praise cannot be passed by; for she is loved, washed, and will reign in nearness to God and his Father.[1]
To the world, and to the Jews, His coming will be sorrow. Here, then, we find the place of all these parties at the outset. This is its form, then, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν ἐρχόμενος—the perfection of fulness of the Spirit before the throne: Jesus known as faithful, risen, to reign, all on earth.[2] The Church, meanwhile, knowing its own position in this, therefore says, not Our Father, but His—His God and Father: for so it is. The announcement of what the purport of Jesus’ coming is to the world follows thereon, completing what He is and was on earth, the Church’s portion thereby, and the world’s at His coming. In ver. 8
- ↑ The instant answer of the Church on the announcement of Christ in His titles as to His person, is exceedingly beautiful—and on the announcement of His coming glory (xxii. 16), the instant response of the Church, led by the Spirit, is equally lovely: “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come:” and the Church then takes its full place, while waiting.
Christ’s relative character is fully shewn and responded to—a faithful witness for God to man—the perfect representative and head of the Church, as the perfect new risen man before God, and the head of power to the world; and the Church sees Him, and then says what He is to herself.
- ↑ i.e. The witness of God, as he was the conqueror of death as the head of the body, and the governor of the world in power.
