ymbol of the Holy Spirit. Thus, when God would make a covenant with
Abraham, and the victims between which the covenanting parties were to
pass, were divided, the presence of God was symbolized by "a burning lamp
that passed between those pieces," Gen. 15:17. And the descent of the Holy
Spirit on the day of Pentecost, was manifested by "cloven tongues, like as
of fire," which "sat upon each of them," Acts 2:3. In Zechariah 3:9, we
read of the symbol of a stone laid before Joshua, that on it were engraved
"seven eyes," which "are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro,
through the whole earth," (Zech. 4:10);--an expressive figure of God's
Omniscience. The same is symbolized in Rev. 5:6, by the "seven eyes" of
the LAMB.

Jesus Christ is the faithful Witness. He "was faithful to him that
appointed him," (Heb. 3:2); and he was given as a Witness to the people, a
Leader and Commander to the people, Isa. 55:4. He is the "first-begotten
of the dead," having "risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of
them that slept," 1 Cor. 15:20: he is "declared to be the Son of God, with
power according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the
dead," Rom. 1:4. He is "the Prince of the kings of the earth," the "King
of kings and Lord of lords," 19:16; "all kings shall fall down before him:
all nations shall serve him," Psa. 72:11. He hath shown how he "loved us,"
by giving himself for us, (Gal. 2:20); and hath cleansed his people from
all sin, not "by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us," Heb. 9:12. He has redeemed us to God "out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation," Rev. 5:9. He is the one who is to come in
the clouds of heaven, in resplendent majesty, to reward his saints, and to
destroy those who destroy the earth, 11:18. The announcement that he
"cometh with clouds" is as if John had said that what he was commanded to
write, was a revelation of the events which were to precede and usher in
that coming.

Christ's Annunciation.

"I John, your brother, and partner in the affliction, and kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the island called Patmos, for
the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in
the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice,
like that of a trumpet, saying, What thou seest, write in a book,
and send it to