and creed have said their all, a mystery profound is still unfathomed with respect to the

necessity for the shedding of blood. It is for us to accept the truth and ever to set it forth.

The word blood occurs 19 times in the Revelation, but of these only four passages

have reference to redemption (i.5; 5: 9; 7: 14; 12: 11). These references are divided

into two by the lines of truth they contain: 1: 5, "Loosed from sins"; 5: 9, "Made a

redemption"; 7: 14, "They made them white"; 12: 11, "They overcame." These two

aspects of the efficacy of the blood of Christ are important guides to the special aspect of

the Book of the Revelation. First it is deliverance from sins, and a redeemed people.

Then it is the overcomer in the power of that redemption, and, as we have before hinted,

the overcomer is the character of the Book.

The reference to the blood here in Rev. 1: 5 takes us back to Matt. 26: 28, where

the Lord, as Passover, referred to His blood as the blood of the New Covenant shed for

many for the remissions of sins. Revelation, as we have seen, completes and corresponds

with Genesis. It also has many parallels with Exodus. A greater than Pharaoh oppresses

Israel here; an overthrow greater than that of the Red Sea is here; mightier magicians

than those who withstood Moses work their black arts; greater plagues fall than those of

the first Exodus. Again the people are sustained in the wilderness and miraculously fed.

The Passover Lamb is no longer offered--the true Passover, the blood of the New

Covenant, has been shed (see Jer. 31: 31, 32 for connection between New Covenant

and deliverance from Egypt). The first exodus was a failure; two only, Caleb and

Joshua, overcame. The second exodus will be a glorious success. As always, that which

is first is not spiritual, but natural. Israel shall yet possess the inheritance given by

covenant to Abraham. This may be the reason that the word "loosed" is used in this

verse. The cleansing from sins is a part of redemption, but also is deliverance. The

exodus from Egypt was pre-eminently a deliverance, and not so much a cleansing. After

the Red Sea was passed the cleansing aspect came into prominence. The Tabernacle, the

Offerings, the divers Washings, the Priests, these all came afterwards. So in Rev. 1: 5,

the loosing from sins is followed by the making of verse 6, this subject, however, is too

important to deal with now, we must give verse 6 the space that such a passage demands.

We do pray that readers who realize the special interpretation of Revelation will not

forget that many precious lessons may be learned by application and analogy. Let us

serve, walk, witness and live in the power of the words, "Unto Him that LOVETH us,

and LOOSED us from our sins." "Sin shall not have DOMINION over you."