The Feast of Dedication in History and Prophecy

The Maccabean Hanukkah (Continued)

But to return to the conduct of Antiochus. Daniel described it fully: “At the appointed time he (Antiochus) shall return and go toward the south (Egypt); but it shall not be like the former or the latter. For ships from Cyprus (carrying the Romans) shall come against him; therefore he (Antiochus) shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant (the Jewish people), and do damage” (Dan.11:29–30). This happened exactly as Daniel had predicted. No longer able to proceed against Egypt, Antiochus was compelled to turn back, ready to vent his fury on Israel. He sent Apollonius, the head of his mercenaries and the chief collector of tribute, to Jerusalem. Antiochus ordered him to ‘thoroughly Hellenise the Jews’. Apollonius pretended to come in peace but on the Sabbath day he suddenly attacked, killing many and plundering the city. The walls of Jerusalem were thrown down and the old city, the city of David, was fortified. A garrison of Syrian soldiers was billeted there. It was decreed that Jerusalem was henceforth to be known as a Greek city.

Further measures were introduced to accelerate the programme of Hellenisation. Jewish worship was suspended and Jewish ceremonies strictly forbidden. Once a month a rigorous search took place. If any man was found with a copy of the Torah, or if any had his child circumcised, he was put to death. Throughout Israel the Jewish religion was rooted out and the worship of the Greek gods introduced. But Antiochus was impatient and heavy handed. He tried to force the issue. Resistance among the population grew and support for the Chasidim increased. Events came to a head when he commandeered the Jerusalem Temple for his own purposes. On the 15^th Chisleu 168 BC, that is, in December of that year, he initiated an incident that outraged the nation. A pagan altar was built at the great altar in the court of priests. Then ten days later on the 25^th Chisleu, a  sacrifice to the Greek god Zeus was offered on it. In this way the Sanctuary was defiled.

These high-handed actions of Antiochus Epiphanes are considered by many as the fulfilment of prophecies from the book of Daniel. In conjunction with the prophecy of the division of Alexander’s empire into four after his death, there is added another prediction. From one of the four parts of the empire, that of Syria, will arise another ruler, a “little horn” that will speak great things (see Daniel 7:8 and 8:9 ff). Many scholars suggest that this little horn represents the eighth ruler of the Seleucid Greek Empire, the afore-mentioned Antiochus Epiphanes. Daniel, who lived and wrote long before Alexander was born, or ever the events of the Maccabean uprising took place, foretells with supreme accuracy the pivotal event which will break the oppression of the Syrians. He wrote;

 “they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation” (Dan. 11:31).

This verse points directly to the defiling of the Temple by Antiochus in 168 BC. Initially, the Hebrew people only reacted with passive resistance but this was soon replaced by open revolt. It broke out in the town of Modein at the call of a priest of the order of Joarib, named Mattathias. When the king’s officer came to  Modein with orders that the inhabitants offer a heathen sacrifice, Mattathias refused to obey and stepping forward said:

“Though all the nations that are under the king’s dominion obey him, and fall away every one from the religion of their fathers and give consent to his commandments, yet will I and my sons and my brothers walk in the covenant of our fathers. God forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances”.

When Mattathias saw another from the town approaching the altar to offer the sacrifice and appease the king’s officer he rushed forward and slew him there. He and his sons also killed the king’s commissioner and levelled the altar to the ground. Mattathias and his five sons, John, Simon, Judas, Eleasar and Jonathan, fled to the mountains and were joined by others of the Chasidim. In this fashion a campaign of guerrilla warfare was born. The son of Mattathias, Judas was appointed military leader of the movement and he and the force under him felt that they had the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob on their side. They marched against the Syrians and won a brilliant victory. They began to restore the worship   of YHWH in Zion. This gave further impetus to the   rebellion. Judas became known as ‘the hammer’, that is, ‘Maccabeus’. 

Antiochus was engaged elsewhere, but he gave orders that a large army should be commissioned to put down the rebellion. By now Judas’ army was battle-hardened but not wishing to take anything for granted they prepared for the encounter with prayer and fasting. Again they were victorious. After another victory Judas took possession of Jerusalem. Although he could not dislodge the Syrian forces from the walled and fortified ‘city of David’, he was still able to keep them in check while cleansing the Temple ready for a resumption of divine worship. Everything impure was carried out of the Temple and the great altar which had been polluted was dismantled and wholly replaced. New sacred garments and furniture were provided, and when everything was in order the Temple was re-consecrated. A joyous occasion it was celebrated with a great feast. This was on the 25^th Chisleu, that is, in December 165 BC on exactly the same day as the altar had been desecrated three years earlier.

When the Temple was first dedicated during the reign of Solomon it was at the feast of Tabernacles in the month of Tishri in the autumn. That celebration lasted eight days. So, although the Maccabean Hanukkah was in winter it was decided that it should also last for eight days. The recovery of the Temple for the worship of YHWH was so momentous that it was resolved to celebrate it annually. It was added to the festival calendar and called ‘the Feast of Dedication’.

Alas, the time of independence under the Maccabees was not long-lasting. While the leaders kept their early confidence and followed the example of Jonathan (son of Saul) who said, “… nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” (1 Sam. 14:6) they were invincible. But to maintain the peace they began to make political alliances with others in the region. Their total dependence on God was compromised and the freedom which they bought with great cost was lost. Nevertheless, the Israelite nation always looked back to the time of the Maccabees with pride, especially the Pharisees who considered themselves the inheritors of their cause. The words of Mattathias could well describe their motivation: “Though all the nations that are under the king’s dominion obey him, and fall away every one from the religion of their fathers and give consent to his commandments, yet will I and my sons and my brothers walk in the covenant of our fathers. God forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances”.

The Pharisees considered themselves the defenders of the law and the ordinances.

Post Script: This festival is also called the Festival of Lights, for in the Talmud the story was further   elaborated to tell of a miracle that took place. They could only find one jar of sacred oil bearing the seal of the High Priest. Only this pure oil could be used to light the Temple Menorah and it was just enough for one day and one night, no more. Miraculously, the one day’s supply kept the Menorah alight for eight days, that is, until more pure oil was available. It was     seen as a sign of God’s acceptance of the Temple’s rededication. Today in Jewish circles this is reflected in the lighting of the hanukiyah, the eight light lamp, or eight branched menorah. In the Feast of Tabernacles (the festival during which the first dedication took place) the lamps were lit while mainly looking back – to the journey of Israel in the wilderness. At the Feast of Dedication the lights were lit while mainly looking   forward, pointing to a hoped-for time when the Messiah would come to the Temple and establish, as Judas Maccabeus had, a time of independence.

Next Time: Hanukkah at the time of Jesus

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Feast of Dedication in History and Prophecy

The Maccabean Hanukkah

But Israel’s exile had left them weak and exposed. They were constantly exposed to the ambitions of the  stronger nations of the region. The land of ‘milk and honey’ was always an object of desire for those national leaders that had aspirations of domination. As the book of Daniel prophesied (chapter 2), control of the territory and people of Israel would pass from the Chaldeans (the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision) to the Persians (the breast and arms of silver) to the Greeks (Alexander the Great) (the middle and thighs of bronze) and then to Rome (the legs of iron). Between the third (Greek) and fourth (Roman) kingdoms there was a period when others vied for supremacy. Amidst the confusion that followed the death of Alexander, Israel was dominated first by the Egyptians, and later by the Syrians.

While the Babylonian captivity left the greatest mark on the nation, the policies of Alexander the Great also left a lasting legacy. Alexander was militarily acute and politically aware. He understood that controlling such a vast empire was an enormous task, so he instituted a policy of ‘Hellenisation’. This meant they tried to bring the population to conform to a common lifestyle and culture, that is, to be good citizens of its empire. To promote this he encouraged colonists and traders to follow in the wake of his army and settle in the conquered territories. They brought the Greek language, Greek values and the Greek way of life with them. As a result Greek became the language of business and government throughout the empire. All nations under his control were affected, at least to some degree. Certainly, the main cities were required to embrace ‘Hellenisation’ although away from the heaviest populated areas many ethnic groups maintained their ancient way of life holding fast to the language of their fathers.

It was at the beginning of the second century B.C. Antiochus the Great succeeded in securing the land of Israel for Syria. He had three sons and five daughters. His sons ruled after him, the third of them, Mithridates took the title ‘Antiochus Epiphanes’ and reigned from 175 to 164 B.C. He was a despot who indicated that he wished to be considered a god himself, hence the title ‘Epiphanes’ (god manifest).

While Antiochus the Great seemed to show some sympathy towards the Jews, his sons travelled a different road. Part of their strategy was to imitate   Alexander and bring the population to conform to a common lifestyle and image. Following Alexander’s example, they imposed Greek values and Greek culture on nations under their control. They re-enforced the use of the Greek language, built gymnasiums in the main towns and instituted the Greek games. To accomplish it fully they needed to eradicate any peculiarities that individual nations might have. For the Hebrew nation this involved their religion.

In Israel there was a significant group called ‘the pious’ (the Chasidim) who were faithful to the Hebrew Scriptures, traditions and culture. They resisted, but generally the population took the easier course and accepted the changes.

When Antiochus ascended the throne, the head of the population in Judea was the High Priest, Onias III. He was attached to the old faith, but his brother Jesus (better known under his Greek name Jason) was the leader of the party who were friendly with the Greek faction. Jason attempted to obtain the government of Judea for himself and offered Antiochus a great sum of money along with other inducements if he could be granted the office of High Priest. Antiochus accepted the bribe and Jason was installed as Israel’s High Priest. He fully committed himself to the process of Hellenisation and pursued it with energy and vigour. Initially the Temple and its activities were free from interference, but in every other direction he put down “the institutions that were according to the law, and brought up new customs against the law” (2 Macc.4:11). A gymnasium was constructed in Jerusalem and young Jewish men exercised themselves in the  gymnastic arts. Even the priests left their duties in the Temple to participate. From 174 BC to 171 BC Jason administered his office promoting ‘Hellenisation’. Then he fell to a rival, one Menelaus who took over the office of High Priest.

In the meantime Antiochus proceeded against Egypt. After plundering that land he made his way home via Israel and found an insurrection in progress. He put down the revolt, killing some 80,000 people, including women and children (2 Macc.5:12-14). The atrocities of this evil tyrant had reached calamitous proportions. He looted the Temple with the help of Menelaus, and removed the gold furniture from the Holy Place, that is, the altar of incense, the seven-branch lampstand and the table that held ‘the bread of the presence’—but worse was to come.

Antiochus, having had success against Egypt, marched south again, but this time Rome decided to intervene. A Roman general, Popilius Laenus, was despatched to intercept his expedition and present him with an ultimatum from the senate. It demanded he give up his ambitions in Egypt or be considered an enemy of Rome. Antiochus asked for time to speak to his advisors and consider the matter. Popilius drew a circle around him in the sand and said he required an answer before Antiochus stepped out of the circle. The Syrian ruler yielded and turned back. This encounter is especially important because it is here that the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision is introduced. Supremacy in the region will pass to them in due course and it will be Rome that will hold power at the time of the incarnation.

 

More Next Time:

Hanukkah in History and Prophecy

Ezra’s Hanukkah

After the reigns of David and Solomon the fortunes of the Jews were always intimately connected with Jerusalem and the Temple. If they habitually broke the Law of God they lost the city and the Temple, as when the Babylonians came. But when they returned to God, they were restored to the city, as at the time of  Nehemiah and Ezra. And when they returned to the city the whole community worked together to rebuild the Temple. On its completion they celebrated with a Hanukkah service, for in Ezra 6:16,17 the term  translated “dedication” is again ‘hanukkah’. The festivities and service were nothing to be compared to that of Solomon, nevertheless it was a joyful time - they had seen God’s hand of protection and provision, so now they celebrated. Celebrations have always been vital for the people of God. They are occasions of fellowship, of worship, of glorifying God. The sin offerings comprised of “twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel” while the fellowship offerings were “one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs” (Ezra 6:17). It was permitted, nay required, that the meat of the fellowship offerings should be shared with priests, offerers and their     families, so it can be assumed that the service of    dedication ended with a great feast in which everyone participated and which was used to bind the community together. And, as was customary at such festivals, the purpose and history of the nation was explained.

Because of the loss of sovereignty when they returned to Israel after the seventy year period of exile, they could not return to the political structure that operated at the time of David and Solomon. And since the main impulse for the return to the land and the reconstruction was religious then that became the dominant force in Israel. The High Priest became the supreme head of state as well as the supreme director of worship. The authority of the king was replaced by the authority of the High Priest and since his seat of jurisdiction was the Temple then that became the   centre of the nation’s government as well as its centre of worship.

Ezra was the one who contributed most to the authority of the priesthood and the religious development of the nation after their return from Babylon. He had reasoned that the Babylonian captivity was a judgment of God, the cause of which was broken law.  Moses had warned:

“So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven  image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. When you become the father of children and children’s children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord your God so as to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you”  (Deut. 4:23-27).

 

To avert any future judgments and deportations it would be

necessary for Israel to be a ‘Law-abiding’ nation. They must obey the Law of God. But this would be impossible if they neither knew nor understood the Law, so he founded the school of Scribes called the Sopherim. They were to examine and teach the Law of Moses to overcome any lack of knowledge.

However, to the foregoing laudable aim they added the seed of something that was to undermine the written Hebrew Scriptures themselves, for to Ezra and the men of the Great Synagogue was ascribed the ancient saying, "Make a hedge for the Torah" (Abot 1.1.I.C(3) (Mishnah)). There are 613 explicit laws in the five books of Moses. These were to be examined and re-enforced. The purpose was to set the bar higher, to make the law stricter, thus offering some protection from even breaking the Mosaic Law inadvertently. It was the second generation Sopherim who sought to fulfil that ambition. The principle on which they worked was, a Sopher (Scribe) could disagree with a Sopher but not with the Torah. When they reached a majority agreement these additional laws became binding on all Jews.

The work of the Sopherim was continued and supplemented by the work of the Tanaim (Repeaters). These extra regulations are referred to in the gospel records under the term "tradition", that is, "the tradition of the elders" (Matt. 15:2; Mark 7:3,5) or the "tradition of men" (Mark 7:8). Thos that supported and sought to enforce these supplementary regulations played a big part in the events at the time of the Maccabees and the time of Christ. However, Jesus never accepted that these extrapolated rules had divine approval and rejected them. Nevertheless, they exerted substantial influence on sections of the Jewish population, particularly the 'pious'.

 

Next Time: The Maccabean Hanukkah

Dedicating the Temple

The Dedication of the Temple at the time of Solomon

A great change in the worship of YHWH had taken place after David had conquered the Jebusite town of Jerusalem on the southern slope of Mount Zion. He understood that sacrificial offerings could only be made in the place that the Lord selected, as revealed in the Torah:

“Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you” (Deut. 12:13–14).

He subsequently understood that Mount Moriah was to be that place (1 Chron. 21:28-22:1). “Then David said, ‘This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel’” (1 Chron. 22:1: See also 2 Chron.6:20; Ps.132:13). So he expressed the view that the tent-shrine should be replaced with something more permanent; a Temple where Israel could gather to fulfil their obligations at festival times. David voiced his thoughts to the prophet Nathan. “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains” (2 Sam. 7:2). Initially, Nathan supported David’s idea, but a message from the Lord, revised the program. Intelligence from heaven directed that the son of David, Solomon, should build the Temple: “He shall build a house for My name” (2 Sam. 7:13). The desire of God to “dwell among them” (Exod.25.8) was still in place.

When the building was completed, Solomon sent particular invitations to the elders and dignitaries of Israel to join him in a service of dedication. The strength of Israel, its manpower, was already required to come, for the dedication service was diarised to coincide with the pilgrim feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, in the seventh month.

But first, the ark (the golden chest also known as the ‘throne of God’) had to be brought to its new home.  David had embarked on such a project when he first brought the ark to Jerusalem but found it was fraught with danger (see 2 Samuel 6.1-10). Solomon, no doubt with an acute knowledge of the problems that David had encountered, made sure that those who had been commissioned for the care of the ark and were properly authorised to carry it, were the only ones to bear it.

When David brought the ark to his capital city he had an honour guard of thousands of soldiers lining the route, while Levitical musicians and singers performed the Psalms, especially Psalm 24. At the gate of the city of David they called for the entry of the ark, the symbol of the localised presence of God:

“Lift up your heads, O you gates!

And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
 
Who is this King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

The Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates!

Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory?

 The Lord of hosts,

He is the King of glory”.

Solomon took care not only to equal the dignity accorded the ark by David, but to exceed it. So it was with great ceremony that he brought the ark to the Temple. Before the ark was placed in the Inner Sanctum, Solomon and Israel’s leaders offered many sacrifices in honour of its arrival, at the same time dedicating the new brazen altar. It is recorded that the ark still housed the two tablets on which was written the Decalogue, confirming that the Mosaic Covenant with its priestly culture was still in place. It was only after Solomon felt that proper honour had been shown to the sacred chest, was it taken into the Holy of Holies to be lost from sight to all except the High Priest.    

Solomon had built a high dais from which he could be seen to offer obeisance to the Lord. It also allowed  him to turn to face Israel and bless the assembled company. From his high platform he offered a prayer of dedication connecting the building of the Temple with the inspired wishes of his father David and the Davidic Covenant.

The prayer of dedication acknowledged that the Temple was only a shadow of reality, since God dwelt in    heaven, and not behind the veil. Nevertheless, he was confident that he had the listening ear of YHWH and so petitioned God that since this house, this Temple, was to be known as the place where God had placed His Name (in accordance with the revelation made to David), that those that offered penitential prayers towards it should receive forgiveness.

Included in Solomon’s prayer was a petition for the restoration of Israel in their land if ever they suffered at the hands of a foreign invader:

“O Lord my God … if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers” (2 Chron. 6:24–25).

He finished with:

 

"Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let

“Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.
Now therefore, Arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.

Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation,

And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.

O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed;

Remember the mercies of Your servant David”

(2 Chron. 6:40–42).

Titles of the Lord Jesus

We continue in our study of the Names of the Lord Jesus.

In the book of Revelation the main subject concerns the ending of the conflict between good and evil, between God and Satan, these exalted names, ‘Alpha and Omega’, ‘Beginning and End’, ‘First and  Last’, as applied to the Lord Jesus, remind us that our future is secure in His hands because He will bring history, as we know it, to a perfect    conclusion that will reveal the many faceted wisdom of God.

If the names, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, direct us to the higher counsels of the Godhead as they relate to eternity, so there are names that direct us to the work of Christ upon earth.

First, in Rev.5.5 “But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

He is the Lion of Judah.

This title goes back to Jacob’s final blessing of his sons before his death. In that blessing he called Judah “a lion’s whelp” (Gen. 49:9). If Judah himself is a lion’s whelp, it is fitting to call the greatest member of the tribe of Judah ‘The Lion of Judah’.

In the books written between the Testaments this became a messianic  title. The strength of the lion and his undoubted place as king of beasts made him a fitting emblem of the all-powerful Messiah who not only is ‘The Lion of the tribe of Judah’ but also ‘King of Kings’.

In the Rev.5:5 verse Jesus, the Lion of Judah, is further identified as being connected with the family of David, that is, He is “the root of David”.

The Root of David.  This title goes back to Isaiah’s double prophecy that there will not only be a shoot from the stump of Jesse but also a root of Jesse which shall be the banner to which the    Gentiles will rally (Isaiah 11:1, 10).

The unimpressive green “shoot” that will sprout from the stump of Jesse is a person from the Davidic royal line. This living twig/branch/shoot will bear fruit. Thus it was a symbol of hope declaring that one day a Messiah of the Davidic line would be revealed. Jesus Christ was that Son of David, the promised Messiah.

Bur Jesus was not only “a shoot from the stump of Jesse” (Is 11:1) but also the “root of Jesse” (Is 11:10; Rom 15:12; see Rev 5:5; 22:16, “root of David”). This means that while Jesus was the son of David, He was also David’s “Lord.” This is the point Jesus made in his debate with the religious leaders of his day in Matthew 22:42–45 when He asked them: ‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They replied, ‘He is the son of David.’ Jesus responded, “How then does  David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool?”

The Lamb of Revelation: “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ” (Rev.5:6)

Jesus as the Lamb is one of the dominant themes of Revelation. In its pages it is the title used of Jesus some twenty-nine times.

The word John uses for Lamb is not used of Jesus Christ anywhere else in the New Testament. It is true that John the Baptist pointed to him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36); and Peter speaks of the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19), but in these cases the word is ‘amnos’, whereas the word that the Revelation uses is ‘arnion’.  The Baptist’s word emphasises the Lamb as a sacrificial offering, whereas John’s word ‘arnion’ emphasises the victory the Lamb accomplished.

The Lamb of Revelation overcame death (5:5–6) and is omnipotent  and omniscient. He takes over the government of the world by    opening the book of destiny in the heavenly council (4:2ff.; 5:7ff.),  receiving divine adoration (5:8ff. etc.), establishing the rule of peace (7:9) on the heavenly mountain (14:1), overcoming demonic powers (17:14), exercising judgment (6:16f.; 14:10) and making distinction on the basis of the book of life (13:8; 21:27). As Victor He is the Lord of lords and King of kings (17:14; 19:16).

By using ‘arnion’ and using it so often, John wishes us to see that this is a new concept which he is bringing to men. But even so, the Lamb still bears the marks of having been slain. There we have the picture of the sacrifice of Christ, still visible in the heavenly places, for eternally He will be the one who loved us and gave Himself for us.

The Lamb of Revelation has Seven Horns. This  Lamb, with the marks of sacrifice still on it, is the Lamb with the seven horns. In the Old Testament the horn stands for two things.

First it stands for POWER. In the blessing of Moses “the horns of    Joseph are like the horns of a wild ox and with them he will push the people together to the ends of the earth” (Deut. 33:17). Zedekiah, the prophet, made iron horns as a sign of promised triumph over the  Syrians (1 Kings 22:11).

The Lamb has seven horns; the number seven stands for perfection; therefore the seven horns stand for perfect power, omnipotence.

Secondly the horn stands for HONOUR. It is the confidence of the Psalmist that in the favour of God our horn shall be exalted (Ps.89:17). The connection with honour is evident in  Ps. 112:9 “His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honour.” Then again: “And He has exalted the horn of His people” (Ps. 148:14).

So the power of the Lamb is perfect, beyond withstanding.

And the honour of the Lamb is above all other honours.

He will have a Name above every name. All that is in heaven and all in earth will sing His praises.

The Lamb of Revelation has Seven Eyes: The Lamb has seven eyes, and the eyes are the Spirits which are despatched into all the earth. The picture comes from Zechariah. There the prophet sees the seven lamps which are “the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth” (Zech. 4:10).

It stands for the omniscience of God. It says that there is no place on earth which is not under the eye of God. But omniscient also means He is all wise. There is nothing that is beyond His comprehension. There is nothing He has over-looked.

Because He is omniscient He will be working to a higher design and purpose. Because He is omnipotent and has all power ‘in heaven and in earth’, He will accomplish what    He has purposed to do. These high attributes belong to the Lamb in the midst of the throne.

So you can see why John when writing the book of Revelation uses a different noun for ‘Lamb’ to the one that was used by John the Baptist.

The Lamb of eternity, while bearing the marks of Calvary, is no longer at the mercy of the enemies of God for the Lamb is also the Lion.

The Lamb is also King

The T’nach refers to  God as King whose throne is eternal:

“The Lord (YHWH) reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. ” (Psalm 93:1–2) This theme is picked up by Paul: “that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honour and everlasting power. Amen.” (1 Tim. 6:14–16)

 

Note: this last reference includes the indicator of the ‘seven horns’ truth – ‘to whom be honour and everlasting power’. John, like Paul, takes up the theme that God is the King of Kings, but applies it to Jesus, the Lamb who has seven horns.

 “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings ”. (Rev. 17:14) “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. ” (Rev. 19:16)

Presidents, dictators, and kings rule over their nations. Jesus as king is greater than all of these. To him all power and authority belong, and all knees shall bow. This is the message of the book of Daniel. Daniel witnessed to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus that YHWH reigned and He lifts up whom He wills, and He puts down whom He wills. This is the power now vested in the Son of God.

Let’s put some of these all-powerful names together:

The One who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords is the Lamb, the  Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last; the One who was, and is, and is to come, the Almighty.

Jesus is ‘The Word of God’

Then there is another Name: ‘The Word of God’. “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” (Rev. 19:13) Here we have the purely Jewish idea of the Word of God. To a Jew a word was not merely a sound; it did things. We can see that, for instance, in the old story in which Jacob filched Esau’s blessing from Isaac (Genesis 27). The blessing, once given, could not be taken back. If that is so of human words, how much truer it is of the divine word.

It is by His word that God created the earth and the heavens and  everything in them. “And God said” is the recurring phrase in the narrative of creation (Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 26).

 

When John called the warrior Christ 'The Word of God'. he meant that here in action is all the power of God's word; everything that God has said is embodied in Christ.

Summarising

What we are saying is—a multiplicity of names is needed to identify all the glorious aspects of the person and work of the Lord Jesusl For example, there are names in the book of Revelation that identify the deity of Christ, such as Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last; but there are also names that especially    relate to His earthly ministry e.g. the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, etc. And when we reach the last chapter of the book of Revelation many of the names that we have considered reappear. 

He is the Lamb that has a throne in the city of God. Moreover He will tie up all loose ends under His ‘First and Last’ names: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one     according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”  (Rev. 22:12–13)

In addition, when He refers to two of His earthly titles He adds one more delightful name: “I, Jesus ... am the Root and the Offspring of  David, the Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16). The Bright and Morning Star title suggests a new beginning; a good beginning; a blessed beginning. But alas, there is not another book after Revelation to fill in the details of what follows.

But we can end this study as the book of Revelation ends—with a prayer and a benediction.

The Prayer: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)

The Benediction: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev. 22:21)