Works, Book 1 · Discourse 10
DISCOURSE X.
ZACHARIAH 4. 10.
These Seven are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
IT is hard to keep a mean; which as it appears in many things else, so in the Doctrine and Speculation of Angels, whereunto men were heretofore so much addicted, as they pursued it not only to vain and ungrounded Theories, but even to Idolatry and Superstition. There were in the Apostles times who intruded into things they had not seen: There were then who beguiled men with a voluntary humility in worshipping of Angels, Col. 2. 18. What after-times brought forth, I shall not need speak. That ancient and high-soaring (though counterfeit) Dionysius describes the Hierarchy of Angels as exactly as if he had dwelt amongst them, delivering unto us nine Orders of them out of nine words, found partly in the Old, partly in the New Testament; Seraphims, Cherubims, and Thrones; Powers, Hosts, and Dominions; Principalities, Arch-angels, and Angels; and tells us the several natures, distinctions, and properties of them all. Whereas it cannot be shewn out of Scripture, either that some of these names concur not, (as Angels not to be a common name to all the rest, especially to comprehend Arch-angels) or that these are denominations of the natures of Angels, and not of their offices and charges only: yet have these nine Orders passed for current through so many Ages of the Church.
But we, who together with divers Superstitions have justly rejected also these vain and ungrounded curiosities, are fallen into the other extreme, having buried the Doctrine of Angels in silence, making little or no enquiry at all, what God in his Word hath revealed concerning them: which yet would make not a little for the understanding of Scripture, wherein are so many passages having reference to them, and therefore questionless something revealed concerning them.
I shall not therefore do amiss, if I chuse for my Discourse at this time a particular of that kind which Dionysius in all his Speculations hath not a word of, and yet seems to have strong footing in Scripture: It is this.
The Iews have an ancient Tradition, that there are Seven principal Angels which minister before the Throne of God,Zach. 4. 10. and are therefore called Arch-angels; some of whose names we have in Scripture, as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and in the second Book of*Chap. 4. 36 … Esdras mention is made of Ieremiel the Arch-angel. This Tradition we shall find recorded in the Book of Tobit (whose antiquity is before the Birth of our Saviour:) For there the Angel who in the shape of Azariah had accompained his son into Media, when he discovers himself, speaks in this manner, I am Raphael, one of the Seven Angels which stand and minister before the Holy Blessed One, (that is, God.) The Greek hath foreign, &c. which present the Prayers of the Saints, and go in and out before the Glory of the Holy One. But neither S. Hierome, who translated it out of the Chaldee, nor the ancient Hebrew Copy set forth by Paulus Fagius, (and in likelihood translated out of the same Chaldee Original) hath any such matter, but read as I first quoted. And therefore it se…ms to be an addition, or liberty of the greek Translator, who thought their Ministery to consist in presenting the Prayers of the Saints, and so translated accordingly.
This Tradition is farther testified by Ionathan ben Vziel the Chalde… Paraphrast, Gen. 11. 7. where the Lord's words, spoken in the plural number, … go down, and let us confound their language, are paraphrased in this … spake unto the Seven Angels which stand before him, Go to now let us go … Whether rightly or fitly in this place, it matters not: the Testimony is … for the Iewish Tradition of Seven Arch-angels that stand before the Throne of God.
This Tradition Iunius saith is Magical, and not a little triumphs therein, a… an undoubted Argument to evince the Book of Tobit not to be Canonical. But wh…t…oever the Book of Tobit be, I hope to shew this Tradition to have firm ground and footing in Scripture, and not so rashly to be rejected.
The chief and most clear place is this I have now read, which gives us to understand that these Seven Angels were represented by that Candlestick of Seven Lemps which continually burned in the Temple, before the Veil, over against the Mercy-seat, which was the Throne of God. For in the beginning of the Chapter the Prophet being shewed this Seven lamped Candlestick in a Vision, and two Olive-branches on each side ministring oyl to the Lamps thereof; the Angel asketh him (ver. 5.) if he knew what these meant. The Prophet answers, No, my Lord. Then the Angel, discoursing a little by way of Preface, tells him what they were; These Seven, saith he, that is, the Seven Lamps, are the seven Eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth; … 16. 9that is, those Seven Vigils, or prime Ministers of his Providence, the Seven Arch-angels. As for the two Olive-trees on each-side, These are, saith he, the two anointed ones, which stand before the Lord of the whole earth, (v. 14.) that is, Zorobabel and Iesua, the Prince and Priest of that time; which should be God's two Instruments on earth, whereby his Church (signified by the Candlestick) should be re-established, and his Temple builded: and that not by force or strength, (as he saith in his Preface v. 6.) but by the Spirit of God working with them; as the Olivetrees here conveyed oyl to the Candlestick, not after a natural and usual, but a supernatural and secret manner. This interpretation of the latter hath the suffrage of the best Expositors, both Iews and Christians; and so I shall need say no more of it, but betake my self to make good the first, concerning the words I chose for my Text, That those Seven Eyes of God, signified by the Seven Lamps, are Seven Angels.
That this is so, I prove out of two places of the Apocalyps derived from hence; where as well the Seven Lamps before the Throne, as the Lamb's Seven Eyes, are said to be the Seven Spirits of God: I saw (saith S. Iohn Ch. 4. 5.) Seven Lamps before the Throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God. And again, Ch. 5. 6. I saw in the midst of the Throne, and of the four Beasts, (as we translate it) and of the four and twenty Elders, a Lamb, as if he had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Here, first, we have Zacharie's very words, Seven eyes sent forth into all the earth: secondly, that these Seven eyes are the Seven Spirits of God: thirdly, that these Seven Spirits were represented by the Seven Lamps burning before the Throne. If this be not sufficient to make my interpretation of Zacharie's good, I know not what can be. For who can now but think that the Iews derived their Tradition of these Seven Angels from this place of Zachary, and the Apocalyps from them both?
And that indeed the Iews supposed some such thing meant by the Seven Lamps in the Temple, appears by the report of Iosephus, though depraved and fashioned unto the capacity of the Gentiles. For he tells us (both in his Antiquities, Lib. 3. cap. 7. and in his De Bello Iudaico, Lib. 6. cap. 6. Gr. ….) that the Seven Lamps signified the seven Planets, and the most holy place within the veil, (Antiq. l. 3. cap. 5.) the Heaven of God or Heaven of Glory; and that therefore the Lamps stood*Antiq. l. 3. cap. 7. slope-wise, as it were to express the obliquity of the Zodiack. Now it is true that the Iewish Astrologians, favouring of Gentilisme, make these Seven Angels the Prefects of the Seven Planets; which they seem to have learned in part from the Greek Philosophy: which conceit, howsoever it be vain and groundless, yet may be as a Key to understand the meaning of this of Iosephus. And one thing more;1 Rom. 19. If the visible things of God may be learned, as S. Paul says, from the Creation of the world, why may not the Invisible and Intelligible World be learned from the Fabrick of the Visible? the one (it may be) being the Pattern of the other. But to let this pass, and return again to the Apocalyps:
Where concerning the places alledged, there may be two things objected. First, That the Seven Spirits there mentioned are, and may be, expounded of the Holy Ghost, thus represented in respect of those seven-fold (that is, manifold) Graces he communicates unto the Church. I answer, that many indeed have so taken it: but, besides the unco…thness of expressing one Spirit by seven, there is a reason in the Text why they cannot be so taken; namely, because not only the Seven Lamps are said to be those Seven Spirits of God, but the Seven eyes and Seven Horns of the Lamb also to be the same. Now it will be very hard and harsh to make the Holy Ghost the Horns and Eyes of Christ, as he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, that is, as he is Man: Above Angels indeed the Man Iesus is exalted, and that too for the suffering of death, that is, as the Lamb; but not above the Holy Ghost. This made not only Drusius, but even Beza himself, in his Notes upon this place to affirm, it could not be meant of the Holy Ghost, but of Seven created Spirits.
A second scruple is, How (if they be created Spirits) Iohn could pray for Grace and Peace from them:Rev. 1. 4, 5. Grace be unto you, (saith he) and peace from him which is, which was, and is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his Throne, and from Iesus Christ the faithful witness, &c. Would he pray for Grace and Peace from Angels? I answer, Why not? For first, He praies not to them; but unto God, unto whom such votes are tendered. Secondly, He praies for Grace and Peace from them, not as Authors, but as the Instruments of God in the dispensation thereof. Are they not foreign ministring Spirits, H…. …. 14.sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation? And, if it be no Idolatry to pray unto God to give Grace and Peace from the outward Ministery of his Word; no more is it to pray unto him for it from the invisible Ministery. For certainly it is lawful to pray unto God for a blessing from an Instrument, which he is wont to give us by an Instrument. Secondly, It may be said, it being a Salutation, that the words [Grace and Peace] need not be taken in that special and strict sense, but in the large and general, wherein Grace sounds favour at large, and Peace all manner of prosperity. In which sense no man will deny but the blessed Angels have an interest in the dispensation of the favours and blessings of God to his Church; and so God may be prayed to to give them, as he is wont, by their Ministery. Grace and Peace from him which is, which was, and is to come, as the Author and Giver; and from the Seven Spirits, as the Instruments; and from Iesus Christ, as the Mediator.
There is yet one place more in the Apocalyps to confirm this Tradition, Chap. 8. 2. I saw, saith S. Iohn, foreign, the Seven Angels which stood before God. Is not this as plain as Tobit? Why should then the one be accounted Magical rather than the other?
I add moreover, that these Angels are those foreign. Principes primarii or chief Princes, mentioned in the 10. of Daniel 13. Michael one of the chief Princes (saith the Angel there) came to help me: Now Michael, we know, is one of the Arch-angels;1 Tim. 5. 21. and why therefore may not these chief Princes be those foreign, whereof S. Paul speaks in his adjuration to Timothy? I charge thee (saith he) before God, and the Lord Iesus Christ, and the Elect Angels; not the good Angels at large, but those Angeli eximii, the Seven Arch-angels which stand before the Throne of God.
And it may, not without reason, be conjectured, that those Seven chief Princes famed in the Persian Monarchie took their beginning from hence; namely, that Daniel (who in respect of his account for wisdom, and of his power under Darius the Mede, had a main stroke in the moulding and framing the Government of that State) caused the Persian Court to resemble that of Heaven, ordaining Seven chief Princes to stand before the King. Of which we find twice mention in Scripture: as in the Book of Esther, Chap. 1. 14.where they are recorded by name, and styled the seven Princes of Media and Persia, who saw the King's face, and sate first in the kingdom: and in the Commission granted to Ezra by Artaxerxes, Ezra 7. 14. they are called the King's seven Counsellors; Forasmuch as thou art sent by the King, and his seven Counsellors, &c. And, it may be, the Church of Ierusalem, when they chose Seven Deacons to minister unto their Bishop, had an eye the same way.
HITHERTO of the Number of these Arch-angels; now a word or two of their Office. And that is, First, to be the universal Inspectors of the whole world, and the Rulers and Princes of the whole Angelical host: which appears in that they are called Principes primarii, foreign chief Princes, and foreign Archangels (i.) foreign, Chief of the Angels: their universal jurisdiction is meant by the words [sent forth into the whole world,] whereas the rest are limited to certain places. Secondly, to have the peculiar Charge and Guardianship of the Church and affairs thereof, whilst the rest of the world, with their Polities, Kingdoms and Governments, is committed to the care of*Clemens Alex. Strem. lib. 7. foreign (s…l, F… us Dei) foreign, by the subordi…ate Angels. Vide & Cleme…m Romanum Epist. ad C…rinth, ubi ci… Deut. 32. 8, 9. s…cundum versionem foreign LXX. foreign qui non foreign, sed foreign, legisse videntur. Vide & Irenaeum, l. 3. cap. 12. subordinate Angels, who, according to their several charges, may seem to carry those names ofaOrigen seems to acknowledge but feur Orders, foreign Contra C…s. l. 4. Thrones, Principalities, Powers and Dominions. That the charge of the Church, quà talis, belongs thus peculiarly and immediately to the Seven Arch-angels, may appear by S. Iohn's saluting the Churches with a Benediction of Grace and Peace from their ministery; and the typing of them by the Seven Eyes and Horns of the Lamb, as Powers which the Father, since he exalted Him to be Head of his Church, hath annexed to his Iurisdiction. Hence it comes to pass, that we find these Angels peculiarly, both before and in the Gospel, to have been employed about the Church-affairs. In the Old Testament, the Angiel Gabriel (one of the Seven) revealed to Daniel the time of the restauration of the Iewish State, and coming of Messiah: and the Angel Michael (one of the chief Princes) was his assistant, when he strengthened Darius the Mede who founded the Monarchy which should restore them, and is in special termed (Dan. 12. 1.) the Prince that stood for Daniel's people. In the Gospel, we find the same Angel Gabriel imployed both to Zachary and the Blessed Virgin with the Evangelical Tidings; and that Zachary might take notice that he was one of the Seven, Luke 1. 19.he says unto him, I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God. Likewise in the Churches combate with the Dragon, Apocal. 12. 7, &c. Michael and his Angels are said to be her Champions, and in her quarrel to have cast the Dragon and his Angels down to the Earth. And in this Prophecy of*Chap. 3. 9. Zachary it is said, that these Seven eyes of the Lord took care of one stone, which Zorobabel laid for the foundation of the Temple; and therefore the work could not be disappointed, but should certainly at length be finished. So as by this time we may guess the meaning of that which Hanani the Seer told King Asa (2 Chron. 16. 9.) The Eyes of the Lord (that is, these Seven Eyes) run to and fro through the whole Earth, to shew themselves strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect towards him.