V. 4.—­John understood by the symbol which he saw, that its contents were of deep significance.  A sanctified curiosity and anxiety, more powerful than that of the Ethiopian eunuch, (Acts viii. 34,) occupied his soul.  But the book is sealed and there is no visible interpreter!  (Is. xxix. 11.) The “beloved disciple” is much affected.  He has more than once or twice “beheld the glory of God,” and cannot but earnestly desire to know more of his mind.  “Hope deferred maketh his heart sick.”  He “wept much.”  His covenant God “has seen his tears.”  He “will heal him,” (2 Kings xx. 5.)

5.  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not:  behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

V. 5.—­From a quite unexpected quarter comes a hint!  How could John anticipate relief from such a source?  “One of the elders” is made the messenger of joyful tidings.  As Aquila and Priscilla took to them the eloquent Apollos, and “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly,” (Acts xviii. 26,) so one of the elders—­one of the humble disciples was the instrument of comfortable instruction to the aged apostle!  The prophet Daniel was similarly affected by a partial exhibition of the same important events; but his anxiety to know the meaning of the vision, though allayed, was not fully gratified, as that of John. (Dan. xii. 8, 9,) “Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed.”  The desire of the best of God’s people to know his purposes may be sometimes excessive, as exemplified by the disciples of Christ, (Acts i. 7.) “It is not for them to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power.”  So much, however, is revealed as may be necessary to their present support and comfort; and the rest they “shall know hereafter,” (John xiii. 7.) But as the events involved in the secret purpose of God, were concealed from Daniel; because not to be evolved till near “the time of the end:”  so in John’s time, when as in Abraham’s case, “the time of the promise drew nigh”—­the time was approaching when the interests of God’s people would be greatly affected by these events; it became needful that the book should be unsealed and its contents made known.  “The time was at hand.”  Accordingly, John is exhorted by the elder to dry up his tears, for to the unspeakable joy of himself and of the whole creation, the announcement is made,—­“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”  Here our attention is called away back to the famous prophecy of dying Jacob, (Gen. xlix. 9, 10,) and also to the subsequent and concurrent declaration of the evangelical prophet, (Isa. xi. 1, 10.) Christ is the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” in reference to his human nature; “for it is evident,” from the inspired tables of his genealogy, “that our Lord sprang out of Judah,” (Heb.