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What is there remarkable here? If we turn to the prophecy in Isaiah 61:, we shall find
that the Lord "closed the book" before He had finished the passage; Isaiah's words are:
"the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all
that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."
In Nazareth, the place that symbolized His utter rejection He closed the book without
speaking of the day of vengeance. The day of vengeance is not for the lowly man of
sorrows; that is reserved for the Lion of the tribe of Judah. When the prophet sees that
day, the imagery is of greatness and power:--
"Glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength. . . . mighty to
save. . . . the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed is come."
Both chapters 61: and 63:, link the day of vengeance with the blessing of Israel.
The Lord is here set before us as the goel, the kinsman-redeemer, and the revenger of
blood. It is important to remember that the word goel is not only translated redeemer, but
also avenger (see Number 35: 19). We may read in the book of Ruth concerning the
kinsman-redeemer, and the custom and law relating to the goel should be studied
carefully in order fully to appreciate the fulfillment in Christ.
The opening of the seals does not interpret any veiled statements of Dan. 11: and 12:
so much, as to put into operation the awful judgments that fall (Rev. 6:) before the Lord
takes the kingdom and delivers His people. No one but Christ Himself in heaven or earth
or under the earth could assume such an awful responsibility as the letting loose upon this
earth the long pent up wrath of God. John wept much when no one was found worthy,
not that he was disappointed that the judgments would not fall, but because he knew that
these days of vengeance meant redemption for his people.
This twofold theme is developed throughout the remainder of the book, and the right
division of the word of Truth, as indicated by the Lord in the synagogue of Nazareth, tells
us that when the Revelation is in process of fulfillment, the "acceptable year" will have
passed, and the "day of vengeance" will have come. The Church occupies a day of
grace, and to bring the Church into this setting of judgment is to confuse things that
differ.
The Lion and the Lamb (Rev. 5: 1-7).
pp. 129-132
Three times in the Revelation we read of a "strong angel". In 10: 1, "another angel, a
strong one" is seen coming down from heaven; he had in his hand a little scroll opened
and sware that "time" should be no longer. Then follows immediately the reference to
the seventh angel and the finishing of the mystery of God. In 18: 21, "a strong angel"
takes up a great millstone, and casts it into the sea, symbolizing thereby the sudden
destruction of Babylon. In the chapter before us "a strong angel" proclaims with a loud