Revelation 5:6 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Stood a Lamb, as it had been slain,— As having been slain, or who had been slain for sacrifice, and wore the recent marks of slaughter. Our Saviour is declared by the Baptist to be the Lamb of God, because to be sacrificed to him as a Lamb, to take away the sins of the world. Christ is represented by the two different symbols of a Lion and a Lamb, to express his victory over sin and death, and his sacrifice of himself to obtain that victory:—"A Lion," says a commentator, "because he arose victorious from the dead; a Lamb, because he offered himself holy, harmless, and without spot for us." Horns, in the symbolical language, signify regal power; and, when they are numbered, so many monarchies; that is, power extending over so many monarchies. As the seven lamp sconces in the first vision, signified seven churches, and the seven stars seven bishops, or deputy governors therein; and as these are said to be under the care of the Son of man walking among them, and he is said to have these seven stars in his hand, to denote his power over them (all which shewed the dominion of Christ in his church); to these seven horns shew his power without, against his enemies; that he shall obtain dominion, and is going to take possession of a kingdom in this period; which extends itself universally over seven monarchies, and is equal in number to the seven heads of the dragon, his enemy, whom he is to fight and overcome; and he will then settle his church in the same dominions. Christ is therefore here exhibited according to the state of things present; for, after his conquest of the beast, he appears not with horns defined by any number, but as having many crowns, ch. Revelation 19:12. The next symbol of the seven eyes, &c. is taken from Zechariah 3:9 and shews that Christ, as mediatorial King, is invested with divine power and the providence of the world, and that he has the ministers thereof necessary to that purpose. See Isaiah 11:2.