Revelation 5:6

and lo Should be omitted: the construction is, "And I saw in the midst of … a Lamb standing."

in the midst of the throne See on Revelation 4:6. In this passage, the sense might be merely "in the centre of the (semicircular?) space surrounded by …," but Revelation 7:17 disproves this. If it be not rash to attempt to work out the details of the picture, I would conjecture that the four living creatures were under the four corners of the Throne, with their heads and wings projecting beyond it: and the Lamb stood in the midst of the front of it, appearing as proceeding from between the feet of Him Who sat thereon.

stood Expressed by a participle, and with the true reading (see above) should be so translated, "I saw … a Lamb standing."

Lamb See Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; John 1:36. Too much importance has been given to the fact that St John uses a different Greek word here from that in his Gospel, and in the LXX. of Isaiah. It is doubtful whether the LXX. is used in the O. T. references in this Book; and the form here used is a diminutive and a neuter. It is awkward to use a neuter noun of a Person, but in this Book St John boldly uses masculines in reference to the Lamb (as in his Gospel he once or twice does in reference to the Spirit): while in the Gospel he is less regardless of grammatical rules, and therefore prefers the masc. form.

as it had been slain The true construction calls attention to the paradox, a Lamb appearing with its throat cut, yet not lying dead or dying, but standing. It serves to typify "Him that liveth and was dead, and is alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:18). The risen Christ bore, and doubtless bears, the wounds of His Passion unaltered unhealed, though apparently not bleeding, John 20:25; John 20:27.

seven horns and seven eyes The Spirit is to Him both strength and wisdom. The horn is throughout the Bible the symbol of conquering might and glory: see e.g. 1 Kings 22:11; Zechariah 1:18 sqq., while 1 Samuel 2:1, &c. shew that divine glory as well as earthly may be so expressed. For the seven eyes, see Zechariah 3:9; Zechariah 4:10. It is hardly fanciful to observe on the combination of hornsand eyes, that a bull shuts his eyes when he charges. Sagacity in discerning truth in all its aspects, and power and promptitude in resolve and execution, are excellences scarcely ever combined in the great men of the world, the one usually varies inversely as the other; but "Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24) unites both.

seven spirits Revelation 1:4; Revelation 4:5.

sent forth, &c. Taken, of course, from Zechariah 4:10 already referred to. The seven lamps of Revelation 4:5 represent the Spirit as eternally proceeding from and belonging to the Father: these represent Him as sent by the Son and belonging to the Son.