THE SHEPHERD-KING 355
of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power, in flaming fire, rendering vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus, . . . when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believe." l
" A nd I saw the heaven opened ; and behold, a "white horse, and He that sat thereon, called Faithful and True ; and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems ; and He hath a name written, which no one knoweth but He Himself. And He is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood : and His name is called The Word of God. A nd the armies which are in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. And out of His mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, ttiat with it He should smite the nations : and He shall rule them with a rod of iron : and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His garment and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." 2
IV. The Autocratic Ruler, or " Exactor"
It is not possible to speak with absolute certainty of the exact meaning of the last clause in the verse which we are considering, as the construction of the sentence in the original is unusual and peculiar, and has led to conflicting translations and interpretations. In rendering the words Virp tPJia 72, khol noges yachdav " every ruler together," or, " he that will exercise all rule," I am guided more by the context and obvious sense than by strict principles of
Hebrew grammar. 3 It seems to me that, as the first terms
i
1 2 Thess. i. 7-10 (R.V.). 2 Rev. xix. 11-16 (R.V.).
3 It is capable also of the following renderings, for which some have con tended : " Out of him (Judah) shall come (or go ) forth every exactor (in the sense of absolute ruler) together." But, even if this be the most correct reading, it would still apply to the Messiah, inasmuch as He embraces in Himself a variety of different functions. Thus, for instance, He is represented by the prophets as being "a Priest upon His throne" (Zech. vi.), and not only as
