 |  |
In 1: 4, 8, "Who is, and was, and is coming." The hope of His people.
In 4: 8, "Was, and is, and is coming." The hope of creation.
In 11: 17, "Who art, and wast." The kingdom set up.
The words "is to come" are omitted from the third reference by R.V and all critical
editions. The promise of the coming is fulfilled in Rev. 11: by the taking of the great
power and reigning of the Lord. There is more than a superficial reference back to
Exod. 3: 14, 15:--
"And God said, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children
of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. . . . Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,
The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My Name unto the age, and this is My memorial
unto all generations."
This title, which resembles one part of the full title Jehovah, is revealed at the
commencement of the deliverance from Egypt. This was the first covenant. Here was
redemption by blood, and the overthrow of Pharaoh accompanied by many awful plagues
and miraculous preservation. Antichrist and the False Prophet take the place of Pharaoh
and his magicians, the two witnesses fill the office of Moses and Aaron, the blood of
Christ our Passover is the blood of the new covenant, which new covenant both
Jer. 31: 31-40 and Matt. 26: 28 link with the Passover. What the deliverance of Israel
from Egypt was in type, the deliverance under the new covenant in the Revelation will be
in actuality. The fearful judgments of Exodus foreshadowed the great and dreadful day
of the Lord (cf. Rev. 1: 10), which day is linked with the purpose and view point of the
whole of this prophecy.
Sufficient we feel has been said to show how very different is the relationship
indicated by the titles of the passage under notice to those which describe the relationship
of the Lord with the church of the mystery. We leave the remaining titles for a further
article.
Studies in the Book of the Revelation.
"The Seven Spirits." (1: 4).
pp. 142-146
Passing from the "seven churches" we pause to consider the "seven spirits." Much has
been written on the meaning of these seven spirits. Some believe that they represent God
Himself, Who is perfect Spirit; some believe that they represent the Holy Spirit, and at
first sight the position which they occupy certainly justifies a careful consideration of the
Word before we place created beings in the sphere of the divine benediction. The
sevenfold spiritual endowment of Isa. 11: 2 has been brought forward to show that the
Holy Spirit is intended. It is worthy of remark that in all the salutations and benedictions
written by the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit is only included once (II Cor. 13: 14). If we
will turn to the structure, page 107, we shall be at once struck with the way in which the