Revelation 5:6

And I beheld, and, lo, {7} in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (7) The sum of this revelation: Christ the mediator takes and opens the book Re 5:6,7. Therefore this revelation describes the person of Christ. The person is described this way: Christ the mediator between God, angels and men, as the eternal word of God, and our redeemer: as the Lamb of God, standing as slain and making intercession for us by the power and merit of his everlasting sacrifice, is armed with the Spirit of God, that is, with the power and wisdom of God effectually to the government of this whole world.

And lo! Omit. In the midst of Not on the throne, but perhaps in the space in the center of which is the throne, and which is surrounded by the twenty-four elders. A Lamb (ἀρνίον) The diminutive, very frequent in Revelation, and once in the Gospel of John (John 21:15). Nowhere else in the New Testament. Compare Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29, John 1:36. Christ had just been spoken of as a lion. He now appears as a lamb. Some interpreters emphasize the idea of gentleness, others that of sacrifice. Slain (ἐσφαγμένον) The verb indicates violence, butchery. See on 1 John 3:12. It is also the sacrificial word. Exodus 12:6. Stood (ἑστηκὸς) Rev., more correctly, standing. Though slaughtered the lamb stands. Christ, though slain, is risen and living. Seven horns and seven eyes See remarks on the Apocalyptic imagery, Revelation 1:16. The horn is the emblem of might. See 1 Samuel 2:10; 1 Kings 22:11; Psalm 112:9; Daniel 7:7, Daniel 7:20 sqq.; Luke 1:69. Compare Matthew 28:18. The eyes represent the discerning Spirit of God in its operation upon all created things. Sent forth (ἀπεσταλμένα) See on Mark 3:14.

Revelation 5:6-7 . And I beheld, and lo, &c. — Upon this I observed, in my vision, a new representation; in, or on, the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures — Within the circle which they made round him; and in the midst of the elders — Making a larger circle round him and them; stood a Lamb — Αρνιον εστηκος , a lamb standing. He no more falls on his face; the days of his weakness and mourning are ended! He is now in a posture of readiness to execute all his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King; as it had been slain — For sacrifice; bearing the recent marks of slaughter, in the wounds and blood on its throat and breast. And because he was slain, he was now worthy to open the book, ( Revelation 5:9 ,) to the joy of his own people and the terror of his enemies. Nor was this lamb only represented as a sacrifice; but having seven horns and seven eyes — Emblematical of perfect power and perfect knowledge, whereby he is able to accomplish what is contained in the book; namely, by his almighty and all-wise Spirit, even to reveal future events respecting the world and the church, and to accomplish all God’s designs of providence and grace. To these seven horns and seven eyes answer the seven seals and the seven-fold song of praise, Revelation 5:12 . In Zechariah, likewise, ( Zechariah 3:9 ; Zechariah 4:10 ,) mention is made of the seven eyes of the Lord, which go forth over all the earth.

Which (both the horns and the eyes) are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth — They represent that divine wisdom and energy which operate everywhere; or that effectual working of the Spirit of God, which goes through the whole creation: and that in the natural as well as spiritual world. For could mere matter act or think? Could it gravitate or attract? Just as much as it could think or speak. And he came — Here we have an instance of the accomplishment of the words recorded Psalm 2:8 , Ask of me and I will give thee, &c: and took the book, &c. — It is one state of exaltation that reaches from our Lord’s ascension to his coming in glory, yet this state admits of various degrees. At his ascension, angels, and principalities, and powers, were subjected to him. Ten days after he received from the Father, and sent, the Holy Ghost. And now he took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne — Who gave it to him as a signal of his delivering to him all power in heaven and earth. He received it in token of his being both able and willing to fulfil all that was written therein.

6 . and lo ] Should be omitted: the construction is, “And I saw in the midst of … a Lamb standing.” in the midst of the throne ] See on Revelation 4:6 . In this passage, the sense might be merely “in the centre of the (semicircular?) space surrounded by …,” but Revelation 7:17 disproves this. If it be not rash to attempt to work out the details of the picture, I would conjecture that the four living creatures were under the four corners of the Throne, with their heads and wings projecting beyond it: and the Lamb stood in the midst of the front of it, appearing as proceeding from between the feet of Him Who sat thereon. stood ] Expressed by a participle, and with the true reading (see above) should be so translated, “I saw … a Lamb standing.” Lamb ] See Isaiah 53:7 ; John 1:29 ; John 1:36 . Too much importance has been given to the fact that St John uses a different Greek word here from that in his Gospel, and in the LXX. of Isaiah. It is doubtful whether the LXX. is used in the O. T. references in this Book; and the form here used is a diminutive and a neuter.

It is awkward to use a neuter noun of a Person, but in this Book St John boldly uses masculines in reference to the Lamb (as in his Gospel he once or twice does in reference to the Spirit): while in the Gospel he is less regardless of grammatical rules, and therefore prefers the masc. form. as it had been slain ] The true construction calls attention to the paradox, a Lamb appearing with its throat cut, yet not lying dead or dying, but standing. It serves to typify “Him that liveth and was dead, and is alive for evermore” ( Revelation 1:18 ). The risen Christ bore, and doubtless bears, the wounds of His Passion unaltered—unhealed, though apparently not bleeding, John 20:25 ; John 20:27 . seven horns and seven eyes ] The Spirit is to Him both strength and wisdom. The horn is throughout the Bible the symbol of conquering might and glory: see e.g. 1 Kings 22:11 ; Zechariah 1:18 sqq., while 1 Samuel 2:1 , &c. shew that divine glory as well as earthly may be so expressed. For the seven eyes, see Zechariah 3:9 ; Zechariah 4:10 . It is hardly fanciful to observe on the combination of horns and eyes , that a bull shuts his eyes when he charges.

And I beheld; hearing the mention of a Lion of the tribe of Judah, he looks about wistly to see if he could see any justifying that representation. And, lo, in the midst the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb: instead of a Lion he seeth a Lamb; Christ Jesus, called a Lamb by this apostle, John 1:29,36 , and very often in this book; a Lamb, for whiteness and innocency, 1 Peter 1:19 , for meekness and patience, Acts 8:32 , but here with reference to the paschal lamb. As it had been slain; for he appears wounded and pierced, as if he had been slain; and to show that he was equal with the Father, he appears in the midst of the throne; and in the midst of the elders, and of the four living creatures, to show his presence with his church and ministers, Matthew 28:20 , and his walking (as was said, Revelation 2:1 ) in the midst of is churches, which were the golden candlesticks there mentioned. Having seven horns; he appeareth now with seven horns, which are members in which the beasts’ strength, power, and beauty is much seen, to denote his glory and beauty, and the power he had now received to offend and conquer all his enemies. And seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God; and with seven eyes, which were the seven Spirits of God, mentioned Revelation 1:4 4:5 ; endued with the Spirit of God, (which is also called his Spirit), not given to him by measure.

Revelation THE SEVEN EYES OF THE SLAIN LAMB Revelation 5:6 John received a double commission, to write the things which are and the things which shall be. The things which are signify, I suppose, the unseen realities which flashed upon the inward eye of the solitary seer for a moment in symbol when the door was opened in Heaven. All that is here is seeming and illusion; the only substantial existences lie within the veil. And of all those ‘things which are,’ in timeless, eternal being, this vision of the throned ‘Lamb, as it had been slain’ is the centre. Between the Great White Throne and the outer ring of worshippers, representing in the ‘living creatures’ the crown and glory of creatural life, and in the elders, the crown and glory of redeemed humanity, stands the Lamb slain, which is the symbolical way of declaring that for ever and ever, through Christ and for the sake of His sacrifice, there pass to the universe all Divine gifts, and there rise from the universe all thankfulness and praise. His manhood is perpetual, the influence of His sacrifice in the Divine administration and government never ceases. The attributes with which this verse clothes that slain Lamb are incongruous; but, perhaps, by reason of their very incongruity all the more striking and significant. The ‘seven horns’ are the familiar emblem of perfect power; the ‘seven eyes’ are interpreted by the seer himself to express the fullness of the Divine Spirit.

The eye seems a singular symbol for the Spirit, but it may be used as suggesting the swiftest and subtlest way in which the influences of a human spirit pass out into the external universe. At all events, whatever may have been the reason for the selection of the emblem, the interpretation of it lies here, in the words of our text itself. The teaching of this emblem, then, is: ‘He, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received the promise of the Father, sheds forth this.’ The whole fullness of spiritual Divine power is in the hand of Christ to impart to the world. I. The ‘slain Lamb’ is the Lord and Giver of the Spirit. He ‘hath the seven Spirits of God’ in the simplest sense of all, that the manhood of our Brother who died on the Cross for us, lifted up to the right hand of God, is there invested and glorified with every fullness of the Divine Spirit, and with all the mysteries of the life of God. Whatsoever there is, in Deity, of spirit and power; whatsoever of swift flashing energy; whatsoever of gentleness and grace; whatsoever of holiness and splendor; all inheres in the Man Christ Jesus; unto whom even in His earthly lowliness and humiliation the Spirit was not given by measure, but unto whom in the loftiness of His heavenly life that Spirit is given in yet more wondrous fashion than in His humiliation.