1, 1>!$, :al. 1!1>, >!>, E'h. "!"3 throu6h the /'irit as a &1 0& 1E'h. 1!1$3. The corres'ondin6 2"%1 was e2ercised not only by A'ostles 1> Cor. 1>!$, :al. >!>3, but at ti*es as it a''ears by ordinary belie.ers in the con6re6ation 1cf. 1 Cor. 1,!>@ 3 %4"2.%*& 5% ... 62&3. In this sense is cou'led with other 6ifts, such as (7%) "8.&9) ::2; 11 Cor. 1,!@3, 1#) (7%%) !"1.&9 1ib. >@3, <%9 1> Cor. 1>!13, %89 1E'h. 1!1$3. Here the e2act *eanin6 de'ends u'on the inter'retation of the 6eniti.e. Is .% /"% the 6en. of obAect or of subAectB Cr Hort 1on 1 Pet. 1!$3 inclines to the for*er, but the ne2t words, = 6:& ., see* to be decisi.e. The book is a Ci.ine re.elation of which 0esus Christ was the 6i.er4 cf. :al. 1!1>, where :> 0& . /. *eans Dby re.elation fro* 0. C.; 1Li6htfoot3, in contrast with teachin6 recei.ed "? *"@. The title *i6ht ha.e been .%, thou6h the instinct of the Church has ri6htly substituted the na*e of the disci'le throu6h who* the *essa6e was deli.ered. = 6:& 'A B *&# .) Arethas! :4: 1C "? "D A EA) :4: :C "? E F1, , :0 '. The <ather is the ulti*ate Re.ealer 1-t. 11!> &3, the /on the *ediu* throu6h Eho* the re.elation 'asses to *en 1ib. >$ G H? I0. B ED 08, cf. 0o. 1!1? 1(& *&D ... H&, HJ.(;%3. That the /on recei.es what He is and has fro* the <ather is the constant teachin6 of the :os'el of /t 0ohn 1"!" , !># ff., !>@, $!1@, ?!>?, 1>!,5, 1@!1 , 1$!> ff.4 cf. Fede! &Iohannes *ore suo filii 6loria* ad 'atre* referens+34 for a state*ent of the

doctrine in its relation to the Christolo6y of the Creeds see Hooker E. P. ! , ff. The 'articular re.elation now about to be *ade was 6i.en to 0esus Christ that it *i6ht be co**unicated 1:&,JKL :&9JM, palam facere3 to the ser.ants of :od 1'K *&, cf. >>!@3, i.e., 'ri*arily the Christian 'ro'hets 1see A*os "!$ ' 1 ;%& 0" B *&D "N(1 H? 1 08M :&9 "D :0 ' O "8;, and A'oc. 1#!$, 11!1?, >>!@3, but not to the e2clusion of the other *e*bers of the Church4 in $!" E : *& F17 are the whole co*'any of the sealed,

and the readin6 of G 1P(93 is doubtless a true 6loss in this 'lace. Q :&, (&4%* H 2&, the contents of the A'ocaly'se. R&, (&4%* is fro* Can. >!>?, see -c. 1"!$, note4 :&, denotes not the necessity of a blind &E1"14., but the sure fulfil*ent of the 'ur'ose of :od re.ealed by the Pro'hets4 cf. -c. ?!"1, 5!11, 1"!1#, Lc. >,!>@, 0o. 1>!",. To this the keen ho'e of 'ri*iti.e Christianity adds H 2& 1Lc. 1?!?, Ro*. 1@!>#, A'oc. >>!@3, another 8.T. 'hrase 1Ceut. , 0os.>, 1 Re6n.1, Ps.1, /ir.1, Far.", EH.13, which *ust be inter'reted here and in >>!@ relati.ely to Ci.ine *easure*ents of ti*e 1Arethas, "1&"7 ? *"@ , *&93. H%;1& %&9, sc. .% /"%#. The Latin significavit nuntianda see*s to i*'ly a readin6 %&,, with B *&# as the subAect. Eith H%;1& co*'are the use of the .erb in 0o. 1>!"", 1?!">, >1!15, and in Acts 11!>? H%;1& :? &01. Here the *essa6e is sent by Christ :? ((4 ', cf. Featus! &non co6itatione conce'ts res est, non ali%uibus scri'turaru* car*inibus4 sed 'er an6elu*, id est, 'uritatis suae nuntin* I Ioanni directa est+4 see -t. 1"!,1, -c. 1"!>$, A'oc. >>!1@. %4& : 1J , , E2od. ,!1", > /a*. 11!1,, 1>!> , 1 !"@3, cf. -t. 11!> 41 :? 7 1*.7 ', Acts 11!"# <%&9& ... :? 2&"D S"I 0. <or A :0T ' M see Ro*. 1!1, 0as. 1!1, 0ude 1. 0ohn is na*ed a6ain in 1!,, 1!5 and >>!?4 the %uestion of his identity with the A'ostle is discussed in the Introduction. The 6enesis of the A'ocaly'se has now been traced fro* its ori6in in the -ind of :od to the *o*ent when it reached its hu*an inter'reter. 2. U H1"0".%& D #( .) V") 1""&,) 1""9, are fre%uent in the A'ocaly'se, as in other 0ohannine books4 the .erb is usually followed by &"9 or 3, but the co6nate acc. occurs a6ain in 1 0o. !1#, A'oc. >>!1@, >>!>#. $D #( ... 1""9, i.e. the re.elation i*'arted by :od and attested by Christ4 the 'hrase occurs a6ain, with so*e *odifications in for* or *eanin6, in 1!5, @!5, 1>!1$, >#!,. This word and witness reached 0ohn in a .ision 13% &W:&! the readin6 3% & &W:& has arisen fro* a *isunderstandin63. XW:& strikes a note which is heard re'eatedly throu6hout the book 1cf. 1!1>, 1!1$, 1!15 f., ,!1, !1 f., etc.3 and indicates its 6eneral character, which is that of a 'ro'hetic .ision 1cf. Isa. 1!13. The aorist H1"0".%& is e'istolary4 fro* the reader;s 'oint of .iew 0ohn;s testi*ony was borne at the ti*e when the book was written. 3. 1" B (@% .) <elicitation of the reader and hearers of the .ision. + (@% is not the 'ri.ate student 1cf. -c. 1"!1,, note3, but, as E . shews, the 'erson who reads aloud in the con6re6ation. The Church inherited the 0ewish 'ractice of readin6 in the con6re6ation 1cf. E2od. >,!$, 9eh. ?!>, Lc. ,!1@, Acts 1"!1 ,

1 !>1, > Cor. "!1 3, and e2tended it to such Christian docu*ents as A'ostolic letters 1Col. ,!1@, 1 Th. !>$, and see also 0ustin ap. 1!@$, Cionys. Cor. a'. Eus. H. E. ,!>"34 and the writer of the A'ocaly'se clearly desires to encoura6e this 'ublic use of his book. The reader 1 (@%., lector3, soon ac%uired an official 'osition, and beca*e a *e*ber of the clerus 1Tert. de praescr. ,14 see Eordsworth, Ministry of Grace, '. 1?$ f.3. Fut no such character was attributed to hi* in the first century4 in the A'ostolic Church as in the /yna6o6ue the readin6 of the /cri'tures was 'robably de'uted by the 'resbyters or the 'resident to any *e*ber of the con6re6ation who was able and willin6 to 'erfor* it. The 1"%1# of the reader 11"J a as in Ceut. ""!>5, Ps. 1!13 is e2tended to the hearers if they kee' what they ha.e heard. There is here a scarcely doubtful reference to our Lord;s sayin6 in Lc. 11!>? 1" E 0& D #( *& 8%%&, thou6h the 0ohannine ."&, 10o. ?! 1 f., 1,!>", 1 !>#, 1$!@, 1 0o. >! , etc.3 takes the 'lace of 8%%&. The thou6ht is worked out by /t 0a*es 11!>> f..3 $Y "8.&9! the A'ocaly'tist clai*s for his book that it shall take rank with the 'ro'hetic books of the 8.T.4 cf. > Chr. ">!"> H Z "8.&9[ \%9, /ir. prol. 1 E "8.&,. The clai* is re'eated in A'oc. >>!$, >>!1#, >>!1? f. + (?" "D H((0! a *oti.e for hearin6 and kee'in6! the season 1cf. 11!1?, >>!1#4 Acts 1!$3 for the fulfil*ent of the .ision is at hand4 the ho'es and fears which it arouses belon6 to the near future4 cf. Featus! &'erficientibus eni* non lon6u* te*'us re*unerationis facit.+ The words, like H 2& 1v. 13, are re'eated in >>!1#. They rest ulti*ately on such sayin6s of Christ as -c. 1"!>? f. and are a*on6 the co**on'laces of 'ri*iti.e Christianity4 cf. Ro*. 1"!11, 1 Cor. $!>5, Phil. ,! 1where see Li6htfoot;s note3. 48. THE ERITER;/ :REETI9: T8 THE CH7RCHE/ ACCRE//EC . 4. . , !? H.%9 .) The custo*ary for* for be6innin6 a letter4 cf. :al. 1!1 ... , H.%9 Y ]9, 1 Th. 1!1, . Z H.%9[ ^&%%4, 1 Cor. 1!1, > Cor. 1!1, I6n. Eph. 1 etc. The A'ocaly'se is in fact a letter fro* 1!, onwards, thou6h we are not re*inded of the fact till we reach the closin6 benediction 1>>!>134 it *i6ht ha.e borne the title "D ? _` H.%9, or "D %0. a %9 in the Fooks of -accabees 11 -acc. ?!@, 11!1", 1>!"5, 1"!">4 > -acc. "!", 1#!>,4 " -acc. "!1,4 , -acc. "!>#3 is conter*inous with the e*'ire of the /eleucids. Fut before 9.T. ti*es it had ac%uired another *eanin6. The Ro*ans identified Asia with the Per6a*ene kin6do*, and when in F.C. 1>5 the 'ossessions of Attalus ". 'assed into their hands, they 6a.e the na*e to the new 'ro.ince. The 'ro.ince of Asia at first included only the western seaKboard of Asia -inor, but after F.C. ,5 two dioeceses of Phry6ia were added to it4 see Cic. pro Flacco >$ &Asia .estra constat e2 Phry6ia -ysia Caria Lycia.+ In the 9.T. F %9 is always Proconsular Asia, with the 'ossible e2ce'tion of Acts >!5, where Phry6ia a''ears to be definitely e2cluded. In addition to the cities na*ed below in v. 11, there were Christian co**unities at Troas 1Acts >#! ff., > Cor. >!1>3, Hiera'olis and Colossae 1Col. 1!1, >!1, ,!1"3, 'ossibly also at

-a6nesia and Tralles4 and the %uestion arises why 0ohn addresses only the se.en churches which are s'ecified 1, !? H.%93. The selection *ay 'artly be e2'lained by circu*stances4 Troas lay far off the road which the *essen6er would naturally follow, while Hiera'olis and Colossae were so near to Laodicea and -a6nesia and Tralles to E'hesus that they *i6ht be disre6arded. The se.en Churches addressed were fairly re'resentati.e of Asiatic Christianity4 and as Ra*say 'oints out 1Exp. 15#,, 1. '. >53, the &se.en cities were the best 'oints of co**unication with se.en districts.+ Let the re'eated occurrence of the nu*ber se.en in this book 11!,b, 1!1>, 1!1@, ,! , !1, !@, ?!>, 1#!", 11!1", 1>!", 1"!1, 1,!@ f.3 su66ests a further reason for the li*itation. /e.en, the nu*ber of the days of the week, 'resented to the /e*itic *ind the idea of co*'leteness 1Adrian Isagoge ?" F ("8 ... D !? "*1D ... 4(& ... H && "*13 Thus &the se.en Churches+ *ay re'resent to us not only the Churches of Asia as a whole, but 1can. Murat. $ f.3 all the Churches of Christ4 and Andreas is 'robably not alto6ether wide of the *ark when he writes! :? !I:1 "*1 D 1%D 7 P2Y H.%7 %.19. Cf. Pri*asius! &id est, uni ecclesiae se'tifor*i4 se'tenario nu*ero sae'e uni.ersitas fi6uratur+4 and Ru'ert of CeutH! &ide* nobis sit ac si di2erit DIoannes o*nibus ecclesiis %uae sunt in *undo;+4 cf. Featus! &%uid sibi Asianus 'o'ulus esse .idetur ut solus susci'ere re.elatione* a'ostolica* *ereaturB+ Fut any such a''lication of , !? H.%9 is only in the back6round of the words4 as they stand, they ha.e a definite reference fro* which they *ust not be di.erted to *ystical uses. /" b1, &c";.. /o all the Pauline E'istles o'en e2ce't 1, > Ti*., where and in > 0o. we find 2" 6& &c";.. The sa*e salutation is used in 1, > Peter4 /t 0a*es 'refers the classical 29"& 1Acts 1 !>", 0ac. 1!13. D B d B e B H"2#1& i.e. D *& "# 1Ro*. 1!$, 1 Cor. 1!" etc.3. That this is the true inter'retation a''ears fro* D . /. which follows4 the .iew of Andreas 1 D Y "%% *&#.3, and that of Pri*asius 1&ad 'ersona* ta*en filii hic 'ro'rie redi6endus est locus+3 are e%ually e2cluded by the conte2t. As to the 'hrase itself, B f is the L==. renderin6 of in E2od. "!1,4 cf. Philo de Abr. >, H , E&", ("8, "9T <#1 &, + f. A%uila, howe.er, followed by Theodotion, translated,

by 6%1 gUh 6%1, and the Tar6u*s read into the words a
reference to the infinite 'ast and future o f :od;s eternal Dnow;4 thus the 0erusale* Tar6u* inter'rets &%ui fuit est et erit, + and the T. of 0onathan on Ceut. ">!"5 renders &e6o ille %ui est et %ui fuit et %ui erit.+ /i*ilar descri'tions of the Ci.ine Life are cited fro* :reek 'oetry, e.6. the oracle in Paus. 1#!1> i&O e) i&O 6%) i&O 6%%&, and the 8r'hic lines i&O "7 (4&) i&O j% "24"k M i&O &8;) i&O 14%. Thus the A'ocaly'tist strikes a note fa*iliar both to 0ewish and :reek ears. Fut he e2'resses his thou6ht more suo! B e 1Fenson! Dthe Eas;3 is a characteristically bold atte*'t to su''ly the want of a 'ast 'art. of &c19, while B H"2#1& is 'erha's 'referred to B H%#1& because it adu*brates at the outset the 6eneral 'ur'ose of the book, which is to e2hibit the co*in6s of :od in hu*an history4 if 6"2&%* is used elsewhere chiefly of the /on, the <ather also *ay be said to Exp. The Expositor.

co*o when He re.eals Hi*self in His workin6s4 cf. e.6. 0o. 1,!>" gH(l h B ;" 1 ... H&%#1&*. As a whole the 'hrase e2hibits the Ci.ine Life under the cate6ories into which it falls when it beco*es the subAect of hu*an thou6ht, which can concei.e of the eternal only in the ter*s of ti*e. /uch a title of the Eternal <ather stands fitly a*on6 the first words of a book which re.eals the 'resent in the li6ht both of the 'ast and of the future. The construction D B f . *ust be e2'lained by re6ardin6 the whole 'hrase as an indeclinable noun 1Niteau, tude, >. ''. 1>, 1>@34 a *oro e2act writer would 'erha's ha.e said D + f . 1cf. E-. '. $5 f.3. D 7 !? &1 .) Cf. "!1, ,! , !@, where after . the writer adds *&. 0ewish an6elolo6y reco6nised se.en an6els of the Presence 1Tob. 1>!1 , Enoch >#!$, 5#!>14 cf. Tar6u* 0on. on :en. 11!$! &di2it Ceus .ii an6elis %ui stant cora* illo+3. /e.en an6els are *entioned in A'oc. ?!> ff., 1 !1 ff.4 and so*e early inter'reters were dis'osed to identify the &se.en s'irits of :od+ with such a 6rou' of an6elic bein6s. Thus Andreas! !? :C &01 O !? ((4 &, :#, and Arethus *ore confidently! :1@&" :C ((4 &,, ur6in6 that m H% H@ *"# i*'lies c& J) ' c%#1. Fut a6ainst this .iew *ust be set 113 the descri'tion of the Dse.en s'irits; in c. !@, with ob.ious reference to Oech. ,!1#4 and 1>3 the a''arent coordination of the s'irits in this 'lace with the <ather and the /on. Fousset finds a 'arallel to this in 0ustin, ap. 1!@, but 0ustin;s Christolo6y is less consistent than that of the A'ocaly'se, where Christ is distin6uished fro* the an6els 1see u'on this the notes to c. >>!? f., >>!1@3. -oreo.er the 9.T. rarely uses &01 of an6els4 Heb. 1!$, 1!1, is based on a %uotation, and in A'oc. 1@!1" f. &01 is %ualified by *" or :19, which re*o.es all a*bi6uity. 8n the whole, therefore, it is safer to acce't the alternati.e followed by the best Latin co**entators, Nictorinus, Pri*asius, A'rin6ius, Featus 1&sanctus scilicet /'iritus unus in no*ine, .irtutibus se'tifor*is+3 and offered by Andreas 1n% :C !4" .*;%& ... :? ... 7 !? &1 7 H&"(&7 P(9 &01 g%.114h3. Ee *ay co*'are Heb. >!, &01 P(9 1&"%1,, 1 Cor. 1>!1# :"9%& &1, ib. 1,!"> &01 "8.7, A'oc. >>!@ B *&D 7 &1 7 "8.7. Here the Ds'irits; are se.en, because the Churches in which they o'erate are se.en. An early inter'retation connected the* with the as'ects of the enu*erated in Isa. 11!> L==.4 cf. 0ustin, dial. ?$, and Ps.KHi''olytus 1ed. La6arde, '. 15?3, where the 'assa6e in Isaiah is %uoted in the for* 0%& H> 'D !? &01 *&. Hence the !piritus septiformis of Latin de.otional theolo6y. Fut there is nothin6 to shew that the writer of the A'ocaly'se had Isa. l.c. in his thou6hts4 *oreo.er the se'tchary nu*ber a''ears there only in the L==., to which co*'arati.ely little wei6ht is assi6ned in this book. Q H@ *"# ' antici'ates the .ision of ,!>, ,! , ".v. The readin6s 7) Q H% o&c%p, are 6ra**atical corrections for the rou6her m! for the o*ission of the .erb cf. c. !1" N 9%1 U H . 9estle 1#ext. $rit. '. ""13 su66ests that the ori6inal readin6 was . WM. Winer-Moulton, Grammar of N. T. Greek, 8th Engl. ed. (Edinburgh, 1877).

5. D . /".) B 1" B %#) :race and 'eace co*e also fro* the Person who recei.ed and co**unicated the re.elation. D . /"., as in the Pauline for* of salutation fro* Ro*. 1!$ onwards4 /t 0ohn 1> 0o. "3 has " in the sa*e sense. /ince our Lord is the *ediu* rather than the source of the Ci.ine fa.our we *i6ht ha.e e2'ected :, as in 0o. 1!1$ F 2" F ;*& :? . /". H(4&. Fut the /on in His oneness with the <ather *ay also be re6arded as the source of the 6ifts which He co**unicates. <ro* this 'oint the full title .% /"%# disa''ears, unless we read it in the closin6 benediction 1>>!>134 elsewhere throu6hout the A'oc. .% stands alone 11!5 bis, 1>!1$, 1,!1>, 1$!@, 15!1# bis, >#!,, >>!1@, >>!>#3Pa use elsewhere li*ited with few e2ce'tions to the :os'els and the E'. to the Hebrews. It *ay be the 'ur'ose of the writer to e*'hasiHe in this way the hu*anity of the 6lorified Christ, and His identity with the historical Person who li.ed and suffered. + 1" B %#, and the other no*inati.es which follow, are the first e2a*'les of an ano*aly which is co**on in the A'oc.4 cf. >!1", >!>#, "!1> etc. /uch irre6ularities *ay be 'artly attributable to /e*itic habits of thou6htPa :reek could scarcely ha.e 'er*itted hi*self to use the*4 but they are 'artly due to the character of the book and 'erha's are 'arenthetic rather than solecistic. /ee Archb'. Fenson;s re*ark, Apocalypse, '. 1," ff.! &the see*in6 7n6ra**ar of the A'ocaly'se is (so*eti*es) no such thin6.+ V" looks back to v. > 1""9 .%, but the 'hrase B 1. B %# has a wider reference4 cf. 0o. "!11, "!"> f., ?!1, f., 1?!"$, 1 Ti*. @!1"4 so Nictorinus! &in ho*ine susce'to 'erhibuit testi*oniu* in *undo+4 we are re*inded also of Pro.. 1,! , a , Isa. !, , a . It occurs a6ain in c. "!1, 1".v.3, where it is a*'lified 1B 1;) B 1" B . .*#3. B "# 7 &"7) /o /t Paul in Col. 1!1? 3 H% F "2;) "# H 7 &"7, and 1 Cor. 1 !># H(;(&" H &"7) "2 7 &1.14. Thou6h others had risen, those e.6. who were raised by Hi*, yet as Alcuin 1%uoted by Trench3 well obser.es, &nullus ante i'su* non *oriturus surre2it.+ In His ca'acity of Dfirstborn; 0esus is also B -"2 7 I%4 Y (Y. Here 0ohn follows another line of thou6ht, su66ested by Ps. ??. 1?5.3 >? (l "# 1 3 *;%1 '#) b.D "? 1 3 , I%&% Y (Y. The Resurrection carried with it a 'otential lordshi' o.er all hu*anity 1Ro*. 1,!53, not only o.er the Church 1Col. l.c.3. The Lord won by His Ceath what the Te*'ter had offered Hi* as the reward of sin 1-t. ,!? f.34 He rose and ascended to recei.e uni.ersal e*'ire4 cf. c. 15!1>, 15!1@ H &8 ' ::;1 ... 62& ... q1 (&("114 S%&O I%4. The words B -"2 . I. Y (Y, imperator regum terrae, stand a''ro'riately at the head of a book which re'resents the 6lorified Christ as 'residin6 o.er the destinies of nations. The threefold title 1" ... "# ... -"2 answers to the threeKfold 'ur'ose of the A'ocaly'se, which is at once a Ci.ine testi*ony, a re.elation of the Risen Lord, and a forecast of the issues of history. A (7 F1N .) The first of the *any do2olo6ies of the book 1,!11, !5, !1> f., $!1#, $!1> etc.3 is offered to 0esus Christ. &To Hi* that lo.es us andPthe crucial instance of His lo.ePloosed us fro* our sins at the cost of His blood.+ The

readin6 (;%, thou6h it re'resents a fact 10o. 1"!1, 1"!",, 1 !5, Ro*. ?!"$, A'oc. "!53 *isses the contrast between the abidin6 (. and the co*'leted act of rede*'tion. Fetween 0% and 0% it is not so easy to decide. 0& P1"9 is Fiblical, see 0ob ,>!5 1L==.3, and the construction 0& # occurs in Lc. 1"!1@, 1 Cor. $!>$4 cf. A'oc. >#!$ *;%& H Y 8Y. 8n the other hand 0% yields a 6ood sense, and 'resents a *ore usual *eta'hor4 cf. Ps. #. 1 1.3 ,, Isa. 1!1@, 1!1?, 1 Cor. @!11, E'h. !>@, Tit. "! , Heb. 1#!>>4 but it rests on inferior authority and *ay be &due to failure to understand the Hebraic use of H to denote a 'rice I and a natural *isa''lication of $!1,+ 1EH.>, %otes, '. 1"@4 cf. 9estle, #extual $riticism, '. "">3. It is interestin6 to find Plato by a 'lay u'on the words brin6in6 to6ether the two .erbs in a .ery si*ilar conne2ion! $rat. ,# F ' B *9" *&D B 0 & 0 7 0 7 n r &n.s /uch a 'assa6e ser.es at least to account for the .acillation of the scribes4 cf. Arethas! :%%("8&, "D :8" 6. t A L1! the blood, e*ble* of the sacrificed life, was the 0" 1-c. 1#!, , note4 cf. Ro*. !5, 1 Pet. 1!15, 1 0o. 1!$34 for H Dat the 'rice of; 1J !5 u(#"% A *&A H A L19 %. The 6ift of -8&% P1"7 bestowed u'on the Church on the .ery day of the Resurrection 10o. >#!>"3 was an i**ediate result of the Dloosin6; effected by the Cross4 cf. 0o. 11!,, 0%& 'D -8&&, and Au6. ad loc. 6. H9.%& F1N I%&9) E&"&, .) Featus! &%uia 'ro nobis 'assus est et resurre2it a *ortuis, nostru* re6nu* i'sc constru2it.+ The construction of the sentence re%uires ;%, but the writer more suo 1see on v. , B 1"3 suffers the new thou6ht that rises in his *ind to take the for* of a 'arenthesis. As the a''aratus criticus testifies, early students of the book were dri.en to des'air by the words which follow. They rest on E2od. 15!@ &ye shall be to -e a kin6do* of 'riests+ 1 , N L== I%9& E&"&1, A%. I%&9 E&"4, /y**., Th. I%&9 E&"&,, 6. regnum sacerdotale3. E2od. l.c. is %uoted also in 1 Pet. >!5 1where see Hort;s note3, A'oc. !5 1I%&9 E&"&,3, &ubilees 1@!1" 1ed. Charles, '. 11@ note3. As Cr Hort

3 see 1 Chron. >1!>,, 0er. "5. 1">.3 ,,, A'oc.

has shewn, the L==. 'robably read , and the sa*e readin6 is re'resented by Th. and in the A'oc. 1on the fre%uent a6ree*ent of the latter with Th. see /al*on, Introd. to the %.#.$, '. ,? ff., and the writer;s Introd. to the '.#. in Gree(, '. ,?3. It is a further %uestion whether I%&9 in this 'assa6e *eans a nation under the 6o.ern*ent of a kin6, or a nation of kin6s4 for the latter inter'retation see the 0er. Tar6u* cited by Charles l.c. 1 3. Fut, as Hort obser.es, &in E2odus DQin6do*; is little *ore than a synony* of D'eo'le; or nation, with the idea of 6o.ern*ent by a kin6 added+4 and this sense suits the 'resent conte2t. The A'oc. is lar6ely a 'rotest a6ainst the CaesarKcult and the attitude of the E*'ire towards the Church, and it sets the Ci.ine Qin6do* in shar' contrast to the i*'erial 'ower. As Israel when set free fro* E6y't ac%uired a national life under its Ci.ine Qin6, so the Church, redee*ed by the Flood of Christ, constituted a holy nation, a new theocracy. WH. Westcott and Hort, N.T. in Greek second edition (1896). g. The !atin ulgate.

v&"&, stands in a''osition to I%&9s E&" 1/yrr., 3, E&"&, are needless atte*'ts to sa.e the 6ra**ar. The *e*bers of the Church, a Qin6do* in their cor'orate life, are indi.idually 'riests4 as Fede truly says! &ne*o sanctoru* est %ui s'iritualiter sacerdotii officio careat, cu* sit *erebru* aeterni /acerdotis.+ Fa'tis* inau6urates this 'riestly ser.ice 1E'h. !>@, Heb. 1#!>>, Tit. "! 3, which is fulfilled by the offerin6 of li.in6, reasonable, and s'iritual sacrifices 1Ro*. 1>!1, Heb. 1"!1 f., 1 Pet. >! 3. These are 'resented to the :od and <ather of 0esus Christ. ' should 'robably be taken with A *&A as well as with A "9 10o. >#!1$, A'oc. "!1>34 if the Incarnate /on is not asha*ed to call *en His brethren 1Heb. >!113, neither is He asha*ed to call the <ather His :od. <ro* another 'oint of .iew the Christian 'riesthood is e2ercised towards both the <ather and the /on, see c. >#!@ 6% E&"&, *& 2"%. Thus the Church, like Israel, is a 6reat sacerdotal society. That there are s'ecial *inistries within the body which belon6 to an ordained clerus, an E&""(9 &'((&9 co**itted to A'ostles and their successors 1Ro*. 1 !1@3, in no way conflicts with the reality of the 'riesthood which is the 'ri.ile6e of e.ery ba'tiHed *e*ber of Christ. 'A F :#J D " .) /c. A (7 F1N 0% . i.e. to 0esus Christ. The A'oc. freely associates Christ with the <ather in do2olo6ies4 cf. !1" f., $!1#. An e%ually une%ui.ocal instance is to be found in > Pet. "!1?4 others which are cited fro* the A'ostolic writin6s 11 Pet. ,!11, Ro*. 1@!>$, Heb. 1"!>1, > Ti*. ,!1?3 are for .arious reasons o'en to doubt. The si*'le for*ula F :#J &c O c7 g7 c@h is found in , -acc. 1?!>,, Ro*. l.c., :al. 1! , etc.4 D " is added in 1 Pet. l.c., and other a*'lifications occur 1cf. -t. @!1", T.R., 1 Ti*. 1!1$, @!1@, 0ude > , A'oc. !1", $!1>34 for further details see Chase, )ord*s Prayer in the Early $hurch, '. 1@? ff. 1; is well su''orted at the end of nearly all the 9.T. do2olo6ies4 it had taken its 'lace at once in the worshi' of the Church as the H&8;1.% of the 'ri.ate *e*bers to the 'rayer or thanks6i.in6 of the 'residin6 A'ostle 'ro'het or 'resbyter 11 Cor. 1,!1@4 0ustin, ap. 1!@ 3. 7. c:O 6"2& 1&? 7 &8&7) To the do2olo6y the writer adds a forecast of the co*in6 of the Lord, to which he 'oints as if it were already in si6ht. The words are fro* Can. $!1" Th. H*&@" ... c:O 1&? 1L==. H93 7 &8&7 '" w ED *"@ H"2#1& 1cf. -c. 1"!>@, 1,!@>, notes4 Acts 1!5 ff., 1 Thess. ,!1$3. The note thus sounded at the outset of the book is re'eated *ore than once at the end 1>>!$, >>!1>, >>!>#3. q& 'D N <8*1# .) Eith Can. l.c. the A'ocaly'tist co*bines Oech. 1>!1#. His re*iniscence of Oech. a6rees with the for* which the words take in 0o. 15!"$ q &c U HJ&4.% 1 ,3, a6ainst the L==. HI4 "D

1C *> x "2;% 1 ,3. Oahn 1Einleitung, >. '. @"3 ar6ues that /t 0ohn translated direct fro* the Hebrew, usin6 a te2t which read as -.T.4 but as HJ&4.% a''ears also in A%. and Th., and in an inde'endent %uotation by 0ustin, dial. ">, it is *ore 'robable that both :os'el and A'ocaly'se were indebted to a :reek .ersion of the 'ro'hecy other than the L==., 'erha's to so*e collection of 'ro'hetic testi*onies. Eith q& 'D N <8*. co*'. +idache 1@!$ #& q& B #%1 D 0"

H"2#1&. L& s'ecifies a class already included in N <8*. 1cf. -c. 1! , note34 L& is 6eneric 1E-., '. >#53, 'ointin6 not so *uch to the ori6inal crucifiers as to those who in e.ery a6e share the indifference or hostility which lay behind the act. # H> 'D 1Dat Hi*,; Nul6. super eum4 cf. 1?!53 N% E 8 Y (Y4 the first three words are fro* Oech. 1>!1> #& F (Y ? 8? 8 -t., who also 1>,!"#3 blends Can. $!1" with Oech. 1>!1#, turns the sentence 'recisely as 0ohn doesPa circu*stance which increases the 'robability that the %uotation ca*e as it stands fro* a book of e2cer'ts. Pri*. renders! &et .idebit eu* o*nis terra tale*+4 other Latin te2ts 6i.e &o*nis taro terrae+ or &o*nes tribus terrae.+ Cid they read q '# and add talem 1i. %. H&.*43 to relie.e the *onotony of the re'eated qB Hi''olytus 1ed. La6. '. 11$3 inter'rets too narrowly! *&% B 7 tI"9 :Y1 #. N% E *9 strikes %uite another note. 9) 1; unites the :reek and Hebrew for*s of affir*ation, as Andreas re*arks! D 'D Z & y.9: Z & tI"zZ (@M H%;1&. A so*ewhat si*ilar co*bination is the II? B ;" of -c. 1,!"@, where see note. The words 9) 1; howe.er, are not %uite synony*ous4 fro* its associations 1; 'ossesses a reli6ious character, which 6i.es it 6reater sole*nity4 cf. > Cor. 1!># 3% (?" H((&9 *&) H 'A D 9k :D :> ' D 1;. Christ is Hi*self B 1; 1"!1,34 B 9 would be felt to be unbeco*in6. Elsewhere in the book 11,!1", 1@!$, >>!>#3 the writer contents hi*self with the si*'le affir*ation which sufficed for Christians in their ordinary intercourse 1-r. !"$, 0as. !1>34 but in this e2tre*ely sole*n announce*ent of the co*in6 Parousia the double asse.eration is in 'lace. 8. H(@ &c1 D -8 D { .) The sole*n o'enin6 of the book reaches its cli*a2 here with words ascribed to the Eternal and Al*i6hty <ather. $D -8 D { is inter'reted by F "2 D 4 1>1!@3, B "7 B 6%2 1>>!1"34 cf. Isa. ,1!,, ,"!1#, ,,!@, ,?!1>. The book bein6 for :reek readers, the first and last letters of the :reek al'habet are used, but there is doubtless a reference to the 0ewish e*'loy*ent of ,4 cf. e.6. &al(ut ,ab. f. 1$. , &Ada*us tota* le6e*

, 34 ib. f. ,?. ,, where the contrary is said of Abraha*. The sy*bol was re6arded as includin6 the
trans6ressus est ab Ale'h us%ue ad Tau+ 1 inter*ediate letters, and stood for totality4 and thus it fitly re'resented the /hekinah 1/choett6en, 1. '. 1#?@3. Early Christian writers enter at lar6e into the *ystical i*'ort of , e.6. Tertullian, de monog. &duas :raecas litteras, su**a* et ulti*a* I sibi induit Co*inus, uti I ostenderet in se esse initii decursu* ad fine*, et finis recursu* ad initiu*4 ut o*nis dis'ositio in eu* desinens 'er %ue* coe'ta est I 'roinde desinat %ue*adK*odu* et coe'it.+ /o Cle*ent of Ale2andria, strom, ,!> R 1 ? s%. w | 6*& k 0 (?" B 'D %7 7 :1& &c | &E14 !14. :? -8 { B #( &n".) } 1# D 4 "2 (9& &&~ H -*& "2;) ':1 :%% I@. /ee also 8ri6en in &oann. t. 1!"1. The 'hrase is seen to e2'ress not eternity only, but infinitude, the boundless life which e*braces all while it transcends all, &fons et clausula o*niu* %uae sunt+ 1Prudentins, cathem. 5!1# ff.3. In >1!@, >>!1", where it occurs a6ain, it is a''lied

to Christ, and this reference is assu*ed by the ancient inter'reters in the 'resent case 1cf. Hi''olytus adv. %oet. 1ed. La6. '. ,?3 &W& "" /"%#, Cle*. Al. strom, ,!> R 1 5, 8ri6. de princ, 1!>, 1!1# &%ui eni* .enturus est, %uis est alius nisi ChristusB+ Andreas! B 2"%D H* :., and the 'assa6es cited abo.e3, but incorrectly, as the ne2t words shew. 4(& 0" B *&#J ! , , a 'hrase s'ecially co**on in EHekiel 1@!", @!11, $!> etc.3 with who* and the rest of the 8.T. 'ro'hets the Christian 'ro'het of the A'ocaly'se associates hi*self by his use of it. + f ., see v. ,, note. + "", which in other books of the 9.T. is found but once and then in a %uotation 1> Cor. @!1?3, occurs a6ain in A'oc. ,!?, 11!1$, 1 !", 1@!$, 1@!1,, 15!@, 15!1 , >1!>>. Like . B *&#) B "" is fro* the 8.T., where the L==. use it for , in 0ob and in the other books for " . . B *&D B . occurs in Hos. 1>! 1@3, and in A*os passim4 in >, " -acc. B . often stands alone. + ""KB "7) B HJ%_ 1Cyril. Hier. catech. ?!"3, the AllKRuler rather than the Al*i6hty 1B :01, /a'. $!>", 11!1$, 1?!1 34 see /uicer ad v., and Qattenbusch, +as apost. !ymbol, >. '. "" f. 920. NI/I89 8< THE RI/E9 A9C :L8RI<IEC CHRI/T . 9. H(l .) B :&8D b17 .) <ro* the ecstatic utterances of vv. $, ? the writer returns to his address to the Churches. t(l . identifies hi* with the 0ohn of vv. >, ,, and is after the *anner of the a'ocaly'tic 'ro'hets when they relate their .isions4 cf. Can. $!>?, ?!1 H(l R;, Enoch 1>!" !%l 1. y@2, , Esdr. >!"" &e6o Esdras acce'i 'raece'tu*, + A'oc. >>!? (l . B 0. + :&8D b17, while not clai*in6 for 0ohn an official character, does not e2clude it4 cf. > Pet. "!1 B (.D F17 :&8D . His 'ur'ose bein6 to establish a co**unity of interests with the Churches, he is content with the title which A'ostles and 'resbyters shared with other Christians 1cf. Acts 1 !>" E #% E "&%I0&" :&8 , ... :&8, ... 29"&3. %# . &, o9) #) #p %&, o#p are Pauline words, but not e2clusi.ely so! cf. 1 Pet. ,!1", !1, 1 0o. 1!", A'oc. 1?!,4 for the construction with H cf. -t. >"!"#. The thou6ht of a 9 in sufferin6 belon6s to the stock of 'ri*iti.e Christian ideas4 see 1 Pet. l.c., > Cor. 1!$, Phil. "!1#, ,!1, %;%& 1 Z *9&. ^9& ... I%&9[ ... b1Z! for *9 see -c. ,!1$, note, 1"!15, 0o. 1@!""4 for I%&9, Lc. 1>!">, >>!>5, 0as. >! , 1 Th. >!1>, > Th. 1! 4 b1; is not less constantly connected with the Christian life 1Lc. ?!1 , >1!15, Ro*. !" F *9 b1 &"(_&, ?!> f., A'oc. >!> f., >!15, "!1#, 1"!1#, 1,!1>3, and with the co*in6 Qin6do* 1> Ti*. >!1> &c b141& %1I%&0%1&3. The ob.ious order is *9) b1;) I%&94 but that which is ado'ted here has the ad.anta6e of lea.in6 on the reader;s *ind the thou6ht of the stru66le which still re*ains before the kin6do* is attained. The Au2ta'osition of *9 and I%&9 1Featus! &retributione* tribulationis re6nu*+3 is %uite usual, cf. Acts 1,!>> :? 7 *9& :&, F1N &c%&*&, &c I%&9 *&. t .%, e%ui.alent to the Pauline H /"%A) H /"%A .%! on the use of the 'ersonal na*e in the A'oc. see v. , note. The whole life of a Christian, whether he suffers or rei6ns or waits, is in union with the life of the Incarnate /on.

H(&#1. H Z ;%T Z . 1T .) Pat*os, Patino, one of the /'orades, thou6h seldo* *entioned by ancient writers 1Thuc. "!"", /trab. 1#! , 1#!1", Plin. H. %. ,!>"3, finds a 'lace in the inscri'tions 1$IG >>@1, >>@> etc.3, and its safe harboura6e *ust ha.e *ade it a 'lace of so*e i*'ortance to na.i6ators4 see Renan, )*Antechrist, '. "$> f., who re*arks! &on a tort de la re'rSsenter co**e un Scueil, co**e un dSsert. Pat*os fut et rede.iendra 'eutKTtre une des stations *ariti*es les 'lus i*'ortantes de l;Archi'el.+ Lyin6 in the Icarian /ea between Icaria and Leros, about ,# *iles /.E. by E. fro* -iletus, it was &the first or last sto''in6K'lace for the tra.eller on his way fro* E'hesus to Ro*e or fro* Ro*e to E'hesus.+ The island for*s a crescent with its horns facin6 eastward 1H. <. ToHer, Islands of the Aegean, '. 1$534 the traditional scene of the A'ocaly'se 1D %; Y 0&3 and the *onastery of /t 0ohn are towards the southern horn. The locality has doubtless sha'ed to so*e e2tent the scenery of the A'ocaly'se, into which the *ountains and the sea enter lar6ely4 see /tanley, !ermons in the East, '. >"#. 0ohn found hi*self 1H(&#1., v. 1#3 in Pat*os, not as a tra.eller or a .isitor, but :? D #( *& 1""9 .%. <or the 'hrase as a whole see v. >, note4 F 1". ., Dthe witness borne by 0esus,; occurs a6ain 1>!1$, 15!1#, >#!,. Here &the word of :od and the witness of 0esus+ are not as in v. > the A'ocaly'se itself, but the 'reachin6 of the :os'el! for B . . *. in this sense cf. 1 0o. >!$, 1 Th. >!1", > Ti*. >!5, and for F 1. . ., 0o. ?!1" f. The *eanin6 *ay be either that 0ohn had 6one to the island to carry the :os'el thither, or that he was sent to Pat*os as an e2ile 1cf. Pliny, l.c.3 because of his 'reachin6. The latter .iew is confir*ed 1a3 by the use of : in @!5, >#!,4 1b3 by %D H Z *9&, which su66ests that the writer has in .iew his own sufferin6s H .%4 1c3 by an early and 'ractically unani*ous tradition of the Church! cf. Tert. de praescr. "@ &a'ostolus Ioannes I in insula* rele6atus, + Cle*. Al. "uis dives ,> " &&;% D Y 1 Y ;% 1&Y*& H 8&%, 8ri6. in Mt. t. 1@!@ B :C 19 I%&0) w F ":% ::%&) &:9%& D . 1"" :? D Y .*&9 #( &c 1 Y%. /ee also Eus. H. E. "!1?4 Hieron. de virr. ill. 1#. 10. H(&#1. H &01 .) XW H &01 is the nor*al condition of Christians, in contrast with &W H %"9 1Ro*. ?!534 (&4%* H . denotes the e2altation of the 'ro'het under ins'iration4 see EH. "!1>, "!1,, "$!1, and cf. Acts ">!1$ H(4& ... (&4%* 1& H H%&Pthe return to a nonKecstatic state bein6 described as H !A (. 1Acts 1>!113. The 'hrase H(. H . is re'eated c. ,!> ".v. t Z "Z F14"[! the second H dates the re.elation4 it was .ouchsafed on the Lord;s Cay4 on the dati.e of ti*e, with or without a 'recedin6 H, see Flass, Gr. '. 115 f. a " F14", the day consecrated to the Lord4 cf. 1 Cor. 11!># ' 6% "D :&, 8(&, Dit is not to eat a /u''er of the Lord.; DThe Lord;s day,; accordin6 to the analo6y of writin6s so*e of which are but a few decades later than the A'oc., is the first day of the week, the day of the Lord;s Resurrection4 cf. +idache 1, ? " :C "9 %2*4& %& -", I6n. Magn. 5 ? " J7& 1see Li6htfoot;s note3, Ev. Petri 5 H48%& F ";, ib. 11 q"*" :C Y "Y4 -elito of /ardis wrote &" "Y 1Eus. H. E. ,!>@3. /ince all the early e2a*'les are fro* Asia -inor, it is not i*'robable that the ter* arose in Asiatic circles4 but before

the end of the second century it was used 6enerally, cf. Cionysius of Corinth ap. Eus. H. E. ,!>" %;1&" ' " P(9 F14" :.((1&, Cle*. Al. strom. $!1>, Tert. cor. ", orat. >", anita. 5 1dies dominicus, or dominicae resurrectionisdominica sollemnia3. To inter'ret H Z "Z F1. here asJH Z "%9[ is contrary to usa6e, besides introducin6 a thou6ht forei6n to the conte2t4 it is not Christ at His co*in6 who is re.ealed, but Christ 'resent with the Church on earth. The e2ile of Pat*os, shut out fro* the weekly Freakin6 of the Fread in the Christian asse*bly at E'hesus, finds the Lord;s Presence in his solitude. Fede! &con6ruu* %uo%ue s'irituali .isioni te*'us indicat.+ % <9% 1 8; .) The /eer follows EH. "!1> 4I4 1& &1) % #%*4 1 % 8;. Cf. Plutarch, )yc. >", cited by Eetstein! % :C 8 %&" *"@ D HJ#%*& H17 'A. The Noice co*es with startlin6 suddenness as fro* one who, a''roachin6 fro* behind, is unobser.ed until he s'eaks. %*& is a correction for the loss e2act <9%! for <9% Dbehind; cf. 1>!1 . V&(.! cf. !>>4 w %(( looks back to the theo'hany of /inai 1E2od. 15!1@ 8 Y %(( 2& 14(! cf. Heb. 1>!15 %(( 2T 8Z .13, but the tru*'et blast had already ac%uired Christian associations 1-t. >,!"1, 1 Th. ,!1@3. Here it is 'robably the .oice of Christ;s An6el 1v. 13 rather than of Christ Hi*self, whose utterance is otherwise described 1v. 1 34 see Fenson, Apocalypse '. 5 n. &(0%. for 4(%, by hy'alla6e4 the true antecedent is not %(( but 8 1&(.. 11. U I4& (" &c II9) The .ision was not for 0ohn;s 'ersonal benefit only, but for trans*ission to the Church4 cf. -c. ,!>>, note. It brou6ht with it to the /eer the res'onsibility of witnessin6 to what he had seen 1v. >3, and the witness *ust be borne in a literary for* 1v. 153. SI9 1cf. !1 ff., 1#!>, 1#!?3, a 'a'yrus roll, as distin6uished fro* a 'arch*ent book4 cf. > Ti*. ,!1" ? II9) 1% ? 1&1I". The A'ocaly'se for*ed a 1#II, the len6th of which &*ay be esti*ated at 1 feet+ 1Qenyon, #ext. $rit. '. "#34 on the len6th to which such rolls so*eti*es ran see the sa*e writer;s Palaeography of Gree( papyri, '. 1$ f. 41 , !? H.%9 .) Cf. v. ,, note. The *essen6er would carry the roll to each of the Churches in turn, and by each it would be read and 'robably co'ied4 cf. Col. ,!1@, Polyc. Phil. 1". His route is indicated by the order in which the Churches are na*ed. /tartin6 fro* E'hesus, he is to 'roceed northward to /*yrna and Per6a*u*, and fro* Per6a*u* in a southKeasterly direction to Thyatira, /ardis, Philadel'hia, and Laodicea, doubtless *akin6 his way back to E'hesus alon6 the .alley of the -aeander4 the re.erse order 1E'hesus, Laodicea, Philadel'hia, /ardis, Thyatira, Per6a*u*, and /*yrna3 would ha.e been less natural in .iew of the i*'ortance of /*yrna and Per6a*u*. As to the roads which connected the se.en cities see Ra*say, History of the Geography of Asia Minor, '. 1@, ff.4 and his art. on ,oads and #ravel in %. #. times, in Hastin6s, +... . /tartin6 fro* E'hesus the CyHican road conducted the tra.eller to Per6a*u*, whence another road led throu6h Thyatira /ardis and Philadel'hia to the .alley of the Lycus. Hastings, ". Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (Edinburgh, 1898#19$%).

The book is sent to the se.eral cities 1&c 8&% .4 on the directire sense of &c see Flass, Gr. '. 1>>, and cf. Acts >1!13, for the use of the Christian co**unities in the* 1, H.%9! cf. :al. 1!>3. 8n the localities see the notes to >!1, >!?, >!1>, >!1?, "!1, "!$, "!1,. 12. H4%"& I4& 8; .) <or H%"48& convertere se cf. Acts 1 !"@, 1@!1?, and for &, 1& 1J # , , :en. "1!>,, "1!>53 see -c. @! # 1note3, 0o. ,!>$, 5!"$, 1,!"#, A'oc. ,!1, 1#!?, 1$!1, >1!5, >1!1 . H&, i.e. 9 e B 7. 8n turnin6, 0ohn;s attention was at first arrested by se.en 6olden la*'stands 1cf. -c. ,!>1, note4 Arethas ad l.! 29 :C '? #1%& ' 02) w Y 29 c&, 87 ' H20%.) > q2.1 1# %. 023. In the L==.

29 answers to , the candelabru* bearin6 se.en la*'s 102, a 3, which accordin6 to P in E2od. > !"@ ff. were 'laced in the Tabernacle outside the second .eil 1cf. Heb. 5!>3. /olo*on;s Te*'le had fi.e 29 on the ri6ht side and fi.e on the left before the oracle 11 Qin6s $!,5J" L==.3, but in Oechariah;s .ision 1,!>3 the one 29 rea''ears with its se.en 024 see also 1 -acc. ,!,5 f., > -acc. 1!?, 1#!"4 0ose'h. .. &. $. . ., and co*'. the re'resentation on the Arch of Titus 1E. Qni6ht, Arch of #., '. 1#5 ff.3. 8ur writer, more suo, takes fro* each source the features which lend the*sel.es to his conce'tionPthe se'tenary nu*ber fro* E2odus and Oechariah, the row of se'arate 29 fro* Qin6s. 8n the *eanin6 of the sy*bol see v. >#. 13. H 14%T 7 27 31 ED *"@) A second 6lance shewed a hu*an for* in the *iddle of the row, either behind the fourth 29, or *o.in6 freely fro* one to another 1>!13. 1 ED *". is doubtless, both here and in 1,!1,, fro* Can. $!1" L==. Th. w ED *".4 the recurrence of 31 ED in 1,!1, 1where it is su''orted by A3 su66ests that this stran6e defiance of 6ra**ar is due to the translation e*'loyed by our writer, who elsewhere consistently uses the dati.e after 31 1see 1!1 , >!1?, ,!" bis, etc., ># ti*es in all3. ED *"@, Da son of *an,; a hu*an bein6, with allusion 'erha's to our Lord;s a''lication of Caniel l.c. to Hi*self 1-c. 1"!>@34 yet not to be taken as e%ui.alent to B ED *"@, which outside the :os'els a''ears only in Acts $! @. The 6lorified Christ is hu*an, but transfi6ured! Nictorinus! &similem dicit 'ost *orte* de.icta*, cu* ascendisset in caelos.+ Irenaeus, who 1,!>#. 113 %uotes the 'assa6e at len6th, well says that 0ohn sees in it &sacerdotale* et 6loriosu* re6ni eius ad.entu*+4 the for* is at once 'riestly and royal. H:&:14 :;". &"&_%14 .) The clothin6 is first described. :;". 1sc. 2@3, poderis, 8.L. and Nul6., cf. Roensch, Itala u. /., '. >, , m. &(. in the 9.T., but used in the L==. of E2odus for .arious 'riestly 6ar*ents, as the breast'late 1 , cc. > !@ 1$3, " !? 1533, the e'hod 1>?!>$ 1"13, the robe of the e'hod 1 >5! ,>?!, , 34 cf. 0os. antt. >. $. , B :C "2&"&O %1&, 1C 0M ... H&:%1& :> HJ b9* &.14 27) :;". :4 H% }k 1&&" &, ? F1&4" (7%%. _@M &"%89((& . Fut 'erha's the reference is rather to the Pro'hets, e.6. Oech. "!,, where B :;".J " , the

Hi6h Priest;s robes of state, or EH. 5!> f., 11 where itJ, , the linen .esture of the *an with the inkhorn4 cf. Can. 1#! Th. " & H:&:14 I::&9. The :;". is

thus seen to denote di6nity or hi6h office, usually but not necessarily the office of Hi6h Priest 1cf. /a'. 1?!>,, /ir. , !?34 the ancient co**entators are 'erha's too 'ositi.e on this 'oint, e.6. Irenaeus 1,!>#. 113 &ali%uid .ero sacerdotale, ut 'odere+4 Nictorinus! &in veste talari, id est sacerdotali4 Arethas! w "2&"4 D - ? J V&2%4:&. 9or does the _@. 2"%N %uite deter*ine the hi6h'riestly character of the costu*e! the Hi6h Priest;s 6irdle was of linen richly e*broidered 1E2od. "5!>5J"@!"$ L==.3, with a liberal use of 6old thread 10os. antt. l.c., 2"% %8%1434 the 6olden 6irdle 'oints rather to Caniel;s .ision 11#! Th. F <%8O ' &"&_%14. H 2"%9T 8_. In 1 -acc. 1#!?5 a 6olden clas' 1#".3 is a royal distinction. /"%N is characterised by Flass 1Gr., '. >,3 as a 6ross blunder4 *ore 'robably it is a collo%uialis* to which the writer was accusto*edPthat it is fro* his 'en its retention in G A C lea.es little doubt. "D , 1%,. Hi6h 6irdin6 is said to ha.e been usual when the :;". was worn! 0os. antt. >. $. > 6% :C D 6:1 :;". 2@ ... U H_@ ? %Y* B9( Y 1%2. b&". Cf. A'oc. 1 !@ where bein6s of an6elic rank are &"&_%14 &" ? %;*. _@ 2"%N. <or "# with the dat. cf. -c. !11 note, 0o. >#!11, see Flass, Gr. '. 1,#. The -//. .ary 1see a''. crit.3 between 1%,) 1%*,) 1_,4 cf. E. /ch*., '. 5, Flass, Gr. '. >,. The le2ico6ra'hers endea.our to distin6uish the for*s 1e.6. /uidas! 1_D "9 H :"# .... 1%*D 1%D "9 H (#3, but the distinction does not see* to ha.e been co**only obser.ed. 14. F :C &8 ' ... w 2@) <ro* the costu*e the /eer 'roceeds to describe the 'erson of the Central <i6ure. He has in .iew the locus classicus Can. $!5 1Th. D 6:1 ' w 2l &#) F *"J Y &8Y ' w%& 6" *"#3, where howe.er the white hair belon6s to the Ancient of Cays. The transfer of this feature to the /on of -an is the *ore strikin6 since Enoch 1,@!1, ed. Charles, '. 1>$3 adheres strictly to Caniel;s account. 8ur writer;s Christolo6y leads hi* fre%uently to attribute to the 6lorified Christ attributes and titles which belon6 to the <ather, e.6. in 1!1?, >!?, !1>, >>!1". Ancient e2'ositors find in the hair white as snow a sy*bol of the eternal 'ree2istence of the /on4 e.6. Andreas! &c (?" "#%8 :> F1N) ? "2,) 1N :C "@, and this .iew see*s to be Austified by Caniel;s

. Let the fi6ure cannot be 'ressed4 white hair su66ests decay, whereas 0esus Christ

is unchan6eable 1Heb. 1"!?34 cf. ad +iogn. 11 } B > "2Y) B D 8& D &b"&*& & 4 ... B &9. 2@. 'erha's adds the thou6ht of His sinlessness 1Ps. #. 1 1.3 5, Isa. 1!1?, -t. >?!"3. E <8*1 ' w 8DJ "#) Cf. >!1?, 15!1>. In Can. $!5 it is the throne of the Ancient of Cays which is 8DJ "#, but in 1#!@ the *an clothed in linen has eyes w%& 1:& "#, and the latter 'assa6e is 'erha's in .iew here. The *eta'hor is co**on, as Eetstein shews, in :reek and Ro*an authors1e.6. Ho*er, Il. 1"!,$, <8*1 :> -" E " 1&, Ner6. Aen. 1>!1#> &oculis *icat acribus i6nis+3, and indeed in descri'ti.e writin6s of e.ery a6e and country. The 'enetratin6 6lance 1A'rin6ius! &ine.itabile lu*en oculoru*+3, which flashed with %uick intelli6ence, and when need arose with ri6hteous wrath, was noticed by those who were with our Lord in

the days of His <lesh 1-c. "! , "!",, !">, 1#!>1, 1#!>", 11!11, notes, Lc. >>!@13, and finds its counter'art, as the /eer now learns, in the Risen and Ascended Life. 15. E #:& ' 31 2IT .) Cf. Can. 1#!@ Th. D %4. w 3"% 2 %9I, L==. E #:& w%& 2D HJ%" 1

34 the e2'ression is due ulti*ately to EH. 1!$, where the sa*e Heb. is si*ilarly
rendered by the L==. /ee also EH. ?!> c:O B191 :"# ... D Y <%80 ' b&" w U"% u4" 1 a 3. /9I 1here and c. >!1? only3 is a word of unusual difficulty. /uidas defines it as &W: u4" 1@&" 2"%, addin6! 6% :C D &" # 2"%9 1&1(14 b&A *&9[ 1cf. Plin. H. %. "". , where &" is a *i2ture of 6old and sil.er3. A so*ewhat si*ilar sense is yielded by the Latin .ersions, which render 2IT by aurichalco or orichalco 1so, with or without the addition of )ibani, Cy'r. test. >!>@, Nictorinus, Pri*asins, Featus, etc.3, a word which see*s to ha.e *eant a *i2ture of *etals si*ilar to brass or bronHe4 cf. Ner6. Aen. 1>!?$ &auro s%ualente* albo%ue orichalco I lorica*,+ on which /er.ius re*arks! &a'ud *aAores orichalcu* 'retiosius *etallis o*nibus fuit.+ A 'recious *etal, bri6ht and flashin6, would suit the 'resent conte2t well, but the e2'lanation lea.es the for* 29I une2'lained. Arethas offers the alternati.es! &n& D H A IT A q"& 1&&#1& ... 8.%9) &n& D 2&:Y 9I .4 U c"7 ,:& -""& %. The for*er conAecture is unsu''orted, and see*s to re%uire I2T4 the latter finds so*e confir*ation in a fra6*ent of Ausonius, cited by /al*asius exercit. ?1# B 9I 62& "9 &n:. :4:") B 1C -"". H1_& 29I) F&: ""D ( J*#. Fut DbrassKcoloured frankincense; is not a .ery a''osite *eta'hor, notK withstandin6 the efforts of the :reek inter'reters to educe a *ystical *eanin6 fro* it. The ety*olo6y 'ro'osed by Fochart 12#, , brass at a white heat3 is e.en less tolerable. 8n the whole, with our 'resent knowled6e, it is best to follow the 6uidance of /uidas and the Latin .ersions and re6ard 2. as the na*e of a *i2ed *etal of 6reat brilliance, lea.in6 the ety*olo6y uncertain. <eet of brass re'resent stren6th and stability 1contrast Can. >!"", >!,134 such a *ystical inter'retation as that of Andreas 1#:& 2"% E #%3 is unnecessary and i*'robable. The readin6 w H 19T &"14. 1sc. Y 2I3, is reco**ended by its difficulty. If &"14T is 'referred, the reference *ust still be to 2IT, for 1 see*s to be in.ariably fe*. 1cf. -t. 1"!,>, 1"! #, A'oc. 5!>34 &"14 is 'robably a correction intended to brin6 the 'art. into line with E #:& ... 31. <or "%* used of a 6lowin6 *etal see E'h. @!1@ ? I4. ... ? &"14 %I4%, with Cean Robinson;s note. In A'oc. "!1?, 2"%9 &"14, the sense clearly is Drefined by ha.in6 'assed throu6h the fire,; and R.N. ado'ts this *eanin6 here4 but D6lowin6; suits the conte2t better4 the *etal is not only of the finest and bri6htest, but it is a6low as if still in the crucible. F 8 ' w 8. b: 7) Cf. EH. ,"!>, where the .oice of the :od of Israel is $

. In Can. 1#!@, fro* which *any of the details of this

descri'tion are taken, the .oice of the An6el is , like the confused roar of a 6reat *ultitude4 but at Pat*os it is the roar of the Ae6ean which is in the ear of the /eer. It is instructi.e to contrast " Re6n. 15!1> 8 " &Y! the Ci.ine Noice can be of the 6entlest or the *ost a''allin6 as occasion re%uires. Irenaeus 1,!1,. >3 finds a *ystical sense in b: 7! &.ere eni* a%uae *ultae /'iritus.+ 16. 62 H Z :&J~ 2&" ' %4" !) To the /e*itic *ind the stars of hea.en were in the Hand of :od 1cf. 0ob "?!"1 f., Isa. ,#!1>3, and would fall 1-c. 1"!> , A'oc. @!1"3 if the su''ort were withdrawn. 9o 'articular constellation or 6rou' of 'lanets can be intended by the anarthrous !? %4"4 the nu*ber is deter*ined by the re%uire*ents of the sy*bolis* 1v. >#3. H %#1 ' 189 :9%1) The ele*ents of this bold conce'tion are as usual fro* the 8.T.4 see Isa. 11!, J& (Y A #(T %#1 ', ,5!> 6*.& D %#1 1 w 12" <J&,! cf. E'h. @!1$ 12" &01 3 H% Y1 *&, Heb. ,!1> B #( *& ... 1@&" bC" N% 12" :9%1. The i*a6e is re'eated in A'oc. 15!1 in the descri'tion of the ar*ed and *ilitant DEord of :od.; There is a fine 'arallel in /a'. 1?!1 B :01# % #( > '"7 ... #1 &1% ... ... J98 HJO #" H(; % 84". <or 189 :9%1 see Ps. 1,5!@, /ir. >1!". 189, used in 9.T. in the A'oc. only, e2ce't Lc. >!" , occurs fre%uently throu6hout the L==. fro* :en. "!>, onwards as a synony* of 12", both words bein6 used to translate 4 in strictness, it was a lar6e blade of Thracian ori6in 1for a full account

a % %% see Hastin6s, +... ,. '. @",3. R9%1 answers to the Heb. a or but it is used in conne2ion with the sword e.en by the :reek 'oets 1e.6. Eur. Hel. 5?" :9%1 J983. The sword is re6arded as 'roceedin6, like the s'oken word, fro* the *outh4 &this last i*a6e is not so stran6e as a''ears at first si6ht, for the short Ro*an sword was ton6ueKlike in sha'e+ 1Hastin6s, l.c.3. Eith H"&14. cf. E'h. ,!>5, A'oc. 5!1$ f., 11! . F q ' w B .) Cf. 0ud. !"1 E (7& 'D w 6J: o ;) p F9 H :1& ', -t. 1"!," E :9 H1% w B , A'oc. 1#!1 D "#% ' w B . /la.. Enoch 1! , ed. Charles, '. >, &their faces shone like the sun.+ If the 0ohn of the A'ocaly'se is the son of Oebedee, he could scarcely ha.e failed to think of the Transfi6uration which antici'ated the 6lory of the ascended Christ, when 61& D "#% ' w B 1-t. 1$!>3. Andreas refers to -al. ,!>! (" H% :%0.. %K"#%, thou6h fairly co**on in the L==., occurs in the 9.T. only here and in 0o. 11!,, 1cf. $!>,3. 89&, a constructio praegnans! Das the sun shines (when he shines) in his *i6ht.; 17. 3& &W: '#) 6&% .) Cf. Isa. @! , EH. 1!>?, Can. ?!1$, 1#!5, 1#!11, Enoch 1,!1,, 1,!>,, Lc. !?. Featus! &fra6ilitatis suae et hu*ilitatis et subiectionis 'a.ore 'erterritus corruit.+ As a whole the 'assa6e is *oulded on Can. 1#!? f. L==. c:O &1 H&%"8. H> H1C &c 8*") ' 9%2% ... H(l 1. &l H "#%# 1 H (Y. c:O 2&," "%;((4 1 1Th. 2&" P14. 13 (&"4 1&. That the ri6ht hand holds se.en stars does not hinder it fro* bein6 laid on the /eer, for the whole re'resentation is sy*bol and not art. The Hand which

sustains 9ature and the Churches at the sa*e ti*e %uickens and raises indi.idual li.es. Eith 6*.& :&J? ' ., cf. -t. 1$!$ "%Y*& B .% P1& '7 &W& t(4"*.& 1 8I&,%*&Panother 'oint of contact between this .ision and the history of the Transfi6uration. Irenaeus 1,!>#. 113 re*inds us that the awful <or* which 0ohn saw was that of Hi* on whose breast he had lain at the Last /u''er. 1 8Ik H(@ &c1 .) The words recall another scene in the :os'els 1-c. @! #34 both 1 8I and H(@ &c1 were fa*iliar sounds to the ear of an A'ostle. 8n the other

hand B "7 B 6%2 6o back to Isa. ,,!@ 1,?!1> ,1 , a title of the :od of Israel ascribed, accordin6 to the writer;s habitual 'ractice, to the e2alted Christ 1cf. vv. f., ? notes3. It is 6i.en to Hi* a6ain with enlar6e*ents which lea.e no doubt as to its si6nificance, c. >>!1" H(@ &c1 D -8 D {) B ". B 6.) F "2 D 44 see note ad l. The readin6 of A here and in >!? is 'robably a *ere re*iniscence of 1! . 18. B _7) H(&#1. &"# .) + _7 is another Ci.ine title based on the 8.T., cf. *&D _7 1

a 3 in 0os. "!1#, Ps. ,1. 1,>.3 ", ?". 1?,.3 ", Hos. 1!1# 1>!13, and the for*ulae _Z 0") _7 H(@ 1 , 3 in Ceut. ">!,#, Isa. ,5!1?, 0er.
!>, Can. 1>!$. In the 9.T. *&D _7 or B *&D B _. is used freely 1-t. 1@!1@, >@!@", Acts 1,!1 , Ro*. 5!>@, > Cor. "!", @!1@, 1 Th. 1!5, 1 Ti*. "!1 , ,!1#, Heb. "!1>, 5!1,, 1#!"1, 1 Pet. 1!>". A fuller 'hrase is B _7 &c D c7 1/ir. 1?!13 or &c O c7 7 c@ 1A'oc. ,!5 f., 1#!@, 1 !$3. 8n B _7 as a''lied to Christ we ha.e a co**ent in words ascribed to Christ Hi*self, 0o. !>@! %&" (?" B " 62& _ H !A) j A EA 6:& _ 62& H !A. Accordin6 to the 0ohannine Christolo6y, the /on is B _7 by the co**unication of the <ather;s Life. As a title of the :od of Israel and of the Church B _7 'laces Hi* in shar' contrast with the dead 6ods of heathenis*. Here, in its reference to Christ, it draws another contrast scarcely less 'ointed! H(@ &c1 ... B _7) H(&#1. &"#. The antithesis is twofold4 H(&#1. is o''osed to &c19 as in 0o. 1!1, 1!1,, ?! ?, and &"# to _7 18ri6. in &oann. t. 1!"1 1",33, cf. Phil. >! H 1"8Z *& b"2 ... (&#1& b; 142" *, where howe.er the shock of the contrast is broken by the inter.enin6 clause %2;1 &b"&*& w -*". &"# takes u' w &"# of v. 1$4 the Lord Eho says V 8I, had e2'erience, not of the se*blance of death, but of its reality. c:O _7 &c1 1Furton, R ,#534 not # _7, for it is the restored hu*an life which is now in .iew, not the essential life of :odhead4 nor a6ain _7 H(&#1. or 6_.% 1Ro*. 1,!53, for attention is directed to the life which the Lord still li.es, and not to the historical fact of His resurrection. The risen life of 0esus Christ is henceforth center*inous with His Ci.ine life, &c O c7 7 c@4 cf. Ro*. @!5 H(&"*& H &"7 '4 *;%&. 62 ? &, * :) Ceath and Hades are Aoined a6ain in @!?, >#!1" f.4 the conce'tion fluctuates between two localities 1>#!1"3, and two 'ersonalities 1@!?34 here it is difficult to deter*ine which .iew is u''er*ost. 8ther instances of %uasiK'ersonification of Ceath and Hades 1 3 are Ps. ,?. 1,5.3 1 , Hos. 1"!1, 1cited 1 Cor. 1 ! , f.3. The D6ates of Ceath; a''ear in Ps. 5!1,, 1#@. 11#$.3 1?, and the D6ates of Hades; in Isa. "?!1#, /a'. 1@!1", -t. 1@!1?4 see also 0ob "?!1$

" :C : c:#& %& 6.J, a 'assa6e connected by Christian inter'reters with the descensus ad inferos. To &ha.e the keys of Ceath and of Hades+ is to 'ossess authority o.er their do*ain4 cf. -t. 1@!15, A'oc. "!$, 5!1, >#!1 1notes3. Accordin6 to Rabbinical teachin6, this is the sole 'rero6ati.e of :od4 see #arg. &on. on Ceut. >?!1> &%uatuor sunt cla.es in *anu Co*ini, cla.is .itae et se'ulchroru* et ciboru* et 'lu.iae.+ !anhedrin f. 11". 1 &Elias 'etiit ut daretur sibi cla.is 'lu.iae, 'etiit ut daretur sibi cla.is resurrectionis *ortuoru*4 di2erunt i'si! Dtres cla.es in *anure le6ati non dantur, cla.is 'artus, 'lu.iaru*, et resurrectionis *ortuoru*.;+ The clai* to 'ossess 'otentially the keys of death is *ade by Christ Hi*self in 0o. !>?4 the A'oc. connects the actual 'ossession of the keys with His .ictory o.er death4 they are fro* that *o*ent in His kee'in6 1623. <or &,%K&,: see Flass, Gr. '. >@4 &, is beyond dis'ute in "!$, >#!1. In the :os'els, on the other hand &,:) &,: are well su''orted 1-t. 1@!15, Lc. 11! >3, thou6h there also cod. C 6i.es the shorter for*. 19. (" Q &W:& .) resu*es 1Flass, Gr. '. >$"3 the directions 6i.en in v. 11, enforcin6 it with the authority of 8ne Eho has declared Hi*self con%ueror of Ceath! cf. -t. >?!1? H:#*. 1 N% HJ%9 ... "&*4& . &W:&, i.e. the .ision of the :lorified Christ. Fesides this the book contains a re.elation of the 'resent state of the Church and the world 1Q &c%93, and a re.elation of the future 1Q 14& (9&%* 1&? 3. The for*er is chiefly contained in cc. >, "4 the latter be6ins at c. ,!1 :&9J % Q :&, (&4%* 1&? . Fut the di.ision is rou6h and su'erficial4 cc. >, " look forward to the future, while cc. ,U>> are by no *eans li*ited to it. 8n &c%9 14&, see E-. '. @, f.4 thin6s 'resent are seen distinctly and se'arately, while thin6s future are blended in a *ore or less confused whole. <or 14& followed by a 'res. inf. see Flass, Gr. ''. 15$, >#>. 20. D 1%;" 7 !? %4" .) 8n 1%;" in Fiblical :reek see the note to -c. ,!11. Here D 1%. is the inner *eanin6 of a sy*bolical .ision, as in Can. >!,$4 cf. A'oc. 1$!$ H(l H"7 % D 1%;" Y (#. The 6ra**ar 'resents so*e difficulty. $D 1%;" ... ? 29 are not 6o.erned by (" or in a''osition to Q ... (9&%* 1E-. '. >5#3, for the secret about to be re.ealed relates only to certain 'oints of inter'retation. A new sentence be6ins with v. >#, yet the .erse o'ens with two accusati.es without a .erb. There are 'artial 'arallels in Ro*. ?!" D (?" :0 #1 ... B *&# . 1see /H. ad l.3, and > Cor. @!1" :C ' 1%*9 ... 0*.&, where the acc. antici'ates the contents of the sentence which it o'ens. In the 'resent instance the construction is further co*'licated by a second accusati.e4 for ? !. 29 we e2'ect 7 !. 27. Translate! DAs for the secret of the se.en stars I and as for (the secret of) the se.en la*'stands.; t Y :&JN inter'rets H Z :&J~ 2&"9 1v. 1@34 the stars rested on the o'en 'al*4 cf. !1 H :&J? ... II9. E !? %4"& -((& 7 !. H.%7 &c%) The usa6e of the 9.T. 'er*its us to translate -((& as D*essen6ers;4 cf. -t. 11!1#, Lc. $!>,, 5! >, 0ac. >!> . The se.en stars then *ay re'resent certain dele6ates fro* the Asiatic Churches 1cf. > Cor. ?!>" &H. &anda' and Headla(, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Edinburgh, 189)).

#% H.%73, 'resu*ably dele6ates sent to Pat*os who were returnin6 with the book of the A'ocaly'se. 8r we *ay acce't the inter'retation of Pri*asius 1followed by Fede3! &an6eli ecclesiaru* hic intelle6endi sunt rectores 'o'uli, + i.e. either the Fisho's, or if the *onarchical e'isco'ate had not yet established itself in Asia, the 'resbyteral colle6es, in the se.eral cities. In su''ort of the latter .iew it has been usual to %uote -al. >!$ -((& "9 1 & 3 ""# H% gB E&"&0h, or

" to refer to the title borne by the *essen6er of the /yna6o6ue4 this 'erson howe.er was in no sense a ChurchKruler, and offers no true analo6y 1see /chVrer", >. '. ,,>, and cf. Li6htfoot, Philippians, '. 155 note3. And te*'tin6 as it is to disco.er in these -((& an allusion to the risin6 order of the E'isco'ate, the in.ariable 'ractice of our writer forbids such an inter'retation. The A'ocaly'se uses -((& so*e si2ty ti*es, e2cludin6 those in which it is followed by Y H.%9 or 7 H.%7, and always in the technical sense of a su'erhu*an bein6 e*'loyed in the ser.ice of :od or of /atan. There is therefore a stron6 'resu*'tion that the -((& 7 H.%7 are Dan6els; in the sense which the word bears elsewhere throu6hout the book. In Can. 1#!1", 1>!1 a "%%9 o.er 'articular nations is ascribed to certain an6elic bein6s, and a like relation to indi.iduals is i*'lied in -t. 1?!1# E -((& '7 1sc. 7 1"7 03, Acts 1>!1 B -((&# H% ' That 0ohn should ha.e e2tended this conce'tion to Churches 1Andreas! 0 :C !%M -((& 80J H84%.&3 is not sur'risin6, es'ecially in .iew of the hi6hly de.elo'ed an6elolo6y of the book4 cf. Ascension of Isaiah "!1 , &the descent of the an6el of the Christian Church, which is in the hea.ens.+ The obAection that the an6el is in that case unduly credited with the 'raise or bla*e which belon6s to his Church had occurred to 8ri6en, who howe.er was not deterred by it4 hom. in %um. >#!" &ad*iratione 'er*o.eor %uod in tantu* Ceo cura de nobis sit ut etia* an6elos suos cul'ari 'ro nobis et confutari 'atiatur.+ As a :((# is bla*ed if his 'u'ils 6o wron6, so, he adds 1R ,3, &.enient eni* an6eli ad iudiciu* nobiscu* I ne forte *inus er6a nos o'eris et laboris e2'enderint %uo nos a 'eccatoru* labe re.ocarint.+ Fut in this sy*bolical book the an6el of a Church *ay be si*'ly an e2'ression for its 're.ailin6 s'irit, and thus be identified with the Church itself 1Featus! &ecclesias et an6elos earu* intelle6as unu* esse+3. An interestin6 'arallel to this idea is 'resented by the fravashis of Ooroastrianis*! cf. Hastin6s, +... ,. '. 551, &. #h. !t. ". '. >1. E 29 E !? !. H.%9% &c%9) If the an6els of the Churches are re'resented by stars, the Churches the*sel.es are la*'stands, both 6i.in6 li6ht in their own *easure and de6ree4 cf. Li6htfoot, Philippians l.c.! &(the) contrast between the hea.enly and the earthly fires I cannot be de.oid of *eanin6. The star is the su'rasensual counter'art, the hea.enly re'resentati.e4 the la*', the earthly realisation, the outward e*bodi*ent.+ <or the use of stars as sy*bols of an6elic bein6s see Enoch ?@!1ff. , and cf. Ra*say, Exp., 15#,, 1. '. 1@, ff. 8n ! 1>W3 cf. EH.> %otes, '. 1 @.

". Th. The Journal of Theological tu!ies.