Thou Who art the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His sake Who is God over all Blessed for ever, Be gracious unto us. Thou Who hast vouchsafed to us the glorious Gospel, Be gracious unto us. Thou Who art the Blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Be gracious unto us. Thou Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, Be gracious unto us. Thou Who art Three Persons in One God, Be gracious unto us. We plead Christ Jesus made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption. Amen. "Dominion and fear are with Him, He maketh peace in His high places." 3. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. If it be so, that in this transcendent vision we are permitted to contemplate the Almighty Creator enthroned amid creation, then I think that in particular some manifestation of the All Holy Trinity in Unity may be revealed to the adoring eye of faith. What is the Christian's manifestation of the Unapproachable Trinity? Surely it is eminently Christ Himself, Who once declared: "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father"; Christ Himself Very God of Very God; Christ Himself, Who. received not the Spirit by measure. By "a jasper" need not (as I have read) be understood exclusively that opaque stone which now bears the name; for of yore translucent gems were included under the same designation. While thus we may picture it of dazzling brilliancy, permeated by pure light, and as it were swallowed up in radiations of that light; yet, as Moses of old at the Burning Bush, let us also whilst we draw near to behold, be afraid even in a symbol "to look upon God." The "sardine stone" (or sardius, as I have seen it explained) is a species of cornelian, which some write carnelian, deriving the word not from horn but from flesh; and is a blood-red translucent gem, whence we may perhaps assume an intimation of our Redeemer's Humanity. The "rainbow" has been thought to indicate that same Sacred Humanity, because surrounding the Throne it appears no less to surround Him Who sat thereon, like as the Blessed Body enshrined the "Incomprehensible" Divinity. If so, the sardine stone may remind us how the Godhead was not converted into flesh, but the Manhood was taken into God: whilst the rainbow may more especially bring home to us that in our Lord Himself Very Man dwells the Fulness of the Godhead bodily. Further we are reminded that Christ as Man, over and beyond the Indivisible Unity of the Divine Trinity, became a Temple of the Holy Ghost. For a rainbow being indissolubly connected with a cloud, seems at once to suggest an emblematic allusion to the Most Holy Spirit of God. Its form shows that it proceeds from a centre. It exhibits to us what light is, by evolving the lovely tints hidden in its whiteness. It enables us to look on light which viewed directly would blind us. It conveyed hope to Noah and his family all alone in a ruined world. It gladdens whoso beholds it: the eye that seeth it beareth witness to it. What we look on is water, but transfigured by fire fire and water, two chief symbols of God the Holy Ghost. "Round about the Throne."-Not (please God) simply overarching the throne; but encircling it (as I have heard suggested) by its own completely revealed circle. In this world we observe no more than a larger or a smaller section of rainbow. Thus even at its widest it overarches no wider area than the eye can compass, and where it seems to touch earth or sea we know that it touches them not. We discern enough to feel convinced that we see a portion only, not the whole; yet is that portion so far complete in itself that it certifies to us that whole which we see not: the part declares the unbroken, continuous, unvaried whole. And thus for the present the faithful "know in part" God Almighty, so far as it pleases Him by His Spirit to reveal Himself to them one by one in divers measures. The least recognize Him as on high protecting them; the greatest realize that He is in truth all around them embracing them. Even a very little reading teaches that a number of different tints belong to jewels of which we habitually think as exhibiting some one fixed hue: thus though the ruby is red, the sapphire blue, the emerald green, it does not follow that any one of them is restricted to that characteristic colour. Perhaps such variety of colour may be allowed for when this celestial rainbow is set before us as "in sight like unto an emerald.". Yet after all green remains as our standard colour for an emerald. Green seems the colour both of hope and of rest: of hope because of sweet ever-renewed spring verdure; of rest because of the refreshing repose green affords to strained sight. Completed hope, completed rest, are celestial, not terrestrial 4. And round about the Throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. According to one theory, these twenty-four august Elders make up in some sort a figure of time or of a portion of time surrounding that Centre which rules it. Thus a fixed law dominates the Signs of the Zodiac, and thus the sun regulates days, weeks, months, years. But if Time appears to meet us in the domain of Eternity, we may surely look for it not, so to say, in its own person, but as embodied in its permanent fruits. Wherefore (in my avowed ignorance) I will for my own part connect these blessed Elders with the twofold Israel; the Twelve Tribes of the Old Dispensation, and the corresponding perfect number of the New. A nation of kings and priests; they are clothed in priestly Their white raiment, and wear kingly crowns. 66 seats," according to the Revised Version, are "thrones." They are the family of the King of kings, the Divine royal family once of earth, now of heaven. Out of prison hath the sometime poor and wise child come to reign. 5. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were Seven Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God. "Lightnings and thunderings and voices"--a message to every soul of man from "the Throne": a message not necessarily in articulate words, but greatly challenging our littleness. As when "God thundereth marvellously with His voice; great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend." As when the lightnings say "Here we are.' "There is neither speech nor language: but their voices are heard among them." Lightnings, thunderings, voices: when our hearts misgive us and our spirits fail because of those things that are coming upon the earth, let us remember that they all proceed "out of the Throne.". Tumult and turmoil, trouble and toil, Yet peace withal in a painful heart; O my King and my heart's own choice, Wrap me up in Thy Love. "Seven Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God."-Long ago I was impressed by a preacher's words. He explained this passage as revealing the Presence not of any creatures but of God the Holy Spirit in Person: for, he argued, had They been the highest of creatures they would have joined with their fellows in the hymn of praise to God Almighty; whence he inferred that That which praised not God, Was and Is and Is to come God. That preacher's authority sanctions (I hope) what I endeavoured to think out on a former text (ch. i. ver. 4). Once more we behold and adore that unspeakable Diffused Unity (if I may dare so express myself) which the All Holy Spirit Who is pleased to dwell in the innumerable hearts of faithful humankind reveals to our contemplation. Sacrifices prefigured Christ. And since Christ "through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself," the fire of the sacrifice prefigured the Holy Ghost. We read concerning Abram's first great recorded sacrifice: "It came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces." And again we read how Abraham having laid the wood of the burnt offering upon Isaac his son "took the fire in his hand." "Before the Throne "-as the Rainbow was "round about" the Throne: once more reminding us of that authoritative definition, "Proceeding from." Thus in a figure we discern. how God the Holy Spirit is that Person of the All Holy Trinity Who vouchsafes to come into special nearness and contact with creation at large: creation itself being ranged round about the Throne in the person of the Elders; and before the Throne, when worshipping Him that sat thereon they fall down and cast down their crowns; in the midst of the Throne moreover, and round about the Throne, by reason of the four Living Creatures (see ver. 6). In the beginning the Spirit of God Himself moved (or brooded) upon the face of the waters, recreating a world out of chaos by His own almighty act. He it was spake in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets. He it was came and went among the sons of men as He pleased. Century after century the human family lived and died before Christ was manifest in the Flesh: meanwhile generation after generation the Spirit strove with man, who oftentimes rebelled and vexed Him. And since the Ascension He has made regenerate man's heart His settled place wherein to abide for ever; according to our Lord's gracious promise to His Apostles: "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." O God the Holy Ghost Who art Light unto Thine elect, Evermore enlighten us. Thou Who art Fire of Love Evermore enkindle us. Thou Who art Lord and Giver of Life, Evermore live in us. Thou Who art Holiness, Evermore sanctify us. Thou Who bestowest Sevenfold Grace, Evermore replenish us. As the Wind is Thy symbol, So forward our goings. As the Dove, Be Thou, O Lord, before to guide us, behind to guard us, around to shelter us, within to perfect us. As the Father loveth us for Jesu's sake, as Jesus for His own sake, so love Thou us, O Lord the Loving Spirit: until Thou Thyself bring home all Thy holy congregation to bless for evermore the Lord God, bowing down and worshipping the Lord and the King. Amen. : 6. And before the Throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal and in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. |