in heaven: but he turns and sees Him governing, judging, and holding in his hand the destinies of the several churches. But while, with the symbols of the Ancient of Days upon Him, yet revealing Himself for the Church to the faithful disciple, as one that lived, was dead, and is alive for evermore,[1] having power over the gates of his enemies, the keys of hell and of death. This the Apostle saw: such was the place Christ took now—a different place from being the communicating head of the body, however true that might also be. The seer was to write these things, and the things which are, and what should be after these things. In a word, we have the Almighty continuance which comprehends all things of the Lord, and the present position of the Son of man in the Churches, yet He that lived, was dead, and was alive, and had power over the power of death: these are the things that are. There is a close connection between the things that are and those that were seen; for, turning to see the voice that spake with
- ↑ The first and the last. Christ as continuous, as Jehovah in power and nature, yet one that had passed through the vicissitudes of the Church’s necessity, so that in all circumstantial changes it might know what and where its security was: so that it was security, not terror, to the individual; so, come what would, the Church would not be prevailed over by her enemies.
