of heaven: still it is a modification of what was before seen. It is not the Lord returned in judgment—then he is the Son of Man; and here we have, subsequent to this, the patience of the saints under the prevailing power of the beast and his image, and afterwards “blessed are the dead,” and the Son of Man reaping the harvest of the earth. Moreover, we have a new song[1] sung before the throne, and before the elders, which song none but the “hundred and forty and four thousand” could learn; so that we are not dissociated from heavenly places, for this throne was set in heaven. Yet Zion was not the place of the temple, but the place of royalty: but first of grace,—the place of
- ↑ This is a very important epoch: in ch. v. 9, they sing a new song. There was a new subject of praise when the Lamb who was in the midst of the throne took the book, and assumed the development of what was to introduce the inheritance. The redeemed could say then, “We shall reign,” although the Lamb was still above, and the action of His power was only heavenly or providential. Here, the Lamb not having yet laid aside this character and assumed that of Son of man, and judge, and warrior, yet is associated with earth, and stands on Mount Sion; and therefore they sing a new song before the beasts and before the elders: these not themselves taking a part in it, for it was not the mystic Church’s portion, nor the great witness therefore of redemption for creation, but a special occasion of praise on the Lamb’s taking a place on Mount Zion, and associating himself, though in a special manner, with the earth.
