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The first Lamb slain for Israel redeemed them from the power of one nation and the
oppressor Pharaoh; this redemption was accompanied by miracles and wonders, many
of them taking the form of plagues. The title, "the Root of David", is suggestive of
Isa. 11: 10, "the Root of Jesse", which is closely connected with Israel's second
redemption, and here we find close parallel with "every tribe and tongue, and people and
nation", for
"It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the SECOND
TIME to recover the remnant of His people which shall be left, from Cush and from
Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea; and He shall
set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather
together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isa. 11: 11, 12).
This second redemption is going to have much that will echo the first redemption from
Egypt (Isa. 11: 16). The song of Moses followed the first, the new song celebrates the
second.
In Exodus 34: 10 we have a covenant given by the Lord, that before all the people
of Israel He would do marvels, and marvels of such a character that it could be said they
were such as had not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation. The word translated
"marvels" is used by the Lord with reference to the plagues wherewith He smote Egypt,
"I will. . . . smite Egypt with all my wonders", and also with the plagues threatened to
Israel, "the Lord will make the plagues wonderful" (Deut. 28: 59). The covenant of
marvels finds its fulfillment in the Apocalypse; there Pharaoh finds his antitype in the
Beast, and Egypt in the wide world; the first covenant written upon tables of stone finds
its echo in the new covenant written upon the fleshy tables of the heart, and the passover
lamb finds its very image in the Lamb as it had been slain. The result of the purchase
price paid by the Lamb is given in the new song, "and didst make them to our God a
kingdom and priests, and they reign over the earth".
The subject of the "kingdom of priests" was dealt with in Volume 6: pp. 65-69
under Rev. 1: 6. There we saw that this priestly kingdom looked forward to the
Millennium of Rev. 20: 6, (Isa. 61: 6), and backward to the Exodus (Ex. 19: 4-6). The
scattered of Israel were addressed by Peter (I Pet. 1: 1, 2), and to them at the
REVELATION (I Pet. 1: 3-13) the "royal priesthood" is promised. These priestly kings
"reign over the earth". The glorious privilege of reigning with Christ, whether over the
earth, or in the super-heavenlies far above all principalities and powers, is for the
overcomers, but sufficient has already been said upon this theme in The Hope and the
Prize. Such are promised that they shall sit with the Lord in His throne, they are to rule
the nations with a rod of iron, and share the thousand years reign (see Rev. 2: 26, 27;
3: 21; 20: 4, 6).
The earth, subject to vanity since the days of Adam, and given over to Satan since the
days of Nebuchadnezzar, is to be ruled in righteousness and finally delivered from the
bondage of corruption; the initial act in this grand deliverance is the opening of the sealed
book; this therefore calls forth the new song, and well may we hear its echo even now,
realizing now "the future on the instant".