And I saw: and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb standing, as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes: which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.
και ειδον εν μεσω του θρονου και των τεσσαρων ζωων και εν μεσω των πρεσβυτερων αρνιον εστηκος ως εσφαγμενον εχον κερατα επτα και οφθαλμους επτα α εισιν τα επτα πνευματα του θεου αποστελλομενα εις πασαν την γην
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb signify the seven spirits of Christ, about whom Isaiah (Isa. 11:2-3) and Zechariah (Zech. 4:10) prophesied. The words "as though slain" point to His life after the slaughter. After His Resurrection from the dead, as the truly slain Lamb, He showed His disciples the marks of His sufferings.
Here John showed our Lord Jesus Christ still more plainly. He presented Him not as dead, but as though slain because of the Passion and the death He endured. He says that he saw Him in the midst of the throne, that is, in the power and majesty of God. And of the four living creatures means that He was known in the order of the four Evangelists. And in the midst of the elders signifies the company of the Law and the Prophets, or of the Apostles. He testifies that he saw there the Lamb, not slain, but as though slain. That is, He both conquered death and overcame suffering. "Having seven horns and seven eyes." In the horns are power and dignity. The number seven describes the condition of the world, which He governs in power and over which He is the most mighty Lord.
Next he calls the seven spirits the seven eyes. By this he indicates that the glorifying Holy Spirit abides in our Lord Jesus Christ by the degrees of the seven virtues. The Apostle says of this: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself" (2 Cor 5:19). And again: "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life also to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Rom 8:11). Since "their sound has gone out into all the earth" (Ps 18:5), he says of the spirits that they are sent. He reminds us that there are gifts of the Holy Spirit, abundantly scattered throughout the whole world.
The thrones, the living creatures, and the elders are the Church. The Lamb as though slain is the Church with her Head, dying for Christ so that she may live with Christ. The martyrs in the Church can also be understood as the Lamb as though slain.
John calls the Lord a Lamb because of His innocence and beneficence. For as a lamb brings benefit by the yearly offering of its fleece, so the Lord opens His hand and fills every living thing with favor (Ps 144:16). Prophecy also calls Him this through the mouth of Isaiah: "As a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent" (Is 53:7). Jeremiah likewise says: "But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter, and I did not know that they had devised plans against me" (Jer 11:19). Yet He was not a Lamb slain, but as though slain. For Christ rose, trampling down death and emptying Hades of the souls held there. His death was not death by a fixed and irrevocable necessity. It was death immediately cut short by the Resurrection.
Then, after the Resurrection, the Lord showed the signs of death: the prints of the nails and His life-giving body stained with blood. This accords with what Isaiah said in the person of the holy angels: "Why is Your garment red, and Your raiment like one who has trodden the full winepress?" (Is 63:2). Therefore He appeared in the vision as though slain. The seven horns signify His great power, since seven, being a perfect number, denotes multitude, as was said above. Horns are a symbol of might, according to the prophet who said: "All the horns of the wicked I will break, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted" (Ps 74:11). Habakkuk also says: "Horns are in His hands." What the seven eyes are, namely the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth, Isaiah plainly explains for us: "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and piety; and He shall be filled with the fear of the Lord" (Is 11:2-3). A winepress is a vat hewn in rock, where grape juice was obtained by treading the grapes with the feet. The reference is probably Hab 3:4: "His brightness was like the light; rays came forth from His hand, and there was the hiding of His power."
"Behold the stone that I have set before Jesus. On this one stone are seven eyes." These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which survey the whole earth (Zech. 3:9; 4:10). By the name of horn, strength and authority are usually understood. Yet the Lion of the tribe of Judah fights not by killing, but by meekness and humility. His enemies fall into the pits that they themselves have dug for innocent sufferers.
In the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures means in the space between the throne and the four living creatures, as well as the twenty-four elders. In the center of the circle formed by the thrones stood the Lamb with seven horns, symbols of strength (Ps 74:11; Dan 8:20-21), and seven eyes, symbols of omniscience. The number seven signifies fullness and perfection. The Lamb stood as though slain, that is, He bore the marks of having been offered in sacrifice. This points to the redemptive death of Jesus Christ. Here John does not say on what the Lamb stood. Later, however, he shows that an altar stood before the throne (Rev 8:3). On this altar the Lamb, of course, stood as a living sacrifice to God.
"The seven eyes are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth." The omnipotence and omniscience of God extend over the whole world. This is expressed by saying that the Lamb sends His eye everywhere, His spirits, through whom He knows all and accomplishes all.
Saint Andrew of Caesarea understands the sealed book as the mysterious decrees of the wise providence of God concerning the salvation of mankind. By the opening of the seals he understands the fulfillment of the divine decrees by the Only-begotten Son of God, the Savior of humanity, who gave Himself as a Lamb to be slain.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 37 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS