zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. THE FIRST VISION After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, 'Come up hither, and I will shew thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.' Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne; and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon. And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones: and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne, as it were a glassy sea like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy: The Lord God, The Almighty; Which was and which is and which is to come. And when the living creatures shall give glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honour and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.' And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, 'Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?' And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon. And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon: and one of the elders saith unto me, 'Weep not: behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome, to open the book and the seven seals thereof.' And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And he came, and he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying, 'Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.' And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a great voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honour, and glory, and blessing.' And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them, heard I saying, 'Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honour, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.' And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped. FROM THE THIRD VISION And the angel which I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his right hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be time no longer but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets. * And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the World is become The Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; NOTES The reader will observe that the Notes which follow are of two kinds. (1) Notes to Particular Books of Scripture; and (2) General Notes (commencing page 425) on points common to many books. NOTES TO PARTICULAR BOOKS Gospel of St. Mark Compare the Introduction, pages 12 to 15. It is suggested that this gospel should be read as a succession of separate incidents, each a vivid picture of Jesus and his ministry. Care should be taken to note the many graphic details, such as bespeak the narrative of an eyewitness. The continuous story of Jesus, and the significance of particular incidents in the whole ministry of Jesus, will best be studied in the other gospels. What few notes are here offered are arranged according to the sections as numbered in the text. The titles affixed to each section will usually be sufficient to suggest its spirit and connection with other sections. Introductory. The wording of this section, with its absence of details, suggests its introductory character. It reads like a memorandum of headings, to be expanded by an evangelist in his oral instruction. i. And straightway they left the nets: note the continual recurrence of this word straightway as a characteristic of Mark's gospel. It is a sort of narrative formula, like the modern story-teller's And so —. an unclean spirit: compare General Note 1, page 425. A man with ii. And he sternly charged him. . . . See thou say nothing: compare General Note 2, page 425. iii. Many publicans and sinners. The publicans were, strictly speaking, Roman capitalists who farmed the customs, and so had a motive for extortion, in order to make their investment profitable. But the word covers their agents, the actual collectors. As the latter would usually be natives of the country, they were specially unpopular, being regarded as unpatriotic as well as extortionate. The word sinners is applied to social outcasts. Pharisees. . . Herodians: compare Introduction, page 8. V. He is beside himself. . . He hath Beelzebub : compare General Note 1, page 425. Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God. See General Note on the word mystery (page 426). The disciples are regarded as the initiated: for those outside, the mystic parable corresponds to the outward show or ritual. vi. Send us into the swine: compare General Note 1, page 425. - A tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly. The reference is to the mourning women": professional mourners, spoken of in Jeremiah (chapter 9), who would be called in for funerals and similar occasions. This makes more intelligible the words, And they laughed him to scorn. |