quotation of the heavenly world, we cannot but be struck with its similarity to the encampment of the children of Israel in their forty years' journeyings, described in Numbers ii.-and with the evident light which the comparison throws upon that representation. For instance, in the very centre of the camp there was that visible token or manifestation of God's immediate presence or glory, and the only one on earth, the Shechinah. This consisted of a cloud, sometimes breaking out into a bright and refulgent flame, resting on the mercy-seat; answering to its brighter anti-type now exhibited within the opened door of heaven to the view of the apostle, consisting not of a cloud and flame, but of a splendid throne. It was that throne seen by Micaiah,* when he said: "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left." Also that described by Isaiah in the following sublime language, "I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the Seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto

another, and said, Holy, holy,

holy is the Lord of

hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."

Besides this mention, there is to be found in the 1st of Ezekiel a most magnificent description of this resplendent seat of the Divine Majesty, corresponding

* 1 Kings xxii. 19.

in a most remarkable manner, yet in beautifully diversified language, with that here given. After many particulars from the 4th to the 26th verse, it closes as follows,-and I transcribe it, as I wish to draw a fixed attention to what is so often, in the after-parts of the Revelation, brought forward: "And above the firmament there was, over their heads, the likeness of a THRONE, as the appearance of a sapphire stone and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw, as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upwards, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord."

In the repesentation before us, no attempt is made to describe the majesty of Him that sat upon the throne-it is merely said that He was to look upon like a jasper, or a sardine stone-that is, of the daz. zling splendour and the ineffable brightness of the most costly, pellucid, transparent stones; and in this nameless majesty there is something inexpressibly grand. It is something resembling that which it is said was seen by Moses and Aaron when they went up into the mountain.*

* See Exodus xxiv. 10, 17.

It is a striking and encouraging appendage, both as mentioned here and in the above description of Ezekiel, that round the throne was a pledge of "There was mercy : a rainbow round about the throne," of the colour of living green, "in sight like unto an emerald," or "a brightness round about as the appearance of the bow in the day of rain."

There were likewise round about this ineffably glorious throne of Jehovah four-and-twenty seats, or, more properly speaking, four-and-twenty other thrones, upon which are represented, seated, four-andtwenty elders with white robes, the emblems of perfect purity, and with coronets of gold on their heads.

These elders appear to be that part of the church redeemed from among men, who have already received their reward, and they answer to the four-andtwenty courses of the priests appointed by David to minister among the Jewish people set apart for the service of the temple; and likewise to the camp of the Levites, which in the wilderness surrounded the Tabernacle. For it appears very evident that there is a part of the ransomed church who have thus received their reward. The very circumstance of their being described in a bodily form, and seen with honours bestowed upon them, shews that they are intended to represent something more than separate spirits.

The question therefore arises, is there anything in Scripture to countenance such an idea, that any part of the righteous are now in the presence of God in such a state? In the first place, I would notice,

25

that, as in the case of Enoch and Elijah, at least some must be in heaven in their bodily forms. In the second, that, on the great occasion of the death of our Lord, "the graves were opened, and many of the bodies of the saints," which slept, arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."*

a

In the third place, in the description of the city of the living God given by Paul in the Hebrews, distinction is made between the "general assembly and the church of the first born which are written in heaven," and the "spirits of just men MADE PERFECT;" and these latter, I consider, are those who rose at the crucifixion, and are what I conceive are represented "by the elders." Their numbers we can have no idea of; but most probably they consist of those who had been most eminently useful and faithful in their day and generation, and had borne the heat and burden of the day. And this interpretation of the meaning of the elders, appears to my mind the more probable, from the circumstance of their not being introduced either in the visions of Isaiah or Ezekiel; nor is there anything at all resembling them, or that can answer to them. And the reason is obvious: there were then no spirits of just men made perfect in heaven-the resurrection at the time of the Saviour's crucifixion not

*Matt. xxvii. 52, 53.

C

having taken place; and there having been no previous resurrection, there was no part of the saved church for the four and twenty elders, therefore, to represent. But after that great event, the case was different; many of the spirits of the just were "made perfect," that is, their bodies and souls were united, and therefore formed a separate and distinct class of heavenly inhabitants.

The lightnings, and thunderings, and voices, which proceeded out of the throne, bring us to the transactions of Sinai, and to the transcript of the mind and will of God, as there made known in the promulgation of the moral law; and appear to say, that whilst there is a bow of mercy around the throne, in virtue of the covenant of grace, there is at the same time vengeance and wrath to the wicked, and to every transgressor of that law.

The seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, said to be the seven spirits of God, and which are referred to in ch. i. v. 4, evidently appear to represent the Holy Trinity, and answer to the golden candlestick with seven branches, which was before the most holy place.

The sea of glass before the throne, clear and transparent as crystal, is in allusion to the molten sea of brass used for the purification of the priests; and appears to signify, that, in opposition to a thick and troubled sea," whose waters cast up mire and dirt," heaven is a place of settled peace. Perhaps the idea