0i t\xe Wnbgiat M PRINCETON, N. J. Shelf. Numbe Division . . . Sec/ion...: Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/apocalypserevealOOswed THE Apocalypse Revealed; WHEREIN ARE DISCLOSED THE ARCANA THERE FORETOLD, WHICH HAVE HITHERTO REMAINED CONCEALED. FROM THE LATIN OP EMANUEL SWEDENBORG. €fjc Bote!) Etittton APPROVED BY THE GENERAL CONVENTION. PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT AND COMPANY 1883 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by SAMPSON REED, PELEG W. CHANDLER, AND THEOPHILUS PARSONS (trustees), In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. NOTE. Mrs. Lydia S. Rotch, by her last will, made the follow- ing bequest : — "Thirdly, — I give and bequeath unto John H. Wilkins, Sampson Reed, and Peleg W. Chandler, Esqrs., of Boston, and to Theophilus Parsons, of Cambridge, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, to them and their successors in trust, to be used and applied at their joint discretion for the benefit of the General Convention of the receivers of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem in the United States ; with full power and with in- structions to supply by appointment and joint selection any vacancy which may at any time during the existence or continu- ance of this trust arise from the inability, death, or resignation of any one or more of the above-named trustees." Mr. Wilkins died before Mrs. Rotch. The Trustees, in their report to the Convention in 1873, expressed the intention of devoting a portion of the Rotch Fund to the publication of a new edition of Swedenborg's Theological Writings. The Convention approved thereof, and referred this part of the report to the Board of Publication, recom- mending to the Board, and also to the Trustees, that they co-operate in the work. The Board appointed a com- mittee, consisting of Rev. James Reed, Rev. T. B. Hay- ward, and Rev. J. Worcester, to confer with the Trustees in the preparation of translations or revisions ; and this committee have attended to that duty. " The Apocalypse Revealed " is now offered to the public as the first-fruits of these labors. This transla- tion was made by Rev. T. B. Hayward, and revised by Rev. John Worcester. Boston, October, 1874. PREFACE. There are many who have toiled in the explanation of the Apocalypse ; but, as the spiritual sense of the Word had been hitherto unknown, they were unable to see the arcana which lie stored up in it, for these the spiritual sense alone discloses ; on which account expositors have conjectured various things, and the most of them have applied the things that are in it to the states of empires, intermingling also some things about ecclesiastical matters. But the Apocalypse, like the whole Word, does not in its spiritual sense treat at all of worldly things, but of heavenly things ; consequently not of empires and kingdoms, but of heaven and the church. It is to be known, that aftei the last judgment, which was accomplished in the spiiitual world in the year 1757, — described in a small work by itself, published at London in 1758, — there was formed a New Heaven of the Christians ; but of those only who could receive [the truth] that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, according to His words in Matthew xxviii. 18, and who at the same time had in the world repented of their evil 4 PREFACE. works. From this heaven a New Church on earth, which is the New Jerusalem, is descending and is to descend. That this Church will acknowledge the Lord alone, is manifest from these passages in the Apocalypse : There came unto me one of the seven angels, and spake with me, saying, Come, I will show thee the - Bride, the Lamb's Wife : and he showed me the great City holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven ffotn God (chap, xxi, 9, 10). And again : Let us be glad and rejoice ; for the time of the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and His Wife hath made herself ready. Blessed are they that are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (chap. xix. 7, 9). That there is to be a New Heaven, and that a New Church on earth will descend therefrom, is manifest from these words there : / saw a New Heaven and a New Earth ; and I sazv the holy City Jerusalem coming dozvn from God out of heaven, pre- pared as a Bride adorned for her Husband. He thai sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all thi?igs nezv : and He said unto me. Write, for these words are true and faithful (chap. xxi. 1, 2, 5). The New Heaven is a new Heaven from the Christians : the New Jerusalem is a new Church on earth, which will act as one with that new Heaven. The Lamb is the Lord as to His Divine Human. To this some things shall be added for illustration The Christian Heaven is below the Ancient Heavens. Into it, from the time of the Lord, when He was in the world, were admitted those who worshipped one PREFACE. 5 God under three persons, and who at the same time had not the idea of three Gods ; and this for the reason that a Trinity of Persons has been received in the whole Christian world. But they who cherished no other idea of the Lord's Human than as of the human of another man, could not receive the faith of the New Jerusalem ; which is, that the Lord is the only God, in whom is a Trinity. These were for that reason separated, and were sent away to the extremes : it was given me to see the separations after the last judgment, and the removals. For the whole Heaven is founded upon a just idea of God, and the whole Church on earth, and in general all religion ; since by it there is conjunction, and by con- junction light, wisdom, and eternal happiness. Every one can see that the Apocalypse can by no means be explained but by the Lord alone ;. for each word therein contains arcana, which would in no wise be known without a particular enlightenment, and thus revelation : on which account it has pleased the Lord to open the sight of my spirit, and to teach me. Do not believe, therefore, that I have taken any thing herein from myself, nor from any angel, but from the Lord alone. The Lord also said to John through the angeM Seal not the words of the prophecy of this Book (chap. xxii. 10) ; by which is meant that they are to be made manifest. A SUMMARY DOCTRINES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND RELIGION. Since Babylon, which is the Roman Catholic Religion, is also treated of in the Apocalypse, chap, xvii., xviii., xix., its doctrinal tenets must first be presented, and in this order : Of Baptism, the Eucharist or Holy Supper, Masses, Repentance, Justification, Purgatory, the Seven Sacra- ments, the Saints, and Power. I. Of Baptism they teach these things : That Adam, after the offence of disobedience, was wholly changed for the worse as to body and soul : that that sin was transfused into all the human race : that this original sin is taken away only by the merit of Christ ; and that the merit of Christ is applied by the Sacrament of Baptism ; and that the whole guilt of original sin is thus taken away by Bap- tism : that in baptized persons there still remains lust as an incentive to sins, but not sin : that they thus put on Christ, become a new creature, and obtain the full and entire remission of their sins. Baptism is called the washing of regeneration and of faith. That the baptized, when grown up, are to be questioned concerning the promises made by their sponsors, which is the Sacrament of Confirmation. That, on account of lapses after Baptism, the Sacrament of Repentance is necessary. 8 THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. II. The Eucharist or Holy Supper. That, immedl ately after consecration, the true body and the true blood of Jesus Christ, together with His Soul and Divinity, are really and substantially contained in the form of the Bread and Wine, — His Body in the form of the Bread, and His Blood in the form of the Wine, — by virtue of the words : yet the body itself in the form of the Wine, and the Blood in the form of the Bread, and the Soul in both, by virtue of the natural connection and concomitance by which the parts of the Lord Christ are connected with each other ; and the Divinity by reason of its admirable hypostatic union with the body and the soul ; and thus that they are just as much contained in either form as in both ; in a word, that the whole and entire Christ exists in the form of the Bread and in every part of that form, and the whole also in the form of the Wine and in its parts : that on this account the two forms are separated, and the Bread is given to the laity, and the Wine is for the clergy. That water is to be mixed with the wine in the cup. That the laity shall receive the communion from the clergy, and the clergy from themselves. That the true Body and true Blood of Christ is in the host after consecration in the consecrated particles ; and that the host is for that reason to be adored when it is shown and carried around. That this wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the Bread into Body and the whole substance of the Wine into Blood is called Tran substantiation. That communion under both forms may be granted by the Pope under certain conditions. Jt is called supersubstantial Bread, and the Bread of Angels, which the latter eat without veilings : it is also called spir- itual food ; also, the antidote by which they are delivered from their sins. III. Masses. It is called the sacrifice of the Mass, since the sacrifice by which Christ offered Himself to God the Father is represented in this under the form of the Bread THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. 9 and Wine : that hence there is in it a sacrifice truly pro- pitiatory, pure, and altogether holy. That if the people do not commune sacramentally, but only the minister, then the people commune spiritually ; because the ministers do it not for themselves only, but for all the faithful who belong to the body of Christ. That masses ought not to be performed hi the vulgar tongue, because they contain the great learn- ing of the faithful people ; but that the ministers should de- clare something of it on the Lord's days ; that it is ordained that some things which are mystical should be pronounced with a subdued, and some things with a louder, voice : and that in order to give majesty to so great a sacrifice which is offered to God, there should be lights, incense, garments, and othei similar things. That it is to be offered for the sins, penalties, satisfactions, and any necessities, of the living ; and for the dead. That masses in honor of the saints are thanksgivings, on account of their interceding when they are implored. IV. Repentance. That besides Baptism there is the sacrament of Repentance, by which the benefit of Christ's death and merit is applied to them that lapse after Bap- tism ; on which account it is called a kind of laborious baptism. That the parts of Repentance are Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction : that Contrition is the gift of God, and the impulse of the Holy Spirit not yet indwell- ing, but only moving ; and thus that it is a disposing. That there ought to be Confession of all mortal sins, even the most hidden, and of the intentions : that sins which are kept back are not remitted j but that those which on examination do not occur, are included in the confession : that it ought to be made at least once in a year: that sins are to be absolved by ministers of the keys ; and that they are remitted when they say, I absolve : that Absolution is like the act of a judge when sentence is pronounced : that the graver sins are to be absolved by the bishops, and the still more grave by the pope. Satisfaction : that it is made i* lO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. by satisfactory penalties, to be imposed by the minister at discretion, according to the measure of the offence : that when eternal punishment is remitted, temporal punish- ment is also. That the power of Indulgences was left by Christ to the church • and that the use of them is most salutary. V. Justification. That the transmission from that state in which man is born a son of Adam into a state of grace through the second Adam, the Saviour, is not effected without the washing of regeneration and of faith, or Bap- tism. That the second beginning of justification is from preventing grace, which is a Calling ; with which man co-operates by converting himself. That a disposing is effected by Faith, when one believes the things to be true which are revealed, to which he is moved freely ; also by Hope, while he believes that God is propitious for Christ's sake ; and by Charity, by which he begins to love the neighbor, and to hate sin. That Justification, which fol- lows, is not only the remission of sins, but sanctification, and the renovation of the inner man : that they are then not reputed just, but that they are just, receiving justice into themselves : and that, because they receive the merit of Christ's passion, justification is thus ingrafted by Faith, Hope, and Charity. That Faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of Justification ; and that this is being justified by faith : and because nothing of those things which precede Justification, whether faith or works, merits the grace of justification, that this is being justified gratuitously, for it is a preventing grace : and that still man is justified by works, and not by faith alone : that the just may fall into light and venial sins, and still be just : and that the just ought on that account con- tinually to labor by prayers, oblations, alms, and fasts, lest they fall ; because they are born again into the hope of glory, and not into glory. That the Just, if they fall away from the grace of justification, may again be justified by THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. I 1 the sacrament of Repentance : that by any mortal sin grace is lost, but not faith ; yet that by unbelief, which is a receding from religion, faith also is lost. That the works of the justified man are merits ; and that the justified merit eternal life by those that are done by them through the grace of God and the merit of Christ. That Free-will was not lost and extinguished after the sin of Adam ; and lhat man co-operates by assenting to the calling of God ; and that otherwise he would be an inanimate body. Pre- destination they establish; saying that no one knows whether he is in the number oi the predestinated, and among those whom God had elected to Himself, except by special revelation. VI. Purgatory. That the guilt for which temporal punishment is to be suffered is not all blotted out by Justi- fication : that therefore all come into Purgatory, that they may be absolved, before the way is open into heaven. That the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass ; and that this is diligently to be taught and preached. The torments there are variously described ; but they are inven- tions, — in themselves figments. VII. The Seven Sacraments. That there are seven sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Repent- ance, Extreme Unction, Order, and Matrimony : that there are not more, nor less : that one is of greater dignity than another : that they contain grace ; and that owing to the work wrought by them grace is conferred : that there were just so many sacraments of the Ancient Law. Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, and Repentance, have been treated of above. The Sacrament 0/ Extreme Miction: that it is from James v. 14, 15 : that it is done to the sick near the end of life ; whence it is called the sacrament of the departing : that if they recover, it may be applied again : that it is clone with oil blessed by a bishop, and in these words : " May God grant thee indulgence for whalevei 12 THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. thou hast committed through fault of the eyes, of the nos- trils, or of the touch." The Sacrament of Order: that there are seven orders in the Ministry of the Priesthood, which differ in dignity, and are together called the Eccle- siastical Hierarchy, which is like the orderly arrangement of an encampment : that inaugurations into the ministry are by anointings, and by the transmissions of the Holy Spiiit into them. That for the ordinations of Bishops and Priests the secular power, or the consent or calling or authority of the magistracy, is not required : that they who, appointed by a calling from them, only climb up to the ministry, are not ministers, but thieves and robbers, who do not enter in by the door. The Sacrament of Mat- rimony : that the dispensation of degrees and divorces belongs to the Church : that the clergy shall not contract matrimony : that they may all have the gift of chastity ; and if any one says he cannot, when yet he has vowed, let him be anathema ; because God does not deny it to them that rightly seek it ; and does not suffer any one to be tempted beyond what he can bear. That the state of virginity and celibacy is to be preferred to the married state : besides other things. VIII. The Saints. That the Saints reigning together with Christ offer to God their orisons for men : that Christ is to be adored, and that the saints are to be invoked: that the invocation of the saints is not idolatrous , nor is it derogatory to the honor of the one Mediator between God and men : it is called latria. That images of Christ, of Mary the mother of God, and of the saints, are to be venerated and honored j not that it is to be believed that there is divinity and virtue in them, but that the honor which is paid to them is referred to the prototypes which they represent ; and that through the images, which they kiss, and before which they fall prostrate and uncover the head, they adore Christ, and venerate the saints : that the miracles of God are done through the saints. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. 13 IX. Power. That the Pope of Rome is the successor of' the apostle Peter, and the vicar of Jesus Christ, — the head of the Church, and the universal bishop : that he is above Councils : that he has the keys to open and shut heaven, and thus the power of remitting and retaining sins : that to him, therefore, as the key-bearer of eternal life, the rights at once of earthly and heavenly empire belong : that from him also the bishops and priests have such power, because it was also given to the rest of the apostles ; and that on that account they are called minis- ters of the keys. That it is for the Church to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Sacred Scrip- ture ; and that they who oppose it are to be punished by penalties established by law. That it is not fitting for the laity to read the Sacred Scripture, since no one knows the sense of it but the Church : hence her ministers make traffic of their knowledge of it. X. The above are from Councils and Bulls, especially from the Council of Trent and the papal Bull confirming it ; wherein they condemn by anathema all who think, believe, and do contrary to the things which were decreed, which in general are adduced above. A SUMMARY DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH AND RELIGION OF THE REFORMED. Since the Reformed are much treated of in the Apoca- lypse in its spiritual sense, for that reason, before enter- ing upon the explanations, their Doctrinal tenets are also to be laid open, and in this order : Of God, of Christ the Lord, of Justification by faith and of good works, of the Law and the Gospel, Repentance and Confession, Original Sin, of Baptism, the Holy Supper, Free-Agency, and of the Church. L Of God. Concerning God they believe in con- formity with the Athanasian Creed ; which, as it is in every one's hand, is not here presented. It is also known that they believe in God the Father as the Creator and Preserver, in God the Son as the Saviour and Redeemer, and in the Holy Spirit as the Enlightener and Sanctifier. II. Of Christ the Lord. Concerning the person of Christ the Reformed do not all teach alike. The Lu- therans teach thus : That the virgin Mary conceived and gave birth to, not a true man only, but also the true Son of God ; whence she is rightly called, and in reality is, the mother of God. That in Christ there are two natures, the Divine and the human, — the Divine from eternity, and the human in time : that these two natures are united i6 THE REFORMED CHURCH. personally j and thus there are by no means two Christs* the one the Son of God, and the other the Son of man ; but that one and the same is the Son of God and the Son of man : not that the two natures are commingled into one substance, nor that the one is changed into the other ; but that both natures retain their essential properties ; and the quality of these is also described : that their union is hypostatic ; and that this is the highest communion, like that of the soul and body : that thus it is rightly said, that in Christ God is Man and Man God. That He did not suffer for us as a mere man only, but as a man whose human nature has so close and ineffable a union and com- munion with the Son of God, that it became one person with Him. That the Son of God truly suffered for us, but still according to the properties of the human nature. That the Son of man, by which is meant Christ as to the human nature, was really exalted to the right hand of God, when He was taken into God ; which was done as soon as He was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the mother: that Christ, by reason of the personal union, always had that majesty ; but that in the state of exinanition He did not exercise it, except so far as seemed good to Him ; yet that after the resurrection He fully and altogether laid aside the form of a servant, and established the human nature or essence in the plenary possession of the Divine majesty; and that in this manner He entered into glory: in a word, Christ is and for ever remains true God and Man in one undivided person; and this true, omnipotent, and eterna! God, present at the right hand of God even as to His Human, governs all things in the heavens and on earth, and also fills all things, is with us, and dwells and operates in us: that there is no difference in the adoration because through the nature which is seen the Divinity which is not seen is adored. That the Divine Essence communi- cates and imparts its own excellencies to the Human Nature, and that it performs its Divine operations through the body THE REFORMED CHURCH. 17 as through an organ : that thus all the fulness of the God- head dwells in Christ bodily, according to Paul. That the Incarnation took place, that He might reconcile \he Father to us, and become a sacrifice for the sins of the who. " world, as well original as actual. That He was incarnated from the substance of the Holy Spirit ; but that the Human Nature was produced from the virgin Mary, which He, as the Word, assumed, and united to Himself. That He sanctifies them that believe in Him, the Holy Spirit being sent into their hearts, to govern, comfort, and vivify them, and defend them against the devil and the power of sin. That Christ descended to those below, and destroyed hell for all believers ; yet in what manner these things were effected, He does not wish them curiously to search out : but the knowledge of this matter may be reserved to another age, when not only this mystery, but many others also, will be revealed. These things are from Luther, the Augustan Confession, the Nicene Council, and the Smalcaldic Articles : see the Formula Concordiae. By another portion of the Reformed, in regard to whom see also the Formula Concordiae, it is believed that Christ by exaltation as to His Human Nature received only created gifts and finite power ; and thus that He is a man like another, retaining the properties of the flesh : that for that reason as to His Human Nature He is not omnipresent and omniscient : yet that though absent He governs as King things remote from Himself: that as God from eternity He is with the Father, and as a Man born in time He is with the angels in heaven ; and that it is a figurative expression, that " in Christ God is Man and Man God : " besides other similar things. But this disagreement is brought to an end by the creed of Athanasius, which, is received by all in the Christian world, and in which are these words: "The true faith is, that we should believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man ; God from the i8 THE REFORMED CHURCH. substance of the Father, born before the world, and Man from the substance of the mother, born in the world • perfect God and perfect Man : and although He is God and Man, yet they are not two, but one Christ \ One, not by the conversion of the Divine Essence into body, but by the assumption of His Human into God ; altogether One, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of Person ; since as the rational soul and the body are one man, so God and Man are one Christ." III. Of Justification by Faith, and of Good Works. The justifying and saving faith of the clergy is this : that God the Father turned Himself away from the human race on account of their iniquities, and so from justice condemned them to eternal death ; and that on that account He sent the Son into the world, to expiate and redeem, and to sat- isfy and to reconcile ; and that the Son did this by His taking upon Himself the condemnation of the Law, and suffering Himself to be crucified ; and that in this manner and by obedience He fulfilled all God's justice, so far that He became justice ; and that this justice as His merit God the Father imputes and applies to believers ; and sends to them the Holy Spirit, who operates charity, good works, and repentance, as a good tree bears good fruit ; and justi- fies, renews, regenerates, and sanctifies them : and that this faith is the only means of salvation ; and that by it alone sins are remitted to man. They distinguish between the act and the state of Justification. By the act of justification they mean the commencement of justification ; which takes place at the moment when a man, by that faith alone, takes hold of the merit of Christ with confidence. By the state of Justification they mean the progress of that faith, which is effected by the interior operation of the Holy Spirit ; which does not manifest itself except by certain signs, about which they teach various things. They teach also manifest good works, which are done by the man and his will, and which follow that faith ; but they exclude them from justifi- THE REFORMED CHURCH. 19 cation, because the proprium (ownhood) and thus the merit of the man is in them. This is the faith of the present day in a summary: but the confirmations of it and the traditions concerning it are many and manifold ; from which some also shall be adduced, which are, that men cannot be jus- tified before God by their own powers, merits, and woiks, but gratuitously for Christ's sake, through faith, — through this, that they believe themselves to be received into grace, and their sins to be remitted, for His sake, who by His death made satisfaction for us ; and that God the Father imputes this to believers for righteousness before Him. That this faith is not only the historical knowledge that Christ suffered and died for us, but also cordial assent, confidence and trust that their sins are remitted and them- selves justified gratuitously for Christ's sake : and that then these three things concur, the gratuitous Promise, Christ's Merit as the price, and Propitiation. That faith is the jus- tice by which we are reputed just before God on account of the Promise ; and that to be justified is to be absolved from sins ; and that it may also in a certain way be called being vivified and regenerated : that faith is reckoned to us for justice, not because it is so good a work, but because it takes hold upon Christ's merit : that Christ's merit is His obedience, passion, death, and resurrection : that it is necessary that there should be something by which God can be approached ; and that this is nothing else but the faith by which reception is effected. That in the act of justification faith enters through the Word and the hearing ; and that it is not the man's act, but is the operation of the Holy Spirit ; and that the man does not then co-operate any more than a pillar of salt, a stock, or a stone ; doing nothing of himself, and knowing nothing about t ; but that he co-operates after the act, yet not with any will of his own in spiritual things : it is otherwise in natural, civil, and moral things : but yet that they can then so far progress in spiritual things, as to will good, and be delighted with it , 20 THE REFORMED CHURCH. but this veiy thing not by their own will, but by the Holy Spirit: and that they thus co-operate, not by their own powers, but by new powers and gifts, which the Holy Spirit commenced at their conversion : and that in true conversion, a change, renovation, and movement are effected in man's understanding and heart: that charity, good works, and repentance do not enter into the act of justification j but that (hey are necessary in the state of justification, especially on i account of God's command : and that by means of them they merit the corporeal rewards of this life, but not the remission of sins and the glory of eternal life; because faith alone, without the works of the law, justifies and saves. That faith in act justifies man, but faith in state renews him. That in renovation, on account of God's command, the virtuous works which the Decalogue prescribes are necessary to be done, because God wills that the carnal lusts should be restrained by civil discipline ; on which account He has given doctrine, laws, magistracies, and punishments : that for that reason it follows that it is false, that we merit the remission of sins and salvation by works ; also that works do any thing towards preserving faith : and that it is also false, that a man is reputed just on account of the justice of his reason ; and that reason can by its own powers love God above all things, and do His law : in a word, that faith and salvation are preserved and retained in men, not by good works, but only by the Spirit of God and by faith : but still that good works are testimonies that the Holy Spirit is present, and is dwelling in them. The expression, that good works are injurious to salvation, is condemned as pernicious ; because it is the interior works of the Holy Spirit that are to be understood as good, and not the exterior ones proceeding from man's own will ; which are not good, but evil, because meritorious. They maintain, besides, that at the last judgment Christ is to pass sentence upon good and evil works, as the effects, proper and not proper to man's faith. This faith reigns at this day among the clergy in the whole THE REFORMED CHURCH. 21 Reformed Christian world ; but not with the laity, except a very few . For the laity understand nothing else by faith, but to believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ; and that he who lives well and believes well, is saved : and concerning the Lord, that He is the Saviour. For they are ignorant of their preachers' mysteries of justification ; and though these preach them, still with their lay hearers they enter at one ear, and go out at the other : but the teachers themselves repute themselves learned from the knowledge of them, and labor much in their Colleges and Universities to acquire them : on which account it was said above, that that faith is the faith of the clergy. But still the teachers teach this same faith diversely in the kingdoms where the Reformed are. In Germany, Sweden, and Denmark : that the Holy Spirit operates through that faith, and justifies and sanctifies men, and afterwards gradually renews and regenerates them, but without the works of the Law : and that they who are in that faith from trust and confidence, are in grace with God the Father : and that then the evils which they do appear indeed, but are continually remitted. In England : that that faith works charity without man's knowing it : and that this also is a good of charity, that a man interiorly feels the Holy Spirit working within him ; and that if he does not feel it, and still does good for the sake of salvation, this may be called good ; but still that it derives from the man that there is merit in it : also that that faith may operate this at the last hour of death ; yet it is not known how. In Holla?id : that God the Father, for the Son's sake, through the Holy Spirit, justifies and purifies man interiorly by that faith j but as far as his own will, from which He turns himself away, without touching it : some teach that He touches it lightly ; and that so the evils of man's will do not appear before God. But few of the laity are acquainted with these mysteries of theirs ; noi are they willing to publish them as they are, because they know that they do not relish them. 22 THE REFORMED CHURCH. IV. The Law and the Gospel. That the Law was given by God, that it may be known what sin is ; and thus that it may be restrained by threats and fears, and then by the promise and announcement of grace : on which account it is the chief office of the Law, that original sin and all its fruits may be revealed, and that it may be known to what a horrible extent man's nature has fallen, and how deeply it is depraved. By this means it terrifies, humbles, and prostrates man, until he despairs for himself, and anx- iously desires help. This effect of the Law is called Con- trition, which is not active or factitious, but is passive and the torture of conscience. But the Gospel is the whole Doctrine concerning Christ and faith, and thus concerning the remission of sins ; consequently the most gladdening messenger, not accusing and terrifying, but comforting. By the Law God's anger against all impiety is revealed, and man is condemned : wherefore it causes man to look to Christ and to the Gospel. There must be the preaching of both, because they are conjoined. The Gospel teaches that Christ took upon Himself all the curse of the Law, and expiated all sins ; and that we obtain remis- sion by faith. That the Holy Spirit is given and received, and the heart of man renewed, by the preaching, not of the Law, but of the Gospel ; and that the Spirit then uses the ministry of the Law, to teach and point out by the Decalogue what God's good will and pleasure is : in this manner the Spirit makes dead and makes alive. That a distinction is to be made between the works of the Law and the works of the Spirit : wherefore believers, because they are such, are not under the Law, but under grace. That the righteousness of the Law does not justify ; that is, does not reconcile, nor regenerate, nor by itself make persons accepted of God ; but when the Holy Spirit is given, the fulfilling of the Law follows. That the works of the second table of the Decalogue do not justify, because by it we are acting with men, and not properly with God ; THE REFORMED CHURCH. 23 and yet in justification we must act with God. That Christ, because without sin He suffered the punishment of sin, and was made an offering for us, took away that claim of the Law, lest it should condemn believers ; because He is a propitiation for them, for the sake of which they are reputed just. V. Repentance and Confession That Repentance consists of two parts ; one which is Contrition, or the terror excited in the conscience on account of sins ; the other which is faith, which is conceived from the Gospel, and by the remission of sins comforts the conscience, and liberates from terrors. He who confesses that he is wholly sin, comprehends all sins, excludes none, and forgets none : thus the sins are purged away, and the man is purified, rectified, and sanctified, since the Holy Spirit does not permit sin to rule, but represses and restrains it. That the enumeration of sins ought to be free, as he wishes or does not wish ; and that private confession and absolution are to be spoken highly of : wherefore, if one wishes, he can confess his sins, and receive absolution from a Confessor, and the sins are then remitted. The words with which the Minister is then to answer are, " God be propitious to thee, and confirm thy faith ; be it done to thee as thou believest ; and by command of the Lord I remit thy sins." But others say, " I announce to thee the remission of thy sins : " yet that sins are not remitted by repentance, as neither by works, but by faith. Wherefore repentance as held by die clergy is only a confession before God that they are sin- ners, and a petition that they may persevere in faith. That expiations and satisfactions are not necessary, because Christ is the expiation and satisfaction. VI. Of Original Sin. They teach, that since Adam's fall all men propagated according to nature are born with sin ; that is, without the fear of God and with concupis- cences ; and that this damns, and even now brings eternal death upon those who are not born again by Baptism and by 24 THE REFORMED CHURCH. the Holy Spirit : that it is a privation of original righteous- ness and with this a disorderly disposition of the parts of the soul, and a corrupt habit. That there is a distinction between the nature itself into which man was created (which even after the fall is and remains a creature of God) and original sin : consequently that there is a dis- tinction between the corrupt nature, and the corruption which is implanted in nature, and by which nature is cor- rupted : that no one can separate the corruption of nature from nature itself, but God alone • which will be perfectly done at the blessed resurrection ; because the nature itself which man carries round in the world, is there to be raised again without original sin, and to enjoy eternal happiness : that the distinction is as between a work of God and a work of the devil : that this sin did not invade nature in such a manner as if Satan created any evil substantially, and mixed it up with nature ; but that concreated and original righteousness was lost : that sin of origin is an accident, and that man by reason of it is as if spiritually dead before God. That this evil is covered over and par- doned by Christ alone : that the seed itself from which a man is formed is contaminated by that sin : that it is hence also, that a man receives from his parents depraved inclinations and internal uncleanness of heart. VII. Baptism. That Baptism is not simply water, but that it is water taken by the Divine command, and sealed by the Word of God, and thus made holy : that the virtue, work, fruit, and end of Baptism is, that men should be saved, and be elected into the Christian communion : that through Baptism there is proffered victory over death and the devil, remission of sins, the grace of God, Christ with all His works, and the Holy Spirit with all His gifts, and eternal blessedness to all and each that believe : whether faith also is given to infants by Baptism, is a thing too high to be urgently inquired into. That immer- sion into the water signifies the mortification of the old THE REFORMED CHURCH. 25 man and the resurrection of the new : that it may therefore be called the washing of regeneration, and truly a washing in the Word, also in the death and burial of Christ : that a Christian's life is a daily baptism when once thus begun : that the water does not effect this, but the Word of God, which is in and with the water, and faith in the Word of God added to the water : that it follows hence, that baptiz ing in the name of God is indeed done by, but is not from, men, but from God Himself : that Baptism does not take away original sin, by the extinction of depraved lust, but takes away guilt. But others of the Reformed believe that Baptism is an external washing with water, by which internal ablution from sins is signified : that it does not confer regeneration, faith, the grace of God, and salvation, but only signifies and seals them ■ and that they are not conferred in and with Baptism, but afterwards with increasing age ; and that only the elect obtain the grace of Christ and the gift of faith : and because salvation does not depend on Bap- tism, that in the lack of a regular minister it is therefore permitted to be done by another person. VIII. The Holy Supper. The Reformed who are called Lutherans teach, that in the Holy Supper or Sacra- ment of the Altar, the Body and Blood of Christ are truly and substantially present ; and that they are truly distrib- uted and received together with the Bread and the Wine ; and that on that account the true Body and true Blood of Chiist are in, with, and under the Bread and Wine, and are given to Christians to eat and drink : and that for that reason they are not simply bread and wine, but are included in and bound to the Word of God ; and that this causes them to be the Body and Blood of Christ : for when the Word is added to the elements, they become a Sacra ment : yet that it is not transubstantiation, such as the papists claim : that it is the food of the soul, nourishing and strengthening the new man : that it was instituted, vol. 1. 2 26 THE REFORMED CHURCH. that faith might repair and recover its powers, the remis- sion of sins be given, and the new life which Christ merited for us. That so the Body and Blood of Christ are taken not only spiritually by faith, but also by the mouth in a supernatural manner, by reason of their sacramental unior* with the bread and wine. That worthiness for the Supper consists in obedience alone, and in Christ's merit, whick is applied by true faith : in a word, that the Sacraments o4 the Lord's Supper and Baptism, are testimonies of God's will and grace towards men j and that the sacrament of the Supper is a promise of the remission of sins through faith : that it moves the hearts to believe ; and that through the Word and the Sacraments the Holy Spirit operates. That the consecration of the minister does not produce this, but that it is to be attributed to the Lord's omnipo- tent virtue alone. That both the worthy and the unworthy receive the true Body and true Blood of Christ, as He hung upon the cross ; but the worthy unto salvation, the unworthy unto condemnation. That they are worthy who have faith. That no one is to be constrained to the Sup- per j but that every one should draw near when spiritual hunger urges. But others of the Reformed teach that in the Holy Supper the Body and Blood of Christ are taken only spiritually, and that the bread and wine therein are only signs, types, symbols, tokens, figures, and similitudes : that Christ is not present in body, but only in virtue and operation from His Divine essence : yet that in heaven there is conjunction according to the communion of indi- vidual feelings. That worthiness for this Supper depends not only upon faith, but also upon preparation. That the worthy alone receive its virtue, but the unworthy only the bread and wine. Although there are these disagreements, still all the Reformed agree in this, that those who wish to go to the Holy Supper worthily, are by all means to repent j the Lutherans, that if they have not done repent- THE REFORMED CHURCH. 27 ance from evil works, and still approach, they are con demned for ever ; and the English, that otherwise the devil will enter into them, as he did into Judas. This is evident from the exhortations read before the communion. IX. Free-Will. They distinguish between the state before the fall, after the fall, after the reception of faith and renovation, and after the resurrection. That man, since the fall, can begin, think, understand, believe, will, operate, and co-operate absolutely nothing in spiritual and Divine things from his own powers ; nor apply or accommodate himself to grace ; but that his natural will is only unto those things which are contrary to God, and displeasing to God : consequently that man in spiritual things is like a stock ; but that he still has capacity, not active but passive, by which he may by the grace of God. be turned to good : yet that the free-will left to man since the fall is, to be able and not to be able to hear the Word of God ; and that thus a little spark of faith is enkindled in his heart, which embraces the remission of sins for Christ's sake, and gives comfort. Yet that the human will has liberty as to the doing of civil justice and the choice of matters subject to reason. X. The Church. That the Church is the congrega- tion and communion of the saints ; and that it is spread through the entire world with those who have the same Christ and the same Holy Spirit, and the same Sacra- ments ; whether they have similar or dissimilar traditions : and that it is principally a society of faith : and that this Church alone is the body of Christ j and that the good are the Church in reality and in name, but the evil only in name. That the evil and hypocrites, because they are intermixed, are members of the Church according to its external signs, provided they are not excommunicated; but that they are not members of Christ's body. That the ecclesiastical rites, which are called ceremonies, are indifferent; and that they are not the worship of God, 28 THE REFORMED CHURCH. nor a part of the worship of God: for that reason the Church is at liberty to institute, change, and abrogate such things ; as distinctions of garments, of times, of clays, of foods, and other things : and therefore that no Church ought to condemn another on account of such things. XI. These are in brief the Doctrinal tenets of the C hurch and Religion of the Reformed. But the things which the Schwengfeldians, Pelagians, Manichees, Dona- tists, Anabaptists, Arminians, Cinglians, Antitrinitarians, Socinians, Arians, and at this day the Quakers and Mora- vians teach, are passed by, because these are reprobated and rejected as heretics by the Reformed Church. THE APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER FIRST. 1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done : and He signified it, sending by His angel unto His servant John. 2. Who testified the Word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatsoever things he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of the prophecy, and keep the things written therein ; for the time is at hand. 4. John to the seven churches that are in Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come ; and from th& seven spirits which are before His throne : 5. And from Jesus Christ ; the faithful witness, the First born from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth ; that loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in His blood : 6. And He maketh us kings and priests unto God and His Father: to Him be glory and strength for ever and ever. 7. Behold, He cometh with the clouds ; and every eye shall see Him, and they who pierced Him : and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him : Even so ; Amen. 30 THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. 8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. 9. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in affliction, and in the kingdom and the patient expectation of Jesus Christ: was in the island called Patmos for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10. I became in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet ; j c. Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. What thou seest write in a book, and send unto the churches that are in Asia ; unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12. And I turned to see the voice which was speaking with me : and, having turned, I saw seven golden candle- sticks ; 13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girded at the paps with a golden girdle ; 14. And His head and hairs were white as white wool, like snow ; and His eyes as a flame of fire : 15. And His feet like unto fine-brass, as if glowing in a furnace ; and His voice as the voice of many waters : 16. And having in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth was a sharp two-edged sword going forth : and His face was as the sun shineth in his power. 17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead: and He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me. Fear not : I am the Firs:: and the Last ; 18 And am He that is living, and was dead; and be- hold. I am alive for ever and ever ; amen : and have the keys of hell and of death. 19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter : ?o. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest Chap I.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 31 in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks : the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches ; and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. That this Pevelation is from the Lord alone ; and that it is received by those who will be in His New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, and who acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth. The Lord is also described as to the Word. The Contents of each Verse. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," signifies predictions from the Lord con- cerning Himself and concerning His Church, — what the latter will be at its end, and what it is to be afterwards : " Which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants," signifies for those who are in faith from charity : " The things which must shortly be done," signifies that they are certainly to be, lest the Church should perish : " And He signified it, sending by His angel unto His servant John," signifies the things which are revealed by the Lord through heaven to those who' are in good of life from charity and its faith: *Wka testified the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ," signifies, who from the heart and thus in the light receive Divine Truth from the Word, and acknowl- edge the Lord's Human to be Divine: "Whatsoever things he saw," signifies their enlightenment in all the things which are in this Revelation : " Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things written therein," signifies the communion of those with the angels of heaven, who live according to the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem : " For the time is at hand," signifies that the state of the Church is such that it can no longer continue so as to have conjunction with the Lord : " John 32 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L to the seven churches," signifies to all who are in the Chris- tian world, where the Word is, and by it the Lord is known, and who draw near to the Church : " Which are in Asia," signifies to those who from the Word are in the light of truth : " Grace be unto you and peace," signifies the Divine salutation : " From Him who is, and who was, and who is to come," signifies from the Lord, who is Eternal and Infinite, and Jehovah: " And from the seven spirits which are before His throne," signifies from the whole heaven, where the Lord is in His Divine Truth : " And from Jesus Christ," signifies the Divine Human : " The faithful witness," signifies that He is the Divine Truth itself : " The First born from the dead," signifies that He is also the Divine Good itself : " And the Prince of the kings of the earth," signifies from Whom is all truth from good in the Church : " That loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in His blood," signifies Who from love and mercy reforms and regenerates men by His Divine truths from the Word : " And He maketh us kings and priests," signifies who gives to those who are born of Him, that is, regenerated, to be in wisdom from Divine truths and in love from Divine goods : " Unto God and His Father," sig- nifies and thus images of His Divine Wisdom and His Divine Love : " To Him be glory and strength for ever and ever," signifies Who alone has Divine majesty and Divine omnipo- tence to eternity : " Amen," signifies the Divine confirmation from truth, thus from Himself : " Behold, He cometh with the clouds of heaven," signifies that the Lord will reveal Himself in the literal sense of the Word, and will open its spiritual sense, at the end of the Church : " And every eye shal. see Him," signifies that all will acknowledge Him, who, from affection, are in the understanding of Divine truth : " And they who pierced Him," signifies that they also will see, who are in falsities in the Church: "And all the tribes of the earth shall wail," signifies that this will be when there are no longer any goods and truths in the Church : " Even so, Amen," signifies the Divine confirma- Chap. I.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 33 tion that thus it will be : "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," signifies Who is the Self- existent and the Only from first things to last, from whom all things are ; and thus who is Love Itself and the Only- Love, Wisdom Itself and the Only Wisdom, and Life Itself and the Only Life in Himself, and thus the Creator Himself and the Only Creator, Saviour, and Enlightener from Him- self, and thence the all in all of Heaven and the Church : " Saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come," i ignifies who is Eternal and Infinite, and Jehovah: "The Almighty," signifies who is, lives, and has power, from Himself, and who governs all things from first things by ultimates: "I, John, who am your brother and companion," signifies those who are in the good of charity and thence in the truths of faith : " In affliction, and in the kingdom, and the patient expectation of Jesus Christ," signifies which in the Church are infested by evils and falsities, but these are to be removed by the Lord, when He comes : " I was in the island called Patmos," signifies a state and place in which he could be enlightened : " For the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ," signifies in order that the Divine Truth from the Word may be received from the heart and thus in the light, and that the Lord's Human may be acknowledged to be Divine : " I became in the spirit on the Lord's day," signifies a spiritual state at that time from Divine influx : " And I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet," signifies the manifest perception of Divine Truth revealed from heaven : " Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," signifies who is the Self-existent and the Only from first things to last, from whom all things are; and more as above: " What thou seest write in a book," signifies that they might be revealed to posterity : " And send unto the churches that are in Asia," signifies for those in the Christian world who*"*, are in the light of truth from the Word : " Unto Ephesus [ and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos and unto Thvatira, 34 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea," signifies in particular according to the state of each one's reception : " And I turned to see the voice which was speaking with me," sig?iifies the inversion of the state of those who are in good of life as to the perception of truth in the Word, when they turn themselves to the Lord; " And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks," iignifies the New Church which will be in enlightenment from the Lord out of the Word : " And in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of Man," signifies the Lord as to the Word, from whom is the Church : " Clothed with a garment down to the foot," signifies, the proceeding Divine, which is the Divine Truth : "And girded at the paps with a golden girdle," signifies the proceeding and at the same time conjoining Divine, which is the Divine Good :• " And His head and hairs were white as white wool, like snow" signifies the Divine Love of the Divine Wisdom in first principles and in ultimates : " And His eyes as a flame of fire," signifies the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love : " And His feet like unto fine-brass, as if glowing in a furnace," signifies the Divine Good natural : " And His voice as the voice of many waters," signifies the Divine Truth natural : " And having in His right hand seven stars," signifies all the knowledges of good and truth in the Word from Him : " And out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth," signifies the dispersion of falsities by the Lord through the Word and through Doctrine therefrom : " And His face was as the sun shining in power," signifies the Divine Love and the Divine W'isdom, which are Himself, and proceed from Him : " And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead," signifies the failing of his own life from such presence of the Lord : " And He laid His right hand upon me," sigfiifies life then inspired from Him : "Saying unto me, Fear not," signifies resuscitation, and adoration then from the deepest humiliation : "I am the First and the Last," sigfiifies that He is Eternal and Infinite, and thus the Only God : " And No. i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 35 am He that is living," signifies who alone is life, and from whom alone life is : " And was dead," signifies that He was neglected in the Church, and His Divine Human not acknowledged : " And behold, I am alive for ever and ever," signifies that He is life eternal : " Amen," signifies the Divine confirmation that it is the truth : " And have the keys of Hell and of death," signifies that He alone can save : " Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter," signifies in order that all the things which are now revealed may be for posterity : " The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks," signifies arcana in the visions concerning he New Heaven and concerning the New Church : " The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches," signifies the New Church in the heavens, which is the New Heaven: " And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches," signifies a New Church on earth, which is the New Jerusalem descending from the Lord out of the New Heaven. THE EXPLANATION. i. What the spiritual sense is has been hitherto unknown. That it is in every thing in the Word, and that the WTord in many places cannot be understood without it, has been shown in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture," n. 5-26. That sense does not appear in the sense of the letter; for it is within it, as the soul is in the body. It is known that there is the spiritual and the natural ; and that the spiritual flows in into the natural, and presents itself to be seen and felt in the forms which fall under the sight and the touch ; and that without them the spiritual is not otherwise perceived than as affection and thought, or as love and wisdom, which are of the mind. It is acknowledged that affection 36 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. and thought, — or love, to which belongs affection, and wisdom, to which belongs thought, — are spiritual. That these two faculties of the soul present themselves in the body in the forms which are called the organs of sense and motion, is known ; as also that they make one ; and in such manner one, that when the mind thinks, the mouth in an instant speaks ; and when the mind wills, the body in an instant acts. Hence it is manifest, that there is a perfect union of spiritual things and natural things in man. It is similar in each and every thing in the world. There is there the spiritual, which is the inmost of the cause ; and there is the natural, which is its effect ; and the two make one : and in the natural the spiritual does not appear ; because the latter is within the former as the soul is in the body, and as the inmost of the cause is in the effect, as was said. It is similar with the Word : that this interiorly is spiritual, because it is Divine, can be denied by no one. But as the spiritual does not appear in the sense of the letter, which is natural, the spiritual sense has for that reason been hitherto unknown : nor could it be made known until genuine truths were revealed by the Lord, for that sense is in these. This is the reason that the Apocalypse has not hitherto been understood. But lest there should be doubt that such things are within it, they are to be explained one by one, and to be demonstrated by similar things elsewhere in the Word. The explanation and demonstration now follow. 2. The Revelation of yesus Christ signifies predictions by the Lord concerning Himself and concerning His Church, what the latter will be at its end, and what it is to be afterwards, as well in the heavens as upon earth. By the Revelation of Jesus Christ all predictions are signified ; and it is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ, because these are from the Lord. That they relate to the Lord and His Church will be manifest from the expla- nations. In the Apocalypse the successive states of the No 3.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 37 Church are not treated of, still less the successive states of kingdoms, as some have hitherto believed : but therein, from beginning to end, the last state of the Church in the heavens and upon the earth is treated of. and then the last judgment, and after this a New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. That this New Church is the end of this work is manifest ; on which account the things that come first treat of the immediately preceding state of the Church. But in what series these things are treated of, may be seen from the Contents of each chapter, and more distinctly from the explanation of each verse. 3. Which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants, signifies for those who are in faith from charity, or in the truths of wisdom from the good of love. By showing is signified to make manifest, and by servants those are here signified who are in faith from charity : to them these things are made manifest, because they understand and receive. By servants in the spiritual sense are meant they who are in truths : and as truths are from good, those are meant by servants who are in truths from good, and thus also those who are in wisdom from love ; because wisdom is of truth, and love is of good ; likewise those who are in faith from charity, since faith also is of truth, and charity is of good. And as the genuine spiritual sense is abstracted from person, therefore in it by servants are signified truths. Now as truths are serviceable to good by teaching it, there- fore in the general and in the proper sense, by a servant in the Word is meant one that does sendee, or he who or that which serves. In this sense not only are the prophets called the servants of God, but also the Lord as to His Human. That the prophets were called God's servants, is evident from these passages : Jehovah hath sent unto you all His servants the prophets (Jer. xxv. 4). He hath revealed His secret unto His servants the prophets (Amos iii. 7). He hath set before you by the hand of His servants the prophets (©an. be 10). And Moses is called the servant of Jehovah 38 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L (Mai. iv. 4). The reason is, that by a prophet in the spiritual sense is meant truth of doctrine, which is treated of below. And because the Lord was the Divine Truth itself, which is also the Word, and from this was Himself called the Prophet, and served in the world, and for ever serves all by teaching, therefore He also, in many places, is called the servant of Jehovah j as in the following passages : He shall see of the labor of His soul, and shall be satisfied ; by His knowledge shall my righteous Servant justify many (Isa. T iii. 11). Behold My Servant shall act prudently ; He shall be extolled and exalted and lifted up greatly (Isa. Hi. 13). Behold My Servant on whom I lean, Mine Elect in whom My wul hath good-pleasure ; I have put My Spirit upon Him Isa. xlii. 1, 19). These are concerning the Lord. The .ike is said of David, where by him the Lord is meant ; as in these passages : / Jehovah will be their God, and My servant David a prince in the midst of them (Ezek. xxxiv. 24). My servant David shall be king over them, that there may be one shepherd to the7n all (Ezek. xxxvii. 24). / will protect this city to preserve it, for My sake and My servant David's (Isa. xxxvii. 35 : so too Ps. lxxviii. 70-72 ; Ps. lxxxix. 3, 4, 20). That the Lord is meant by David in these places may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord," n. 43, 44. The Lord Himself speaks in like manner of Himself : Whoso- ever will be great among you, let him be your minister ; and whosoever will be the first, let him be your servant : as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (Matt. xx. 25-28 ; Mark x. 42-44 ; Luke xxii. 27 : likewise Luke xii. 37). The Lord says this, because by a servant and a minister is meant he who serves and ministers by teaching, and abstractly from the person the Divine Truth which He Himself was. Since therefore by a servant is meant he that teaches Divine Truth, it is manifest that by servants in this passage in the Apocalypse those are meant who are in truths from good No. 4.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 39 or in faith from charity, because these can teach from the Lord; that is, the Lord can teach and minister through them. In this sense they are called servants in Matthew : In the consummation of the age, who is the faithful and pricdent servant^ whom his Lord shall set over his house hold, to give them their food i?i its season ? blessed is this servant who?n the Lord shall find so doing (xxiv. 45, 46). And in Luke : Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when coming shall find watching: verily, L say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them sit down, and shall Himself come 7iear and miiiister unto them (xii. 37). In heaven all are called the Lord's servants who are in His spiritual kingdom, but they who are in His heavenly (celestial) kingdom are called ministers. The reason is, lhat they who are in His spiritual kingdom are in wis- dom from Divine Truth ; and they who are in His heavenly kingdom are in love from Divine Good ; and good ministers, and truth serves. But in the opposite sense those who serve the devil are meant by servants. These are in slavery itself, but they who serve the Lord, are in a state of liberty ; as the Lord also teaches, John viii. 32-36. 4. The things which must shortly be done, signifies that they are certainly to be, lest the Church perish. By " must shortly be done," is not meant that the things which are foretold in the Apocalypse are to happen immediately and quickly, but certainly ; and that the Church would perish unless they took place. In the Divine idea, and thence in the spiritual sense, there is no time, but instead of time there is state ; and as " shortly " is a thing of time, by it is signified certainly, and that it is to be before its time. For the Apocalypse was given in the first century, and seventeen centuries have now passed away j from which it is manifest that by " shortly " is signified that which corre- sponds, which is certainly. These words of the Lord also involve very similar things : Except those days should be 4Q THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. shortened, no flesh would be saved ; but for the elects' sake those days shall be shortejied (Matt. xxiv. 22): by which is also meant, that, unless the Church should come to an end before its time, it would altogether perish. In that chapter the consummation of the age and the Lord's coming are treated of ; and by the consummation of the age is meant the last state of the old Church, and by the Lord's coming the first state of the new Church. It was said that in the Divine idea there is not time, but that all things past and futire are present. On which account it is said in David, A thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday (Ps. xc. 4) ; and again, I will declare the decree, yehovah said unto Mey Thou art My Son, to-day have I begotten Thee (Ps. ii. 7). " To-day " denotes that the Lord's coming is present. Hence also it is, that an entire period is called in the Word a day ; its first state, twilight and morning ; and the last, evening and night. 5. And He signified it, sending by His angel unto His ser- vant John, signifies the things which are revealed by the Lord through heaven to those who are in good of life from charity and its faith. By " He signified it sending by His angel," is meant in the spiritual sense the things which were revealed from heaven, or through heaven, by the Lord ; for by an angel, in many places in the Word, is meant the angelic heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself. The reason is, that no angel ever speaks with man separate from heaven J for there is such a con- junction there of each one with all, that every one speaks from the communion, although the angel is not conscious of it. For in the Lord's sight heaven is as one man, whose soul is the Lord Himself ; on which account the Lord speaks with man through heaven, as a man does with another from his soul through his body : and this is done in conjunction with all and each of the things in his mind, in the midst of which things are those which he speaks. But this arcanum cannot be unfolded in few words. It is No. 5.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 41 unfolded in part in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom." It is hence manifest, that by an angel is signified heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord. That the Lord is meant in the highest sense by an angel, is because heaven is not heaven from the things belonging to the angels, but from the Divine of the Lord ; from which they have love and wisdom, yea, life. Hence it is that the Lord Himself is called an Angel in the Word. From these things it is manifest, that the angel did not speak with John from himself, but the Lord through him with heaven as a medium. That by those words is meant that the things were revealed to those who are in good of life from charity and its faith, is because these are meant by John. For by the Lord's twelve dis- ciples or apostles were meant all within the Church who are in truths from good, and in the abstract sense all things of the church ; and by Peter, all who are in faith, and abstractly faith itself; by James, they who are in charity, and abstractly charity itself ; and by John, they who are in good of life from charity and its faith, and abstractly good itself of life therefrom. That these things were meant by John, James, and Peter in the Word of the evangelists, may be seen in the small work on the " New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine," published at London in the year 1758, n. 122. Now because good of life from charity and its faith makes the church, there- fore through the apostle John, the arcana concerning the state of the Church were revealed, which are contained in his visions. That by all the names of persons and places in the Word the things of heaven and the church are sig- nified, has been shown in many places in the "Heavenly Arcana," also published in London. It may from these things be evident that by "He signified sending by His angel unto His servant John," is meant in the spiritual sense the things which are revealed by the Lord through heaven to those who are in good of life from charity and 42 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I its faith : for charity does good through faith ; and not charity by itself, nor faith by itself. 6. Who testified the Word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, signifies who from the heart and thus in the light receive Divine truth from the Word, and acknowl- edge the Lord's Human to be Divine. It is said of John, that he testified the Word of God : but since all who are in good of life from charity and its faith are meant by John, as was said just above, n. 5, therefore in the spiritual sense all those are meant. The angels, who are in the spiritual sense of the Word, in no wise know any name of a person mentioned in the Word, but only that which the person represents and thence signifies j which, for John, is good of life, or good in act ; consequently all in the aggregate who are in that good. These testify, that is, see, acknowledge, and receive from the heart in the light, and confess, the truths of the Word ; especially that truth therein, that the Lord's Human is Divine : as may be evi- dent from the passages adduced from the Word in abun- dance in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord." By Jesus Christ and by the Lamb in the Apocalypse is meant the Lord as to His Divine Human, and by God, the Lord as to the Divine itself from which [all things are]. As regards the spiritual signification of testifying, it is predicated of the Truth, for the reason that in the world the truth is to be attested ; and when it is attested, it is acknowledged. But in heaven the truth . itself testifies concerning itself, because it is the very light of heaven. For when the angels hear the truth, they forth- with know it interiorly and acknowledge it ; and because the Lord is the truth itself, as He teaches in John xiv. 6, in heaven He is the testimony of Himself. Hence it is mani- fest what is meant by " the testimony of Jesus Christ : " on which account the Lord says, Ye sent unto John, an t he testified unto the truth ; yet I receive not testimony from man (John v. 33) : And again : John ca??ie for a witness, No. 8.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 43 that he might testify of the Light : he was not that Light : the Word, which was with God, and was God, and beca?ne flesh, was the true Light, which enlightencth every man (John i. i, 2, 7, 8, 14, 34). And again: Jesus said, / tes- tify of Myself, and My testimony L true ; for L know whence J came, a?id whither L go (John viii. 14). When the Com forter, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will testify of me (John xv. 26). By "the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth,'* is meant the Truth itself proceeding from the Lord ; on which account it is said of it, that it was not to speak from itself, but from the Lord (John xvi. 13-15). 7. Whatsoever things he saw, signifies their enlighten- ment in all the things which are in this Revelation. By "whatsoever things he saw" are not meant in the spirit- ual sense the things which John saw, — these were only visions, — but the things which they see who are meant by John ; who are those that are in good of life from char- ity and its faith ; as has been said above. These see in John's visions the arcana concerning the state of the Church ; not so much when they read them themselves, but when they see them * revealed. Besides, to see signi- fies to understand ; for which reason it is also said in common speech, that one sees that matter, and that he sees that it is the truth : for the spirit of man has sight as well as his body. But by his spirit a man sees spiritual things, because from the light of heaven j but with his body natural things, because from the light of the world : and spiritual things are real, but natural things are their . forms. The sight of man's spirit is what is called the understanding. It is manifest from this, what is meant in the spiritual sense by " whatsoever things he saw;" and so too in what follows, where it is said that he saw. 8. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the 7cords of the prophecy, and keep the things which are written therein, signifies the communion of those with the angels of heaven, who live according to the Doctrine of the New 44 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I Jerusalem. By "blessed" is here meant he who as to his spirit is in heaven, and who thus, while he is living in the world, is in communion with the angels of heaven : for as to his spirit he is in heaven. By the words of the prophecy nothing else is meant but the doctrine .of the New Jerusalem. For by a prophet in the abstract sense is signified the doctrine of the Church from the Word, and thus here the doctrine of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem j and the same by prophecy. By read- ing, hearing, and keeping the things which are written in it, is signified to wish to know that doctrine, to attend to the things that are in it, and to do the things which are in it j in fine, to live according to it. It is manifest that those are not blessed, who only read, hear, and keep, or preserve in the memory, the things that were seen by John ; see below, n. 944. The reason that the Doctrine of the Church from the Word is signified by a prophet, and the like by prophecy, is because the W7ord was written by the prophets ; and in heaven a person is regarded from that which belongs to his office and function. From it also every man, spirit, and angel there is named : and there- fore, when a prophet is mentioned, since to write and teach the Word was his function, the Word as to doctrine, or Doctrine from the Word, is meant. Hence it is, that the Lord, as He is the Word itself, was called a Prophet (Deut. xviii. 15-20 ; Matt. xiii. 57 ;xxi. 11 ; Luke xiii. 33). That it may be known that by a prophet is meant the Doc- trine of the Church from the Word, some passages will be adduced, from which it may be gathered ; in Matthew : In the consummatio?i of the age, many false prophets shall rise up, and shall seduce many : false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall mislead, if possible, the elect (xxiv. 11, 24). "The consummation of the age" is the last time of the Church, which is now, when there are not false prophets, but falsities of doctrine. In the same : Whoever shall receive a prophet i?i the name of a prophet, No. 8.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 45 shall reaive a prophet's reward; and whoever shall receive a righteous man in the ?ia??ie of a righteous man, shall receit e a righteous man's reward (x. 41). To receive a prophet in the name of a prophet is to receive the truth of doctrine because it is true ; and to receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man is to receive good for the sake of good ; and to receive a reward is to be saved according to the reception. It is manifest that no one receives reward, or is saved, because he receives a prophet and a righteous man in their own name. Without the knowledge of what a prophet and what a righteous man is, these words can be understood by no one \ nor those which follow : Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only i?i the name of a disciple, shall not lose his reward (x. 42). By a disciple is meant charity, and at the same time faith, from the Lord. In Joel: I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, so that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (ii. 28). These things are concerning the ^-establishing of the Church by the Lord, in which they did not prophesy, but received doctrine, which is to proph- esy. In Matthew : Jesus said, Many will say unto Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy nai?ie ; but the?i will L confess unto them, L know you not : depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity (vii. 22, 23). Who does not see that they will not say that they have prophesied, but that they knew the doctrine of the Church, and taught it. In the Apocalypse : The time for judging the dead has come, and for giving rezcard to the prophets (xi. 18) ; and again : Rejoice, O heaven, and holy apostles and prophets ; for God hath judged your judgi7ie?it (xviii. 20). It is mani- fest that reward is not to be given to the prophets only, and that not the apostles and prophets only are to rejoice when the last judgment takes place, but that all will do so, who have received the truths of doctrine, and lived accord- ing to them : these therefore are meant by the apostles and prophets. In Moses : Jehovah said unto Moses, L have 46 THE AI OCaLYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. made thee a God to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (Ex. vii. i). By God is meant the Divine Truth from the Lord as to reception, in which sense the angels also are called Gods ; and by a prophet is meant one that teaches and speaks it : it is hence that Aaron is there called a prophet. The same is signified by a prophet elsewhere, as in these passages: The Law^iall not perish from the priest, nor the Word from the prophet (Jer. xviii. 18). From the prophets of jferusaleiii hath gone forth hypocrisy into all the land (Jer. xxiii. 15, 16). The prophets shall become wind, neither is the Word in them (Jer. v. 13). The priest and the prophet go astray through strong-drink; they are swallowed up by wine; they stag gcr in judgment (Isa. xxviii. 7). The sun setteth upon the prophets, and the day groweth dark over them (Mic. iii. 6). From the prophet even to the priest every one doeth a lie (Jer. viii. 10). In these places by prophets and priests in the spiritual sense are not meant prophets and priests, but the entire Church ; by prophets the Church as to truth of doctrine, and by priests the same as to good of life ; both of which were lost. In this manner are these things understood by the angels in heaven, when they are understood by men in the world according to the sense of the letter. That the prophets represented the state of the Church as to doctrine, and the Lord the same as to the Word itself, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord," n. 15-17. 9. For the time is at hand, signifies that the state of the Church is such that it can no longer continue, so as to have conjunction with the Lord. There are two essentials by which conjunction with the Lord is effected, and thence salvation, — the Acknowledgment of one God, and Repent- ance of Life. But at this day, instead of the acknowledg- ment of one God, there is an acknowledgment of three ; and instead of repentance of life, there is a repentance of the mouth only that one is a sinner ; and by these two No. io.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 47 there is no conjunction : on which account, unless a new Church rises up, which acknowledges these two essentials, and lives them, no one can be saved. On account of this peril, the time has been shortened by the Lord, according to His Words in Matthew : Then shall be great affliction, such as hath not been from the beginning of the World until now, nor shall be ; yea, except those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved (xxiv. 21, 22). That at hand, 01 nearness of time, is not meant, may be seen below (n. 947). 10. Joh?i to the seven churches, signifies to all who are in the Christian world, where the Word is, and by it the Lord is known, and who draw near to the church. By the Seven Churches are not meant seven churches, but all who are of the Church in the Christian world j for numbers in the Word signify things, and seven all, and thence also full and per- fect j and it is used in the Word where a holy thing is treated of, and in the opposite sense a profane thing : on which account that number involves holiness, and in the opposite sense profaneness. That numbers signify things, or rather that they are like certain adjectives to substantives, adding some quality to the things, is because number in itself is natural ; for natural things are determined by numbers, but spiritual by things and their states : and therefore he who does not know the signification of the numbers in the Word, and especially in the Apocalypse, cannot know many arcana which are contained therein. Now since by seven are sig- nified all, it is manifest that by " the Seven Churches," are meant all who are in the Christian world, where the Word is, and the Lord is known by it. If these live according to the Lord's precepts in the Word, they make the Church itself. Hence it is that the Sabbath was instituted on the seventh day, and that the seventh year was called the sab- batical year, and the seven times' seventh year the Jubilee; by which was signified all that is holy in the Church. It is hence also, that a 7ueek, in Daniel and elsewhere, signi- fies an entire period from beginning to end, and is predi- 48 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L cated of the Church. Similar things are signified by seven in the following passages ; as, by the seven golde?i candle- sticks, i?i the midst of 7vhich was the Son of Man (Apoc. i. 13) ; by the seven stars in his right hand (Apoc. i. 16, 20) ; by the seven spirits of God (Apoc. i. 4 ; iv. 5) ; by the seven la?nps of fire (Apoc. iv. 5) ; by the seven angels, to who?n were given the seve?i trumpets (Apoc. viii. 2) ; by the seven angels having the seven last plagues (Apoc. xv. 5,6); by the seven vials full of the seven last plagues (Apoc. xvi. 1 ; xxi. 9) ; by the seven seals with which the Book was sealed (Apoc. v. 1). In like manner in these following : That the hands should be filled seven days (Ex. xxix. 35) ; that they should be sanctified seven days (Ex. xxix. 37) ; that when they were being inaugurated they should go seven days clothed in the garments of holiness (Ex. xxix. 30) j that they should not go out of the tabernacle for seven days, when they were being initiated into the priesthood (Lev. viii. 33, 35) ; that the altar should be expiated upon its horns seven times (Lev. xvi. 18, 19) \ that the altar should be sanctified by oil seven times (Lev. viii. 11) ; that the blood should be sprinkled seven times towards the vail (Lev. iv. 16, 17) ; and also seven times tow- ards the east (Lev. xvi. 12-15) > tnat ^e ^oter of separation should be sprinkled seven times towards the tabernacle (Num. xix. 4) ; that the Passover should be celebrated seven days, and unleave?ied bread be eaten seve?i days (Ex. xii. 15 ; Deut. xvi. 4-7). Likewise, that the Jews should be pun- ished sevenfold on account of their sins (Lev. xxvi. 18, 21, 24, 28) ; wherefore David says, Recompense unto our neigh- bors sevenfold into their bosom (Ps. lxxix. 12): sevenfold means fully. Also in these passages : The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver purified in the furnace seven times (Ps. xii. 6). The hungry have ceased, until the barreji hath borne seve?i ; and she that had many chil- dren hath failed (1 Sam. ii. 5). " The barren " is the church of the Gentiles, who had not the Word : " she that had many children " is the church of the Jews, who No. II.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 49 had the Word. So too, She who had borne seven shall languish, she shall breathe out her soul (Jer. xv. 9). The inhabitants of the eities of Israel shall set on fire and shall burn up the arms, and shall kindle a fire of them seven years : they shall bury Gog, and shall clea?ise the land seve?i months (Ez. xxxix. 9, 11, 12). The unclean spirit will take seven other spirits worse than himself (Matt. xii. 45). Profana- tion is here described, and by the seven spirits with which he is to return are signified all the falsities of evil, and thus a total extinction of good and truth. By the seven heads of the dragon, and by the seven diadems upon his heads (Apoc. xii. 3), is signified the profanation of all good and truth. It is manifest from these passages, that Seven involves holiness or profaneness, and signifies all and full. 11. Which are in Asia, signifies to those who from the Word are in the light of truth. Since by all the names of persons and places in the Word the real things of heaven and the church are meant, as has been said before, the same are signified by Asia, and by the names of the Seven Churches there, as will be manifest from what follows. That those who are in the light of truth from the Word are meant by Asia, is because the Most Ancient Church, and after it the Ancient, and afterwards the Israelitish, were in Asia ; also because the Ancient Word was with them, and afterwards the Israelitish ; and all the light of truth :s from the Word. That there were ancient churches in the Asiatic world, and that they had a Word which was afterwards lost, and at length the Word which is at this day. may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scripture" (n. 101-103). Hence then it is, that by Asia are here signified all who are in the light of truth from the Word. '* Respecting this Ancient Word, which was in Asia before the Israelitish Word, it is fitting to relate this news : That it is still reserved there among the people who dwell in vol. 1. 3 53 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L Great Tartary. I have spoken with spirits and angels in the spiritual world who were from that country, who said that they possessed a Word, and that they had possessed it from ancient times ; that they conduct their Divine worship according to this Word ; and that it consists of nothing but correspondences. They said also that the Book of Jasher is in it, which is mentioned in Joshua x. 12, 13, and in the second book of Samuel i. 17, 18 ; as also that among them are the books, the 1 Wars of Jehovah] and the Prophecies? which are mentioned by Moses (Num. xxi. 14, 15, and 27-30): and when I read in their presence the words which Moses had taken therefrom, they searched whether they were extant there, and found them. It was made manifest to me from this, that the Ancient Word is still among them. While speaking with them, they said that they worship Jehovah, some as an invisible God, and some as visible. They related further, that they do not suffer strangers to come among them, except the Chinese, with whom they cultivate peace, because the emperor of China is from their country ; as also that they are so populous, that they do not believe any region in the whole world to be more so : which is credible also from the wall so many miles long, which the Chinese constructed long since, as their safeguard against invasion from them. Seek for it in China, and perhaps you will find it there among the Tartars." 12. Grace be unto you and peace, signifies the Divine salutation. What in particular is meant by grace, and by peace, will be told in the following pages. That Peace be unto you was the Lord's salutation to His disciples, thus the Divine salutation, may be seen in Luke xxiv. 36, 37 ; John xx. 19-21: and by the Lord's command it was the salutation of the disciples to all to whom they should enter in (Matt. x. 11-15). 13. From Him who is and who was and who is to come, signifies from the Lord who is Eternal and Infinite, and No. 14.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 51 Jehovah. That it is the Lord is plainly manifest from the things that follow in this chapter, where it is said that he heard a voice from the Son of Man, saying, / am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (vers. 11, 13) ; and then, I a?n the First and the Last (vers. 17) ; and in the following chapter (vers. 8) j and afterwards in chapter xxi. 6 ; xxii. 12,13; and in Isaiah : Jehovah the King of Lsrael said, and his Redee?ner Jehovah Zebaoth, L am the First and Lthe Last ; and besides Me there is no God (xliv. 6 ; also xlviii. 12): and He who is the First and the Last is He who is, who was, and who is to come. This is also meant by Jehovah ; for the name Jehovah signifies Is ; and He Who is, or He who is Esse (To be) itself, is also He who was and who is to come : for things past and things future are present in Him. Hence He is Eternal without time, and Infinite without place. This the Church also confesses from the Doctrine of the Trinity, which is called the Atha- nasian ; where are these words : " The Father is Eternal and Infinite, the Son is Eternal and Infinite, and the Holy Spirit is Eternal and Infinite ; but yet there are not three Eternals and Infinites, but One." That that One is the Lord, has been demonstrated in the " Doctrine of the Nfw Jerusalem concerning the Lord." 14. And from the seven Spirits which are before His throne, signifies from the whole heaven, where the Lord is in His Divine Truth, and where His Divine Truth is received. By "the seven Spirits" are meant all who are in Divine Truth, and in the abstract sense Divine Truth (Verum) itself, or the Divine Truth (Veritas) itself. That by seven in the Word are meant all, may be seen above (n. 10); and that by the throne is meant the whole heaven, will be seen presently. Hence by before the throne is meant where His Divine Truth is : for heaven is not heaven from the things belonging to the angels, but from the Divine of the Lord ; as is shown in many places in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence," and " con- 52 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L cerning the Divine Love." That the Lord's throne signifies heaven, is manifest from the following passages : Jehovah said, the fyeave?ts are My throne (Isa. lxvi. i) ; Jehovah hath established His throne in the heavens (Ps. ciii. 19). He that swear eth by heaven, sweareth by God's throne^ and by Him that sitteth upon it (Matt, xxiii. 22). Above the expa?ise which was over the head of the cherubim, was as it were the appeara?^ of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a thro?ie, and upon it the appeara7ice of a Man (Ez. i. 26 ; x. 1). By "the expanse above the head of the cherubs" is meant heaven. And in the Apocalypse : He that overcometh, I will give him to sit on My throne (hi. 21). "On the throne " means in heaven, in particular where His Divine Truth reigns ; on which account also, where the judgment is treated of, it is said that the Lord will sit upon a throne, for judgment is by means of truths. 15. And from Jesus Christ, signifies the Divine Human. That by Jesus Christ and by the Lamb in the Word is meant the Lord as to His Divine Human, may be seen above (n. 6). 16. The faithful Witness, signifies that He is the Divine Truth itself. That witness is predicated of the truth, and that the truth testifies concerning itself, and so also the Lord, who is the Divine Truth itself and the Word, may be seen above (n. 6). 17. The First-born from the dead, signifies that He is the Divine Good itself. What the First-born from the dead is, no one as yet knows ; and what it signifies was disputed by the ancients. It was known to them, that by the First- born is signified the first and primary thing from which .s the all of the church : and it was believed by many, that it was truth in doctrine and in faith ; but by a few, that it was truth in act and in work, which is good of life. That the latter is the first and primary thing of the church, and thence is meant in the proper sense by the First-born, will be seen. But, first, the opinion of those who believed that No. 17.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 53 truth in doctrine and in faith is the first and primary thing of the church, and thus the First-born, shall be spoken of. They believed this because the truth is learned first, and because the church becomes a church by means of it ; but still not before the truth becomes of the life. Previously it is only in the thought of the understanding and in the memory, and not in the act of the will ; and truth which is not truth in act or work, does not live : it is only like a tree luxuriant in branches and leaves, without fruit ; and it is like knowledge without application to use ; and like the foundation, upon which a house is built, which is to be dwelt in. These things are the first in time, but they are not the first in end ; and the first in end are primary. For the first thing in end is residence in the house, and the first in time is the foundation. The first also in end is use, and the first in time is knowledge. So too the first thing in end, when a tree is planted, is the fruit • but the first in time are the branches and leaves. It is the same with the understanding, which is the first thing formed in a man, but for the end that that which the man sees with the understanding he may do ; otherwise the understanding is like a preacher who teaches well, but lives ill. More- over, every truth is sown in the internal man, and rooted in the external : on which account, unless the truth sown is rooted in the external man, which is done by act, it is like a tree set not in the ground, but above it ; which, breathed upon by the heat of the sun, immediately withers away. This root the man who had done the truths carries with him after death: but not so the man who had known and acknowledged them by faith only. Now, as many of the ancients made that which is first in time the first in end, which is the primary, they therefore said that the First-born signified truth in doctrine and in faith in the church, not knowing that this is the first-born apparently, but not actu- ally. But all those who made truth in doctrine and in faith the primary, were condemned j because nothing of deed or 54 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. work, or nothing of the life, is in such truth. For that reason Cain, who was the first-born of Adam and Eve, was condemned. That by him is signified truth in doctrine and in faith, may be seen in the " Angelic Wisdom con- cerning the Divine Providence " (n. 242). For that reason also Reuben, who was Jacob's first-born, was con- demned by his father (Gen. xlix. 3, 4) ; and the birthright taken from him (1 Chron. v. 1). That by Reuben in the spiritual sense is meant truth in doctrine and in faith, will be seen in the following pages. By the first-born of Egypt, which were all smitten, because condemned, nothing else is meant in the spiritual sense but truth in doctrine and in faith separate from good of life, which truth in itself is dead. By the goats in Daniel and Matthew no others are meant but they who are in faith separate from the life, concerning whom see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning Faith " (n. 61-68). That they who were in faith separate from the life were rejected and condemned at the time of the Last Judgment, may be seen in the " Continu- ation concerning the Last Judgment " (n. 16, &c). It may be evident from these few things, that truth in doctrine and in faith is not the first-born of the church, but truth in act or in work, which is good of life ; for the church is not in a man before the truth becomes of the life ; and when the truth becomes of the life, it is then good. For the thought and memory of the understanding do not flow in into the will, and through the will into the act ; but the will flows in into the thought and memory of the under- standing, and acts : and that which proceeds from the will through the understanding, proceeds from affection, which is of the love, through the thought, which is of the under- standing ; and all this is called good, and enters into the life : and therefore the Lord says that He that doeth the t?-uth, doeth it in God (John iii. 21). Since John repre- sented good of life, and Peter the truth of faith, — see above (n. 5), — therefore John reclined at the Lord's breast, No. 17.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. b5 and followed Jesus ; but not Peter (John xxi. 18-23). The Lord said also of John, that he was to remaifi till He came (vers. 22, 23) ; consequently to the present day, which is the Lord's coming : on which account also good of life is now taught by the Lord for those who will be of His New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. In short, the first-born is what truth from good, and thus what the under- standing from the will, first produces ; because truth is of the understanding, and good is of the will. This first thing, because it is as the seed from which the rest proceed, is the primary. In regard to the Lord, He is the First-born from the dead, because He is also, as to His Human, the Truth itself united to the Divine Good, from which all men, who are in themselves dead, live. The same is meant in David : / will make Him My First-born, higher than the kings of the earth (Ps. lxxxix. 27). This is said of the Lord's Human. Hence it is that Israel is called the " first-born " (Ex. iv. 22, 23). By Israel is meant truth in act, and by Jacob truth in doctrine ; and since from the latter alone there is no church, for that reason Jacob was named Israel : but in the highest sense the Lord is meant by Israel. On account of this representation of the first-born, all the first-born and all the firstfruits were sanctified to Jehovah (Ex. xiii. 2, i2_ xxii. 28, 29). On account of this representation of the first-born, the Levites were taken in place of all the first- born in the Israelitish Church ; and it is said that they were thus Jehovah's (Num. iii. 12, 13, 40-46 ; xviii. 15-18). For by Levi is signified truth in act, which is good of life ; and the priesthood was on that account given to his posterity ; on which subject see in what follows. Therefore also a double portion of the inheritance was given to the first-born, and he was called the beginning of the strength (Deut. xxi. 15-17). The first-born signifies the primary thing of the church, because in the Word by natural births are signified spiritual births ; and then what first produces these in a man is meant by his first-born : for the church is 56 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. 1. not in him before the truth of doctrine conceived in the internal man is born in the external. 1 8. A?id the Prince of the kings of the earth, signifies from Whom is all truth from good in the Church. This follows from what goes before, because by the Faithful Witness is signified the Lord as to the Divine Truth, and by the First- born He is signified as to the Divine Good \ and thus by the Prince of the kings of the earth is signified that all truth from good in the Church is from Him. The reason that this is signified by the Prince of the kings of the earth is that by kings in the spiritual sense of the Word are meant they who are in truths from good, and abstractly the truths fron, good ; and by the earth is meant the Church. That this is the signification of kings and earth, may be seen below (n. 20, and n. 285). 19. That loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in His blood, signifies who from love and mercy reforms and regen- erates men by His Divine truths from the Word. It is manifest that "to wash us from sins" is to purify from evils, and thus to reform and regenerate ; for regeneration is spiritual washing. But that by His blood is not meant the passion of the cross, as is believed by many, but the Divine Truth proceeding from Him, may be evident from many passages in the Word, to adduce all of which here would be too prolix: they will be adduced below (n. 379, 654). Meantime see what has been said and demonstrated con- cerning the signification of the Lord's Blood and Flesh in the Holy Supper, in the " New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine," published at London in the year 1758 (n. 210- 222) ; and concerning spiritual washing, which is regener- ation (n. 202-209). 20. And He maketh us kings and priests, signifies who gives to those who have been born of Him, that is, regen- erated, to be in wisdom from Divine truths and in love from Divine goods. It is known that the Lord is called a King in the Word, and also a Priest. He is called a King No. 20.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 57 from His Divine Wisdom, and a Priest from His Divine Love : and therefore they who are in wisdom from the Lord are called sons of the King, and also kings ; and they who are in love from Him are called ministers and priests : for the wisdom and love in them are not from them, and thus not theirs, but the Lord's. Hence it is that they are meant by kings and by priests in the Word ; not that they are so, but the Lord in them, and causes them to be so named. They are also called, born of Him, sons of the kingdom, sons of the Father, and heirs : Bom of Him (John i. 12, 13); that is, born anew, or regenerated (John hi. 1, &c). Sons of the kingdom (Matt viii. 12 ; xiii. 38). Sons of the Father in heaven (Matt. v. 45). Heirs (Ps. cxxvii. 3 j 1 Sam. ii. 8 ; Matt. xxv. 34). And because they are said to be heirs, sons of the kingdom, and born of the Lord as a Father, they are for that reason called kings and priests. Then, too, it is said that they are to sit with the Lord on His throne (Apoc. iii. 21). There are two kingdoms into which the universal heaven is distinguished, the spiritual kingdom and the heavenly (celestial) kingdom. The spir- itual kingdom is what is called the Lord's royalty ; and because all who are there are in wisdom from truths, they are therefore meant by the kings which the Lord will make those to be who are in wisdom from Him : and the heavenly king- dom is what is called the Lord's priesthood ; and because all who are there are in love from goods, they are therefore meant by the priests which the Lord will make those to be, who are in love from Him. In like manner is the Lord's Church on earth distinguished into two kingdoms. Con- cerning these two kingdoms, see the work on " Heaven and Hell," published at London in the year 1758 (n. 24, 226). He who does not know the spiritual signification of kings and priests may vainly attempt to explain many things that are mentioned respecting them in the prophets and the Apocalypse j as these in the prophets : The sons of tht stranger shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall mi*i 3* 58 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I ister unto thee I thou shalt suck the milk of the nations, yea, thou shalt suck the breasts of kings ; that thou may est know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer (Isa. lx. 10, 1 6). Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers (Isa. xlix. 23 : and elsewhere, as in Gen. xlix. 20 ; Ps. ii. 10 ; Isa. xiv. 9 ; xxiv. 21 ; Hi. 15 ; Jei. 11. 26 ; iv. 9 ; xlix. 3 j Lam. ii. 6, 9 ; Ez. vii. 26, 27 ; Hos. iii. 4 ; Zeph. i. 8). By kings here are not meant kings, but they who are in Divine truths from the Lord, and ab- stractly the Divine truths from which is wisdom. Neither are kings meant by the king of the south and the king of the north, who carried on war with each other (Dan. xi. 1, &c.) ; but by " the king of the south " they who are in truths, and by " the king of the north " they who are in falsities. In like manner in the Apocalypse, where kings are many times mentioned, as in these places : The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared (xvi. 1 2). The kings of the earth committed whore- dom with the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters (xvii. 2). All the natioJis have drunk of the wine of the anger f the whoredom of Babylon, and the kings of the earth have -ommitted whoredom with her (xviii. 3). And I saw the beast rnd the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together ■0 make war with Hiin that sat upon the white horse (xix. 19). And the nations which are saved shall walk in His light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into the New Jerusalem (xxi. 24: and elsewhere, as xvi. 14; xvii. 2, 9-14 ; xviii. 9, 10). By kings are here meant those who are in truths, and in the opposite sense those who are in falsities, and abstractly truths or falsities. By the whore- dom of Babylon with the kings of the earth is meant the falsification of the truth of the Church. It is evident that Babylon, or the woman that sat upon the scarlet beast, did not commit whoredom with the kings, but that she falsified the truths of the Word. From these things it is manifest, No. 21.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 59 that by kings which the Lord is to make those who are wise from Him, is not meant that they are to be kings, but to be wise. That it is so, enlightened reason also sees. So too in the following : Thou hast made us kings and priests unto our God, that we may reign upo?i the earth (Apoc. v. 10). That by king the Lord meant the Truth, is manifest from His words to Pilate : Pilate said to Him, Art thou not a king then ? Jesus answered, Thou hast said that I am a King. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world, that I' might bear testimony to the Truth : every one that is of the Truth, heareth My voice. Pilate said unto Him, What is Truth ? (John xviii. 37, 38). To bear testi- mony to the Truth means that He is the Truth ; and because from it He called Himself a King, Pilate said, "What is Truth ? " that is, is truth a king ? That priests signify those who are in the good of love, and abstractly the goods of love, will be seen in what follows. 21. Unto God and His Father, signifies and thus images of His Divine Wisdom and His Divine Love. By God and the Father in the spiritual sense are not meant two persons ; but by God is meant the Divine as to Wisdom, and by the Father the Divine as to Love. For there are two things in the Lord, the Divine Wisdom and the Divine Love, or the Divine Truth and the Divine Good. These two are meant in the Old Testament by God and Jehovah, and here by God and the Father. Now as the Lord teaches that He and the Father are one, and that He is in the Father and the Father in Him (John x. 30; xiv. 10, 11); by God and the Father two persons are not meant, but the Lord alone. The Divine also is one and indivisible \ for which reason by Jesus Christ having made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, is signified that they appear before Him as images of His Divine Wisdom and His Divine Love. In these two things also does the image of God in men and angels consist. That the Divine, which in itself is one, is distinguished in the Word by various 6o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L names, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord." That the Lord Himself also is the Father, is evident from these passages ; in Isaiah : Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, whose name is Wonderful, God, Mighty, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace (ix. 6). In the same : Thou Jehovah art oitr Father, cur Pedeemer ; thy name is from everlasting (lxiii. 16). And in John : If ye had known Me, ye would have knoivn My Father also ; and from henceforth ye k?i07u Him, a?id have seen Him. Philip saith imto Him, lord, shoza us the Father: Jesus saith unto him, He that seeth Me seeth the Father: how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? believe Me, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (xiv. 7-9, 11. See below, n. 962). 22. To Him be glory and strength for ever and ever, signifies Who alone has Divine Majesty and Divine Omnipotence to eternity. By " glory " in the Word, where the Lord is spoken of, the Divine Majesty is meant, and it is predicated of His Divine Wisdom ; and by " strength " is meant the Divine Omnipotence, and it is predicated of His Divine Love ; and by for ever and ever " is meant eternity. That these things are meant by glory, strength, and for ever and ever, in speaking of Jehovah or the Lord, may be confirmed by many passages in the Word. 23. Amc?i signifies the Divine confirmation from Truth, and thus from Himself. Amen signifies the Truth ; and because the Lord was the Truth itself, He therefore so often said Amen [verily] I say unto you ; as in Matt. v. 18, 26 ; vi. 16 \ x. 23, 42 j xvii. 20 ; xviii. 13, 18 ; xxv. 12 \ xxviii. 20 \ John hi. if ; v. 19, 24, 25 ; vi. 26, 32, 47, 53 ; viii. 34, 51, 58 ; x. 7 ; xiii. 16, 20, 21 ; xxi. 18, 25 : and in the following places i:i the Apocalypse : These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness (411.14)5 that is, the Lord. That the Lord is the Truth itself, He teaches in John xiv. 6 ; xvii. 19 24. Behold, He cometh ivith the clouds of heaven, signifies No. 24 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 6 1 that the Lord will reveal Himself in the literal sense of the Word, and will open its spiritual sense, at the end of the Church. He who is not at all acquainted with the internal or spiritual sense of the Word, cannot know what was meant by the Lord by His coming in the clouds of heaven. For He said to the high-priest, who adjured Him to say whether He was the Christ the Son of God, Thou hast said, I avt ; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven (Matt. xxvi. 63, 64; Mark xiv. 61, 62). And where the Lord is speaking to the disciples of the consummation of the age, He said, And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man, and they shall see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory (Matt. xxiv. 30 ; Mark xiii. 26). By " the clouds of heaven V in which He is to come nothing else is meant but the Word in its literal sense, and by the glory in which they will see Him is meant the Word in the spiritual sense. That it is so can hardly be believed by those who do not think beyond the sense oi the letter of the Word. To them a cloud is a cloud ; and hence is the belief that the Lord will appear in the clouds of heaven, when the last judgment is at hand. But this falls to the ground, when it is known what a cloud is, — that it is the Divine Truth in ultimates, and thus the Word in the literal sense. Clouds appear in the spiritual world equally as in the natural world. But the clouds in the spiritual world appear below the heavens with those who are in the sense of the letter of the Wrord, darker or brighter according to the understanding and at the same time the reception of the Word. The reason is, that the light of heaven there is the Divine Truth, and darkness there is falsities. Hence bright clouds are the Divine Truth veiled over by the appearances of truth, such as the Word is in the letter with those who are in truths ; and dark clouds, the Divine Truth covered over with fallacies confirmed from appearances, such as the Word is in the 62 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L letter with those who are in falsities. I have seen those clouds often, and it was made manifest whence and what they are. Now as the Lord, after the glorification of His Human, became the Divine Truth or the Word even in ultimates, He said to the high-priest, that From he7iceforth they should see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. But His saying to the disciples, that in the co7isii77i7nation of the age the sign of the Son of Man should appear, and that they should see Him coming i7i the clouds of heaven with power a7id glory, signifies that at the end of the Church, when the last judgment should take place, He would appear in the Word, and reveal the spiritual sense ; which has also been done at this day, because now is the end of the Church, and the last judgment is accomplished ; as may be evident from the small works lately published. This is therefore what is here meant in the Apocalypse by Behold, He cometh with the clouds : also in what follows : I saw, and oehold, a white cloud, a7id upon the cloud one sitting like imto the Son of Man (Apoc. xiv. 14). As also in Daniel: I saw in visions of the night, and behold, the S071 of Ma7i co7ning with the clouds (vii. 13). That by the Son of Man, is meant the Lord as to the Word, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord" (n. 19-28). That the Divine Truth in ultimates, and thence the Word in the letter, is also meant by clouds elsewhere in the Word, may be seen from the passages therein where clouds are mentioned ; as in these : Not as the God of Jeshurmi, that rideth i7i the heaven y a7id in magnifice7ice upon the clouds (Deut. xxxiii. 26). Sing ye unto God, praise His name, extol Him that rideth upo7i the clouds (Ps. lxviii. 4). Jehovah rid'mg upo7t a swift cloud (Isa. xix. 1). " To ride upon the clouds " signifies to be in the wisdom of the Word, for a horse signifies the understanding of the Wora. Who does not see that God does not ride upon the clouds. In like manner, God rode ufio7i the cherubs, and put for His tent the clouds of the heave7is (Ps. xviii. 9-1 1). The cherubs No. 24.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 63 also signify the Word (see below, n. 239, 672). A tent sig- nifies a dwelling : Jehovah layeth the beams of His cha?nbers in the waters, He maketh a cloud His chariot (Ps. civ. 3). Waters signify truths, chambers doctrinal tenets, and a chariot doctrine : all of which are called clouds, because they are from the literal sense of the Word. In like man- ner in Job : He bindeth up the waters in His clouds, and the cloud is not broken under them ; and He spreadeth out His cloud over His throne (xxvi. 8, 9). . God maketh the light of His cloud to shine (xxxvii. 15). Give ye strength unto God, strength upo?i the clouds (Ps. lxviii. 34). The light of a cloud signifies the Divine Truth of the Word, and strength signifies the Divine power therein. Lucifer, thou hast said in thine heart, I will go up above the heights of the cloud, I will become like wito the Most High (Isa. xiv. 14). Forsake ye Babel, because she hath lifted herself up even to the clouds (Jer. li. 9). By Lucifer and Babel those who profane the goods and truths of the Word are signified, wherefore these are the things which are there meant by the clouds. Jehovah spread out a cloud for a covering (Ps. cv. 39). Jehovah created over every habitation of Zio?i a cloud by day, for upon all the glory shall be a covering (Isa. iv. 5). By a cloud here also is meant the Word in the sense of the letter, which sense, because it encloses and covers the spiritual sense, is called a covering upon the glory. That the literal sense of the Word is a covering, lest the spiritual sense of it should be injured, may be seen in the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 33) j and that it is a guard (n. 97). The Divine Truth in ultimates, which is the same as the Word in the sense of the letter, was also represented by the cloud in which Jehovah descended upon mount Sinai, and promulgated the Law (Ex. xix. 9 ; xxxiv. 5). Also by the cloud which covered Peter, James, and John, when Jesus was transfig- ured ; concerning which we read these words : While Peter was still speaking, behold, a cloud overshadowed them ; and 64 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L behold^ a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him (Matt. xvii. 5 ; Mark ix. 7 ; Luke ix. 34, 35). The Lord in this transfiguration caused Himself to be seen as the Word ; on which account the cloud overshad- owed them, and the voice was heard out of the cloud, that He is the Son of God. " A voice out of a cloud " is out of the Word. That by a cloud in the opposite sense the Word as to the literal sense falsified is meant, will be seen elsewhere. 25. And every eye shall see Him, signifies that all wi . acknowledge Him who from affection are in the under- standing of Divine Truth. In the spiritual sense by an eye is not meant the eye, but the understanding ; wherefore by " every eye shall see," is signified that all who from affec- tion are in the understanding of Divine truth will acknowl- edge ; since they alone both understand and acknowledge. The rest see indeed, and also understand, but do not ac- knowledge. The former are signified, because it follows that those also will see who pierced Him ; by whom they are meant who are in falsities. That the eye signifies the understanding will be seen below (n. 48). 26. And they who pierced Him, signifies that those also will see, who in the Church are in falsities. By piercing Jesus Christ nothing else is meant but to destroy His Divine Truth in the Word. This also is meant by Ofie of the soldiers piei'cing His side, and blood and water coming out (John xix. 34). Blood and water are the Divine Truth spiritual and natural, and thus the Word in the spiritual and the natural sense ; and to pierce the Lord's side is to destroy both by falsities, as was done also by the Jews. For all the circumstances' of the Lord's passion represented the state of the Jewish Church as to the Word ; on which subject see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concern- ing the Lord " (n. 15-17). The reason that by piercing Him is signified to destroy the Word by falsities, is that this is said concerning Jesus Christ, who is soon after called the No. 29.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 65 Son of Man ; and by the Son of Man the Lord as to the Word is meant ; and therefore to pierce the Son of Man is to destroy the Word. 27. A?id all the tribes of the earth shall wail, signifies that this will be, when there are no longer any goods and truths in the Church. That the tribes of the earth signify the goods and truths of the Church, will be seen in the explanation of the seventh chapter, where the twelve tribes of Israel are treated of. By wailing is signified lamenta- tion that they are dead. The same is meant by these words as by the Lord's in Matthew : After the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven ; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man ; and then shall all the tribes of the earth wail (xxiv. 29, 30). These things are said concerning the consummation of the age, which is the end of the Church. " The sun shall be darkened," signifies that love and charity are no longer : " the moon shall not give her light," signifies that intelli- gence and faith are no longer : " the stars shall fall from heaven," signifies that there are no longer any knowledges of good and truth : " all the tribes of the earth shall wail," signifies that there are no goods and truths : " the afflic- tion " signifies that state of the church. 28. Even so, A7?ien, signifies the Divine confirmation that thus it will be, as is manifest from the things ex- plained above (n. 23). 29. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, signifies Who is the Self-existent and the Only from first things to last, from Whom all things are ; thus Who is Love Itself and the Only Love, Wisdom Itself and the Only Wisdom, Life Itself and the Only Life in Himself ; and thus the Creator Himself and the Only Creator, Saviour, and Enlightener, from Himself, and thence the all in all of heaven and the church. These things and many more are contained in these words by which the Lord is described. 66 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I That they were said of the Lord, and indeed of His Human, is plainly manifest ; for it follows afterwards that he heard a voice saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last ; and that he turned himself around to see the voice which spake with him, a?id that he saw the Son of Man in the midst of the seven candlesticks (i. 10-13). Who also said presently, L am the First and the Last, and lie that liveth, and was dead (vers. 17, 18 ; ii. 8). But thai all the things which were said above are contained in those words cannot be proved briefly ; for it would require many sheets to confirm them fully. But still they are proved in part in the "Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom," lately published at Amsterdam ; which see. The Lord calls Himself " The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," because the Alpha and the Omega have reference to His Divine Love, and the Beginning and the End to His Divine Wisdom. For in every particular of the Word there is a marriage of love and wisdom, or of good and truth ; on which see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 80-90). The Lord is called the Alpha and the Omega, because Alpha is the first letter and Omega the last in the Greek alphabet ; and hence they signify all things in the aggregate. The reason is, that every alphabetical letter in the spiritual world signifies some real thing ; and a vowel, because it is the vehicle of sound, sig- nifies something of affection or love. Spiritual and angelic speech, and also writing, are from this origin. But this is an arcanum unknown hitherto ; for there is a universal language, in which are all angels and spirits ; and this has nothing in common with any language of men in the world. Into this language every man comes after death ; for it is implanted in every man from creation : and therefore every one can understand another throughout the spiritual world. It has very often been given me to hear that language, as also to speak it ; and I have compared it with the languages No. 31.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 67 in the world, and have found that it does not, even in any smallest thing, make one with any natural language on earth. It differs from them in its first principle ; which is, that each letter of every word is significant, as well in speaking as in writing. Hence then it is, that the Lord is called the Alpha and the Omega, by which is signified that He is the all in all of heaven and the church : and because they are two vowels, they have reference to love, as has been said above. Concerning this language and writing, flowing from the spiritual thought of the angels, see also some things in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom " (n. 295). 30. Sait A the Lo?'d, who is, and who was, and who is to come. That it signifies who is Eternal and Infinite, and Jehovah, may be seen above (n. 13) j where this has been explained. 31. The Almighty, signifies Who is, lives, and has power, from Himself, and Who governs all things from first things by ultimates. Since all things are from the Lord, being created from first things which are from Him, and nothing is given which does not exist therefrom, as has been abundantly shown in the " Angelic Wisdom concern- ing the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom," it follows that He is Almighty. Suppose One from whom all things are : are not they all that One's on whom they depend in order as the links of a chain do on" the hook ? or as the blood-ves- sels of the whole body on the heart ? or as each and every thing of the universe on the sun ? Thus they depend on the Lord, who is the Sun of the spiritual world, from whom is all essence, life, and power, with those who are under that Sun : in a word, from Him we are, we live, and we are moved (Acts xvii. 28). This is the Divine omnipotence. That the Lord governs all things from first things by ulti- mates, is an arcanum not hitherto revealed, but explained in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, ' and " concerning the Sacred Scripture," in many 68 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. places ; also in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence" (n. 124) ; and " concerning the Divine Love" (n. 221). It is known that the Divine, because it is Infinite, does not fall into the ideas of the thought of any man, nor of an angel, because those ideas are finite ; and a finite is not capable of perceiving the Infinite. Yet that it may be perceived in some measure, it has pleased the Lord to describe His infinity by these words : I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty. Wherefore these words include all the things which angel and man can think spiritually or naturally concerning the Divine ; which in general are those that have been adduced in a universal sense above. 32. /, John, who am your fo'other and companion, signi- fies those who are in the good of charity and thence in the truths of faith. That the Apostle John represented those who are in the good of charity, was said above (n. 5) ; and they who are in the good of charity are also in the truths of faith, since charity is the soul and life of faith. Hence it is that John calls himself the brother and companion of those in the Church to whom he writes, for he wrote to the Seven Churches. By a brother in the spiritual sense of the Word is meant one who is in the good of charity ; and by a companion, one who is thence in the truths of faith. For by charity all are as it were kindred, but by faith neigh- bors : for charity conjoins ; not so faith, unless it is from charity. When faith is from charity, the charity then con- joins, and the faith consociates : and because they make one, for that reason the Lord commanded that they should all be brethren; for He says, One is your Teacher, Christ: and all ye a?-e brethren (Matt, xxiii. 8). The Lord also calls those brethren who are in the good of charity, or in good of life. He said, My mother and My brethren are these who hear the Word of God, and do it (Luke viii. 2 1 ; Matt. xii. 49; Mark iii. 33-35). By mother is meant the No. 32.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 69 church, and by brethren, they who are in charity ; and because the good of charity is a brother, the Lord there- fore calls those who are in it brethren, also in Matt. xxv. 40; and therefore also the disciples (Matt, xxviii. 10; John xx. 17). But we do not read that the disciples called the Lord brother, because a brother is good which is from the Lord. This is comparatively as with a king, a prince, and a nobleman, who call their relatives and neighbors brothers ; but still the latter do not call them so in return : for the Lord says, One is your Teacher, Christ, but all ye are brethren (Matt, xxiii. 8) ; also, Ye call Me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for I am (John xiii. 13). The sons of Israel called all brethren who were from their father Jacob, and in a wider sense those also that were from Esau ; but those that were not from them they called com- panions. But as the Word in the spiritual sense treats only of those who are in the Lord's Church, by brethren there- fore in that sense are meant they who are in the good of charity from the Lord, and by companions they that are in truths of faith ; thus in the following passages : Thus shall ye say every one to his companion, and every one to his brother, What hath Jehovah answered '? (Jer. xxiii. 35). Ye have not proclaimed liberty every one to his brother a?id every one to his companion (Jer. xxxiv. 17). Let no one press his companion nor his brother (Deut. xv. 1, 2). For my breth- ren and companions' sake L will say (Ps. exxii. 8). Every OJie helpeth his companion, and saith to his brother, Strengthen thyself (Isa. xli. 6). And in the opposite sense : Beware for yourselves every one of his companion, and trust not upon an) brother : every brother supplanteth, and every companion is a slanderer (Jer. ix. 4). L will mingle Egypt with Egypt, that he may fight against his brother and against his com- panion (Isa. xix. 2 : and in other places). These are adduced that it may be known why John calls himself a brother and companion j and that by a brother in the Word is meant he who is in charity or good, and by a com- 7o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I parrion he who is in faith or truth. But because charity is that from which is faith, therefore not any are called companions by the Lord, but brethren or neighbor. Every one also is a neighbor according to the quality of his good (Luke x. 36, 37). 33. In affliction, and in the kingdom and the patient expectation of Jesus Christ, signifies which in the church are infested by evils and falsities ; -but these are to be removed by the Lord, when He comes. By affliction is meant the state of the church when there are no longer any goods of charity and truths of faith, but evils and falsities in place of them. By the kingdom is meant the church ; and by the patient expectation of Jesus Christ is meant the Lord's coming : and therefore these words, " In affliction, and in the kingdom and the patient expectation of Jesus Christ," gathered into one sense, signify when the goods and truths of the church are infested by evils and falsities ; but these are to be removed by the Lord, when He shall come. That by affliction is meant the state of the church when it is infested by evils and falsities, is manifest from these passages : In the consummation of the age they shall deliver you into affliction, and shall kill you. There shall be great affliction, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world, nor shall be. After the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven (Matt, xxiv. 9, 21, 29 ; Mark xiii. 19, 24). That "the kingdom " signifies the Church will be seen in what follows. 34. / was in the island called Patmos, signifies a state and place in which he could be enlightened. The reason that the Revelation was made to John in Patmos was, that it was an island in Greece, not far from the land of Canaan, and between Asia and Europe ; and by islands are signi- fied the nations more remote from the worship of God, but which still are to draw near to it, because they can be enlightened \ and the same by Greece \ but the church No. 35.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 7' itself by the land of Canaan : by Asia, those in the church who are in the light of truth from the Word ; and by Europe those to whom the Word is to come. Hence it is that by the island of Patmos is signified a state and place in which he could be enlightened. That by islands in the Word are signified the nations more remote from the worship of God, but which are still to draw near to it, is manifest from these places : In Urim honor ye Jehovah, the na?ne of the God of Israel i?i the islands of the sea (Isa.xxiv. 15). He shall not quench, nor break, until He set judgment in the earth: and let the islands hope in His law. Sing ye unto Jehovah a new song; the islands a?id their inhabitants shall give glory to Jehovah, and shall proclaim his praise i?i the islands (Isa. xlii. 4, 10, 12). Attend ye islands unto Me, and ye peoples from afar (Isa. xllx. 1). In Me shall the islands hope, and upon My arm shall they trust (Isa. li. 5). The islands shall trust in Me, and the ships of Tarshish (Isa. lx. 9). Hear the words of Jehovah, ye nations, and pro- claim in the islands from afar (Jer. xxxi. 10). That they should worship Jehovah every one i?i his place, all the islands of the nations (Zeph. ii. 11; and elsewhere). That the same is signified by Greece also, is not so manifest from the Word, because Greece is named only in Dan. viii. 21 ; x. 20 ; xi. 2 ; as also in John xii. 20 ; Mark vii. 26. That the Lord's church is meant, by the land of Canaan, which is thence called the Holy Land and the Heavenly Canaan, is manifest from many passages in the Word. That by Asia is meant those in the church who are in the light of truth from the Word, may be seen above (n. 1 1) ; and that by Europe is meant they to whom the Word is to come, is evident. 35. For the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, signifies, in order that the Divine Truth from the Word may be received from the heart and so in the light, and that the Lord's Human may be acknowledged to be Divine. This was explained above (n. 6). 72 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. 36. / became in the spirit on the Lord^s day, signifies a spiritual state at that time from Divine influx. I became in the spirit signifies the spiritual state in which he was while in the visions, a description of which state follows. On the Lord's day signifies influx at that time from the Lord for on that day there is a presence of the Lord, because the day is holy. From which it is manifest that (i I became in the spirit on the Lord's day," signifies a spiritual state then from Divine influx. Of the prophets we read that they were in the spirit or in vision, also that the Word was given to them by Jehovah. When they were in the spirit or in vision, they were not in the body, but in their spirit ; in which state they saw such things as are in heaven : but when the Word was given to them, they were then in the body, and heard Jehovah speaking. These two states of the prophets are to be carefully distinguished. In the state of vision the eyes of their spirit were opened, and the eyes of their body shut; and they then heard things which the angels spoke, or Jehovah through the angels ; and they also saw things which were represented to them in heaven : and they then sometimes seemed to themselves to be carried away from place to place, the body remaining in its own place. In this state was John when he wrote the Apocalypse ; and sometimes also Eze- kiel, Zechariah, and Daniel ; and it is then said that they were in Visiofi, or in the Spirit. For Ezekiel says, The spirit took me up, and brought me back into Chaldea to the captivity in the vision of God, in the spirit of God : thus the vision which I saw came up upon me .(xi. 1, 24). He says also, that the spirit took him up, and he heard an earth- quake behi?id him ; and other things (iii. 12, 24). Also, that the spirit took him up betwee?i earth and heaven, and led hi?n away to Jerusalem in the visions of God, and he saw abom- inations (viii. 3, &c). In like manner he was in " the vision of God " or in " the spirit," when he saw the four animals, which were cherubs (chap. i. and x.) ; as also when he saw No. 36.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 73 the new earth and the new temple, and the angel measur- ing them (chap. xl. to xlviii.). That he was in " the visions of God " he says in chap. xl. 2 ; and that " the spirit " took him up, in chap, xliii. 5. The same took place with Zech- ariah, in whom an angel was at the time, when he saw the man riding among- the myrtle-trees (i. 8, &c.) : when he saw the four horns, and then a man in whose hand was a measur- ing line (ii. 1, 5, &^c.) : when he saw Joshua the high priest (iii. 1, (S:c.) : when he saw the candlestick and the two olive- trees (iv. 1, &c.) : when he saw the flying roll and the ephah (v. 1, 6): and when he saw the four chariois going forth between two mountains, and the horses (vi. 1, &c). In a similar state was Daniel, when he saw the four beasts com- ing up out of the sea (Dan. vii. 1, &c.) ; and when he saw the battles of the rain and the he-goat (viii. 1, &c). That he saw them "in visions" he says himself in chap. vii. 1, 2, 7, 13 ; viii. 2 ; x. 1, 7, 8: and that the angel Gabriel was seen by him "in vision " (ix. 21). The like took place with John j as when he saw the Sox of Max in the midst of the srcen candlesticks (Apoc. i.) : when he saw a thro?ie in heaven, and One sitting upon it, and around the throne the four animals (chap, iv.) : when he saw the Book sealed with seven seals (chap, v.) : when he saw the four horses going forth out of the opened Book (chap, vi.) : when he saw the four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth (chap, vii.) : when he saw the locusts going forth out of the pit of the abyss (chap, ix.) : when he saw the Angel in whose hand was a little book, which He gave to him to sat (chap, x.) : when he heard the seven angels sounding the trumpets (chap, xi.) : when he saw the dragon, and the woman whom the dragon persecuted; and the battle of the lat- ter with Michael (chap, xii.) : and afterwards the two beasts coming up, the one out of the sea, and the other out of the earth (chnp. xiii.) : when he saw the se7>en angels having the sn>cn last plagues (chap, xv., xvi.) : when he saw the harlot sitting upon the scarlet beast (chap, xvii., xviii.) ; and after- VOL. I. 4 74 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. wards, the white horse and Hi?n thai sat upon him (chap, xix.) ; and at length, the New Heaven and the New Earth, and then the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (chap, xxi., xxii.). That John saw these things " in the spirit" and "in vision," he says in chap. i. 10; iv. 2 ; ix. 17 ; xxi. 10. This is also meant by "I saw," throughout this book. From these things it is plainly manifest that to be in the spirit is to be in vision, which takes place by the opening of the sight of a man's spirit ; and when this is opened, the things which are in the spiritual world ap- pear as clearly as do those that are in the natural world before the sight of the body. That it is so, I can testify from the experience of many years. In this state were the disciples when they saw the Lord after the resurrection ; on which account it is said that " their eyes were opened " (Luke xxiv. 30, 31). In a similar state was Abraham, when he saw the three Angels, and spoke with them. The same of Hagar, Gideon, Joshua, and others, when they saw the Angels of Jehovah. In like manner when the boy of Elisha saw the mountain full of chariots and horses of fire around Elisha ; for Elisha prayed, and said, O Jehovah^ open, I pray, his eyes, that he may see ; and Jehovah opened the eyes of the boy, and he saw (2 Kings vi. 17). But as regards the Word, it was not revealed in a state of the spirit, or in vision, but was dictated by the Lord to the ■ Prophets by the living voice ; on which account it is A nowhere said that they spoke it from the Holy Spirit, but " from Jehovah " : see the " Doctrine of the New Jeru- salem concerning the Lord " (n. 53). 37. And I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, signifies the manifest perception of Divine Truth revealed from heaven. " A great voice," when it is heard from heaven, signifies the Divine Truth, — treated of in what follows. It was heard as a trumpet, because, when the Divine Truth passes down from heaven, it is sometimes so beard by the angels of the ultimate heaven, and is then No 3S.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 75 manifestly perceived. It is hence that by a voice as of a trumpet manifest perception is signified. The signification of a trumpet will be further treated of below (n. 397, 519). That a great voice, when it is heard from heaven, signifies the Divine Truth, is manifest from these passages : The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters ; the voice of Jehovah is in power ; the voice of Jehovah is with honor : the voice of Jehovah is breaking the cedars . the voice of Jehovah falfaig as a flame of fire : the voice of Jehovah maketh the wilder- ness to tremble: the voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to travail (Ps. xxix. 3-9). Sing to the Lord, ye kingdoms of the earth ; behold, He will utter with His voice a voice of strength (Ps. lxviii. 32, 33). Jehovah gave forth His voice before His army ; for, ?iumberless, it doeth His Word (Joel ii. 11). Jehovah will utter His voice out of Jerusale?n (Joel iii. 16). And because a voice signifies the Divine Truth from the Lord, therefore the Lord said that His sheep hear His voice : that they know His voice : also, other sheep I have, which I must bring ; and they shall hear My voice : My sheep hear My voice ; and I know them, and they follow Me (John x. 3, 4, 16, 27). And again : The hour cometh, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live (John v. 25). " Voice " here is the Divine Truth of the Lord out of His Word. 38. Saying, I am' the Alpha and the Omega, the Tint and the Last, signifies Who is the Self-existent and the Only from first things to last, from whom all things are ; thus, Who is Love Itself and the Only Love, Wisdom Itself and the Only Wisdom, Life Itself and the Only Life, in Himself ; and thus the Creator Himself and the Only Creator, Saviour, and Enlightener from Himself; and thence the all in all of heaven and the church : Who alone is Infinite and Eternal, and Jehovah ; and that He is the Lord. That these things are all contained in these words, and infinitely more, may be seen above (n. 13, 29). It is there said that all the syllables or letters of the alpha- 76 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. bet in the spiritual world signify real things ; and that their speech and writing there are thence ; and that for that reason the Lord describes His Divinity and Infinity by the Alpha and the Omega ; by which is signified that He is the all in all of heaven and the church. Since in the spiritual world, and thence in the angelic language, every letter signifies a real thing, therefore David wrote the cxix. Psalm in the order of the letters of the alphabet, beginning with Aleph, and ending with Tau ; as may be evident from the initials of the verses there. A similar thing appears in Psalm cxi., but not so manifestly. On this account also Abram was called Abraham, and Sarai was called Sarah ; which was done for the reason that in heaven by Abraham and by Sarah they should not be understood, but the Divine ; as it also is understood : for the H involves infinity, because it is only an aspirate. More may be seen on this subject above (n. 29). 39. What thou seest write i?i a Book : That it signifies that they might be revealed to posterity, is manifest with- out explanation. 40. And send unto the Churches that are in Asia, signifies for those in the Christian world who are in the light of truth from the Word. That these are meant by the churches in Asia may be seen above (n. 10, 11). 41. Unto Ephesus and Smyrna, and unto Pergamos and Thyatira, and unto Sardis and Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea, signifies in particular according to the state of each one's reception. That all the states of reception of the Lord and His Church are signified in the spiritual sense by these seven names, will be seen below : for John, when this was commanded him, was in a spiritual state ; and in that state nothing is called by a name which does not signify a real thing or a state : on which account these things which were written were not sent by John to any Church in those places, but were said to their angels by whom are meant those who receive. That spiritua. No. 42.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 77 realities are meant by all the names of places and per- sons in the whole Word, has been shown in many places in the " Heavenly Arcana/' published at London : as what by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; also by Israel, and by the names of his twelve sons ; as also what by the various places in the land of Canaan, and by the places bordering upon that land; and what by Egypt, Syria, Assyria, and others. It is the same with these seven names. But he who wishes to remain in the sense of the letter, let him remain, because that sense conjoins : only let him know that by those names the angels perceive real things and the states of the Church. 42. And I turned to see the voice which was speakmg with me, signifies the inversion of the state of th#se who are in good of life, as to the perception of truth in the "Word, when they turn themselves to the Lord. John says that "he heard the voice behind him" (vers. 10); and now, that " he turned to see the voice ; " and again, that " having turned he saw seven candlesticks ; " from which it is manifest that he heard the voice from behind, and that he turned himself around to see whence it was. That there is an arcanum in this, is manifest. The arcanum is, that before a man turns himself to the Lord, and acknowledges Him as the God of heaven and earth, he cannot see the Divine Truth in the Word. The reason is, because God is One both in person and essence, in whom is a Trinity ; and that the Lord is that God : on which account they who acknowledge a trinity of persons look primarily to the Father, and some to the Holy Spirit, and rarely to the Lord ; and if to the Lord, they think of His Human as of an ordinary man. When a man does this, he cannot be enlightened in the Word : for the Lord is the Word j for it is from Him, and concerning Him. They therefore who do not approach the Lord alone, look at Him and His Word as behind them, and not before them j or at their back, and not in front. This is the arcanum which lies 78 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I hid in these words ; that " John heard a voice behind him, and that he turned to see the voice, and being turned saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of them the Son of Man : " for the voice which he heard came from the Son of Man, who is the Lord. That the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, He now teaches by a mani- fest voice ; for He says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, saith the Lord, Who is, a?id Who was, and Who is to come (vers. 8) ; and here, / am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (vers, n) ; and afterwards, / am the First and the Last (vers. 17 ; and chap. ii. 8). That by " a voice," when from the Lord, the Divine Truth is meant, may be seen above (n. 37) ; and that by Johgi are meant they in the church who are in good of life, may be seen (n. 5, 6). It may now be evident from these things, that by these words, " And I turned to see the voice which was speaking with me," is signified the inversion of the state of those who are in good of life, as to the perception of truth in the Word, when they turn themselves to the Lord. 43. And having turned L saw seven golden candlesticks, signifies the New Church, which will be in enlightenment from the Lord out of the Word. That the seven candle- sticks are the seven churches, is said in the last verse of this chapter ; and that by the seven churches are meant all who are in the Christian world and draw near to the church, may be seen above (n. 10) ; and in particular according to the state of each one's reception (n. 41). That by the seven candlesticks the New Church is meant, is because in it and in the midst of it is the Lord : for it is said that in the midst of the seven candlesticks he saw one like unto the Son of Man ; and by the Son of Man is meant the Lord as to the Word. The candlesticks were seen to be golden, because gold signifies good ; and every church is a church from good which is formed by truths. That gold signifies good, will be seen in what follows. The candle- No. 4J.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 79 sticks were not one next another, or placed in contact, but at distances, making a kind of circle \ as is manifest from these words in the following chapter : These things saith He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (vers. i). Nothing is said of the lamps in those candlesticks, but in the following chapter it is said, that the " Holy Jeru- salem," that is, the New Church, hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon ; because the lamp of it is the Lamb : and the nations which are saved shall walk in His light (Apoc. xxi. 23, 24) : and further, They have no need of a la?np, for the Lord God enlighteneth them (xxii. 5) : for they who will be of the Lord's New Church are only candlesticks, who will give light from the Lord. By the golden candlestick in the tabernacle nothing else was represented but the Church as to enlightenment from the Lord ; concerning which candle- stick see Ex. xxv. 31 to end; xxxvii. 17-24; Lev. xxiv. 3, 4 ; Num. viii. 2-4. That it represented the Lord's Church as to Divine spiritual love, which is love towards the neigh- bor, may be seen in the " Heavenly Arcana " published at London (n. 954S, 9555, 955S, 9561, 9570, 97S3); also below (n. 493). By the candlestick also in Zechariah (chap, iv.), is signified a New Church to be established by the Lord, since it signifies a New House of God, or New Temple ; as is manifest from what follows there : and by a House of God, or a Temple, the Church is signified, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human ; as He teaches (John ii. 19-21, and elsewhere). But it shall be told what is signified in order in Zechariah (chap, iv.), when the candlestick was seen by him. By the things which are contained from vers. 1-7 is signified the enlightenment of the New Church by the Lord from the good of love through truth. The olive- trees there signify the Church as to the good of love. By the things there from vers. 8-10 is signified that this is from the Lord. By Zerubbabel there, who is to build the house, and thus the Church, the Lord is represented. By the flings from vers. ii-T.j, is signified that there will also be SO THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I, in that church truths from a heavenly origin. This explana* tion of that chapter has been given to me by the Lord, through heaven. 44. And i?i the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of Man, signifies the Lord as to the Word, from whom is the Church. It is known from the Word, that the Lord called Himself the Son of God and also the Son of Man. That by the Son of God He meant Himself as to the Divine Human, and by the Son of Man Himself as to the Word, has been fully demonstrated in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord " (n. 19-28) ; and as it has been fully confirmed there from the Word, it is unnecessary to confirm it further here. Now as the Lord represented Himself before John as the Word, therefore as seen by him He is called the Son of Man. He represented Himself as the Word, because the New Church is treated of, which is a Church from the Word, and according to the understanding of it. That the church is from the Word, and that it is such as is its understanding of the Word, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 76-79). Since the church is a church from the Lord by means of the Word, therefore the Son of Man was seen in the midst of the candlesticks. In the midst signifies in the inmost, from which the things that are around, or that are without, derive their essence, here their light or intelligence. That the inmost is the all in the things which are around or without, has been abun- dantly shown in the "Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom." It is like light and flame in the midst, from which all the circumferences have light and ate warm. "In the midst" signifies the same in the following passages in the Word : Cry out and shout, O inhabitants of Zion : for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel (Is. xii. 6). God is my King, working salva- tions in the midst of the earth (Ps. lxxiv. 12). We haw thought of thy mercy, O God in the midst of thy temple (Ps No. 45.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 8l xlviii. 9). God standeth in the congregatiofi of God, He shall judge in the midst of the gods (Ps. lxxxii. 1). Those are called gods who are in Divine truths from the Lord, and abstractly the truths themselves. Behold, I send an a?igel before thee : beware of His face, since My name is in the midst of Him (Ex. xxiii. 20, 21). The " name of Jehovah " is all the Divine : " in the midst " is in the inmost, and thence in every thing of it. The midst also signifies the inmost, and thence the all, in many other places in the Word, even where the evil are treated of ; as in Isa. xxiv. 13 ; Jer. xxiii. 9 ; Ps. v. 9 ; Jer. ix. 5, 6 ; Ps. xxxvi. 1 ; Ps. liv. 7 ; Ps. lxii. 4. These passages are adduced, that it may be known that " in the midst of the candlesticks " signifies in the inmost from which is the Church and all that belongs to it ; for the Church and all that belongs to it is from the Lord through the Word. That the candle- sticks signify the New Church, may be seen just above (n. 43)- 45. Clothed with a garment down to the foot, signifies the proceeding Divine, which is the Divine Truth. That " a garment down to the foot" signifies the proceeding Divine which is the Divine Truth, is because garments in the Word signify truths : hence " a garment down to the foot," which is a general garment, when speaking of the Lord, signifies the proceeding Divine Truth. That garments in the Word signify truths, is because they are clothed in heaven according to the truths proceeding from their good ; on which subject see the work on "Heaven and Hell," published at London in the year 1758, n. 177-182. In the following pages also it will be seen that nothing else is meant by garments in the Word in its spiritual sense j consequently nothing else by the Lord's garments when He was trans- figured, which appeared bright as the light (Matt. xvii. 1-4 ; Mark ix. 2-8 j Luke ix. 28-36) : nor any thing else I by the Lord's garments which the soldiers divided (John L* xix. 23, 24). That similar things were represented and 4* 82 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. thence signified by Aaron's garments, may be seen in the "Heavenly Arcana," published at London (n. 9814, 10068) ; in particular what by the ephod (n. 9477, 9824, 10005); what by the robe (n. 9825, 10005); what by the undercoat (n. 9826, 9942) ; and what by the mitre (n. 9827) : for Aaron represented the Lord's priestly office. On the signification of garments from the Word, see below (n. 166, 328). 46.. And girded at the paps with a go/den girdle, signifies the proceeding and at the same time conjoining Divine, which is the Divine Good. That a golden gird]e signifies this, is because by the Lord's breast, and in particular by the paps there, His Divine Love is signified ; hence by the golden girdle which girded, is signified the proceeding and at the same time conjoining Divine, which is the Divine Good of the Divine Love. Gold also signifies good (see below, n. 913). Also a zone or girdle in the Word signifies the common bond by which all things are held together in order and connection ; as in Isaiah : A Rod shall go forth out of the stem of Jesse : justice shall be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His thighs (xi. 1,5). " The Rod going forth out of the stem of Jesse " is the Lord. That the girdle of the ephod and the belt of the undercoat of Aaron signified conjunction, may be seen in the " Heavenly Arcana," published at London (n. 9837, 9944). Since a girdle signifies the bond conjoining the goods and truths of the Church, therefore when the Church among the sons of Israel was destroyed, the prophet Jeremiah was com- manded to buy for himself a girdle, and to put it upon his loins, a?id the?i to hide it in the hole of a rock by the Eu- phrates ; and at the end of the days, when he took it again, behold, it was rotten, and was profitable for nothing (Jer. xiii. 1-12) : by which was r presented that the good of the Church was then nothing, £. ad that hence its truths were dissipated. The like is sig lifted by a girdle in Isaiah : Instead of a girdle there shall be a rent (m. 24: and else No. 47-1 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. »3 where also). That by the paps or breasts the Divine Love is signified, is manifest from the places in the Word where they are named, as also from their correspondence with kr-e. 47. And His head a?id hairs were white as wool, like snow, signifies the Divine Love of the Divine Wisdom in first principles and in ultimates. By the head of man is signi- fied die all of his life, and the all of a man's life has refer- ence to love and wisdom ; and therefore by the head is signified wisdom and at the same time love. But as love is not given without its wisdom, nor wisdom without its love, it is therefore the love of wisdom which is meant by the head ; and when speaking of the Lord, it is the Divine Lo *e of the Divine Wisdom. But on the signification of the head, from the Word, see below (n. 538, 565). When by the head, therefore, love and at the same time wisdom in their first principles are meant, it follows that by the Lairs are meant love and wisdom in their ultimates ; and as hairs are here mentioned of the Son of Man, who is the Lord as to the Word, by His hairs are signified the Divine Good which is of Love, and the Divine Truth which is of Wisdom, in the ultimates of the Word ; and the ultimates of the Word are the things which are contained in the literal sense. That the Word in this sense is signified by the hairs of the Son of Man, or of the Lord, appears a paradox ; but still it is true. This may be evident from the places in the Word adduced in the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture" (n- 35* 49) ; where it was also shown that the Nazarites in the Israelitish church represented the Lord as to the Word in its ultimates, which is the literal sense. For Nazarite in the Hebrew tongue is the hair, or the hair of the head : hence Samson, who was a Nazarite from the womb, had power m his locks. That the Divine Truth is in like man- ner in power in the sense of the letter of the Word, may be seen in the above-named " Doctrine of the Sacred Scrip- 84 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. 1. ture " (n. 37-49). For this reason also the high-priest and his sons were severely prohibited from shaving the head. For this reason also the forty-two children were torn in pieces by two she-bears, because they called Elisha Bald. Elisba, like Elijah, represented the Lord as to the Word. Bald signifies the Word without its ultimate, which, as was said, is the literal sense ; and the she-bears signify this sense of the Word separated from its internal sense. They who separate them appear also in the spiritual world like bears, but at a distance. It is hence manifest why it was so done with the children. On that account also it was the highest disgrace and cause of extreme mourning to induce baldness. Wherefore, when the Israelitish nation had perverted all the sense of the letter of the Word, this lamentation is made over them : The Nazarites were whiter than snow, bright-white above milk ; their form was darkened more than blackness ; they are not k?iown in the streets (Lam. iv. 7, 8) : also, Every head is made bald, and every shoitlder is plucked of its hair (Ez. xxix. 18). Shame upon all faces, and baldness upon all heads (Ez. vii. 18. In like manner Isa. xv. 2 ; Jer. xlviii. 37 ; Amos viii. 10). Since the sons of Israel dispersed by falsities all the sense of the letter of the Word, it was therefore commanded the prophet Ezekiel, that he might thereby represent this, to shave his head with a razor, a?id to burn a third part of the hairs in the fire, to smite a third part with a sword, and to scatter a third part to the wind, and to bind up some in his skirts ; that also he should afterwards cast some into the fire (Ez. v. 1-4, &c.) On this account it is also said in Micah, Put oft baldness, and shave thee for the sons of thy delights : efilarge baldness as the eagle, because they have departed from thee (i. 16). The " sons of delights " are the genuine truths of the church from the Word. And because Nebuchad- nezzar king of Babylon represented the Babylonian falsifi- cation of the Word and the destruction of all truth therein, hence it came to pass that his hair grew like eagles' feather* No. 47.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 85 (Dan. iv. 30). Since the hairs signified that holy part of the Word, it is therefore said of the Nazarites, that they should not shave the hair of their head, because that is the Nazariteship of God upon their head (Num. vi. 1-2 1): and it was therefore a statute, that the high-priest and his sons should not shave their head, lest they should die, and wrath should come upon the entire house of Israel (Lev. x. 6). Now since by the hairs is signified the Divine Truth in ultimates, which in the church is the Word in the sense of the letter, the like is- therefore said also of the Ancient of Days in Daniel : I saw until the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit: His garme?it was white like snow, and the hair of His head like clean wool (vii. 9). That " the Ancient of Days " is the Lord is plainly manifest in Micah : Thou Bcthlehe?n Ephratah, it is little that thou art among the thousands of Judah ; out of thee shall go forth to Me He who shall be Ruler in Israel, and Whose going forth is of Old, from the days of eternity (v. 2) : and in Isaiah, where He is called Father of Eternity (ix. 6). From these passages, and from many others, which are not adduced on account of their abundance, it may be evident that by " the head and the hairs of the Son of Man, which were white as wool, like snow," is meant the Divine of Love and Wisdom in first principles and in ultimates : and since by the Son of Man the Lord as to the Word is meant, it follows thai the Litter in first principles and in ultimates is also meant. Why, otherwise, should it be, that the Lord here in the Apocalypse, and the Ancient of Days in Daniel, should be described even as to their hairs ? That the sense of the letter of the Word is signified by the hairs, is plainly mani- fest from those who are in the spiritual world. They who have despised the sense of the letter of the Word appear bald there ; and on the contrary, they who have loved the sense of the letter of the Word, appear there in becoming heads of hair. It is said, "like wool and like snow," because wool signifies good in ultimates, and snow truth in 86 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. nltimates ; as also in Isaiah (chap. i. 18) : for wool is from sheep, by which the good of charity is signified ; and snow is from water, by which the truths of faith are signified. 48. And His eyes as a flame of fire, signifies the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love. By eyes in the Word the understanding is meant, and thence by the sight of the eyes intelligence ; and therefore in speaking of the Lord, the Divine Wisdom is meant. But by "a flame of fire" spiritual love, which is charity, is signified ; and therefore, when said of the Lord, the Divine Love is meant. Hence then by His eyes being as a flame of fire, the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love is signified. That the eye signifies the understanding, is because they correspond ; for as the eye sees by natural light, so the understanding sees by spiritual light : for which reason to see is predicated of both. That in the Word the understanding is signified by the eye, is manifest from these passages following: Lead forth the blmd people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears (Isa. xliii. 8). In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of thick darkness (Isa. xxix. 18). Then shall be opened the eyes of the blind, and the ears of the deaf (Isa. xxxv. 5). J will give Thee for the light of the nations, to open the eyes of the blind (Isa. xlii. 6, 7). This is concerning the Lord, who, when He shall come, will open the understanding of those that are in ignorance of truth. That this is meant by opening the eyes, is further manifest from these passages : Make fat the heart of this people, and cover over their eyes, lest peradventnre they see with their eyes (Isa. vi. 9, 10 ; John xii. 40). Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of sleep, and hath closed up your eyes, the prophets and your heads, the seers hath He covered up (Isa. xxix. 10; xxx. 10). Who shutteth his eyes, lest he should see evil (Isa. xxxiii. 15). Hear ye these t/wigs, O foolish people, who have eyes, and they see ?iot (Ez. xii. 2). The punishment of the shepherd that deserteih the flock ; the sword shall be upon his right eye, and No. 48.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 87 his right eye shall be utterly darkened (Zech. xi. 1 7). 27ie plague with which Jehovah shall smite all the peoples which shall fight against Jerusalem ; their eyes shall consume away in their sockets (Zech. xiv. 12). / will smite every horse with astonishment, and every horse of the people with blind ness (Zech. xii. 4). " A horse " in the spiritual sense is the understanding of the Word (n. 298). Hear me, O Jehovah my God ; enlighten mine eyes, lest I sleep death (Ps. xiii. 3). Every one sees that in these places the understanding is signified by the eyes. It is hence manifest what is meant by the Lord by the eye in these passages : The lamp of the body is the eye : if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be light ; if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be darkened : if then the light which is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness (Matt. vi. 22, 23 ; Luke xi. 34). If thy right eye offejid thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee ; for it is better to enter into life with one eye, than having two eyes to be sent i?ito the hell of fire (Matt. v. 29 j xviii. 9). By eye in these places is not meant the eye, but the understanding of truth. Since the understanding of truth is signified by the eye, it was therefore among the statutes for the sons of Israel, that one blind or disordered in the eye, of the seed of Aaron, should not come near to offer sacrifice, nor enter within the vail (Lev. xxi. 18, 20) : also that what was blind should not be offered in sacrifice (Lev. xxii. 22 j Mai. i. 8). From these things it is manifest what is meant by the eye when speak- ing of man. Hence it follows that by the eye, when speaking of the Lord, is meant His Divine Wisdom, also His Omni- science and Providence j as in these passages : Open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see (Isa. xxxvii. 17). I will set Mine eye upon them for good, and will build the?n up (Jer. xxiv. 6). Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear Hi?n (Ps. xxxiii. 18). Jehovah is in the temple of holiness ; His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the sons of man (Ps. xi. 4). Since by cherubs the Lord's guard and providence are signified, lest the spiritual sense of the Word should be harmed, it is 88 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L therefore said of the four animals, which were cherubs, that they were full of eyes before and behind, and that their wings were in like manner full of eyes (Apoc. iv. 6, 8) : also, that the wheels, upon which the cherubs were carried, were full of eyes round about (Ez. x. 12). That by " a flame of fire " is meant His Divine Love, will be seen in the following pages, where flame and fire are mentioned : and because it is said that " His eyes were as a flame of fire," the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love is signified. That in the Lord the Divine Love is of the Divine Wisdom and the Divine Wisdom is of the Divine Love, and thus there is a reciprocal union of both, is an arcanum disclosed in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom " (n. 34-39, and elsewhere). 49. And His feet like unto fine-brass, as if glowing in a furnace, signifies the Natural Divine Good. " The feet " of the Lord signify His Natural Divine ; fire or "glowing" signifies Good ; and fine-brass signifies the natural good of truth : therefore by " the feet of the Son of Man like unto fine-brass, as if glowing in a furnace," is signified the Natural Divine Good. It is from correspondence that His feet signify this. In the Lord, and hence from the Lord, there is the Heavenly (Celestial) Divine, the Spirit- ual Divine, and the Natural Divine. The Heavenly Divine is meant by the head of the Son of Man ; the Spiritual Divine by His eyes, and by His breast which was girded with the golden girdle ; and the Natural Divine by His feet. Because these three are in the Lord, therefore also the three are in the angelic heaven. The third or high- est heaven is in the Heavenly Divine, the second or middle heaven is in the Spiritual Divine, and the first or ultimate heaven in the Natural Divine : in like manner the Church on the earth. For the whole heaven before the Lord is as one man ; in which they who are in the Lord's Heavenly Divine make the head, they who are in the Spiritual Divine make the body, and they who are in the Natural Divine No. 49.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 89 make the feet. Hence also in every man, because he was created in the image of God, there are these three degrees ; and as they are opened, he becomes an angel either of the third heaven, or of the second, or of the ultimate. Hence also it is, that there are three senses in the Word, the heavenly, the spiritual, and the natural. That it is so, may be seen in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom," particularly in Part Third ; in which these three degrees are treated of. That the feet, the soles, and the heels correspond to natural things with man, and therefore signify natural things in the Word, may be seen in the " Heavenly Arcana," published at London (n. 2162, 4938-4952). The Natu- ral Divine Good is also signified by the feet in the fol- lowing passages in Daniel : / lifted up my eyes, and saw, behold a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, His body like the beryl, a?id His eyes as lamps of fire, His arms and His Feet as the brightness of polished brass (x. 5, 6). In the Apocalypse : I saw an a?igel coming down from heaven, His Feet as pillars of fire (x. 1). And m Ezekiel : The Feet of the cherubs were glittering like the brightness of polished brass (i. 7). The angels and cherubs were seen thus, because the Lord's Divine was represented in them. Since the Lord's church is under the heavens, and thus under the Lord's feet, it is therefore called the footstool of His feet, in these places : The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, to decorate the place of My sanctuary ; and 1 7a ill render the place of My Feet honorable : and fhey shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet (Isa. lx 13, 1 4). The heaven is My throne, and the earth the footstool of My Feet (Isa. lxvi. 1). God re?nembe?-eth ?iot the footstool of His Feet in the day of His anger (Lam. ii. 1). Worship Jehovah towards the footstool of His Feet (Ps. xcix. 5). Be- hold, we heard of Him in Ephratah, Bethlehem ; we will enter into His habitations ; we will bow ourselves down at the footstool of His Feet (Ps. exxxii. 6, 7). Hence it is, that the} 90 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I fell down at the LoriVs feet worshippi?ig (Matt, xxviii. 9 ; Mark v. 22 ; Luke viii. 41 ; John xi. 32) : also, that they kissed His feet, and wiped them with their hairs (Luke vii. 37, 38, 44, 46 ; John xi. 2 ; xii. 3). As the natural is signified by the feet, therefore the Lord said to Peter, when He washed his feet, He that hath been washed hath no need save to wash the feet, and is wholly clean (John xiii. 10). To wash the feet is to purify the natural man; and when this is purified, the whole man also is purified ; as is shown in many places in the " Heavenly Arcana " and in the " Doctrines of the New Jerusalem." The natural man, which is also the external man, is purified, when he shuns the evils which the spiritual or internal man sees are evils and are to be shunned. Now as by the feet is meant man's natural, and this perverts all things if it is not washed or purified, the Lord therefore says, If thy foot cause tfiee to offend, cut it off : it is better for thee to enter into life halt, than to have two feet, and be cast into hell into the un- quenchable fire (Mark ix. 45). The foot is not here meant, but the natural man*. The like is meant by treadi7ig down with the feet the good of the pastures, and by troubling the waters with the feet (Ez. xxxii. 2 ; xxxiv. 18, 19 ; Dan. vii. 7, 19 ; and elsewhere). Since by the Son of Man the Lord as to the Word is meant, it is manifest that by His feet the Word in the natural sense is also meant, which is much treated of in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scripture ; " as also, that the Lord came into the world, that He might fulfil all the things of the Word, and thereby become the Word even in ultimates (n. 98-100). But this arcanum is for those who will be in the New Jerusalem. The Lord's Divine Natural was also sig- nified by the brazen serpent set up by Moses in the wilder- ness as commanded, on looking at which all who were bitten by the serpents were healed (Num. xxi. 6, 8, 9). That it signified the Lord's Divine Natural, and that they are saved who look to that, the Lord Himself teaches in No. 50.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 91 John : As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up ; that every one that be- lirc'eth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (iii. 14, 15). The reason of that serpent's being made of brass is that brass, as well as fine-brass, signifies the nat- ural as to good ; see below (n. 775). 50. And His voice as the voice of many waters, signifies the Natural Divine Truth. That a voice, when from the Lord, signifies the Divine Truth, may be seen above (n. 37). That waters signify truths, and in particular natural truths, which are knowledges from the Word, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which the following only will be quoted : The earth is full of the kn 07v ledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea (Is a. xi. 9). Then with gladness shall ye draw 7vaters out of the fountains of salvation (Isa. xii. 3). He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightfiess, bread shall be given him, and water shall be sure (Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16). The poor and needy seek water, but there is none ; their tongue failcth for thirst : I will open rivers upon the hillsides, and will put fountains in the midst of the valleys, I will mahe the desert a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of waters ; that they may see, acknowledge, atte?id, and understand (Isa. xli. 17, 18, 20). I will pour waters upon him that thirsteth, and foods upon the dry ground ; I will pour out My Spirit (Isa. xliv. 3). Thy light shall arise in the darkness, that thou mayest be as a watered garden, and as a going forth of waters, whose waters shall not fail (Isa. lviii. 10, 11). My people have done two evils ; they have deserted Ale, the fou?i- tain of living waters, to cut out for themselves pits, which do not hold waters (Jer. ii. 13). The nobles sent the younger ones for water ; they came to the pits, they found no waters, their vessels were returned empty (Jer. xiv. 3). They have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters (Jer. xvii. 13). 77/ ey shall come with weeping, and with weeping **iU I bring them ; I will lead them to the foun tain of waters 92 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED [Chap. L in a straight way (Jer. xxxi. 9). / will break the staff of bread, and they shall dri?ik waters by measure and in aston- ishment, that they may consume away for their i?iiquities (Ez. iv. 16, 17 ; xii. 18, 19; Isa. li. 14). Behold, the days shall come, in which I will send a famine upon the land ; not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for waters ; but for hearing the Word of Jehovah : they shall wander from sea to sea, and shall mm to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, nor shall they fi?id it : in that day the virgins and the youths shall fail for thirst (Amos viii. 11-13). In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem (Zech. xiv. 8). Jehovah is my Shepherd ; He will lead me to the waters of quietness (Ps. xxiii. 1, 2). They shall not thirst ; He will make waters to flow out of the rock for them, and He will cleave the rock that the waters may flow out (Isa. xlviii. 21). O God, I seek thee- in the morning ; my soul thirsteth, I am faint without waters (Ps. lxiii. 1). Jehovah sendeth the Word ; He maketh the wind to blow, that the waters may flow (Ps. cxlvii. 18, 19). Praise ye Jehovah, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heave?is (Ps. cxlviii. 4). Jesus sitting at Jacob's fountain said to the woman, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but he that drinketh of the water which I will give shall not thirst for ever ; and the water which I will give shall become in him a fountain of water springing up tmto everlasting life (John iv. 7-15). Jesus said, If any one thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink : he that believeth on Me, as the Scripture saith, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John vii. 37, 38). 7b him that thirsteth will I give of the fountain of the water of life freely (Apoc. xxi. 6). He showed him a river of water of life going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Apoc. xxii. 1). The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let him that heareth, say, Come ; and let him that thirsteth come ; and let him that willeth take tvater of life freely (Apoc. xxii. 1 7). By waters in these passages are meant truths ; whence it is manifest that by "the voice of many waters" is meant No. si] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. S3 the Lord's Divine Truth in the Word : and so in these passages : Behold, the glory of the God of Israel ca?ne fro?n the way of the east, and His voice was as the voice of many waters, and the earth was lighted by His glory (Ez. xliii. 2). I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters (Apoc. xiv. 2). The voice of jfehovah is tipon the waters, jfehovah is upon many waters (Ps. xxix. 3). When it is known that by waters in the Word are meant truths in the natural man, it may be evident what was signified by the washings in the Israelitish church ; and what is signified also by Baptism ; and by these words of the Lord in John : Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (iii. 5). " Of water " signifies by truths; and "of the Spirit" signifies by a life according to them. That waters in the opposite sense signify falsities, will be seen in what follows. 51. And having hi His right hand seven stars, signifies all the knowledges of good and truth in the Word, which are therefrom with the angels of heaven and the men of the church. Around the angels, when they are below the heavens, there appear as it were little stars in great abun- dance : in like manner around the spirits> who, while they lived in the world, acquired to themselves from the Word knowledges of good and truth, or truths of life and doctrine. But these little stars appear fixed with those who are in genuine truths from the Word, but wandering with those that are in falsified truths. Concerning these little stars, also concerning the stars that appear in the expanse of heaven there, I can relate wonderful things ; but it does not belong to this work. It is manifest from this that by stars the knowledges of good and truth from the Word are signified. The Son of Man having them in His right hand, signifies that they are from the Lord alone through the Word. That seven signifies all may be seen above (n. 1 o). That the knowledges of good and truth from the Word are signified by stars, may also be seen from these 94 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. passages : I will lay waste the earth ; the stars of the heav em and their constellations shall not shine with their light (Isa. xiii. 9, 10). The earth which will be laid waste is the church, which being vastated, the knowledges of good and truth in the Word do not appear. / will cover the heavens when I shall extinguish thee, and I will darken the stars ; all the luminaries of light will I darken over thee, and will set darkness upon thy la?id (Ez. xxxii. 7, 8). " Darkness upon thy land " is falsities in the church. The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their brightness (Joel ii. 10; iii. 15). After the affliction of those days the swi shall be darkened, and the moofi shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven (Matt, xxxv. 29 ; Mark xiii. 24). The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig-tree casteth its unripe figs (Apoc. vi. 13). A star fell from heaven unto the earth (Apoc. ix. 1). By "stars falling from heaven " are not meant stars, but that the knowledges of good and truth are to perish. This is further manifest from this, that the dragon drew down a thiri fart of the stars fro?n heaven (Apoc. xii. 4) : also, that the he-goat cast down some of the stars, and stamped upon them (Dan. viii. 9-1 1) : and therefore it is also said in the following verse in Daniel, that he cast dow?i the truth unto the earth (vers. 12). The knowledges of good and truth are also signified by stars in these places : Jehovah numbereth the stars, He giveth names to them all (Ps. cxlvii. 4). Praise Jehovah all ye stars of light (Ps. cxlviii. 3). The stars fought from their ways (Judg. v. 20). It is manifest from these remarks what is meant by these words in Daniel : The intelligent shall shine as the brightness of the expanse, they that justify i7iany as the stars for ever and ever (xii. 3). " The intelligent " are they who are in truths, and " they that justify " are those who are in goods. 52. And out of His ?nouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth, signifies the dispersion of falsities by the Lord through the Word and through Doctrine therefrom. Men- No. 52.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 95 tion is often made in the Word of swords ;* and nothing else is signified by them but truth combating against falsities, and destroying them ; and in the opposite sense also, falsity fighting against truths for by wars in the Word are signified spiritual wars, which are those of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth ; on which account by warlike arms such things are signified as are used in these spiritual wars. That the dispersion of fal- sities by the Lord is here meant by the sword is manifest, since it was seen to go forth out of His mouth ; and to go " out of the mouth " of the Lord is out of the Word, for this the Lord spake by His mouth. And as the Word is understood by means of Doctrine drawn therefrom, the latter also is signified. It is called " a sharp two-edged sword," because it penetrates the heart and soul. That it may be known that the dispersion of falsities by the Lord through the Word is here meant by the sword, a few pas- sages will be adduced where a sword is named, from which this may be seen ; which are : O sword against Babylon, her princes and wise ones : O sword against the liars, that 'hey may become foolish : O sword against the mighty, that they may be dismayed : O sword against her horses and her chariots : O sword against her treasures, that they may be despoiled : drought upon her waters, that they may dry up (Jer. 1. 35-38). These things are concerning Babylon, by which are meant those that falsify and adulterate the Word : hence by " the liars who shall become foolish," by " the horses and chariots upon which the sword is to be," and by " the treasures which shall be despoiled," the falsities of their doctrine are signified. That " the waters upon which there should be drought that they may dry up " signify truths, may be seen just above (n. 50). Prophesy, and say, A * The words in the original are gladius, maehaera, and romphaea. These are all translated sword in the common English Bible Gladius is Latin for s?vord, machaera is Greek fc: the same, and romphaea is Greek meaning a long and large sword. 96 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L sword is sharpened, and also furbished, sharpened to make a great slaughter ; let the sword be repeated the third time ; the sword of the pierced ones ; the sword of a great piercing, pene- trating the inner parts, that causes of offence may be multi- plied (Ez. xxi. 9-15, 19, 20). Here also by a sword is meant the devastation of truth in the church. By His sword shall Jehovah judge upon all flesh, wd the pierced of Jehovah shall be multiplied (Isa. lxvi. 16). Those are called " the pierced of Jehovah," here and elsewhere in the Word, who perish by falsities. The wasters have come upon all the hills in the wilderness, the sword of Jehovah devouring from the end of the earth even to the end of the earth (Jer. xii. 12). By peril of our lives we get our bread on account of the sword of the wilderness (Lam. v. 9). Woe to the worthless shepherd that deserteth the flock ; the sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye (Zech. xi. 17). "The sword upon the shepherd's right eye " is the falsity of his understanding. The sons of man are fired, their tongue is a sharp sword (Ps. lvii. 4). Behold, they belch out with their mouth, a sword is in their lips (Ps. lix. 7). The workers of iniquity sharpen their tongue as a sword (Ps. lxiv. 3). Similar things are signified by "a sword" elsewhere, as Isa. xiii. 13,15; xxi. 14,15; xxxvii. 6, 7,38; xxxi. 7,8; Jer. ii.30; v. \2 ; xi. 22 ; xiv. 13-18 ; Ez. vii. 15 ; xxxii. 10-12. From these remarks it may be evident what the Lord meant by a sword in these passages : Jesus said that He came not to send peace upon earth, but a sword (Matt. x. 34). Jesus said, He that hath 710 purse, let him sell his garment and buy a sword : the disciples said, Lord, behold, two swords ; and He said, It is enough (Luke xxii. 36, 38). All that take the sword, shall perish by the sword (Matt. xxvi. 51,52). Of the con- summation of the age Jesus says, They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be carried captive among all nations, and at le?igth Jerusalejn shall be trodden down (Luke xxi. 24). The consummation of the age is the last time of the church \ the sword is falsity destroying truth; the nations are evils • Nc. 53-1 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 97 Jerusalem, which shall be trodden down, is the church. It is now manifest from these things, that by "the sharp sword going out of the mouth of the Son of Man," the dispersion of falsities by the Lord through the Word is signified. The same in the following passages in the Apocalypse : A great sword was given unto him that sat upon the red horse (vi. 4). Out of the mouth of Hi?n that sat upon the White Horse there went forth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations : the rest were slain by the sword of Him that sat upon the horse (xix. 15, 21). By " Him that sat upon the White Horse " is meant the Lord as to the Word \ which is openly said there (vers. 13, 16). The like is meant in David : Gird on the sword upon thy thigh, O Mighty One ; ride upon the word of truth ; thy weapons are sharp (Ps. xlv. 3-5). This is said of the Lord. And again : Ihe saints shall exult, and the sword of their mouths is in their hand (Ps. cxlix. 5, 6). And in Isaiah : Jehovah hath made my mouth a sharp sword (xlix. 2). 53. And His face as the stm shining i?i his potver, signifies the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, which are Himself, and proceed from Him. That by " the face of Jehovah " or the Lord is meant the Divine Itself in its essence, which is the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, and thus Him- self, will be seen in the explanations below, where the face of God is mentioned : the same is signified by " the sun shining in his power." That the Lord is seen as the Sun in heaven before the angels, and that His Divine Love together with His Divine WTisdom appear thus, may be seen in the work on " Heaven and Hell," published at London, 1758 (n. 116-125); and in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom " (n. 83-172). It remains here only to prove from the Woid, that the sun, when relating to the Lord, is His Divine Love and at the same time His Divine Wisdom. This may be evident from the following passage : In that day the light of the moon shall he as the light of the sun ; and vol. 1. 5 08 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days (Isa. xxx. 26). "That clay" is the Lord's coming, when the old Church is destroyed, and a new one is to be instituted. " The light of the moon " is faith from charity, and " the light of the sun " is intelligence and wisdom from love, from the Lord at that time. Thy sun shall no more go down, and thy moon shall not be withdrawn ; for Jehovah shall be an everlasting light (Isa, lx. 20). " The sun which shall not set " is love and wisdom from the Lord. The rock of Israel spake to me, as the light of the morning when the sun riseth (2 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4). " The rock of Israel " is the Lord. His throne shall be as the sun (Ps. lxxxix. 36, 37). This is said of David, but by David the Lord is there meant. They shall fear Thee as long as the sun endureth ; and in His days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace until the moon be no more : His name shall be continued as long as the sun, and all nations shall be blessed in Hi?n (Ps. lxxii. 5, 7, 17). This also is concerning the Lord. Since the Lord appears as the Sun in heaven before the angels, therefore, when He was transfigured His face shone as the Sun, a?id His garments became as the light (Matt. xvii. 1,2): and it is said of the mighty angel coming down out of heaven, that He was clothed with a cloud, and His face was as the sun (Apoc. x. 1) ; and of the woman, that she was seen clothed with the sun (Apoc. xii. 1). " The sun " here also is love and wisdom from the Lord ; " the woman " here is the church which is called the New Jerusalem. Since the Lord as to love and wisdom is meant by the sun, it is manifest what is signified by " the sun " in the following passages : Behold, the fierce day of Jehovah cometh ; the sun shall be darkened in his risifig, and the moon shall not make her light to shine : I will visit upon the world its evil, a?id upon the wicked their iniquity (Isa. xiii. 9-1 1). // shall be in that day, the moon shall be confounded, a?id the sun asha7ned (Isa. xxiv. 21, 23). When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens, and will darken their stars • J No. 53 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 99 will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine ; and I will make darkness upon thy land (Ez. xxxii. 7, 8). The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of dark- ness; the sun and the mob t shall not make their light to shine, and the stars have withdrawn their brightness (Joel ii. 10). The sun shall be turned into dark?iess, and the moon i?ito blood, before the great day of Jehovah cometh (Joel ii. 31). The day of Jehovah is near in the valley that is cut off; the sun and moon were blackened (Joel iii. 14, 15). The fourth aii gel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the stars ; and the day shone not for a third part of it (Apoc. viii. 12). The sun became black as a sack of haircloth, and the moon became as blood (Apoc. vi. 12). The sun was darkened by the smoke of the abyss (Apoc. ix. 2). By " the sun " in these places is not meant the sun of the world, but the Sun of the angelic heaven, which is the Lord's Divine Love and Divine Wisdom. These are said to be obscured, darkened, covered over, and blackened, when there are falsities and evils in man. Hence it is manifest that the like is meant by the Lord's words, where He speaks of "the consummation of the age," which is the last time of the church : Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkcfied, and the moon shall not give her light, arid the stars shall fall from heaven (Matt, xxiv. 29; Mark xiii. 24, 25). Likewise in these: The sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall grow black upon them (Mic. iii. 5, 6). /// that day I will make the sun to set at noon, and I will darken the earth in the daytime (Amos viii. 9). She that had borne seven shall breathe out her soul, her sun shall set when it is yet day (Jer. xv. 9) These things are said of the Jewish church, which " shall breathe out its soul," that is, shall perish : the " sun shall set" means that love and charity are no more. What is said in Joshua, that " the sun stood still in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon " (x. 12, 13), appears as historical, but it is prophetical ; for it is from the Book of IOO THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I Jashar, which was a prophetic book : for it says, " Is not this written in the Book of Jashar" (vers. 13). The same book is also named as prophetical by David (2 Sam. i. 17, 18). The like is also said in Habakkuk: The mountains were shaken, the sun and the moon stood still in their place (iii. 10, n). Thy sun shall no more go down, and thy moon shall not be withdrawn (Isa. lx. 20). For to make the sun and moon stand still would be to destroy the universe. Since the Lord as to His Divine Love and Divine Wisdom is meant by the sun, on that account the ancients, in holy worship, turned their face to the sun's rising, and also their temples, which usage still continues. That the sun of the world is not meant by the sun in these passages, is evident from the fact that it was profane and abominable to adore the sun and moon of the world : see Num. xxv. 1-4 j Deut. iv. 19 ; xvii. 3, 5 ; Jer. viii. 1, 2 j xliii. 10, 13 j xliv. 17-19, 25 ; Ez. viii. 16. For by the sun of the world is meant the love of self and the pride of one's own intelligence j and the love of self is diametrically opposite to the Divine Love, and the pride of one's own intelligence opposite to the Divine Wisdom. Also, to adore the sun of the world is to acknowledge nature as the creator, and one's own prudence as the producer, of all things ; which involves the denial of God and the denial of the Divine Providence. 54. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead, signifies the failing of his own life from such presence of the Lord. A man's own life does not endure the Lord's presence, as the Lord is in Himself, yea, as He is in the inmosts of His Word : for His Divine Love is altogether like the sun's heat, which, as it is in itself, no one can endure, for he would be consumed. This is meant by no one's being "able to see God, and live" (Ex. xxxiii. 20; Juclg. xiii. 22). Since it is so, the Lord therefore appears to the angels in heaven as a Sun, distant from them as the sun of the world is from men. The reason is, because the Lord in Himself is in that Sun. But the Lord still so mod- No. 56.] THE AHJCALYPSE REVEALED. IOI erates and tempers His Divine, that man can endure His presence. This is dofle by veilings : it was thus done when He revealed Himself to many in the Word. Indeed, by veilings He is present with every one who worships Him, as He says in John : He that doeth My precepts, J will ?nake my abode with him (xiv. 21, 23). That He will be in them, and they hi Hi7n (xv, 4, 5). It is manifest from these things why John, when he saw the Lord in such glory, fell at His feet as dead ; as also, when the three disciples saw the Lord in glory, why they were weighed down with sleep, and a cloud covered them over (Luke ix. 32> 34). 55. And He laid His right hand upon me, signifies life then inspired from Him. The Lord laid His right hand upon him because communication is made by the touch of the hands. The reason is, because the life of the mind, and thence of the body puts itself forth into the arms, and through them into the hands. It is from this that the Lord touched with His hand those whom He restored to life and healed (Mark i. 31, 41 ; vii. 32, 33 ; viii. 22-26 ; x. 13, 16 ; Luke v. 12, 13 ; vii. 14; xviii. 15 ; xxii. 51): and that He in like manner touched " the disciples, after they saw Jesus transfigured, and fell upon their faces " (Matt. xvii. 6, 7). The origin of this is that the Lord's presence with a man is adjunction, and thus conjunction by contiguity ; and this contiguity becomes nearer and fuller, as the man loves the Lord, that is, does His commandments. From these few things it may be evident that by " laying His right hand upon him," is signified to inspire His life into him. 56. Saying unto ?ne, Fear not, signifies resuscitation, and adoration then from the deepest humiliation. That it is resusci ation unto life, follows from the things just pre- ceding (n. 55); and that it is adoration from the deepest humiliation is manifest, for he fell at the Lord's feet. And because, when he was resuscitated, a holy fear took posses- sion of him, the Lord said, " Fear not" A holy fear, which 102 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L is sometimes conjoined with a sacred tremor of the inte- riors of the mind, and sometimes ■with horripilation, super- venes, when life from the Lord enters in place of one's own life. One's own life is, to look from one's self to the Lord ; but life from the Lord is, to look from the Lord to the Lord, and still as if from one's self. When a man is in this life, he sees himself not to be any thing, but the Lord onl}. In this holy fear was Daniel also, when he saw the man clothed with Imen, whose loins were girt with gold of Uphaz, His body as the beryl, His face as the lightning, His eyes as lamps of fire, His arms and feet as the bright?iess of polished brass, at seeing whom Daniel also became as dead, and " a hand touched " him, and it was said, " Fear not, Daniel" (Dan. x. 5-12). The like also took place with Peter, James, and John, when the Lord was transfigured, and seemed as to His face like the sun, and as to His gar- ments like the light ; owing to which they also fell upon their faces, and feared for themselves greatly: and then Jesus coming near "touched them," saying, " Fear ye not" (Matt. xvii. 6, 7). The Lord also said to the women who saw Him at the sepulchre, " Fear not" (Matt, xxviii. 10). And the angel also, whose face seemed like the lightning, and His garment like snow, said to those women, " Fear * ye not" (Matt, xxviii. 3-5). To Zacharias the angel also said, " Fear not" (Luke i. 12, 13). In like manner the angel said to Mary, " Fear not" (Luke i. 30). Also to the shepherds, around whom the glory of the Lord shone, the angel said, " Fear not" (Luke ii. 9, 10). A similar holy fear seized Simon on account of the draught of fishes , for which cause he said, " Depart from me, for I am a sin- ful man, O Lord." But Jesus said to him, " Fear not" (Luke v. 8-10 : besides other places). These are adduced, that it may be known why the Lord said to John, M Fear not " : and that resuscitation is meant thereby, and adora tion then from the deepest humiliation. 57. I am the First and the Last: That it signifies that No 59.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 03 He alone is Infinite and Eternal, and thus the only God, may be evident from the things which have been explained above (n. 13, 29, 38). 58. And am He that is living, signifies, Who alone is life, and from Whom alone life is. Jehovah, in the Word of the Old Testament, calls Himself " the Living" and "He that liveth," because He alone lives ; for He is Love itself and Wisdom itself, and these are life. That there is an Only Life, which is God, and that angels and men are recipients of life from Him, is abundantly shown in the "Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom." Jehovah calls Himself "the Living" and "He that liveth " (Isa. xxxviii. 18, 19 ; Jer. v. 2 ; xii. 16; xvi. 14, 15; xxiii. 7, 8; xlvi. 18; Ez. v. 11). The Lord as to the Divine Human also is life, because the Father and He are one j on which account He says, As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself (John v. 26). Jesus said, / a?n the Resurrection and the Life (John xi. 25). Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John xiv. 6). Ln the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was God; in Him was Life; and the Word became Flesh (John i. 1-4, 14). Because the Lord is the only life, it follows that life is from Him alone ; on which account He says, Because I live, ye shall live also (John xiv. 19). 59. And was dead, signifies that He was neglected, and His Divine Human not acknowledged. By being dead is not meant that He was crucified, and thus dead j but that He was neglected in the church, and His Divine Human not acknowledged j for thus He was dead with men. His Divine from eternity is indeed acknowledged, but this is Jehovah Himself : but His Human is not acknowledged to be Divine, although the Divine and the Human in Him are like soul and body, and so are not two, but one; yea, one person; according lo the doctrine received in the whole Christian world, 104 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. which has its name from Athanasius. When, therefore, His Divine is separated from His Human, by saying that His Human is not Divine, but like the human of another man, He is then dead among men. But concerning this separation, and consequent death of the Lord, more may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concern- ing the Lord," and .in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence " (n. 262, 263). 60. And, behold, I am alive for ever and ever, signifies that He is eternal life. Since " I am He that is living " signifies that He alone is life, and that life is from Him alone (see above n. 58), it follows that " Behold, I am alive for ever and ever," signifies that He alone is life to eternity, and that thus eternal life is from Him alone : for eternal life is in Him, and thence from Him. " For ever and ever " signifies eternity. That life eternal is from the Lord alone, is evident from these passages following : Jesus said, Every one that believeth i?i Me shall not perish, but shall have eternal life (John iii. 16). He that believeth in the Son hath eternal life ; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth upon him (John iii. 36 ; vi. 40, 47, 48). Verily I say unto you, he that believeth in Me, hath eternal life (John vi. 47). I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die, shall live : every one that believeth in Me, shall not die to eternity (John xi. 25, 26 : and elsewhere). Hence then the Lord is called " He that liveth for ever and ever " in the follow- ing places also in the Apocalypse: chap. iv. 9, 10; v. 14; x. 6 ; Dan. iv. 34. 61. Amen, signifies the Divine confirmation that it is the truth. That "Amen " is the Truth, which is the Lord, may be seen above (n. 23). 62. And I have the keys of hell and of death, signifies that He alone can save. By keys the power of opening and shutting is signified ; here the power of opening hell, that man may be led out ; and of shutting it, lest when he So. 65.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. has been led out, he should enter again. For man is born into evils of every kind, and thus in hell, for evils are hell. He is led out of it by the Lord, who has the power of opening it. That by having the keys of hell and of death is not meant the power of casting into hell, bur the power of saving, is because it follows immediately after these words, Behold, I am alive for ever and ever, by which is signified that He alone is eternal life (n. 60) ; and the Lord in no wise casts any one into hell, but the man casts himself in. By keys is also signified the power of opening and shutting, in the Apocalypse (chap. iii. 7 ; ix. 1 ; xx. 1 ; also in Isaiah, chap. xxii. 21, 22 ; in Matthew, chap. xvi. 19 ; and in Luke xi. 52). The Lord's power is not only over heaven, but also over hell ; for nell is kept in order and connection by oppositions against heaven : and there- fore, He who governs the one necessarily governs the other ; otherwise man could not have been saved. To be saved is to be led out of hell. 63. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the thi7igs which shall be hereafter : That it signifies in order that all the things which are now revealed may be for posterity, is evident without explanation. 64. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks, signifies arcana in the visions concerning the New Heaven and the New Church. That by " the seven stars " the church in the heavens is signified, and by the seven candlesticks the church on earth, will be seen in what now follows. 65. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, signifies the New Church in the heavens, which is the New Heaven. In the heavens there is a church equally as on the earth, for in the heavens equally as on the earth there is the Word, and there are doctrines from it, and from it there are preachings \ on which subject see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 70-75, and n. 1 04-1 13). That church is the New 5* 106 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. L Heaven, concerning which something was said in the Preface. That the Church in the heavens, or the New Heaven, is meant by " the seven stars," is because it is said that "the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches \ " and by an angel a heavenly society is signi- fied. There appears in the spiritual world a heavenly expanse full of stars as in the natural world ; and this so appears from the angelic societies in heaven : each society there, to those who are below, shines like a star. Thence they know there in what situation the angelic societies are. That seven does not signify seven, but all who are of the Church there, according to each one's reception, may be seen above (n. 10, 14, 41). Thus by "the angels of the seven churches " is meant the universal Church in the heavens, and so the New Heaven in its whole aggregate. 66. And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches, signifies the New Church on the earth, which is the New Jerusalem coming down from the Lord out of the New Heaven. That the candlesticks are the church may be seen above (n. 43) ; and as seven signifies all (n. 10), by the seven candlesticks are not meant seven churches, but the church in the whole complex, which is in itself one, but various according to reception. Those varieties may be compared to the various jewels in a king's crown ; and they may also be compared to the vari- ous members and organs in a perfect body, which still make one. The perfection of every form exists from vari- ous things suitably arranged in their order. It is hence that the universal New Church with its varieties is described by " the seven churches " in what now follows. 67. The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church, in one universal idea, is this : That the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, came into the world, that He might subjugate the hells, and glorify His Human ; No. 67.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 107 and that without this no mortal could be saved ; and that they are saved who believe in Him. It is said in a universal idea, because this is a universal of faith ; and a universal of faith is what must be in each and every thing of it. It is a universal of faith, that God is one in person and in essence, in whom is a Trinity ; and that the Lord is that God. It is a universal of faith, that no mortal could be saved unless the Lord came into the world. It is a universal of faith, that He came into the world that He might remove hell from man ; and He removed it by combats against it, and by victories over it. In this manner He subjugated it, and reduced it to order, and under obedience to Himself. It is also a universal of faith, that He came into the world that He might glorify the Human which He took upon Himself in the world ; that is, might unite it to the Divine from which [all things are]. Hell being thus subjugated by Him, He keeps it in order and under obedience to Him for ever. Since neither of these things could be done except by temptations, even to the last of them, and the last was the passion of the cross, therefore He endured that. These are the univer- sal of faith concerning the Lord. The universal of the Christian faith on man's part is, that he should believe in the Lord ; for through believ- ing in Him there is conjunction with Him, by which is salvation. To believe in Him is to have confidence that He saves : and because no one can have confidence but he who lives well, therefore this also is meant by believing in Him. These two universals of the Christian faith have been treated of particularly : the First, which regards the Lord, in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord ; " and the Second, which regards man, in the " Doc- trine of the New Jerusalem concerning Charity, and con- cerning Faith," and in the " Doctrine of Life for it ; " and both now in the explanations of the Apocalypse. io8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II CHAPTER SECOND. 1. Unto the angel of the church in Ephesus write : These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candle- sticks ; 2. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy endurance, and that thou canst not bear the evil, and hast tried them that say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars : 3. And hast borne, and hast endurance, and for My name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. 4. But I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity. 5. Be mindful therefore whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works ; but if not, I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. 6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write : These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive. 9. I know thy works, and afflictions, and poverty, and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10. Fear none of the things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, that ye No. 20.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 109 may be tried ; and ye shall have affliction ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 12. And unto the angel of the church in Pergamos write: These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword ; 13. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is: and thou holdest fast My name, and hast not denied My faith, even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. 14. But I have a few things against thee, that thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit whoredom. 15. So hast thou, even thou, them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16. Repent: or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight with them with the sword of my mouth. 17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna : and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. 18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, that hath His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet like unto fine-brass. 19. I know thy works, and charity, and ministry, and faith, and thy endurance, and thy works, and the l^st more than the first. 20. But I have a few things against thee, that thou per- mittest the woman Jezebel, that calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit whoredom, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. no THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. 21. And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not. 22. Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great affliction, except she repent of her works. 23. And I will kill her children with death ; and all the churches shall know that I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to his works. 24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will lay upon you no other burden. 25. But that which ye have hold fast till I come. 26. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, I will give him power over the nations : 27. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron: as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces, even as I have received from My Father. 28. And I will give him the morning star. 29. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. To the churches in the Christian world : To those there who primarily regard truths of doctrine, and not goods of life, who are meant by the Ephesian Church (n. 73-90). To those there who are in goods as to life, and in falsities as to doctrine ; who are meant by the Church in Smyrna (n. 91-106). To those there who place the all of the church in good works, and not any thing in truths; who are meant by the church in Pergamos (n. 107-123). And to those there who are in faith from charity, as also to them Chap. II.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. I I I who are in faith separated from charity ; who are meant by the church in Thyatira (n. 124-152). All these are called to the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. The Contents of each Verse. " Unto the angel of the church in Ephesus write," signifies to those and concerning those who primarily regard truths of doctrine, and not goods of life: "These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand," signifies the Lord from whom through the Word are all truths : " That walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks," signifies from Whom is all enlightenment to those who are of His Church : " I know thy works," sig?iifies that He sees all the interiors and exte- riors of man at once : "And thy labor and thy endurance," signifies their study and patience : " And that thou canst not bear the evil," signifies that they do not endure that evils should be called goods, and the reverse: "And hast tried them that say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars," signifies that they search into the things in the church which are said to be good and true, but which are evil and false : " And hast borne, and hast endurance," signifies patience with them : " And for My name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted," signifies the study and exertion to procure to themselves the things which are of religion and of its doctrine : " But I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity," signifies that this is against them, that they do not hold the goods of the life in the first place: "Be mindful therefore whence thou hast fallen," signifies remembrance of their error: "And repent, and do the first works," signifies that they should invert the state of their life : " Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent," signifies that otherwise it is certain that enlightenment will not be given them to see truths any longer : " But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which also I hate," signifies that they know this from their truths, and hence are not willing that 112 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II works should be meritorious : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies that he who understands these things should obey what the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem : " To him that overcometh," signifies him who fights against his evils and falsities, and is reformed : " I will give to eat of the tree of life," sig?iifies the appropriation of the good of love and charity from the Lord : " Which is in the midst of the paradise of God," signifies interiorly in the truths of wisdom and faith. "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write," signifies to those and concerning those who are in goods as to life, but in falsities as to doctrine : " These things saith the First and the Last," signifies the Lord, that He alone is God : " Who was dead, and is alive," signifies that He was neglected in the church, and His Human not acknowledged to be Divine, when yet as to that also He alone is Life, and from Him alone is life eternal : " I know thy works," signifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once : "And affliction and poverty" signifies that they are in falsities, and hence not in goods: "And the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not," signifies the false assertion that the goods of love are with them, when yet they are not: " But are the synagogue of Satan," signifies because they are in falsities as to doctrine : " Fear none of the things which thou shalt suffer," signifies despair not when ye are infested by evils and assailed by falsities: "Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison," signifies that their good of life will be infested by evils which are from hell : " That ye may be tried," signifies by falsities fighting against them: "And ye shall have affliction ten days," signifies that it is to last the full time : " Be thou faithful unto death," signifies the reception of truths until the falsities have been removed : " And I will give thee a crown of life," signifies that they will then have eternal life as the reward of victory: Chap. II.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies the same as before : " He that overcometh," signifies he who rights against evils and falsities, and is reformed : " Shall not be hurt by the second death,'* signifies that they will not afterwards yield to evils and fal- sities from hell. * And unto the angel of the church in Pergamos write," sig- nifies to those and concerning those who place the all of the church in good works, and not any thing in truths of doctrine : " These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword," signifies the Lord as to the truths of doctrine from the Word, by which evils and falsities are dispersed : " I know thy works," signifies the same as before: "And where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is," signifies their life in thick darkness : " And thou holdest fast My name, and hast not denied My faith," signifies when yet they have religion, and a worship according to it : " Even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth," signifies when all truth was extin- guished in the church by falsities : " But I have a few things against thee," signifies that these things which follow are against them: "That thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumt ling- block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit whoredom," signifies that there are among them those that do hypocritical works, by which the worship of God is defiled and adulterated in the Church : " So hast thou, even thou, them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate," signifies that there are also among them those who make works meritorious: " Repent," signifies that they should guard against those works : " Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight with them with the sword of my mouth," signifies that if not, the Lord will contend with them from the Word : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signi- fies the same as before : " To him that overcometh," signifies ii4 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Ckap. II the same as before : " I will give to eat of the hidden manna," signifies wisdom and the appropriation then of the good of heavenly (celestial) love in their works, and thus the conjunction of the Lord with those who work : " And I will give him a white stone," signifies truths favoring and united to good : " And in the stone a new name written," signifies that they will thus have a kind of good which they had not before : " Which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it," signifies that it does not appear to any one, because it is written in their life. " And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write," signifies to those and concerning those who are in faith from charity, and thence in good works ; and also to those and concerning those who are in faith separated from charity, and thence in evil works : " These things saith the Son of God, that hath His eyes as a flame of fire," signifies the Lord as to the Divine Wisdom of His Divine Love : "And His feet like unto fine-brass," signifies the natural Divine Good : " I know thy works," signifies the same as before . " And thy charity and ministry7," signifies spiritual affection, which is called charity, and its operation : " And thy faith, and endurance," signifies the truth, and the study to procure and teach it : " And the last more than the first," signifies the increase of them from spiritual affection for truth: " But I have a few things against thee," signifies these things which follow : " That thou permittest the woman Jezebel," signifies that in the church with them are those who separate faith from charity : " That calleth herself a prophetess," signifies and who make faith the only doctrine of the church: " To teach and seduce my servants to commit whoredom," signifies from which it results that the truths of the Word are falsified : " And to eat things sacrificed to idols," signifies the defilement of worship, and profanations : " And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not," sigjiifies that they who have confirmed themselves in that doctrine do not recede, although they see things contrary Cha*. II.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 1 5 to it in the Word : " Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great affliction," signifies that thus they will be left in their doctrine with the falsifications, and that they will be grievously infested by falsities: "Except she repent of her "works," signifies if they are not willing to desist from separating faith from chaiity : " And her sons I will kill with death," signifies that all tmths from the Word will be turned into falsities: "That the churches may know that I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts," signifies that the church may know that the Lord sees what truth and what good every one has : "And I will give to every one according to his works," signifies that He gives to each one according to the charity and its faith which are in his works : " But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine," signifies to those with whom is the doctrine of faith separated from charity, and with whom is the doctrine of faith conjoined to charity : " And who have not known the depths of Satan as they speak," signifies who do not understand their interiors, which are nothing but falsi- ties : " I put upon you no other burden," signifies only that they should guard against them : " But that which ye have hold fast till I come," signifies that the few things which they know from the Word concerning charity and faith thence, they should retain, and live according to them, even to the Lord's coming : " And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end," signifies those who are actually in charity and in faith thence, and remain in them to the end of life : " To him will I give power over the nations," signifies that they shall overcome in themselves the evils which are from hell : " And he shall rule them with a rod of iron," signifies by truths from the literal sense of the Word, and at the same time by rational principles from natural light (Ju?nen) : " As the vessels of the potter shall they be broken in pieces," signifies as of little or no account : " Even as I have received from my Father," 1 1 6 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IL signifies, this is from the Lord, who, when He was in the world, procured to Himself all power over the hells, from His Divine which was in Himself : " And I will give him the morning star," sigfiifies intelligence and wisdom then : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith i mto the churches," signifies the same as before. THE EXPLANATION. 69. In this chapter and the following the Seven Churches are treated of, by which are described all those in the Chris- tian Church, who have religion, and from whom the New Church, which is called the New Jerusalem, can be formed ; and it is formed from those who approach the Lord alone, and at the same ti?ne repent of their evil works. The rest, who do not approach the Lord alone, from the confirmed denial that His Human is Divine, and who do not repent of their evil works, are indeed in the church, but have not any thing of the church in them. 70. Since the Lord alone is acknowledged as the God of heaven and earth by those who are of His New Church in the heavens and those who will be of it on the earth for that reason in the first chapter of the Apocalypse the Lord alone is treated of ; and in these two following, it is He alone who speaks to the churches, and He alone who will give the happy things of eternal life. That it is He alone who speaks to the churches, is manifest from these passages : Unto the angel of the church in Ephesus write ^ These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (chap. ii. 1). Unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the First and the Last (ii. 8). Unto the angel of the church which is i?i Pergamos write : These things saith He who hath the sharp two-edged sword (ii. 12). Unto the angel of the church in Thyatira No. 72.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 117 write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet like unto fine-brass (ii. 18). Unto the angel of the church which is i?i Sardis write: 7hes e things saith He who hath the seveti Spirits of God and the sevefi stars (iii. 1). Unto the angel of the church which is in Philadelphia write : These things saith He that is Holy, He that is True, He that hath the key of David (iii. 7). And unto the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and trm Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God (iii. 14). These are taken from the first chapter, in which the Lord alone is treated of; and He is there described by them all. 71. That the Lord alone will give the happy things of eternal life to those who are and will be of His church, is manifest from these passages. The Lord said to the Ephesian church, To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (chap. ii. 7). To the church in Smyrna, / will give thee a crown of life ; and he that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death (ii. 10, 11). To the church in Pergamos, To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the hiddeji manna ; and, I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it (ii. 17). To the church in Thyatira, I will give him power over the nations, and I will give him the morning star (ii. 26, 28). To the church in Philadelphia, Him that overcometh I will make a pillar in the te?nple of my God ; and I will write upon him the name of My God, the name of the New jferusalei7i, and My new ?iame (iii. 12). To the church in Laodicea, To him that overcometh I will pre to sit with Me on my throne (iii. 21). It is also mani- fest from these passages that the Lord alone is acknowl- edged in the New Church : hence it is that that church is called the Lamb's Wife (Apoc. xix. 7, 9 j xxi. 9, 10). 72. That the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, I 1 8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. is formed of those who repent of their evil works, is also evident from the Lord's words to the churches : To that of Ephesus, / know thy works ; I have agaitist thee that thou hast left thy first charity ; repent, and do the first works: or else I will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent (chap. ii. 2, 4, 5). To the church in Pergamos, I know thy works, repent (ii. 16). To the church in Thya- tira, / will deliver her i?ito affliction, except she reperit of her works : I will give unto you every one accordifig to his works (ii. 19, 22, 23). To the church in Sardis, I have not found thy works perfect before God, repent (iii. 1-3). To the church in Laodicea, / know thy works ; be zealous and repent (iii. 15, 19). Now follows the explanation. 73. Unto the angel of the church in Ephesics write, signifies to those and concerning those who primarily regard truths of doctrine, and not the goods of life. It was shown above (n. 66), that by the Seven Churches are not meant seven churches, but the Church in the whole complex ; which in itself is one, but varies according to reception : and that these varieties may be compared to the various members and organs in a perfect body, which yet make one ; indeed, that they may be compared to the various jewels in a king's crown : and that it is from this that the universal New Church, with its varieties, is described by the seven churches in what now follows. That by the Ephesian Church are meant those in the church who primarily regard truths of doctrine, and not goods of life, is mani- fest from the things written to it, when understood in the spiritual sense. That " the angel of that church " is writ- ten to, is because by the angel is meant the angelic society which corresponds to a church of such persons (see above, n. 65). 74. These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, signifies the Lord, from whom through the Word are all truths. That " He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand " is the Lord, and that " the seven No. 76.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 119 stars in His right hand " are all the knowledges of good and truth in the Word, which are thence from the Lord with the angels of heaven and men of the church, may be seen above (n. 51). The knowledges of good and truth from the Word are truths. 75. That walketh in the midst of the seven golden candle- sticks, signifies, from whom is all enlightenment to those who are of His church. That " the seven candlesticks in the midst of which was the Son of Man," signify the church which is in enlightenment from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 43, 66). It is here said, " He that walk- eth," because to walk signifies to live (n. 167); and "in the midst" signifies in the inmost, and thence in every thing (n. 44, 383). 76. I know thy works, signifies that He sees all the inte- riors and exteriors of man at once. Works are often men- tioned in the Apocalypse, but what is meant by works few know. This is known, that ten men may do works which appear alike in externals, but which are still unlike with them all, because they proceed from a different end and from a different cause j and the end and the cause make the works to be either good or evil : for every work is a work of the mind j hence such as the mind is, such is the work. If the mind is charity, the work becomes charity \ but if the mind is not charity, the work does not become charity : still both may appear alike in externals. Works appear to men in their external form, but to the angels in their internal, and to the Lord such as they are from their inmosts to their outmosts. In their external form works appear no otherwise than as fruits do on the surface, but in their internal form works appear as fruits do below the surface, where there are numberless edible parts, and in the midst the seeds, in which again are innumerable things, which are far within all sight of the eyes, and indeed, above the intellectual sphere of man. Such are all works ; the internal quality of which, the Lord alone sees, and the 120 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. angels also perceive from the Lord, when a man is doing them. But more may be seen on these subjects in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom" (n. 209-220, and n. 277-281: and also below, n. 141, 641, 868). It may from these things be evident, that by " I know thy works " is signified that the Lord sees all a man's interiors and exteriors at once. 77. And thy labor and thy endurance : That it signifies their study and patience is evident without explanation. 78. And that thou canst not bear the evil, signifies that they do not endure that evils should be called goods, and the reverse, because this is contrary to the truths of doc- trine. That this is signified by these words, is manifest from the things next following, by which is signified that they search into the things which are called goods and truths in the church, when yet they are evils and falsities. To know goods whether they are goods or evils, is of doc- trine, and is among its truths ; but to do goods or evils is of the life : on which account this is said of those who primarily regard the truths of doctrine, and not the goods of life (n. 73). By the evil in the spiritual sense are not meant the evil, but evils ; as that sense is abstracted from persons. 79. And hast tried them that say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars, signifies that they search into the things which are called goods and truths in the church which yet are evils and falsities. That these things are signified, cannot be seen except by the spiritual sense, and except it be known therefrom what is meant by apos- tles and by liars. By apostles are not meant apostles, but all who teach the goods and truths of the church, and in the abstract sense, the goods and truths themselves of its doctrine. That apostles are not meant by the apostles, is clearly manifest from this which was said to them : When the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes No. 81.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 12 J of Israel (Matt. xix. 28 ; Luke xxii. 30). Who does not see that the apostles are not to judge any one, and can- not j still less the twelve tribes of Israel ; but that the Lord alone will, according to the goods and truths of the doctrine of the church from the Word. So also from these words : The wall of the city New Jerusalem had twelve fou?idatio?is, and in them the names of the twelve apos- t}*3 :/ the Lamb (Apoc. xxi. 14) ; since by "the New Jeru- salem " the New Church is signified (n. 880, 881) ; and by " its foundations " all the goods and truths of its doctrine (n. 902, &c). And also from these: Rejoice, O heavens and ye holy apostles and prophets (Apoc. xviii. 20). What is the rejoicing of the apostles and prophets, unless by them are meant all who are in the goods and truths of doctrine in the church ? By the Lord's disciples are meant they who are instructed by the Lord in the goods and truths of doctrine \ but by the apostles those who, after they have been instructed, teach them : for it is said, Jesus sent out His twelve Disciples to preach the kingdom of God ; and the Apostles, returning, told Him all that they had done (Luke ix. 1, 2, 10 ; Mark vi. 7, 30). That by liars are meant they who are in falsities, and abstractly the falsities themselves, may be evident from very many places in the Word, where " those that lie 'r and " lies " are named ; which, if they were adduced, would fill pages : nor are lies in the spiritual sense any thing else but falsities. From these things it may now be evident that by thou hast tried them that say they are apostles, and arc not, and hast found them liars, is signified that they &earch into the things which are called goods and truths in the church, which yet are evils and falsities. 80 A?id hast borne, and hast endurance. That it signi- fies patience with them, is manifest without explanation. 81. And for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted, signifies the study and exertion to procure to themselves, and also to teach, the things which are of vol. 1. 6 122 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II religion and its doctrine. By the name of Jehovah or of the Lord in the Word is not meant His name, but every thing by which He is worshipped: and because He is worshipped according to the doctrine in the church, by His name the all of doctrine is meant, and in a universal sense the all of religion. The reason why these things are meant by "the name of Jehovah" is because no other names are given in heaven but those which involve the quality of any one ; and the quality of God is all that by which He is worshipped. He who does not know that this is the signification of a name in the Word can under- stand only a name, and in this alone there is nothing of worship and religion. Pie therefore who keeps his idea in this signification of the Name of Jehovah in the Word, wherever it occurs, will of himself understand what is signified by it in the following passages : Ye shall say in that day, Confess to Jehovah, call upon His Name (Isa. xii. 4). O Jehovah, we have waited for Thee ; the desire of our sold is unto Thy Name ; by Thee will we make men- tion of Thy Name (Isa. xxvi. 8, 13). From the rising of the sun shall My Name be invoked (Isa. xli. 25). From the rising of the sun even unto its setting My Name shall be great among the nations ; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My Name ; for My Name shall be great among the nations : ye profane My Name, when ye say, the table of Jehovah is polluted : but ye puff at My Name, when ye bring the torn and the la7ne and the sick (Mai. i. 11— 13). All peoples walk in the Name of their God, and we will walk in the Name of Jehovah our God (Mic. iv. 5). Every one that is called by My Name I have created unto My glory, I have formed him (Isa. xliii. 7). Thou shall not take the Nime of thy God in vain ; Jehovah will not hold hi?n guilt- less, who taketh His Name in vain (Deut. v. 11). They shall worship Jehovah in o?ie place, where He shall put His Name (Deut. xii. 5, 11, 13, 14, 18 ; xvi. 2, 6, ix, 15. 16 : and in many other places besides). Who cannol zze> tb^t No. 82.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. I23 a Name alone is not here meant? In like manner by " the name of the Lord " in the New Testament, as in these places : Jesus said, Ye shall be haled by all for My Name's sake (Matt. x. 22 ; xxiv. 9, 10). Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt, xviii. 20). Whoever hath left houses, birth ren, sisters, for My Name's sake, shall receive a hundred fold, and eternal life (Matt. xix. 29). As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become children of God, to them that believe in His Name (John i. 12). Many believed i?i His Name (John ii. 23). He that believeth not is judged already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only- begotten Son of God (John iii. 17, 18). Believing, they shall have life in His Name (John xx. 31). Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord (Matt. xxi. 9 • xxiii. 39 ; Luke xiii. 35 ; xix. 38). That the Lord as to His Human is the name of the Father, is seen in these passages : Father, glorify Thy Name (John xii. 28). Hallowed be Thy Name ; Thy kingdom come (Matt. vi. 9 ; also, Ex. xxiii. 20, 21 ; Jer. xxiii. 6 ; Mic. v. 4). That "name " in other places is the quality of worship, may be seen in these : The Shepherd of the sheep callcth His own sheep by their name (John x. 3). I have a few names in Sardis (Apoc. iii. 4). I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, New jferusalent, and my new 7iame (Apoc. iii. 12 : and in other places). It may now be evident from these things, that "for My name's sake thou hast labored and hast not fainted," signifies the study and exertion to procure to themselves, and also to teach, the things which are of religion and its doctrine. 82. But I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity, signifies that this is against them, that they do not hold the goods of life in the first place, as, however, was and is done in the beginning of every church. This is said to the church in Ephesus, because by it are meant those in the church who regard primarily, or in the first I24 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II place, the truths of doctrine, and not the goods of life (n. 73) 1 when yet the goods of life are to be regarded in the first place, that is, primarily : for as far as a man is in the goods of life, so far is he really in the truths of doctrine ; but not the reverse. The reason is, that the goods of life open the interiors of the mind ; which being opened, truths appear in their own light, from which they are not only understood, but also loved. It is otherwise when doctrinal tenets are regarded primarily, or in the first place. Truths may then be known indeed, but not seen interiorly, and loved from spiritual affection. But this may be seen illus- trated above (n. 17). Every church, at its commence- ment, regards the goods of life in the first place, and truths of doctrine in the second ; but as the church declines, it begins to regard the truths of doctrine in the first place, and in the second the goods of life : and at length, in the end, it regards faith alone ; and it then not only separates the goods of charity from faith, but also omits them. From these things it may now be evident, that by " thou hast left thy first charity," is signified that they do not hold the goods of life in the first place ; as, however, has been and is done in the beginning of every church. 83. Be mindful therefore whence thou hast fallen: That it signifies remembrance of their error, is manifest from the things just said above. 84. Afid repent, and do the first works, signifies that they should invert the state of their life. Every man regards the truths of doctrine in the first place ; but as long as he does this, he is like unripe fruit. But he who is being regenerated, after he has imbibed those truths, regards the goods of life in the first place ; and as far as he does this, like fruit he grows ripe ; and as far as he grows ripe, so far the seed in him becomes fruitful. These two states have been seen by me among men who had become spirits ; and in the first state they appeared to be turned towards the valleys which are above hell ; and in the second, No. 86.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 125 towards the paradises which are in heaven. This turnirg of the state of the life is what is meant here. That this is done by repentance, and by good of life after it, is meant by "repent, and do the first works." 85. Or else, I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent, signifies that otherwise it is certain that enlightenment will not be given them to see truths any longer. By " quickly " is signified certain (n. 4, 947, ; and by a candlestick the church as to enlightenment (n. 43, 66) : hence by remov ing it out of its place is signified to take away enlighten- ment, that they may not see truths in their light, and at length that they may see them no more. This follows from the things that were said above (n. 82), namely, that if the truths of doctrine are regarded primarily or in the first place, they may indeed be known, but not seen inte- riorly, and loved from spiritual affection ; on which ac- count they gradually perish. For to see truths from their own light is to see them from man's interior mind, which is called the spiritual mind ; and this mind is opened by charity : and when it is opened, there flows in light, and the affection of understanding truths out of heaven from the Lord. Thence is enlightenment. The man who is in this enlightenment acknowledges truths as soon as he reads or hears them ; but not he whose spiritual mind is not opened, who is one that is not in the goods of charity, however he may be in the truths of doctrine. 86. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate, signifies that they know this from their truths, and are thence not willing that works should be meritorious, because this is against the Lord's merit and justice. That the works of the Nicolaitans are meritorious works it has been given to know by revelation. It is said that they hate those works, because the church Knows this from the truths of its doctrine, and hence does not will it; and it is therefore said, "this thou hast." But 126 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. still, all those do meritorious works, who put the truths of faith in the first place and the goods of charity in the second ; but not they who put the goods of charity in the first place. The reason is, that genuine charity does not wish to merit, for it loves to do good : for it is in good, and acts from it, and looks at the Lord from it, and sees from truths that all good is from Him • on which account it is averse to merit. Now since they who regard the truths of faith in the first place can do no other works than those which are meritorious, and yet know from their truths that these are to be hated, therefore this follows after it was said that if they do not hold charity in the first place, they do works which are to be held in aversion. It is said that it is against the Lord's merit and justice, for they who place merit in works claim justice for themselves ; for they say that justice is on their side, because they have merited: when yet it is the highest injustice, because the Lord alone has merited, and alone does good in them. That the Lord alone is justice, is taught in Jeremiah : Behold, the days shall come, whe?i I will raise up unto David a just branch ; a?id this is His name which they shall call Him, Jehovah our Justice (xxiii. 5, 6 ; xxxiii. 15, 16). 87. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, signifies that he who understands these things should obey what the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. By hearing is signified both to perceive ai d to obey ; because one attends, that he may perceive, and that he may obey. That both of these things are sig- nified by hearing, is manifest from common discourse, in w hich we say to hear any one, and also to hear or hearken to any one. The latter signifies to obey, and the former %o perceive. That to hear signifies both these things is from correspondence, for in the province of the ears in heaven are they who are in perception and at the same time in obedience. Since both of these are signified by No. 88.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 127 hearing, the Lord therefore so often said, He that hath an ear to hear, lei him hear (Matt. xi. 15 ; xiii. 43 ; Mark iv. 9, 23 ; vii. 16 ; Luke viii. 8 ; xiv. 35) ; and the like is also said to all the churches, as is manifest from verses 11, 17, and 29 of this chapter, and from verses 6, 13, and 22 of the following one. But by " the Spirit," which " saith unto the churches," is signified the Divine Truth of the Word ; and by " the churches," the universal church in the Christian world. That by " the Spirit of God," which is also " the Holy Spirit," is meant the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jeru- salem concerning the Lord" (n. 51): and because the universal church is meant, it is not said " what the Spirit saith unto the church," but "what the Spirit saith unto the churches." 88. To him that overcometh, signifies he who fights against his evils and falsities, and is reformed. Nov/ since in the things written to the seven, churches is described the state of all in the Christian church who can receive the doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and live according to it, consequently who can be reformed by combats against evils and falsities, it is therefore said to each one, He that overcometh ; as here to the Ephesian church, To him that overco77ieth I will give to eat of the tree of life. To the church in Smyrna, He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death (chap. ii. n). To the church in Pergamos, To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna (ii. 17). To the church in Thyatira, To him that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, I will give power over the nations (ii. 26). To the church in Sard is, He that overco7jieth shall be clothed in white garments (chap. iii. 5). To the church in Philadelphia, Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God (iii. 12). And to the church in Laodicea, To him that overcometh I will give to sit with Me in viy throne (iii. 21). He that overcometh signifies in these places he who combats against evils and falsities, and so is reformed. 128 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IL 89. I will give to eat of the tree of life, signifies the appro priation of the good of love and charity from the Lord. By eating in the Word is signified to appropriate ; and by " the tree of life " is signified the Lord as to the good of love : hence, by eating of the tree of life is signified the appro- priation of the good of love from the Lord. That to appropriate is signified by eating, is because, as natural food, when it is eaten, is appiopriated to the life of a man's body, so spiritual food, when it is received, is appropriated lo the life of the soul. The reason why the Lord as to the good of love is signified by the tree of life, is because nothing else is signified by the Tree of Life in the garden of Eden ; also because a man has heavenly and spiritual life from the good of love and charity which is received from the Lord. A tree is mentioned in many places ; and by it is meant a man of the church, and in the universal sense the church itself ; and by its fruit the good of life. The reason is, because the Lord is the Tree of Life, from whom is all good in the man of the church and in the church : but of this in its own place. It is said : " the good of love and charity," because the good of love is heavenly (celestial) good, which is that of love to the Lord ; and the good of charity is spiritual good, which is that of love towards the neighbor. What and of what quality the one and the other good is, will be told in the following pages. On these points some things may be seen in the work on " Heaven and Hell " (n. 13-19). 90. Which is i?i the midst of the paradise of God, signifies interiorly in the truths of wisdom and faith. " In the midst " signifies the inmost (n. 44, 383) ; here interiorly. " The paradise of God " signifies the truths of wisdom and faith ; on which account "the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God," signifies the Lord with the good of love and charity interiorly in the truths of wisdom and faith. God also is within in truths ; for good is the esse (to be) of life, and truth is the existere (to exist) of life therefrom; No. 90.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 129 as is shown in many places in the " Angelic Wisdom con- cerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom." That " the paradise of God " is the truth of wisdom and faith, is manifest from the signification of "a garden" in the Word. A garden there signifies wisdom and intelligence, because the trees signify the men of the church, and their fruits the goods of life. Nothing else is signified by " the garden of Eden," for by it Adam's wisdom is described. The like is meant by " the garden of God " in Ezekiel : In thy wisdom and intelligence thou hadst made to thyself wealth : thou hast been in Eden the garden of God : every precious stone zaas thy covering (xxviii. 4, 13). This is said of Tyre, by which the church as to the knowledges of truth and good, and thus as to intelligence, is signified ; on which account it is said, In thy wisdom and iiitelligence thou hadst ?nade to thyself wealth. By the precious stones which were a cov- ering, the truths of intelligence are signified. In the same: Ashur is a cedar in lebanon ; the cedars in the garden of God did not hide it ; nor was any tree in the garden of God equal to it in beauty ; all the trees of Ede?i in the Garden of God emulated it (xxxi. 3, 8, 9). This is said of Egypt and of Ashur ; because by Egypt is signified knowledge, and by Ashur rationality, by which is intelligence ; and the same by "a cedar." But since by his rationality he came into the pride of his own intelligence, it is therefore said of him, To who77i art thou thus become like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden, since thou shall be made to go dow?t with the trees of Eden into the lower earth ; and shall lie down in the midst of the wicircumcised (vers. 18 of that chapter) ? The "uncircumcised " are they who are without the good of chariryr. In Isaiah : Jehovah shall comfort Zio?i, and shall ?nake her wilderness as Eden, and her desert as the garden of Jehovah (li. 3). "Zion" here is the church; the wilderness and the desert are the lack and the ignorance of truth ; Eden and " the garden of God " are wisdom and intelli- gence. Wisdom and intelligence are also signified by a 6* 130 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II garden in Isa. lviii. n ; lxi. n ; Jer. xxxi. 12 j Am. ix. 14 ; Num. xxiv. 6. The man of the church is also like a garden as to intelligence, when he is in the good of love from the Lord ; for the spiritual heat which vivifies him is love, and spiritual light is intelligence therefrom. It is known that from these two, heat and light, the gardens in the world flourish ; and it is the same in heaven. There appear ir. heaven paradisal gardens with fruit trees, according to their wisdom from the good of love from the Lord ; and around those who are in intelligence, and not in the good of love, there does not appear a garden, but grass ; but around those who are in faith separated from charity, not even grass, but sand. 91. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write, signifies to those and concerning those who are in goods as to life, but in falsities as to doctrine. That these aro meant by the church in Smyrna, is manifest from the things written to it when understood in the spiiitual sense. 92. These things saith the First and the Last, signifies the Lord, that He alone is God. That the Lord calls Himself " the First and the Last," also " the Beginning and the End," and " the Alpha and the Omega," and " He who is and who was and who is to come," may be seen, chap. i. 4, 8, 11, 17 ; and what they signify may be seen above (n. 13, 29-31, 38, 57); where it is manifest that it is also meant by them that He alone is God. 93. Who was 'dead and is alive, signifies that He was neglected in the church, and His Human not acknowledged to be Divine, when yet as to that also He alone is Life, and from Him alone is life eternal. That these things are meant by these words, may be seen above (n. 58-60,) where they are explained. The reason why these and the things just preceding are said, is because it is a primary falsity of those who are described by this church, that they do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human, and there- fore do not go to Him. No. 96.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 94. I know thy works : That it signifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once, is evident from the things that were explained above (n. 76) : here that He sees that they are in falsities, and yet as to life in goods, which they believe to be goods of life, when yet they are not. 95. And affliction and poverty, signifies that they are in falsities, and hence not in goods. " To know their afflic- tion " signifies to see that they are in falsities, and "to know their poverty " signifies to see that they are not in goods ; for " affliction " in the Word is predicated of falsi- ties, as above (n. 33) ; and " poverty " of the lack of goods : nor is spiritual poverty any thing else. We often read in the Word of " the poor and the needy ; " and in the spiritual sense by " the poor " is meant one who is not in truths, and by " the needy " one who is not in goods. These words also are added, " yet thou art rich ; " but in paren- thesis, and this because they are omitted in some manu- scripts. 96. And the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, signifies the false assertion that the goods of love are with them, when yet they are not. Blasphemy here signifies a false assertion. By " Jews " are not signi- fied the Jews, but they who are in the good of love, and abstractly the goods of love : hence by " the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not," is signified the false assertion that the goods of love are in them, when vet thev are not. That those who are in the °;ood of love are meant by Jews, is because by Judah in the Word in the highest sense is meant the Lord as to the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and by Israel the Lord as to the Divine Truth of the Divine Wisdom : hence by Jews those are signified who are in the good of love from the Lord, and those by Israel who are in Divine truths from the Lord. That the former are meant by the Jews, may be evident from many passages which will be adduced below (n. 350). 132 THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. [Chap IT. See also some things in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusa- lem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 51). That the goods of love are meant abstractly by the Jews, is because the spiritual sense is abstracted from persons ; see above (n. 78, 79). He who does not know that those who are of the Lord's celestial church, who are they that are in love to him, are meant by "the Jews" in the Word, may fall into many mistakes in reading the Word in the prophets ; but see below (n. 350). 97. But are the synagogue of Satan, signifies, because they are in falsities as to doctrine. " The Synagogue " is mentioned because the Jews are named ; and as they taught in the synagogues, by a synagogue is signified doc- trine. And since by Satan is meant the hell of them that are in falsities, it is therefore said "the synagogue of Satan." Hell is called the Devil and Satan ; and by the hell which is called the Devil are meant those there who are in evils, — properly those that are in the love of self ; and by the hell that is called Satan those there are meant who are in falsities, — properly they who are in the pride of their own intelligence. That those hells are called " the Devil " and " Satan " is because all who are in them are called devils and satans. It may now be evident from these things, that by their being " the synagogue of Satan " is signified that as to doctrine they are in falsities. But as those are here treated of who are in good as to life, but in falsities as to doctrine, and these do not know otherwise than that they are in good, and that their falsities are truths, something shall be said of them. All the good of worship is formed by truths, and all truth is formed from goods ; consequently good without truth is not good, and truth witnout good is not truth. They indeed appear to be so in the external form, but still are not. The con- junction of good and truth is called the heavenly Marriage. From this is the church in man, and from it is heaven in him. If therefore falsities are instead of truths in a No. 97.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 133 man, he then does the good of falsity, which is not good ; for it is either pharisaical, or meritorious, or inborn natural good. But take examples for illustration : He who is in this falsity, that he believes that he does good from himself, because he has the faculty of doing good, his good is not good, because himself is in it, and not the Lord. He who is in this falsity, that he can do good, which is good, with- out the knowledge of what evil there is in him, and thus without repentance • he, while he does good, does that which is not good ; for without repentance he is in evil. He who is in this falsity, that good purifies him from evil, and knows nothing of the evils in which he is ; he does no other good than spurious good, which inwardly is con- taminated by his evils. He who is in this falsity, that there are many gods, and confirms himself in it ; the good which he does is a divided good ; and divided good is not good. He who is in this falsity, that he believes that the Divine is not in the Lord's Human as the soul in the body, cannot do good from Him ; and good not from the Lord is not good, for it is against these words of the Lord : Except one abide in Me, and I in him, he cannot bear any fruit ; for without Me ye can do nothing : except one abide in Me, he is cast forth as a dried branch, znd is cast into the fire, and is burned (John xv. 4-6). The like is found in many other places ; for good derives its quality from truths, and truths derive their esse (to be) from good. Who does not know that a church is not a church without doctrine * and doc- trine must teach how a man shall think concerning God and from God, and how he shall act from God and with God ; consequently doctrine must be from truths, and to do according to these is what is called good : from which it follows, that to do according to falsities is not good It is believed that in the good which a man does there is nothing from truths or from falsities ; when yet the quality of the good is from no other source : for they cohere to- gether like love and wisdom, and also like love and fool 134 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [CHAr. II ishness. It is the love of the wise which does good ; but the love of the foolish does the like in externals, but it is altogether unlike in internals : on which account the good of the wise is as pure gold, but the good of the foolish is like gold spread over dung. 98. Fear none of the things which thou shalt suffer : That it signifies, despair not when ye are infested by evils and assailed by falsities, since with those who are in goods as to life and in falsities as to doctrine it cannot be otherwise, — is manifest from what now follows. 99 Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, signifies that their good of life will be infested by evils which are from hell. That this is signified by being cast into prison or confinement by the devil, is because by the devil is meant the hell where they are who are in evils, and thus abstractly the evil which is there and thence (n. 97). That to be sent into prison or confinement is to be infested, is because they that are infested by evils from hell are as if bound in a prison ; for they can think nothing but evil, when yet they will good. Hence there is interior combat and anxiety, from which they cannot be released, being scarce otherwise than as those who are in chains. The reason is that their good is not good so far as it coheres with falsities ; and as far as it coheres with falsities there is evil in it. This therefore is what is infested. Yet this infestation does not exist in the natural world, but in the spiritual world, and thus after death. Their infestations it has often been given me to see. They lament, saying that they have done good, and wish to do good ; and yet they now cannot, owing to the evils around. But still they are not all infested alike, but more severely as they have confirmed themselves in the falsities ; and it is therefore said, " the devil shall cast some of you into prison." That the confirmation of falsity is injurious, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture" (n. 91-97). No. ioo-] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 135 In the Wo' 1 the like is signified by " the bound " as here by those tl.at are cast into prison, as in these places: / will give thee for a covenant of the people, to bring forth him that is bound out of the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house (Isa. xlii. 6, 7 ; xlix. 8, 9). Jehovah hath sent me to preach liberty to the captives, a?id to the bound (Isa. lxi. 1). By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth the bound out of the pit (Zech. ix. 11). God hath brought forth them that are bound with fetters (Ps. lxviii. 6). The sighing of the bound shall come before Thee (Ps. lxxix. 11). To hear the groaning of the bound, to re- lease the so7is of death (Ps. cii. 20). Jehovah who looseth the bound (Ps. cxlvi. 7). That by " the bound " in these places, those are not meant who are bound in the world, but they that are bound by hell, and thus by evils and falsities, is manifest. The same is signified by these words of the Lord : / was in prison, a?id ye came unto Me (Matt xxv. 36). Since the Lord leads out of prison, or liberates from infestation, those who have been in good as to life, although in falsities as to doctrine, He says, u Fear nothing of the things thou art about to suffer ; " also, " Be thou faithful, and I will give thee a crown of life." 100. That ye may be tried, signifies by falsities fighting against them. The reason why this is signified is because all spiritual temptation is a combat between the devil and the Lord, as to which shall have possession of the man. The devil, or hell, brings forward his falsities, and blames and condemns him ; but the Lord brings forward his truths, and draws him away and liberates him from the falsities. This is the combat which appears to the man as if it were in him, because it is from the evil spirits who are with him, and is called temptation. That spiritual temptation is nothing else I know from experience, because in my temptations I have seen the infernal spirits who induced them, and have perceived the influx from the Lord who liberated. 1 36 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. EL 10 1. And ye shall have affliction te?t days, signifies that this is to last the full time, that is, as long as they are will- ing to remain in falsities. " Affliction " here signifies in- festation, concerning which see above (n. 33, 95), and thus temptation ; and " ten days " signify the duration of that state to the full : it therefore follows, Be thou faithful even wito death ; by which is signified the reception and ac- knowledgment of truths, until the falsities are removed and as it were abolished by them. That " ten days signify the duration of a state to the full, is because " days " signify states, and " ten " full : for times in the Word sig- nify states (n. 947) ; and the numbers describe their quality (n. 10). Since ten signifies full, it also signifies much and many, also every and all j as may be evident from the following passages : The mc7i who have seen My glory have tempted Me ten times (Num. xiv. 22). Ye have treated me with ignominy ten times (Job xix. 3). Daniel was foimd to be wise above the astrologers by ten times (Dan. i. 20). Ten women shall bake their bread in one oven (Lev. xxvi. 26). Ten men out of all the tongues of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a man a Jew (Zech. viii. 23). As " ten " signifies many, and also all, therefore the things that were written by Jehovah upon the tables of the Deca- logue are called the Ten Words (Deut. iv. 13 ; x. 4). The Ten Words are all truths, for they include them. And since ten signifies all, both persons and things, the Lord therefore compared the kingdom of the heavens to " ten virgins " (Matt. xxv. 1). Also in the parable of the noble- man He said that he gave to his servants "ten pounds" for trading (Luke xix. 12-27). Many are also signified by the ten horns of the beast that came up out of the sea (Dan. vii 7) ; and by the ten horns, and the ten diadems upo?i the horns of the beast that also came up out of the sea (Apoc. xiii. 1) ; also by the ten horns of the dragon (Apoc. xii. 3) ; and by the ten horns of the scarlet beast, upon which the wo7nan was sitting (Apoc. xvii. 3, 7, 12). By "the ten No. 103.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 137 horns " is signified much power. From the signification of the number ten, which is full, much, and all, it may be seen why it was ordained that the Tenth part of all the increase should be given to Jehovah, and by Jehovah to Aaron and the Levites (Num. xviii. 24, 28 ; Deut. xiv. 22) : also, why Abraham gave to Melchizedek Tithes of all (Gen. xiv. 18, 20): for it was thereby signified that thus all things of theirs were from Jehovah, and were hallowed ; see Mai. iii. 10. It may from these things be now evident, that by having affliction ten days is signified that the temp- tation is to last a full time, that is, as long as they are willing to remain in falsities ; for falsities are in no wise taken away from man against his will, but with it. 102. Be thou faithful unto death, signifies the reception and acknowledgment of truths, until the falsities are re- moved, and as it were abolished. By " be thou faithful unto death " is meant in the natural sense that they are not to recede from their fidelity even to the end of life ; but in the spiritual sense, that they are to receive and acknowledge truths, until the falsities are removed, and as it were abolished by them : for the latter sense is prop- erly for those who are in the spiritual world, for whom there is no death; consequently by death here the end of their temptation is meant. It is said, until they are as it were abolished ; because falsities and evils with a man are not abolished, but are removed : and when they are removed, they appear as if abolished : because, the evils and falsities being removed, the man is kept in goods and truths by the Lord. 103. And I will give thee a crown of Life, signifies that they will then have eternal life as the reward of victory. Because temptations even unto death are treated of, it is said that a crown of life will be given to them, such as was given to the martyrs who were faithful unto death ; and because the martyrs desired this, therefore after death crowns were given to them, by which the reward of victory I38 THE AFOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. was signified. They still appear in their crowns in heaven ; which I have been permitted to see. 104. He that hath a?i ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches : That it signifies that he who understands should obey the things which the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, is manifest from the explanation of the same words above (n. 87). 105. He that overcometh : That it signifies he who fighti against evils and falsities, and is reformed, is manifest from the explanation (n. 88), where were like words. 106. Shall not be hurt by the second death, signifies that they will not afterwards yield to evils and falsities from hell. By the first death is meant the death of the body, and by the second death is meant the death of the soul, which is damnation (see below, n. 853, 873). And be- cause by " Be thou faithful unto death," is signified that they are to acknowledge truths until falsities are removed by them (n. 102) ; it follows that by "he shall not be hurt by the second death," is signified that they shall not after- wards yield to evils and falsities from hell ; for thereby they are delivered from damnation. 107. And unto the angel of the church in Pergai7ios, write, signifies to those and concerning those who place the all of the church in good works, and not any thing in the truths of doctrine. That these are meant by the church in Pergamos, is manifest from the things written to it, when understood in the spiritual sense. But respect- ing these something is to be premised, that it may be known who and what kind of persons they are in the church. There are two kinds of men of whom the Chris- tian church at this day for the most part consists. They who are in works alone, and in no truths, make one kind ; and they who are in worship alone, and not in works nor in truths, make the other. The former kind is here treated of ; the latter in the things written to the church in Sardis No. no.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 139 (n. 154, &c). They who are in works alone, and in no truths, are like those who do, and understand not ; and deeds without understanding are lifeless. They appear before the angels like images carved out of wood ; and they who have placed merit in their works, like those carved images naked, without any covering. They also appear like sheep without wool, and they that place merit in the works, like these sheep covered over with dung. For all works are done from the will through the under- standing ; and in the understanding they receive life, and at the same time clothing. Hence it is, that, as was said, they appear before the angels as things lifeless and naked. 108. These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword, signifies the Lord as to the truths of doctrine from the Word, by which evils and falsities are dispersed. In the preceding chapter, where the Son of Man is described, who is the Lord as to the Word, it is said that a sharp two-edged sword was seen to go forth out of His mouth (vers. 16). That by this is signified the dispersion of falsi- ties by the Lord by means of the Word and of doctrine therefrom, may be seen above (n. 52). This is said to those and concerning those who place the all of the church in works alone, and not any thing in the truths of doc- trine ; and because they omit or lightly esteem the truths of doctrine, which still are necessary, it is said to them in what follows, Repent ; or else, I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight with them with the sword of my mouth (vers. 16 of this chapter). 109. / know thy works. That it signifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at the same time, may be seen above (n. 76), where it is explained ; here that the Lord sees that they are in works alone, and not in doctrinals. no. And where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is, signifies their life in thick-darkness. That by Satan is meant the hell of those that are in falsities, may be seen I4O THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. above (n. 97) • and to be in falsities is to be in spiritual thick-darkness. Spiritual thick-darkness, the shadow of death, and darkness, are nothing else but the states of those in hell, who are in the falsities of evil ; on which account falsities are described by them in the Word : from which it may be evident, that by " Satan's throne " is sig- nified mere thick-darkness. But by thick-darkness here it is not meant that they are in mere falsities, but that they are in no truths of doctrine ; for the truths of doc- trine which are from the Word are in the light : hence, not to be in truths is not to be in the light, consequently in thick-darkness. That truths are in the light of heaven, may be seen in the work on " Heaven and Hell " (n. 126- 140); and in the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scripture" (n. 73, 104-113). In many places in the Word those are treated of who are " in dark- ness, in the shadow of death, and in thick-darkness ; whose eyes the Lord will open ; " and by them are meant the Gentiles, who were in good works, but not in any truths ; because they have not known the Lord, nor had the Word. Quite similar to them are those in the Chris- tian world, who are in works alone, and in no truths of doctrine ; on which account they cannot be called any thing else than Gentiles. They indeed know the Lord, but still do not go to Him ; and they have the Word, but still do not search for truths therein. By knowing where thou dwellest is signified to know of what quality they are, since every one in the spiritual world dwells according to the quality of his affection. It may be evident from these things, that by "thou dwellest where Satan's throne is," their life of good in thick-darkness is signified. In the spiritual world also the satanic spirits have power through those who are in works alone, but without them they are nothing ; for they adjoin them to themselves. If one of them only says, I am thy neighbor, and therefore good offices are to be extended to me, on hearing this thev No. ii2.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 141 draw near, and give aid ; nor do they inquire who and what he is, because they have not truths \ and by truths alone one is known from another. This also is signified by "thou dwellest where Satan's throne is." in. And thou /widest fast My name, and hast not denied My faith, signifies when yet they have religion, and wor- ship according to it, and also acknowledge the Word to be the Divine Truth. That by the name of Jehovah or the Lord is meant every thing by which He is worshipped, and thus the all of religion, may be seen above (n. 81) ; here, therefore, is meant that they have a religion, and according to their religion worship. By faith is not here meant faith, as faith is at this day in the church, but the Divine truth ; since faith is of truth, and truth is of faith. Nothing else is meant by faith in heaven, nor any thing else by faith in God in the Word. Hence it is, that faith and truth in the Hebrew language are one word, and are called Amuna. Now as by the faith of God is meant the Divine Truth, and the Word is the Divine Truth itself, it is manifest that by "thou hast not denied My faith," is meant that they acknowledge that the Word is the Divine Truth. 112. Even in the days in which Antipas was My faithfut martyr, who was slain amo?ig you where Satan dwelleth, sig- nifies when all truth was extinguished by the falsities in the church. By a martyr is signified the confession of the truth, the same as by a witness above (n. 6, 16) ; because " martyr" and "witness" in the Greek language are one word. Antipas is named from the spiritual or angelic language. Since by Antipas the martyr is signified a con- fessor of the truth, and abstractly the truth itself, it is manifest that by " in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth," is signified, when the truth is extinguished by falsities in the church. That by Satan is meant the hell where and whence falsities are, may be seen above (n. 97). 142 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. 113. But I have a few things against thee: That it signifies that these things which follow are against them, is manifest without explanation. 114. That thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-black before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit whoredom, signifies that among them are those whc do hypocritical works, by which the worship of God in the church is defiled and adulterated. That by these words are meant those that do works by which worship is defiled and adulterated, is manifest from the historical parts of the Word relating to Balaam and Balak the king of Moab. For Balaam was a hypocrite and a diviner : for he spoke well of the sons of Israel from Jehovah, and yet in heart cherished the desire to destroy them, and did also destroy some by the counsel given to Balak ; from which it is manifest that his works were hypocritical. That he was a diviner we read in Num. xxii. 7 ; xxiv. 1 ; Josh. xiii. 22. That he spoke in favor of the sons of Israel by blessing them, Num. xxiii. 7-15, 18-24; xxiv. 5-9, 16-19 ; but that he spoke this from Jehovah, Num. xxiii. 5, 12, 16 , xxiv. 13. That he cherished in heart the desire to destroy them, and also did destroy some by the counsel given to Balak, Num. xxxi. 16. The counsel which he gave, Num. xxv. 1, 9, 18. This was the stumbling-block which he cast before the sons of Israel, of which it is thus written : In Shittim the people began to coinmit whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods ; the people did eat, and bowed themselves down to their gods, especially they joined the7nselves to Bael-peor ; therefore there were slain of Israel twenty-four thousand (Num. xxv. 1-3, 9, 18). By the sons of Israel the church is signified : by eating of their sacrifices is signified the appropriation of what is holy ; wherefore by eating of the sacrifices of other gods, or things sacrificed to idols, the defilement and profanation of what is holy is signified : by committing whoredom is signified No. 118.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 143 to adulterate and pervert worship. That by Moab, and thence by its king, and by its daughters, those also are signified who defile and adulterate worship, may be seen in the "Heavenly Arcana," published at London (n. 2468). It is now manifest from these things, that this is the spiritual sense of those words. 115. So hast thou, even thou, them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate, signifies that there are among them also those who make works meritorious. That " the works of the Nicolaitans " are meritorious works, may be seen above (n. 86). With those who place the all of the church and of salvation in good works, and not any- thing in the truths of doctrine, who are they that are meant by the church in Pergamos, there are found those that do hypocritical works and also meritorious works, but still not all ; on which account it is said that thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam ; and then, thou hast, even thou, them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans : and all the works of worship are either good, or meritorious, or hypocritical ; on which account the latter two are here spoken of, and afterwards the good works in what follows. 116. Repent signifies that they should guard against those works, and do the works which are good. That these things are signified by repenting, is because meritorious and hypo- critical goods have just been treated of, against which they must guard who place the all of the church and of salvation in good works, and not any thing in the truths of doctrine , when yet the truths of doctrine teach how and what one must will and think, or must love and believe, that the works may be good. 117. Or else, I will come unto thee quickly, and will fght with them with the sword of my mouth, signifies that if not, the Lord will contend with them from the Word, and con vince them that their works are evil. But these words may be seen explained above (n. 108). 118. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit i44 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. saith unto the churches: That it signifies that he who under- stands should obey the things which the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, is manifest from the explana- tions above (n. 87), where are similar words. 119. To him that overcometh : That it signifies he who fights against his evils and falsities, and is reformed, is also manifest from the explanations above (n. 88). 120. I will give to eat of the hidden manna, signifies wis- dom, and the appropriation then of the good of heavenly (celestial) love in their works, and thus the conjunction of the Lord with those who work. By " the hidden manna " which those will have who are in good works and at the same time adjoin the truths of doctrine to the works, is meant hidden wisdom, such as those have who are in the third heaven. For these, because they were in good works and at the same time in the truths of doctrine in the world, are in wisdom above the rest of the angels ; but in a hidden wisdom, for it is inscribed on their life, and not so much on the memory: on which account they are of such a character that they do not speak of the truths of doctrine, but do them j and they do them because they know them, and also see them when others speak of them. That the good of love is appropriated to them, and that the Lord conjoins Himself with those who adjoin to their good works the truths of doctrine, and so gives them wisdom in their goods, and that this is giving them to eat of the hidden manna, may be evident from these words of the Lord : The Bread of God is He that cometh down from heave?i, and giveth life to the world. I am the Bread of life : your fathers did eat the manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread that cometh down from heaven, that he that eateth thereof may not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven : if any one eat of this bread, he shall live for ever (John vi. 33, 35, 49-51). From which it is manifest that the Lord Himself is the hidden manna, which will be in their works, if they go to No. 121.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 145 Him alone. Whether you say the Lord, or the good of heavenly love, as also the wisdom of that love, it is the same. But this is an arcanum which falls with difficulty into the natural idea of any one, so long as that is veiled over with a cloud from worldly things j but it does enter when the mind is serene and in the sunshine, as may be seen on these subjects in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom," from beginning to end. 121. And I will give him a white stone, signifies truths favoring and united to good. " A white stone " signifies this, because in judgments the suffrages were collected by stones, and by white ones those which were affirmative. That it is affirmative truths that are signified is because white is predicated of truths (n. 167, 379). Hence it is, that by a white stone are signified truths favoring good. That they are also united to the good, is because the good draws them, and unites them to itself. For all good loves truth, and conjoins to itself such as accords with itself especially the good of heavenly love : this so unites truth to itself, that they make altogether one. Hence it is that they see truths from good alone. These are meant by them that have the law written on their hearts, spoken of in Jeremiah : / will put my law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their hearts ; neither shall they teach any longer every one his competition or every o?ie his brother, faying, k?ww ye Jehovah; for every one shall know Me (xxxi. 33. 34). All who are in the third heaven are such. They do not speak of truths from any memory, but see them clearly while they are hearing others speak of the tiuths, especially while they are reading the Word. The reason is, because they are in the marriage itself of good and truth. Such do they become in the world, who have gone to the Lord alone, and done good works because they are according to the truths of the Word. Concerning vol. 1. 7 146 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II whom see some things in the work on " Heaven and Hell" (n. 25, 26, 270, 271). 122. And in the stone a new name written, signifies that they will thus have a kind of good which they had not before. That a name signifies the quality of a thing, may be seen above (n. 81); here therefore, the quality of the good. All the quality of good is from the truths united to it ; for good without truths is like bread and food with- out wine and water, which do not nourish ; and it is also like fmit in which there is no juice. It appears also like trees stripped of their leaves, on which hang dry apples left from the autumn. This is also meant by these words of the Lord. Every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt : salt is good, but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves (Mark ix. 49, 50). Salt here is the desire for truth. 123. Which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it, signi- fies that it does not appear to any one, because it is written in their life. That truths united to good are not inscribed on the memory with them, but on their life, may be seen just above (n. 121, 122); and that which is inscribed on the life alone, and not on the memory, does not appear to any one, not even to themselves, except from the fact that they perceive whether it is true, and what is true, when they are hearing and reading j for the interiors of their mind are open even to the Lord : and because the Lord is in them, and He sees all things, He therefore causes them to see as from themselves. But they still know from their wisdom that they do not see truths from themselves, but from the Lord. From these things it may now be evident what is meant by all this : I will give him to eat of the hid- den manna; and I will give /mn a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it: by which is signified briefly, that they will be angels of the third heaven, if they read the Word, draw therefrom truths of doctrine, and go to the Lord. No. 128.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 147 124. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, signifies to those and concerning those who are in faith from charity, and thence in good works ; and also to those and concerning those who are in faith separated from charity, and thence in evil works. That both are de- scribed by "the church in Thyatira," is manifest from the things written to it when understood in the spiritual sense. 125. These things saith the Son of God, that hath His eyes as a flame of fire, signifies the Lord as to the Divine Wisdom of His Divine Love. That this is signified, ma) be seen explained above (n. 48). 126. A?id His feet like unto fine-brass : That it signifies the Natural Divine Good, is evident from the things which have been explained before (n. 49). 127. I kf tow thy works : That it signifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once, may be seen above (n. 76), where it is explained. 128. And charity and ministry, signifies the spiritual affection which is called charity, and its operation. That charity is spiritual affection, is because charity is love to- wards the neighbor, and love towards the neighbor is that affection. That ministry is its operation, is because they are called ministers in the Word, who do the works which are of charity. The man who is a worshipper of God is sometimes called a servant, and sometimes a minister \ and he is called a servant of God who is in truths, and a minister of God who is in goods. The reason is, because truth serves good, and good ministers to truth. That he who is in truths is called a servant, may be seen above, (n. 3) ; but that he who is in good is called a minister, is manifest from these passages : Ye shall be called the priests of yehovah, the ministers of your God (Isa. lxi. 6). My covenant shall not become void with the Levites my ministers (Jer. xxxiii. 21). They are called ministers, because the priests represented the Lord as to Divine Good. Bless 148 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. ye Jehovah all His hosts, ye ministers that do His will (Ps. ciii. 21, 22). Jehovah maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire (Ps. civ. 4). Angel-spirits are they who are in truths, and angel-ministers they who are in goods. A naming fire also signifies the good of love. Jesus said, Whoever will be great, let him be your min- ister; and whoever will be first, let him be your servant (Matt. xx. 26, 27 ; xxiii. n, 12). "Minister" is here said of good, and " servant " of truth. The same is signified by ministering and by ministry in (Isaiah lxi. 6 ; John xii. 26 ; Luke xii. 37) ; and elsewhere. It is manifest from these remarks, that by charity and ministry spiritual affection and its operation are signified ; for good is of charity, and truth is of faith. 129. And thy faith and endurance, signifies the truth, and the study to procure it for themselves and to teach it. That " faith " signifies truth, may be seen above (n. 111) : and that "endurance" then signifies the study and labor of procuring and teaching it, follows as a conse- quence. 130. And the last more than the first, signifies the increase of them from spiritual affection for truth, which is charity. By " the last works being more than the first " are meant all the things of their charity and faith, for these are the interiors from which are works (n. 73, 76, 94). These increase, when charity is in the first place, and faith in the second. For charity is the spiritual affection for doing good, and from it is the spiritual affection for knowing truth ; for good loves truth, as food loves drink ; for it wishes to be nourished, and it is nourished by truths. Hence it is that to those who are in genuine charity the increase of truth is continual. These, therefore, are the things which are signified by / know thy works, and the last more than the first. 131. But I have a few things against thee, signifies that these things which follow may be a stumbling-block to No. 132.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 49 them. For it now goes on to treat of faith separated from charity, which to those who are in faith from charity may- be a stumbling-block. 132. That thou permittest the woman Jezebel, signifies that in the church among them are those that separate faith from charity, and make it alone saving. That faith separated from charity is meant by "the woma.i Jeze- bel," is manifest from the things that now follow, when they are unfolded in series by means of the spiritual sense, and are compared with that faith. For the evil deeds of Jezebel the wife of Ahab were these : That she went and served Baal, and erected an altar to him in Samaria, and made a grove (1 Kings xvi. 31-33). That she killed the prophets of Jehovah (1 Kings xviii. 4, 13). That she wished to kill Elijah (xix. 1, 2). That through deceit by substituting false witnesses she took away NabotWs vineyard, and killed him (xxi. 6, 7, &c.) That on account of these evil deeds it was foretold to her by Elijah that the dogs should eat her (xxi. 23). That she was cast down out of the window where she stood painted, and that the wall was sprinkled with her blood, and also the horses which trampled upon her (2 Kings ix. 30-33). Since all the historical as well as the prophetical parts of the Word signify the spiritual things of the church, so also do these. That they signify faith separated from charity is evident from the spiritual sense, and from a comparison of them in that sense : for by going and serving Baal, and erecting an altar to him, and making a grove, is signified to serve lusts of every kind, or what is the same, the devil ; not thinking of any evil lust, nor of any sin ; as those do who have no doctrine of charity and life, but of faith only. By killing the prophets is signified to destroy the truths of doctrine in the Word. By wishing to kill Elijah is signified to wish the same to the Word itself. By taking away his vineyard from Naboth, and killing him, is signi- fied to destroy the church itself; for a vineyard is the I50 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II church. By the dogs which ate her are signified lusts. By her being cast down out of the window, by her blood being sprinkled upon the wall, and by her being trampled by the horses, is signified their destruction ; for each one of those things signifies, — the window, truth in the light ; the blood, falsity ; the wall, truth in the ultimates ; a horse, the understanding of the Word. It may hence be con- cluded, that when these things are compared with faith separated from charity they coincide ; as may be further evident from what follows in the Apocalypse, where that faith is treated of. 133. That calleth herself a prophetess, signifies, and who make it the very doctrine of the church, and found all Theology upon it. That the doctrine of the church is signified by a prophet, in the Word, may be seen above (n. 8) ; the same therefore by a prophetess. It is known that in the Reformed Christian Church faith alone has been accepted as the only means of salvation, and that hence the works of charity have been separated from faith as not saving. Hence it is, that at this day the universal doctrine of man's salvation, which is called Theology, is that faith, consequently the woman Jezebel. 134. To teach and seduce my servants to commit whore- dom, signifies, from which it results that the truths of the Word are falsified. By " teaching and seducing the Lord's servants," is meant to do so to those who are able and willing to be instructed in truths out of the Word. That they who are in truths are called " the servants of the Lord," maybe seen above (n. 3, 128). And by commit ting whoredom is signified to adulterate and falsify the Word. This is signified by committing whoredom because there is a marriage of good and truth in each thing of the Word, and this marriage is broken when good is separated and taken away from truth. That in every thing of the Word there is a marriage of the Lord and the church, and thence a marriage of good and truth may be seen No. 134.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 151 in the "Doctrine of the NeM Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 80-90). It is from this that to adulterate the goods and to falsify the truths of the Word are signified by committing whoredom ; and because this is spiritual whoredom, those therefore who from their own reason have falsified the Word do also become whore- mongers, when they come into the spiritual world after death : and what has hitherto lain concealed before the whole world is, that they who have confirmed faith alone, to the exclusion of the works of charity, are in the lust of the adultery of a son with his mother. That they are in the lust of an adultery so unutterably impious has been very often perceived in the spiritual world. Remember this, and inquire after death, and you will be confirmed. This I have not before ventured to reveal, because it of- fends the ears. This adultery is signified by the adultery of Reuben with Bilhah, his father's concubine (Gen. xxxv. 22) j for by Reuben that faith is signified : on which ac- count he was cursed by Israel his father, and afterwards his birthright was taken away from him. For his father Israel, prophesying concerning his sons, said of Reuben, Reuben my first-born, thou art my strength, ci?id the begin- ning of my powers t unstable as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up upon thy father's bed ; then thou didst prof ane ; he went up upon my couch (Gen. xlix. 3, 4). His birthright was therefore taken from him : Reuben was the first-bom of Israel ; but because he polluted the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph (1 Chron. v. 1). That by Reuben was represented truth from good, or faith from charity, and afterwards truth sep- arated from good, or faith separated from charity, will be seen in the explanation of chap. vii. vers. 5. That by " whoredoms " in the Word the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth are signified, may be evident from these passages : When Joram saw jfehu, he said, Is it peace, JeJiu ? who said, What is peace, as long as the '52 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Hi whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her enchantments are so many? (2 Kings ix. 22). By "the whoredoms of Jeze- bel " are not meant any whoredoms, but her deeds, men • tioned above (n. 132). Your so?is shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and shall carry their whoredoms (Num. xiv. 33). I will cut off the soul that looketh back to pythons and soothsayers to go a whoring after them (Lev. xx. 6). A covenant is not to be made with the inhabitants of the land, lest they go a whori?ig after their gods (Ex. xxxiv. 16). Jerusalem, thou didst trust in thy beauty, and didst commit whoredo?n on account of thy fame ; so that thou pour- tdst out thy whoredoms upon every o?ie that passed by i thou didst co?nmit whoredom with the sons of Egypt thy neighbors great in flesh, and thou multipliedst thy whoredom : thou didst commit whoredom with the sons of Ashur, when thou wast insatiable of those with whom thou didst commit whore- dom ; thou didst multiply thy whoredom even unto Chaldea. A woman an adulteress taketh strangers instead of her hus- dand. All give reward to their harlots ; but thou hast given rewards to all, that they may come to thee in a circuit in thy whoredoms. Wherefore, O harlot, hear the Word of Jeho- vah (Ez. xvi. 15, 16, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35, &c). Jerusalem here is the Israelitish and Jewish church : by her whore- doms are meant the adulterations and falsifications of the Word : and since by Egypt in the Word the knowledge of the natural man is signified, by Ashur the reasoning there- from, by Chaldea the profanation of truth, and by Babel the profanation of good, it is therefore said that she com- mitted whoredom with them. Two wo?nen, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt ; they commit- ted whoredom in their youth. The one com?7iitted whoredom when she was mine, and doted upon her lovers the Assyrians her neighbors ; she gave her whoredoms with them ; but yet she did ?iot desert her whoredoms in Egypt. The other cor- rupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms above the whoredoms of her sister ; she added to her whoredoms, shi No. 134.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 153 loved the Chaldeans : the sons of Babel came unto her to the bed of loves ; and polluted her by their whoredom (Ez. xxiii. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, 16, 17, &c). "The two daughters of the same mother" are also the Israelitish and Jewish Church, whose adulterations and falsifications of the Word are described here, as above, by "whoredoms." So too, in these places : Thou hast co?nmitted whoredoni with many companions , thou hast profaned the land with thy whore doms and thy wickedness. Hast thou seen what backsliding Israel hath done ? she hath gone away upon every high moun- tain and committed ivhoredom : her perfidious sister Judah also hath gone away and committed whoredom, so that by the %voice of her whoredom she hath profaned the lafid : she hath committed adultery with stone and wood (Jer. iii. 1-9). And again : Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and seek if ye may fi?id a man (vir) who is doing judgment and seeking the truth : when I satisfied them, they committed whoredom, and came in a crowd into the house of the harlot (Jer. v. 1, 7). / have seen thy adulteries, thy neighings, the wickedness of thy whoredo?n, thy abominations upon the hills in the field : woe unto thee, O Jerusalem, wilt thou no* be cleansed ? (Jer. xiii. 27). In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible stubbornness, in committing adultery and walking in lies (Jer. xxiii. 14). They did foolishness in Israel ; they committed whoredom, and spoke ?ny Word vi -my name with lying (Jer. xxix. 23). They sinned against ms ; 1 / will turn their glory into disgrace ; they committed whore- dom because they have forsaken Jehovah : whoredom hath taken possession of their heart: your daughters commit whoredo?n, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery (Hos. iv. 7, 10, 1 1, 13). / know Ephraim, that he hath altogether comr?iitted whoredom, and Israel is polluted (Hos. v. 3). / have seen a foul thing i?i the house of Israel ; Ephraim hath committed whorcdo?7i there, and Israel is polluted (Hos. vi. 10). Israel here is the church, and Ephraim is the under- standing of the Word, from which and according to which *54 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II the church is ; and it is therefore said, " Ephraim hath committed whoredom, and Israel is polluted." Since the church had falsified the Word, it was commanded the prophet Hosea that he should take to himself a harlot for a wife, saying, Take to thee a woman of whoredoms and chil- dren of whoredoms, because the land by committing whoredom committeth whoredom from Jehovah (Hos. i. 2) : and again, Love a woman beloved by her companion, and an adulteress (Hos. iii. 1). Since the Jewish church was of such a char- acter, the Jewish nation was therefore called by the Lord an adulterous generation (Matt. xii. 39 ; xvi. 4 5 Mark viii. 38) : and in Isaiah, the seed of the adulterer (lvii. 3) : and in Nahum, Woe to the city of bloods, wholly in a lie; a multi- tude of them that are pierced above the multitude of the whoredoms of the whore, that selleth nations by her whore- doms (iii. 1, 3, 4). Since Babylon adulterates and falsifies the Word more than the others in the Christian world, she is therefore called " the great harlot ; " and these things are said of her in the Apocalypse : Babylon hath made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom (xiv. 8). Babylon hath made all the natio?is to drink of the wine of the fury of her whoredom, atid the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her (xviii. 3). The angel said, / will show thee the judgment of the great harlot, with whom the kings of the earth have committed whore- dom (xvii. 1, 2). He hath judged the great harlot, who hath corrupted the earth with her whoredom (xix. 2). It is now clearly manifest from these things, that to commit adultery and whoredom signify to adulterate and falsify the goods and truths of the Word. 135. And to eat things sacrificed to idols. That it signifies the defilement of worship thence, and profanations, is man- ifest from the explanations above (n. 114); for they who adulterate goods appropriate to themselves things unclean, and defile and profane worship by them. 136. And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and No. 137.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 155 she repented, not, signifies that they who have confirmed themselves in that doctrine do not recede, although they see things contrary to it in the Word. By receding from whoredom is here signified to recede from falsifying the Word. That they see things contrary to their doctrine is manifest from a thousand places in the WTord, where it is said that evils are to be shunned, and goods to be done ; also that they who do goods come into heaven, and they who do evils into hell; as also that faith without works is dead and diabolical. But it is asked, " What of the Word have they falsified ? " or, " WThere have they committed whoredom spiritually with the Word ? " The answer is, that they have falsified the whole Word, for the whole Word is nothing but the doctrine of love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor ; for the Lord says, that on the com- viandments 7'cspecting these two loves hang- the Law and the Prophets (Matt xxii. 40). There is also a doctrine of faith in the Word \ but not of such a faith, but of the faith of love. 137. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and the?n that commit adultery with her into great affliction, signifies that' thus they will be left in their doctrine with the falsifica- tions, and that they will be grievously infested by falsities. That doctrine is signified by " a bed," will be seen pres- ently. That by " them that commit adultery " the falsifi- cations of truth are signified, may be seen above (n. 134, 136) ; and that by affliction is signified infestation from falsities (n. 33, 95, 101) ; hence by "great affliction" griev- ous infestation. That a bed signifies doctrine is from cor- respondence ; for as the body reclines in its bed, so does the mind in its doctrine. But by a bed is signified the doctrine which any one procures to himself either from the Word or from his own intelligence ; for in it his mind rests, and as it were sleeps. The beds in which they lie in the spiritual world are from no other origin. Every one there has a bed according to the quality of his knowledge THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II and intelligence ; there are magnificent for the wise, mean for the unwise, and filthy for falsifiers. This is signified by a bed in Luke ; I say unto yon, in that night there shall be two in one bed ; the one shall be taken, and the other left (xvii. 34). This is concerning the last judgment. The two in one bed are two in one doctrine, but not in similar life. In John : Jesus said to the sick ma?i, Arise, take tip thy bed, and walk : and he took up his bed% and walked (v. 8-12): and in Mark: Jesus said to the palsied, Son, thy si?ts are forgiven thee : and He said to the scribes, Which is the easier, to say, Thy sins are forgive?! thee, or to say, Take up thy bed, and walk ? The?i said He, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk : and he took ip his bed, and went forth from them (ii. 5, 9, 11, 12): That something is here signified by " the bed " is manifest j because Jesus said, Which is the easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Take up thy bed, and walk ? By carrying the bed, and walking, is signified to meditate on doctrine ; it is thus understood in heaven. Doctrine is also signified by a bed in Amos : As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion, so shall the sons of Israel be taken out, that dwell in Samaria, in the comer of a bed, in the extremity of a couch (iii. 12). "In the corner of a bed " and " in the extremity of a couch " means more remotely from the truths and goods of doctrine. By a bed and a couch, and by a bed-chamber, the like is signified elsewhere; as in Isaiah xxviii. 20; lvii. 2, 7, 8 ; Ez. xxiii. 41 ; Am. vi. 4 ; Mic. ii. 1 ; Ps. iv. 4 ; xxxvi. 4 ; xli. 3 j Job vii. 13 ; Lev. xv. 4, 5. Since by Jacob in the p;ophecies of the Word the church as to doctrine is signi- fied, it is therefore said of him, that he bowed himself down upon the head of the bed (Gen. xlvii. 31). That when Joseph came, he sat upon the bed (Gen. xlviii. 2). That he gathered up his feet upon the bed, and expired (Gen. xlix. 33). Since the doctrine of the church is signified by Jacob, therefore several times, when I have thought of Jacob, there has appeared to me, above, in front, a man lying on a bed No. 140.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 157 138. Except she repent of her works: That it signifies, if they are not willing to desist from separating faith from charity, and from falsifying the Word, may be evident without further explanation. 139. And her sons I will kill with death, signifies that all the truths from the Word with them will be turned into falsities. By sons in the Word truths are signified, and in the opposite sense falsities; and therefore "to kill sons " signifies to turn truths into falsities, for so they perish. By " the slain " and " the pierced of Jehovah " nothing else is meant. By killing her sons with death is also signified to condemn their falsities. The reason that sons signify truths, and in the opposite sense falsities, is because by generations in the spiritual sense of the Word spiritual generations are meant, and the like by consan- guinities and affinities ; consequently by their names, as by father, mother, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, sons- in-law, daughters-in-law, and the rest. From spiritual gen- eration no other sons and daughters are born but truths and goods ; see below (n. 542, 543). 140. That all the churches may know that I am He that searchcth the reins and hearts, signifies that the church may know that the Lord sees what truth and what good every one has. By " the seven churches " the church universal is signified, as before ; and by searching the reins and hearts is signified to see all the things which a man be- lieves and which he loves, consequently what kind of truth and what kind of good he has. It is from correspondence that this is signified by searching the reins and hearts ; for the Word in the sense of the letter consists of nothing but correspondences. The correspondence is from this, that as the reins purify the blood from the impurities which are called urinous, and the heart purifies it from t he unclean things which are called foul, so the truth of faith purifies a man from falsities, and the good of love from evils. It is hence that the ancients placed love and 1 58 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. its affections in the heart, and intelligence and its per- ceptions in the reins ; as may be evident from these pas- sages in the Word : Behold, thou desirest the truth in the reins, and makest wisdom known to me in secret (Ps. li. 6). Thou possessest my reins ; my bone was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret (Ps. cxxxix. 13, 15). My heart is grieved, and I incite myself in my reins ; but I am stupid and do not know (Ps. lxxiii. 21, 22). / Jehovah am He that searcheth the heart, and that trieth the reins, and giveth to every one. after his ways (Jer. xvii. 10). Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins : O Jehovah, thou wilt see me, and wilt try my heart (Jer. xii. 2, 3). Jehovah is a judge of justice, trying the rei?is a7id the heart (Jer. xi. 20 ; xx. 12). Confirm the just, for it is thou that try est the hearts a?id the rei?is ; a just God (Ps. vii. 9). Prove me, O Jehovah, and try me; explore my reins and my heart (Ps. xxvi. 2). By the reins in these places are signified the truths of intelligence and faith, and by the heart the good of love and charity. That the heart signifies the love and its affections may be seen in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom" (n. 371-393). 141. And I will give to every one accordifig to his works, signifies that He gives to each one according to the charity and its faith which are in his works. That works are the containers of charity and faith, and that charity and faith without works are only as airy images, which, after they have appeared, vanish away, may be seen above (n. 76). 142. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine : That it signifies to those with whom is the doctrine of faith separated from charity, and with whom is the doctrine of faith conjoined to charity, is manifest from what is said above, and so without expla- nation. 143. And who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, signifies, who do not understand their interiors, A'hich are nothing but falsities. That by Satan is meant No. 146.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 159 the hell of them that are in falsities, and abstractly falsities, may be seen above (n. 97). Hence by " the depths " of it are signified the interiors of the doctrine of faith separated from charity, which are nothing but falsities. The depths and interiors of that doctrine are the things which are put forth in their books, and in the lectures in the universities, and thence in the preachings. Of what quality these are, may be seen in the things prefixed to chap, i., where their doctrinal tenets are adduced, — in particular those " Con- cerning Justification by Faith, a?id concerning Good Works;" where it may be seen stated, that only the clergy are ac- quainted with the arcana of that doctrine, but not the laity; on which account the latter are chiefly meant by those who have not known the depths. 144. / put upofi you no other burden, signifies only that they should guard against them. The reason is, that they confirm their falsities by reasonings from the natural man, and by a few things from the Word, which they falsify ; for by the latter they are able to seduce. They are like serpents in the grass, which bite them that are passing by, or like hidden poisons, which destroy them that are unaware. 145. But that which ye have, hold fast till I come, signifies that the few things which they know from the Word con- cerning charity and faith thence, they should retain, and live according to them, until the New Heaven and the New Church are formed, which are the coming of the Lord. For these, and no others, receive the things which the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem teaches concerning the Lord and concerning charity. 146. And he that overcometh, a7id keepeth my works unto the end, signifies those who fight against evils and falsities and are reformed, and are actually in charity and thence in faith, and remain in them until the end of life. That to overcome is to fight against evils and falsities, may be seen above (n. 88) \ and that works are charity and the faith thence in act (n. 76, 141). That to keep them unto l6o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II the end is to be in them, and to remain in them even to the end of life, is manifest 147. To him will I give power over the nations, signifies that they shall overcome in themselves the evils which are from hell. That by "nations" in the Word are meant they who are in good, and in the opposite sense those that are in evil, and thus abstractly goods and evils, may be seen below (n. 483). By "giving power over the nations" is therefore signified here to give them to conquer in them- selves the evils from hell. 148. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, signifies by truths from the literal sense of the Word, and at the same time by rational principles from natural light (lumen). The reason why these things are signified by a rod or staff of iron, is that by a rod or staff in the Word power is sig- nified, and by iron is signified natural truth, consequently the natural sense of the Word, and at the same time the natural light (lume?i) of man. In these two the power of truth consists. That the Divine Truth is in its power in the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem respecting the Sacred Scripture" (n. 37-49); for the reason that the sense of the letter is the basis, the container, and the support of its spiritual sense (n. 27-36). And that all power is in the ultimates, which are called things natural, may be seen in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine W7isdom " (n. 205-221) ; con- sequently in the natural sense of the letter of the Word, and in man's natural light (lumen). These, therefore, are " the iron rod " with which he shall govern the nations, that is, shall overcome the evils which are from hell. Similar things are signified by a rod in these passages : Thou shall break in pieces the nations with a rod of iron, as a potter's vessel thou shall disperse the?n (Ps. ii. 9). The wonian brought forth a man-child, that was to govern all •nations with a rod of iron (Apoc. xii. 5). Out of the mouth No. 151.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. l6l of Him that sat upon the white horse proceeded a sharp sword, ,/hat with it He should s?nite the ?iations ; but He shall govern them with a rod of iron (Apoc. xix. 15). Jehovah shall smite the wicked with the rod of His mouth (Isa. xi. 4). 149. As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces, signifies as of little or no account It is said, "the vessels of a potter," because by them are signified the things which are of one's own intelligence, all of which are falsities, and in themselves of no account. So in David : Thou shalt break in pieces the nations with a rod of iron, thou shalt disperse them as a potter's vessel (Ps. ii. 9). 150. Even as I have received of my Father, signifies that they will have this from the Lord, who procured to Himself all power over the hells, while He was in the world, from His Divine which was in Himself. That the Lord, when He was in the world, by temptations admitted into Himself, and at length by the last of them, which was the passion of the cross, subjugated the hells, and glorified His Human, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem re- specting the Lord" (n. 29-36); also above (n. 67): from which it may be evident, that to receive from His Father means from the Divine which was in Him : for He said that the Father is in Him and He in the Father ; that the Father and He are one ; also, the Father who is in me ; and much more. 151. And I will give him the mor7iing star, signifies intel- ligence and wisdom then. That by stars the knowledges of good and truth are signified, may be seen above (n. 51) ; and because by means of them come intelligence and wisdom, these are therefore signified by "the morning star." It is said "the morning star," because intelligence and wisdom will be given to them by the Lord, when He shall come to institute the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem : for He says, What ye have hold fast until I come (vers. 25) ; by which is signified that they should retain the few truths which they know from the Word respecting 1 62 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. charity and its faith, and should live according to them, until the New Heaven and the New Church, which are the Lord's coming, are formed (n. 145). The reason of its being called "the morning star" is, that by morning-time or the morning the coming of the Lord is signified, when there is a New Church. That this is meant by morning in the Word, is manifest from the following passages : Until the evening and the morning two thousand three hwidred, then shall the Holy be justified : the vision of the evening and the morning, it is truth (Dan. viii. 14, 26). Crying unto me out of Seir, Watchman, watchman, what of the night 1 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night (Isa. xxi. 11, 12). By evening and night is signified the last time of an Old Church, and by morning the first time of a New Church. The end is co?ne, the morning is come upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth ; behold, the day is come, the morning hath gone forth (Ez. vii. 6, 7, 10). Jehovah in the morning, in the morning He will give His judgment unto the light, nor will He fail (Zeph. iii. 5). God is in the midst of her, God shall help her when the morning appeareth (Ps. xlvi. 5). / have waited for Jehovah, my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning, that watch for the morning, because with Him is plenteous redemption, and He will redeem Israel (Ps. cxxx. 5-8 : and elsewhere). By morning in these places is meant the coming of the Lord, when He came into the world, and established a New Church ; in like manner now. And because the Lord alone gives intelligence and wisdom to them who will be of His New Church, and all things which the Lord gives are Himself, because they are His, the Lord therefore says that He is "the morning star : " I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morni?tg star (Apoc. xxii. 16). He is also called " the morning " in 2 Samuel : The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake unto me, He is as the light of the morn' ing, a morning without clouds (xxiii. 3, 4). 152. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit No. 153] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 63 saith unto the churches, signifies that he who understands should obey the things which the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, as above (n. 87). 153. To this I will add something Memorable concerning the lot of those after death, who have, both in doctrine and in life, confirmed themselves in faith alone even to justifi- cation. I. When they are dead, and revive as to the spirit, which generally happens on the third day after the heart has ceased to beat, they appear to themselves to be in a body like that in which they before were in the world, so much so that they know no otherwise than that they are living in the former world. Yet they are not in a material body, but in a spiritual body, which, to their senses, which are also spiritual, appears as if material, although it is not. II. After some days they see that they are in a world where there are various societies instituted, which world is called " the World of Spirits," and is midway between heaven and hell. All the societies there, which are innumerable, are wonderfully arranged, according to the natural affections, good and evil. The societies arranged according to the good natural affections communicate with heaven, and the societies arranged according to the evil affections commu- nicate with hell. III. The novitiate spirit, or the spiritual man, is conducted and transferred into various societies, as well good as evil, and is explored whether he is affected by truths, and how ; or whether he is affected by falsities, and how. IV. If he is affected by truths, he is led away from the evil societies, and is led into good societies, and also into various ones, until he comes into a society corresponding with his natural affection ; and he there enjoys the good that agrees with that affection : and this until he puts off his natural affection, and puts on a spiritual one ; and he 164 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II. is then taken up into heaven. But this takes place with those who have lived a life of charity, and thus a life of faith also, in the world ; which is, that they believed in the Lord, and shunned evils as sins. V. But they who have in doctrine and in life confirmed themselves in faith even to justification by it alone, since they are not affected by truths, but by falsities, and since they have rejected from the means of salvation the goods of charity, which are good works, are led away from the good societies, and are. led into the evil societies, and into various ones also, until they come into a society corresponding to the concupiscences of their love : for he who loves falsities cannot do otherwise than love evils. VI. But because they had in the world feigned good affections in externals, although in their inter- nals there were nothing but evil affections, or concupiscences, they are at first kept by turns in their externals : and they who had in the world presided over large bodies, are set over societies here and there in the World of Spirits, large or small, according to the extent of the offices which they had filled. But because they do not love the truth, nor justice, nor can be so far enlightened as to know what truth and justice are, they are therefore, after some days, deposed. I have seen such ones transferred from one society to another, and an administration given to them everywhere, but after a short time as often deposed. VII. After frequent dismissions, some from weariness do noi" wish, and some from fear of the loss of reputation do not dare, to seek for offices any more ; on which account they withdraw, and sit sad : and they are then led away into a desert, where there are huts, which they enter ; and there some work is given them to do : and as they do it, they receive food; and if they do not do it, they are hungry, and receive none ; on which account necessity compels them. The food there is similar to the food in our world ; but it is from a spiritual origin, and is given from heaven by the Lord to all, according to the uses which they do : No. 153.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 65 to the idle, because they are useless, none is given. VIII. After some time they are disgusted with work, and then they go out of the huts ; and if they were priests, they wish to build. And forthwith there then appear piles of hewn stones, bricks, beams and boards of wood, also heaps of reeds and rushes, of clay, lime, and bitumen. When they see these, the lust of building is kindled ; and they begin to construct a house, taking now a stone, now a timber, now a reed, now mud, and put one upon another without order, but in their view with order. But what they build up during the day falls down in the night ; and on the following day they gather from the rubbish the things that had fallen, and build again : and this continues, until they get tired of building. This takes place because they had heaped together falsities to confirm salvation by faith alone, and those falsities build up the church in no other manner. IX. Afterwards from weariness they go away and sit solitary and idle ; and because food is not given from heaven to the idle, as was said, they begin to be hungry, and to think of nothing else but how they are to get food, and to appease their hunger. When they are in this state, there come to them certain ones, of whom they ask alms ; and they say, " Why do ye sit thus idle ? come with us into our houses, and we will give you work to do, and will feed you." And then they rise up gladly, and go away with them into their houses ; and there to each one is given his work, and for the work food is given. But because all those who have confirmed themselves in falsities of faith cannot do works of good use, but of evil use ; nor these faithfully, but only so as to appear, for the sake of honor or gain ; therefore they leave their work, and only love to be in company, to talk, to walk about, and to sleep. And then, because they can no longer be induced by the masters to go to work, they are therefore cast out as useless. X. When they are cast out, their eyes are opened, and they see a way leading to a certain cavern. When they come thither, a door is 1 66 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. II opened, and they enter, and ask whether there is food there ; and when it is answered that there is, they request to be permitted to remain there ; and it is said that they may ; and they are introduced, and the door is shut after them. And then the overseer of that cavern comes, and says to them, " You can go out no more ; behold your companions : they all labor ; and as they labor, food is given them from heaven. I tell you this, that ye may know." And their companions also say, " Our overseer knows what work each one is fitted for, and allots such to every one daily. On the day in which you finish it, food is given you ; and if not, food is not given, nor clothing. And if any one does evil to another, he is cast into a corner of the cavern, upon a kind of bed of cursed dust, where he is miserably tortured ; and this until the overseer sees signs of repentance in him, and he is then let out, and is commanded to do his work." And it is also told them, that every one, after his work, is permitted to walk about, to converse, and afterwards to sleep. And they are led farther inward into the cavern, where there are harlots ; from whom each one is permitted to take some one for his woman, and is forbidden under penalty to commit whoredom promiscuously. Of such cav- erns, which are nothing but eternal workhouses, the entire hell consists. It has been given me to enter into some of them, and to see, to the end that I might make it known ; and they were all seen to be vile, nor did any one know who and in what function he had been in the world. But the angel who was with me, told me that this one in the world was a domestic, this a soldier, this an officer, this a priest, this in dignity, this in opulence ; and yet they all knew no otherwise than that they had been slaves and comrades as now. This was for the reason that they had been similar interiorly, although dissimilar exteriorly ; and the interiors consociate all in the spiritual world. Such is the lot of those who have set aside the life of charity, and hence have not lived it in the world. No. 153.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 67 As regards the hells in general, they consist of nothing but such caverns and workhouses, but those of the satans differ from those of the devils. The satans are they who were in falsities and thence in evils, and the devils are they who were in evils and thence in falsities. The satans appear in the light of heaven like corpses, and some black like mummies ; and the devils in the light of heaven appear dark and fiery, and some coal-black, like soot: yet all, as to their faces and bodies, appear as monsters ; but in their own light, which is like the light from burning coals, not as monsters, but as men. This is given them in order that they may associate together. 1 68 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. CHAPTER THIRD. 1. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write. These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works ; that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2. Be watchful, and strengthen the remaining things which are ready to die ; for I h^ve not found thy works full before God. 3. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and take heed and repent. If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief; and tbou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments ; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5. He that overcometh shall be clothed in white gar- ments : and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life ) and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 7. And unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write : These things saith He that is Holy, He that is True, He that hath the key of David ; that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth. 8. I know thy works : Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no one can shut it ; because thou hast a little power, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My name. 9. Behold, I will bring from the synagogue of Satan them that say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie j Chap. III.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 69 behold I will make them to come and worship at thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of My endurance, 1 wi' * also keep thee from the hour of temptation that will come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11. Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that thou hast, tint no one take thy crown. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall no more go out : and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God ; and My new name. 13. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodi- ceans write : These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the work of God. 15. I know thy works ; that thou art neither cold, nor hot. Would that thou wert cold, or hot. 16. So, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. 17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing ; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 18. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich ; and white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear j and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zeal- ous therefore, and repent. 20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any one hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me. vol. 1. 8 170 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. 21. To him that overcometh will I give to sit with Me on my throne ; as I also overcame, and sit with My Father on His throne. 22. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. Those in the Christian world are treated of, who are in dead wor- ship, which is without charity and faith j who are described by the church in Sardis (n. 1 54-1 71). Those who are in truths from good from the Lord ; who are described by the church in Philadelphia (n. 172-197). Those who alternately believe from themselves, and from the Word, and so profane holy things ; who are described by the church in Laodicea (n. 198-223). All of these likewise are called to the New Church of the Lord. The Contents of each Verse. " And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write," signifies to those and respecting those who are in dead worship, or in worship which is without the goods of charity and without the truths of faith. "These things saifh He that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars," signifies the Lord from whom are all truths and all knowledges of good and truth. " I know thy works," sig?iifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once. " That thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead," signifies that it seems to them and to others, and is believed by them and by others, that they are spiritually alive, when yet they are spiritually dead. " Be watchful," signifies that they should be in truths and in a life according to them. "And strengthen the remaining things which are ready to die," signifies in order that the things which are of their wor- Chap. III.l THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 171 ship may receive life. " For I have not found thy works full before God," sig?iifies that the interiors of their worship are not conjoined to the Lord. " Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard," signifies that they shouid reflect that all worship is natural in the beginning, and afterwards becomes spiritual by means of truths \ and much more besides. "And take heed and repent," signifies that they should attend to those things, and vivify their dead worship. " If therefore thou shalt not watch," signifies the same as above. " I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee," signifies that the things of worship will be taken away, and that they shall not know where and how. " Thou hast a few names even in Sardis," signifies that even among them there are those who have life in their worship. " Who have not denied their garments," signifies who are in truths, and have not defiled their worship by evils of life and the falsities thence. " And they shall walk with Me in white," signifies that they shall live with the Lord, because they are in truths from Him. " He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments," signifies that he who is reformed becomes spiritual. "And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life," signifies that he will be saved. " And I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels," signifies that they will be received who are in Divine Good and Divine Truths from the Lord. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies the same as before. "And unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write," signifies to those and respecting those who are in truths from good from the Lord. " These things saith He that is Holy, He that is True ; " signifies the Lord as to the Divine Truth. " He that hath the key of David, and that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth," signifies, Who alone has omnipotence to save. " I know thy works," signifies the same as above. " Behold, 172 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IIL I have set before thee an open door," signifies that to those who are in truths from good from the Lord heaven is open. " And no one can shut it," signifies that hell cannot prevail against them. " Because thou hast a little power," signifies because they know that they have no ability of themselves. " And hast kept my Word," signifies because they live ac- cording to the Lord's precepts in His Word. " And hast not denied my name," signifies that they are in the worship of the Lord. "And I will bring from the synagogue of Satan," signifies those who are in falsities as to doctrine. " Them that say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie," signifies who say that the church is with them, and yet it is not. " Behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet," signifies that many who are in falsities as to doctrine, will receive the truths of the New Church. "And to know that I have loved thee," sig?iifies that they will see that they are loved and received into heaven by the Lord. " Because thou hast kept the word of my endurance," sig- nifies because they have fought against evils. " I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation that will come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth," signifies that they will be protected and preserved at the day of the last judgment. " Behold, I come quickly," signifies the Lord's coming. " Hold fast that thou hast," signifies that they should remain firm meantime in their goods and truths. " That no one take thy crown," signi- fies lest their wisdom should perish, from which is eternal happiness. " He that overcometh," signifies those that stand fast in truths from good. " I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God," signifies that truths from good from the Lord sustain the church among those with whom they are. " And he shall no more go out," signifies that they will remain therein for ever. "And I will write upon him the name of my God," signifies that the Divine Truth will be written in their hearts. " And the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem," signifies that the doc- Chap. III.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 173 trine of the New Church will be written in their hearts. "Which cometh down out of heaven from my God," signi- fies which will be from the Lord's Divine Truth such as it is in heaven. " And my new name," signifies the worship of the Lord alone, with new things which were not in the former church. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies the same as before. "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans wiite," signifies to those and concerning those in the church, who believe sometimes from themselves and some- times from the Word, and so profane holy things. " These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness," sig- nifies the Lord as to the Word, which is the Divine Truth from Him. " The beginning of the work of God," signi- fies the Word. " I know thy works," signifies the same as before. "That thou art neither cold nor hot," signifies that they who are such sometimes deny that the Word is Divine and Holy, and sometimes acknowledge it. " Would that thou wert cold or hot," signifies that it is better that they should either deny from the heart the holy things of the Word and of the Church, or from the heart acknowl- edge them. " Therefore, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth," signifies profanation and separation from the Lord. " Be- cause thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods," signifies that they believe themselves to possess in all abundance the knowledges of good and truth, which are of heaven and the church. " And have need of nothing," signifies that they have no need to be more wise. " And knowest not that thou art wretched," signifies that all the things which they know about them do not cohere at all. " And miserable and poor," signifies that they are without truths and goods. " And blind and naked," signifies that they are without the understanding of truth and the will of good. " I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the 1 74 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap, lit fire, that thou mayest be rich," signifies admonition that they should procure to themselves the good of love from the Lord through the Word, that they may be wise. " And white garments, that thou mayest be clothed," signifies that they should procure to themselves the genuine truths of wisdom. " That the shame of thy nakedness do not appear," signifies lest the good of heavenly love should be profaned and adulterated. " And anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see," signifies that the understanding may be healed. "As many as I love. I rebuke and chasten," signifies that because they are then loved, they cannot but be let into temptations. " Be zeal- ous therefore, and repent," signifies that this should be done from affection for truth. " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock," signifies that the Lord is present to every one in the Word, and is earnest there to be received, and teaches how. " If any one hear my voice, and open the door," signifies, he who believes the Word, and lives according to it. " I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me," signifies that the Lord conjoins Himself to them and them to Himself. " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throne," signifies that they will have conjunction with the Lord in heaven. " As I overcame^ and sit with My Father on His throne," signifies as He and the Father are one, and are heaven. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies the same as before. THE EXPLANATION. 154. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write, signifies to those and respecting those who are in dead worship, or in worship which is without the goods of charity and without the truths of faith. That they who are in that worship are meant by the church in Sardis, iS No. 157.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 175 manifest from the things written to it when understood in the spiritual sense. By dead worship is meant worship alone, which is, to frequent churches, to hear the preachings, to come to the Holy Supper, to read the Word and books of piety, to speak of God, of heaven and hell, of the life after death, and especiaRy of piety, to pray morning and evening; and still not to desire to know the truths of faith, nor to wish to do the goods of charity, believing that they have salvation through worship alone ; whereas worship without truths, and without a life according to them, is only the external sign of charity and faith, within which there can lie hid evils and falsities of every kind, if charity and faith are not in it. Genuine worship is of these : or else worship is like the skin or outside of a fruit, within which there lies hid a rotten and worm-eaten pulp, which fruit is dead. That such worship is prevalent at this day is known. 155. These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, signifies the Lord from whom are all truths, and all knowledges of good and truth. That by " the seven spirits of God " is meant the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, or the Divine Verity, may be seen above (n. 14) ; and that by " the seven stars " are meant all the knowledges of good and truth from the Word (n. 5 1), from which is the church in heaven (n. 65). Those things are now said by the Lord, because dead worship and living worship are treated of j and worship has life from truths, and from a life according to them. 156. I know thy works, signifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once j as above (n. 76). 157. lliat thou hast a name that thou /ivest, and art dead, signifies that it seems to themselves and to others, and is believed by themselves and by others, that they are spirit- ually alive, when yet they are spiritually dead. By "having a name " is signified to seem and to be believed to be such ; here that they are alive, when yet they are dead. For 176 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Ill spiritual life, which properly is life, is not of worship alone, but is within in worship : within there must be Divine Truths from the Word ; and when the man lives them, there is life in the worship. The reason is, that the external derives its quality from the internals; and the internals of worship are the truths of life. These are they who are meant by these words of the Lord : Then shall ye begin to sta?id without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open unto us : but He, answering, shall say, I know you not whence ye are. And ye shall begin to say, We have eate?i before thee, and drank before thee; and thou hast taught in our streets : but I will say unto you, I know you not whence ye are ; depart from me, all ye zuorkers of iniquity (Luke xiii. 25-27). It has been given also to hear many in the spiritual world saying that they have very often come to the Holy Communion, and thus have eaten and drank the holy thing, and have as often been absolved from their sins ; that they listened every Sabbath-day to them that taught, and prayed devoutly morning and evening at home ; with other things : but when the interiors of their worship were laid open, they appeared full of iniquities, and infernal ; for which reason they were rejected. And when they said, "Whence is this ? " they received for answer, that they were not at all concerned about Divine truths ; and yet a life not according to Divine truths, is not life, such as they have in heaven : and they who are not in the life of heaven cannot endure the light of heaven, which is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord as the Sun there ; still less the heat of heaven, which is the Divine Love. But though they heard these things, and also understood them, still, when they were let back into themselves, and their worship, they said, " What need is there of truths?" and, "What are truths?" But because they were no longer able to receive truths, they were left to their lusts, which were within in their worship ; and these lusts at length rejected from themselves all worship of God. For the interiors accommodate to them No. 159.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 177 selves the exteriors, and reject the things which do not agree with themselves; for with all after death the exteiiors are brought into conformity to the interiors. 158. Be watchful, signifies, that they should be in truths, and in a life according to them. Nothing else is signified by watching in the Word. For he who learns truths, and lives according to them, is like him who is awaked out of sleep and becomes watchful. But he who is not in truths, but only in worship, is like him that is sleeping and dreaming. Natural life, viewed in itself, or without spiritual life, is noth- ing but a sleep ; but natural life in which there is spiritual life is watchfulness : and this is not procured in any other way than through truths ; which are in their light and in their day, when the man is in a life according to them. This is signified by watching in these places : Watch ye, because ye know not what hour the Lord will come (Matt. xxiv. 42). Blessed are the servants, whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching: be ye ready, because at an hour when ye think not, the Son of Man shall come (Luke xii. 37, 40). Watch ye, because ye know not when the Lord of the house shall come ; lest, coming suddenly, He find you sleeping: what L say unto you, L say unto all, Watch (Mark xiii. 35-37). The virgins, while the bridegroom tarried, slumbered and slept : and the five foolish ones came and said, Lord, open unto us : but the Lord shall answer, L know you not: Watch therefore, because ye know neither the day nor the hour i?i which the Son of Man will come (Matt. xxv. 1-13). Because the Lord's coming is called "the morning" (n. 151), and truths are then opened, and it becomes light, therefore that time is called the "beginning of the watches " (Lam. ii. 19) ; and the Lord is called the Watcher (Dan. iv. 13) : and it is said in Isaiah, Thy dead shall live ; awake, ye inhabitants of the dust (xxvi. 19). But that the state of the man who is not in truths is called a slumber and a sleep, may be seen (Jer. li. 39, 57 : Ps. xiii. 3 ; Ps. lxxvi. 6 j Luke viii. 23 ; and elsewhere). 159. And strengthen the remaining things which are readv 8* r78 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. to die, signifies, in order that the things which are of their worship may receive life, and not be extinguished. It shall be told how these things are to be understood. Dead worship is altogether similar to living worship in the external form, for they who are in truths do similar things ; for they hear preachings, go to the Holy Supper, pray upon their knees morning and evening, besides other things which are common and customary in worship : on which account they who are in dead worship have no further need but to learn truths and live them. In this manner the re- maining things which are ready to die are strengthened. 1 60. For I have not found thy works full before God, sig- nifies that the interiors of their worship are not conjoined to the Lord. That by " works " are meant the interiors and exteriors, and that by " I know thy works " is meant that the Lord sees all a man's interiors and exteriors at once, may be seen above (n. 76); which are called "full before God," when they are conjoined to the Lord. It is to be known, that dead worship, or worship only external, effects a presence of the Lord, but not conjunction ; but external worship in which the interiors are alive, effects both presence and conjunction. For the conjunction of the Lord is with those things in man which are from the Lord, which are truths from good ; and unless these are in the worship, the works are not full before God, but are empty. In the Word the man is called "empty" in whom there are nothing but falsities and evils; as in Matt. xii. 44, and elsewhere. Hence the man is called "full" in whom are truths and goods. 161. Re?nember therefore how thou hast received and heard, signifies, that it should be brought to their attention, that all worship is natural in its beginning, and afterwards becomes spiritual by truths from the Word and by a life according to them ; and more besides. These are the things which are meant by these words ; as also, that every one knows from the Word, from the doctrine of the churcfe No. i6t.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. I 79 from the Word, and from preachings, that truths are to be learned, and that by means of truths a man has faith, charity, and all the things of the church. That it is so has been abundantly shown in the " Heavenly Arcana," pub- lished at London : as that by means of truths comes faith (n- 4353) 4977? 7178, 10637): that by means of truths co>nes love towards the neighbor or charity (n. 4368. 7623, 761-4. S034). That by means of truths comes love to the Loid (n. 10143, 10153, 10310, 10578, 10645). That intel- ligence and wisdom come by truths (n. 3182, 3190, 33S7, 10064). That regeneration is effected by truths (n. 1555, 1904, 2046, 21S9, 9088, 9959. too2S\ That by truths there is power against evils and falsities, and against hell (n. 3091, 4015, 10485). That by truths there is purification from -evils and falsities (n. 2799, 5954, 7044, 7918, 10229, 10237). That the church exists by means of truths (n. 1798, 1799, 3963, 446S, 4672). That heaven exists by truths (n. 6690, 9832, 9931, 10303). That by truths comes the innocence of wisdom (n. 3183. 3494, 6013). That con- science is formed by means of truths (n. 1077, 2053, 9113X That by truths there is order (n. 3316, 3417, 3470, 4104. 5339, 5343, 6028, 10303). That by truths the angels have beaut}*, and men also as to the interiors which are of their spirit (n. 553, 3080, 4985, 5199V That by truths man is man (n. 3175, 3387, 8370, 10298). But yet all these things are by truths from good, and not by truths without good, and 1he good is from the Lord (n. 2434. 4070, 4736, 5147). That all good is from the Lord (n. 1614, 2016, 2904, 4151, 9981, 5147). But who thinks this? Is it not a matter of indifference at this day what truths one knows, provided he is in worship ? And because few search the Word with the end of learning and living the truths, nothing is known therefore concerning worship, whether it be dead or living ; and ye* according to the qualify of his worship man himself is dead or living. On -any other ground, what is the Word, and doctrine therefrom ? what the Sabbaths, and preachings? l8o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. also books of instruction? yea, otherwise, what is the church and religion ? It is known that all worship in the beginning is natural, and afterwards becomes spiritual by means of truths from the W ord and by a life according to them : for a man is born natural, but is trained to become civil and moral, and afterwards spiritual ; for thus he is reborn. The latter things, therefore, and the former, are signified by '•' Remember how thou hast received and heard." 162. And take heed and repe?it, signifies that they should attend to these things, and vivify their dead worship. That to take heed is to attend to the things which are meant by "Remember how thou hast received and heard," is manifest: and that to repent is to vivify the dead worship by truths from the Word and by a life according to them, follows therefrom. 163. If therefore thou shalt not watch: That it signifies, if they are not in truths and in a life according to them, is evident from the explanations above (n. 158). 164. / will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee, signifies that the things which are of worship will be taken away, and that they shall not know when and how. It is said that the Lord is to come as a thief, because from the man who is in dead worship the external good of worship is taken away. For there is something of good in dead worship, because they are thinking about God, and about eternal life. But still, good without its truths is not good, — only meritorious or hypocritical \ but evils and falsities take it away like a thief. This is done gradually in the world, and completely after death, and also without the man's knowing when and how. It is said that it is the Lord who will come as a thief, but in the spiritual sense it is meant that hell will take away and steal it. This is similar to that which is said in the Word, that God does evil to man, vastates him, revenges, is wrathful, leads into temptation ; whereas hell does these things : for it is so said on account of the appearance to No. 165.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 8 1 man. That the talent and pound to trade with will be taken away from a man if he gains nothing, may be seen in Matt, xxv. 26-30 j Luke xix. 24-26. To trade and to gain signify to procure truths and goods to one's self. Since the taking away of good and truth from them that are in dead worship is done as by a thief in darkness, this is therefore several times likened to a thief in the Word \ as in the following passages : Behold, I come as a thief; blessed is he that watcheth and kcepeth his garments, lest he walk naked (Apoc. xvi. 15). Watch, therefore ; for ye know not what hour your Lord will come: know this ; if the householder knew what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and not suffer his house to be broken through (Matt. xxiv. 42, 43). If thieves shall come unto thee, if destroyers by night, how wilt thou be cut off? will they not steal that they may have enough ? (Ob. vers. 5). They shall run about in the city, they shall run upon the wall, they shall go upon the houses, they shall enter through the windows as a thief (Joel ii. 9). They have done a lie, and the thief co?neth, and a troop spreadeth itself without (Hos. vii. 1). Lay not up treasures on earth, but in heaven ; where thieves do not come, nor steal (Matt. vi. 19, 20). That a man is to watch, and not to know the hoar in which the Lord comes, is for the end that the man may think and act as of himself, and thus in freedom according to his reason, unaffected by fear; for every one would have fear, if he knew : and that which a man does of himself in freedom remains to eternity, but what he does from fear does not remain. 165. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, signifies that even among them there are those who have life in their worship. By " a few names," are signified some who are of the quality now to be described ; for a name signifies the quality of any one. The reason is, because every one in the spiritual world is named according to his quality (n. 81). The qu d ry of those now treated of is, that they have life in their worshiu. 182 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. 1 66. Who have not defiled their garments, signifies who are m truths, and have not denied their worship by evils of life and the falsities thence. By "garments" in the Word are signified the truths which clothe good, and in the opposite sense, the falsities which clothe evil : for a man is either his good or his evil ; hence truths or falsities are his gar- ments. All angels and spirits appear clothed according to the truths of their good, or according to the falsities of their evil ; on which subject see the work on " Heaven and Hell," published at London (n. 177-182). From which it is manifest that by not defiling their garments is signified to be in truths, and not to defile worship by evils of life and the falsities thence. That garments in the Word signify truths, and in the opposite sense falsities, is manifest from these passages : Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion ; put on the garments of thy comeliness, O Jerusalem (Isa. lii. 1). O Jerusalem, I have clothed thee with needlework, I have shod thee with badgers'* skin, I have girded thee with fine-linen, and adorned thee with ornaments ; thou art arrayed in gold and silver, and thy garments are fine-linen, silk, and needlework, whence thou hast become exceedingly beautiful. But thou hast taken^ff thy garments , and hast adorned thy high-places with divers colors, that thou mightest commit whoredom upon them ; thou hast also take?i thy garments of needlework, and hast made images of a male, with which thou committedst whoredo?n (Ez. xvi. 10-18). The Jewish church is here described, — that to it were given truths, because the Word ; but that they falsified them : to com- mit whoredom is to falsify (n. 134). The king's daughter is all glorious within, and her clothing is of woven gold ; in needlework shall she be brought to the king (Ps. xlv. 13, 14). " The king's daughter " is the church as to affection for truth. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who arrayed you in doubledyed scarlet with delicacies, and put an or?iame?it of gold upon your garment (2 Sam. i. 24). This is said of Saul because by him as king the Divine Truth is signified No. 166] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. (r„ 20). / will visit tip on the princes and upon the king's sons, and upon all that are clothed i?i the garments of the stranger (Zeph. i; 8). The enemies shall put off thy garments from thee, and shall take away thy adornments (Ez. xxiii. 26). Joshua was clothed in polluted garments ^ and stood so before the angel ; who said, Remove ye the polluted garments from him, and clothe him in other garments (Zech. iii. 3-5). The king came in, and saw them that were recli?iing ; and he saw a man not clothed in a weddmg garme7it ; and he said unto him, Frie?id, how earnest thou in hither not having a wed- ding garment (Matt. xxii. 1 1-13). The " wedding garment " is Divine Truth from the Word. Beware of false-prophets, who C07ne unto you in sheep's clothing (Matt. vii. 15). No o?ie putteth a piece of a new garme?it upo?i an old garment ; otherwise the new re?ideth the old, and the piece from the new agreeth ?iot with the old (Luke v. 36, 37). Because "a gar- ment " signifies truth, the Lord therefore compares the truths of the former church, which were external, and repre- sentative of spiritual things, to a piece of an old garment ; and the truths of the new church, which were internal and spiritual, to a piece of a new garment. Upo?i the thrones were twe?ityfour elders sitting, clothed in white garments ( Apoc. iv. 4). They who 7i>ere standing before the thro?ie and before the Lamb, were arrayed i?i white robes : who washed their robes, and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb (Apoc. vii. 9, 13, 14). There were given to every one of those who were under the altar white robes (Apoc. vii n). The armies of Hi?n that sat upon the white horse follo-wed Him clothed in fine-linen white and clean (Apoc. xix. 14). Because angels signify Divine Truths, therefore the angels seen in the Lord's sepulchre appeared in garments white and shining (Matt, xxviii. 3 j Luke xxiv. 4). Because the Lord is the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, and truths are meant by garments, therefore when he was trans- figured, His face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light (Matt. xvii. 2) j and were white and glistet- 184 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Hi. ing (Luke ix. 29) ; and shining white as snow, such as no fuller up 07i earth could whiten (Mark ix. 3). Of the Ancient of Days, who also is the Lord, it is said that His garment was white as snow (Dan. vii. 9). And these things are said of the Lord besides : He hath anointed all thy garments with myrrh, and aloe, and cassia (Ps. xlv. 8). He washeth His garment in wine, and His clothing in the blood of grapes (Gen. xlix. 11). Who is this that cometh from Edom, sprinkled as to His garments from Bozrah ? this that is hon- orable in His apparel : wherefore art thou red as to thy gar- ment? thy garments are as of one that treadeth in the wi?ie-press : victory is sprinkled upon my garme?its ; and I have polluted all my raiment (Isa. lxiii. 1-3). This is also concerning the Lord : His garments here are the truths of the Word. He that sat upon the white horse, was clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His naine is called the Word of God (Apoc. xix. 13, 16). From the signification of gar- ments, it may be seen why the Lord's disciples laid their garments upon the ass and the colt, when the Lord entered mto Jerusalem ; and why the people then spread their garments in the way (Matt. xxi. 7-9 ; Mark xi. 7, 8 ; Luke xix. 35, 36) ; and what is signified by the soldiers dividing the Lord's gar- ments into four parts (John xix. 23, 24) ; and thus what is signified by these words in David : They parted my gar- ments, and upon my vestment they cast lots (Ps. xxii. 18). From the signification of garments it is also manifest why they rent their garments, when any one spoke against the Divine Truth of the Word (Isa. xxxvii. 1, and elsewhere) : also why they washed their garments, that themselves might be purified (Ex. xix. 14 ; Lev. xi. 25, 40 ; xiv. 8, 9 ; Num. xix. 11 to the end) : and why, on account of transgressions against Divine Truths, they put off their garments, and put on sackcloth (Isa. xv. 3 ; xxii. 12 ; xxxvii. 1, 2 ; Jer. iv. 8 ) vi. 26 ; xlviii. 37 ; xlix. 3 ; Lam. ii. 10; Ez. xxvii. 31 ; Amos viii. 10; Jonah iii. 5, 6, 8). He who knows what garments signify in general and in particular, cau No. 167.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1 85 know what the garments of Aaron and his sons signified : which were the Ephod, the Robe, the Checkered Under- coat, the Belt, the Breeches, the Mitre. Since light signifies the Divine Truth, and a garment the same, it is there- fore said in David, Jehovah covereth Himself with light as with a garment (Ps. civ. 2). 167. And they shall walk with me in white, signifies that they shall live with the Lord in His spiritual kingdom, because they are in truths from Him. This is the sense of these words, because " to walk " in the Word signifies to live, and " to walk with God " signifies to live from Him 5 and because " in white " signifies in truths. For white in the Word is predicated of truths, because it derives its origin from the sun's light ; and red is predi- cated of goods, because it derives its origin from the sun's fire : and black is predicated of falsities, because it draws its origin from the darkness of hell. They who are in truths from the Lord, since they are conjoined to Him, are called worthy j for all worthiness in the spiritual world is from, conjunction with the Lord. It is manifest from these things, that by " they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy," is signified that they shall live with the Lord, because they are in truths from Him. It is said that they shall live with the Lord in His spiritual king- dom, because the universal heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms, the heavenly (celestial) and the spiritual j and in the heavenly kingdom are they who are in the good of love from the Lord, and in the spiritual kingdom they who are in the truths of wisdom from the Lord ; and the latter are said to walk with the Lord in white : they are also clothed in white garments. That to walk signifies to live, and " to walk with God " to live with Him because from Him, is evident from these passages following : He Wtlked with Me in peace and rectitude (Mai. ii. 6). Thou hast delivered my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living (Ps. lvi. 13). David hath i86 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Ill kept my commandm.nts, and hath walked after me with his ivhole heart (i Kings xiv. 8). O Jehovah, remember that I have walked before thee in truth (Isa. xxxviii. 3). If ye will walk contrary to Me, and will not obey my voice, I also will 7valk contrary to you (Lev. xxvi. 23, 24, 27, 28). They would not walk in the ways of Jehovah (Isa. xlii. 24; Deut. xi. 22 ; xix. 9 ; xxvi. 17). All peoples walk in the name of their God, and we will walk in the name of Jehovah (Mic. iv. 5). Yet a littk while is the light with you ; walk while ye have the light ; believe in the light (John xii. 35, 36 ; viii. 12). The scribes asked, Why walk not thy disciples accord- ing to the tradition of the elders ? (Mark vii. 5). It is also said of Jehovah, — that " He walks " among them, that is, lives in them and with them. I will set my habitation i?i the midst of them, and will walk in the midst of you, and will be a God unto you (Lev. xxvi. 11, 12). From these passages it is manifest what is meant above by These things saith He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (Apoc. ii. 1). 168. He that overcometh shall be clothed in wMte gar- ments, signifies that he who is reformed becomes spiritual. That " he that overcometh " signifies he who is reformed, may be seen above (n. 88) ; and that to be clothed in white garments signifies to become spiritual by truths (n. 166, 167). All those who are in truths, and in a life according to them, become spiritual. 169. A?id I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, signifies that he will be saved. What a name is has been told before ; and what " the book of life " is, will be told below. That not to blot out his name out of the book of life means to be saved, is manifest to every one. 170. And I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels, signifies that they will be received who are in Divine Good and Divine Truths from the Lord, and thus who have the life of heaven in themselves. That to confess the name is to acknowledge the quality of No. 172.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 187 any one, or that he is of such a quality, is evident from the signification of a name; of which above (n. 81, 122). By the Father is meant the Divine Good, and by the angels are meant Divine Truths, both from the Lord. In the Word of the Evangelists the Father is very often men- tioned by the Lord, and everywhere is meant Jehovah, from Whom and in Whom He was, and Who was in Him, and in no wise any Divine separate from Him. That it is so, has been abundantly shown in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord," and also in the "Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence " (n. 262, 263). That the Lord Himself is the Father, may be seen (n. 21, 960). The Lord spoke of "the Father," because by "the Father" in the spiritual sense is signified good, and by "God the Father" the Divine Good of the Divine Love. The angels in no wise understand any thing else by the Father when that name is read in the Word, nor can they understand any thing else ; because no one in the heavens knows any one as his father, from whom they are said to be born, and whose sons and heirs they are called, but the Lord. This is meant by the Lord's words in Matt, xxiii. 9. It is manifest from this, that by confessing his name before the Father is signified that they will be received among those who are in Divine good from Him. That they who are in Divine truths from the Lord, and abstractly the Divine truths, are meant by the angels, is because the angels are the recipients of Divine good in the Divine truths which they have from the Lord. 171. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, signifies that he who understands should obey the things that the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem ; as above (n. 87). 172. And unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, signifies to those and respecting those who are in truths from good from the Lord. That these are meant i88 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. by "the church in Philadelphia," is manifest from the things written to it, when understood in the spiritual sense. 173. These things saith He that is Holy, He that is True, signifies the Lord as to the Divine Truth. That it is the Lord is manifest. That He that is Holy, He that is True, is the Lord as to the Divine Truth, is because the Lord is called Holy from His Divine Truth, and Just from I lis Divine Good. Hence it is that His proceeding Divine, which is the Divine Truth, is called the Holy Spirit ; and the Holy Spirit is here He that is Holy, He that is True. " Holy " is very often mentioned in the Word, and every- where with reference to Truth ; and because all truth, which is truth in itself, is from good, and from the Lord, it is that truth which is called holy : but good, from which the truth is, is called "Just." Hence it is, that the angels who are in the truths of wisdom, and are called spiritual, are said to be holy, and the angels who are in the good of love, and are called heavenly (celestial), are said to be just; and the same of men in the church. It is hence also, that the prophets and apostles are called holy ; for by prophets and apostles the truths of the doctrine of the church are signified. Hence also it is, that the Word is called Holy ; for the Wrord is the Divine Truth : also that the Law in the Ark in the Tabernacle was called " the Holy of Holies," and also "the Sanctuary." It is also from this that Jerusalem is called holy ; for by Jerusalem is signified the church which is in Divine truths. It is also from the same cause that the altar, the tabernacle, and the garments of Aaron and his sons, were called holy, after they had been anointed with oil ; for oil signifies the good of love, and this sanctifies : and every sanctified thing has reference to truth. That the Lord is alone Holy, because He is the Divine Truth itself, is manifest from these pas- sages : Who shall not glorify thy name, O Lord, because thou alone art Holy ? (Apoc. xv. 4). Thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel ; the God of the whole earth shall He be called (Isa. No. 174.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 189 liv. 5). Thus said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One (Isa. xlix. 7). As to our Redeemer, Jehovah Zabaoth is His name, the Holy One of Israel (Isa. xlvii. 4). Said Jehovah, your Redcenier, the Holy One of Israel (Isa. xliii. 14). In that day shall they lean upon Jehovah the Holy One of Israel in truth (Isa. x. 20). Besides other places, as Isa. i. 4; v. 19 ; xii. 6 ; xvii. 7 ; xxix. 19 j xxx. 11, 12 ; xli. 16 ; xlv. n, 15 ; xlviii. 17 j lv. 5 ; lx. 9 ; Jer. 1. 29 ; Dan. iv. 13, 23 ; Ps. lxxviii. 41. Since the Lord is the Holy Itself, the angel therefore said to Mary, the Holy Thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God (Luke i. 35). And the Lord said of Himself, Father, sanctify them in the Truth, thy Word is Truth : for them I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in the Truth (John xvii. 17, 19). It is manifest from these things, that the Truth, which is from the Lord, is Holiness Itself, because He alone is Holy ; of which the Lord says : When the Spirit of Truth shall come, He will lead you into all Truth : He shall not speak from Himself; He shall receive of Mine, and shall declare it unto you (John xvi. 13-15). The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, He shall teach you all things (John xiv. 26). That the Holy Spirit is the life of the Lord's Wisdom, and thus the Divine Truth, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord " (n. 5 1). From these things it may be evident, that He that is Holy, He that is True, is the Lord as to the Divine Truth. That "holy" relates to truth, and "just" to good, is manifest from the places in the Word where both are mentioned ; as from these : He that is just let him be justi fied still; he that is holy, let him be sanctified still (Apoc. xxii. 11). Just and true are thy ways, O King of the Saints (Apoc. xv. 3). To sen'e Him in holiness and in justice ( Luke i. 75). Herod feared John, knowing that he was a man (vir) just and holy (Mark vi. 20). Tine-linen is the justice of the saints (Apoc. xix. 8). 174. He that hath the key of David, and that openeth and 190 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. HI. no one shntteth, and shntteth and nc one openeth, signifies Who alone has omnipotence to save. By David is meant the Lord as to the Divine Truth ; by the key is signified the Lord's omnipotence over heaven and hell ; and by opening so that no one shuts, and shutting so that no one opens, is signified to lead forth out of hell and introduce into heaven, thus to save ; just as above (n. 62), where it is explained. That by David the Lord as to the Divine Truth is meant, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord" (n. 43, 44). The same as here by the key of David, is signified by the keys of Peter (Matt. xvi. 15-19); which may be seen explained below (n. 798) : as also by these words to all the disciples : Whatsoever things ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever things ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt, xviii. 18). For the twelve disciples represented all the things of the church as to its goods and truths, and Peter represented it as to truth ; and truths and goods save man, and thus the Lord alone from whom they are. The same is also meant by the key of David given to Eliakim, spoken of thus : I will give the do?ninion into his hand, that he may be as a father to the inhabitant of Jerusale?n and to the house of yudah ; and I will put the key of the house of David upon his shoulder, that he may open and none s/mt, and shut and none ope?i (Isa. xxii. 21, 22). He was over the king's house ; and by the king's house is signified the church as to Divine Truth. 175. I know thy works, signifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once ; as above (n. 76). 176. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, signifies that to them who are in truths from good from the Lord heaven is open. That by "an open door" admission is signified, is manifest. The reason why the door is said to be open to those who are from the church in Philadelphia, is because by that church those are meant who are in truths from good from the Lord, and to these the Lord opens heaven No. 176.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. But on this subject something not before known shall be told. The Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth (Matt, xxviii. 18) : they therefore who do not go directly to Him, do not see the way to heaven, and hence do not find the door; and if perchance they are allowed to approach it, it is shut, and is not opened to him that knocks. In the spiritual world there are actually ways which lead to heaven, and there are gates here and there ; and they who are led to heaven by the Lord, go the ways that tend thither, and enter through the gates. That there are ways there, may be seen in the work on " Heaven and Hell " (n. 479, 534, 590) ; and gates also (n. 429, 430, 583, 584). For all the tilings that are beheld in the heavens are correspondences ; hence also the ways and the gates : for ways correspond to and thence signify truths j and gates correspond to and signify entrance. Since the Lord alone leads man to heaven, and opens the door, He therefore calls Himself " the Way," and also " the Door ; " " the Way " in John : I am the Way, the Truth, and' the Life (xiv. 6) : and "the Door " in the same : / am the Door of the sheep ; by Me if any one enter in, he shall be saved (x. 7, 9). Since there are both ways and doors in the spiritual world, and angelic spirits actually go in the ways, and enter through the doors, when they enter into heaven, therefore doors, gates, and portals are often mentioned in the Word, and by them entrance is signified ; as in these places : Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; lift up, ye doors of the world ; that the King of glory may come in (Ps. xxiv. 7, 9). Open ye the gates, that the just nation that doeth truth may come in (Isa. xxvi. 2). The five prudent virgins went in to the ivcdding, and the door was shut : and the five foolish virgins came, and knocked ; but it was not opened (Matt. xxv. 10-12). Jesus said, Strive to enter in through the strait gate ; because many shall seek to e?itcr in, and s/mII not be able (Luke xiii. 24, 25 : besides other places). Since a door signifies entrance, and the New Jerusalem the church composed of those who are 192 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. in truths from good from the Lord, the New Jerusalem is therefore described also as to its gates, over which there were angels ; and it is said that they shall not be shut (Apoc. xxi. 12, 13, 25). 177. And no one can shut it, signifies that hell cannot prevail against it. For the Lord alone opens and shuts the doors to heaven j and the door which He opens is perpetually open to them who are in truths from good from the Lord, and is perpetually shut to those that are in falsities from evil. And since the Lord alone opens and shuts, it follows that hell cannot prevail against them. More may be seen above on this subject (n. 174). 178. Because thou hast a little power, signifies because they know that they have no ability of themselves. They who are in truths from good from the Lord, know that they have not any power against evils and falsities, and thus against hell, of themselves ; and they also know that they cannot do good from any power from themselves, and introduce themselves into heaven : but that the Lord has all power, and thus they from the Lord ; and that as far as they are ;n truths from good, so far they are in power from the Lord, which still appears to them as theirs. These, therefore, are the things which are meant by "because thou hast a little power." 179. And hast kept my Word : That it signifies because they live according to the Lord's precepts in His Word, is manifest without explanation. 180. And hast not denied my name, signifies that they are in the worship of the Lord. That the name of Jehovah or the Lord in the Word signifies all that by which He is worshipped, and thus all the doctrine of the church, and universally all of religion, may be seen above (n. 81) ; from which it is evident what is here signified by "thou hast not denied my name." 181. And I will bring from the synagogue of Satan : That it signifies those who are in falsities as to doctrine, may be seen above (n. 97). No. 185.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 1^3 182. Them that say they are yews, a?id are not, but do lie, signifies those that say that the church is with them, when yet there is no church with them. Those who are of the church are here meant by the Jews, because the church had been instituted among them, and therefore also by dieir Jerusalem the Church as to doctrine is still meant. But in particular by the Jews are meant they who are in the good of love, as above (n. 96), and thus also the church ; for the church is from the good of love. Yet that there was no church with those, is signified by " and are not, but do lie." 183. Behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet, signifies that those who are in falsities as to doctrine, provided they are not in falsities from evil, will receive the truths of the New Church, and acknowledge them. This is said of "them that are of the synagogue of Satan, and that say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie ; " by whom are meant they who are in falsities as to doctrine, yet still not in falsities from evil ; but in falsities as to doctrine, yet in good as to life. The latter, and not the former, receive and acknowledge truths, when they hear them. The reason is, that good loves truth, and truth from good rejects falsity. To receive and acknowledge truths is signified by " coming and worshipping at thy feet ; " not at theirs, but at the Lord's feet, from whom they have the truths from good : on which account the same is signified by these words in David : Worship Jehovah our God, worship at the footstool of His feet (Ps. xcix. 5). 184. And to know that I have loved thee, signifies that they will see that diose who are in truths from good are loved and received into heaven by the Lord. This follows in a series from the foregoing. 185. Because thou hast kept the word of my endurance, signifies because they have fought against evils, and then rejected falsities. That the spiritual combat, which is vol. 1. 9 194 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Ill called temptation, is signified by "the word of endurance," is manifest from what now follows : " I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation that will come : " for he who is tempted in the world, is not tempted after death. The spiritual combat which is temptation, is called " the word of the Lord's endurance " or patience, because the Lord fights for man in temptations, and fights by truths from His Word. 1 86. / also will keep thee from the hour of temptation that will come upon the whole world, to try them thaf dwell upon the earth, signifies that they will be protected and preserved at the day of the last judgment. That their protection and preservation at the day of the last judgment is meant by these words, may be seen- from the things which have been written and related concerning the Last Judgment in a separate small work, and afterwards in a " Continuation " concerning it: from which it is evident that they who passed through it were let into temptation, and were explored as to their quality • and that they who were interiorly evil were rejected, and they who were interiorly good were saved: and those were interiorly good who were in truths from good from the Lord. 187. Behold, I come quickly, signifies the Lord's coming, and then a New Church from these. The Lord said here, " Behold, I come quickly," because by the words just pre- ceding, the last judgment is meant ; and the last judgment is also called the Lord's coming, as in Matthew : The disciples said to Jesus, What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the co7isummatioii of the age ? (xxiv. 3). The consummation of the age is the last time of the church, when a last judgment takes place. That by the words, " Behold, I come quickly," is also meant a new church, is because after a last judgment the church is re-established by the Lord. That church is now the New Jerusalem, into which those are to come who are in truths from good from the Lord, to whom this saying is addressed. 188. Holdfast that thou hast: That it signifies that they No. 189.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 195 should remain firm meantime in their truths and in theii good, is evident without explanation. 189. That no one take thy crown, signifies lest their wis- dom should perish, from which is eternal happiness. Man has wisdom from no other source but good through truths from the Lord. That a man has wisdom through these is because the Lord conjoins Himself to the man, and the man to Himself, by them ; and the Lord is wisdom itself. On which account wisdom perishes with a man when he ceases to do the truths, that is, to live according to them : he then also ceases to love wisdom, consequently the Lord. By wisdom is meant wisdom in spiritual things. From this as a fountain is derived wisdom in other things, which is called intelligence ; and by means of this, knowledge, which is from the affection for knowing truths. That a crown signifies wisdom, is because wisdom holds the highest place with man, and so crowns him. Nor does a king's crown signify any thing else : for a king in the spiritual sense is the Divine Truth (n. 20) ; and from the Divine Truth is all wisdom. Wisdom is also signified by a crown in the following places : I will make the horn of David to bud, and upon Him shall His crow?i flourish (Ps. exxxii. 17, 18). Jehovah put ear-rings upon thine ears, and a crown of ornament up o)i thy head (Ez. xvi. 12). These things are said of Jerusalem, by which the church as to doctrine is signified ; and therefore the crown of ornament is wisdom from the Divine Truth or the Word. In that day shall Jehovah Zabaoth be for a crown of ornament, and for a dia- dem of comeliness to the remnant of His people (Isa. xxviii. 5). This is concerning the Lord, because it is said, " in that day." "The crown of ornament " which He shall be, is wisdom ; and " the diadem of comeliness " is intelligence. " The remnant of the people " are those with whom His church will be. The same is signified by crown and dia- dem in Isa. lxii. 1, 3 j also the same by the plate upon Aaron's mitre (Ex. xxviii. 36, 37) j which was also called a THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. coronet. Likewise in these passages : Say unto the king and unto the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down ; because the adornment of your head is come down, the crown of your comeliness (Jer. xiii. 18). The joy of our heart hath ceased, the crown of our head has fallen (Lam. v. 15, 16). He hath torn away my glory from me, a?id removed the crown of my head (Job xix. 9). Thou hast condc7nned the crown of th ine Anointed unto the earth (Ps. lxxxix. 39). In these places, by a crown is signified wisdom. 190. He that overco?neth : That it signifies those who stand fast in truths from good from the Lord, is manifest from the series, and so without explanation. 191. I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, signifies that truths from good from the Lord, among those with whom they are, sustain the • Lord's Church in heaven. By " a temple," the church is signified, and by " the temple of my God" the Lord's Church in heaven. Hence it is manifest that by " a pillar " is signified that which sustains the church and makes it firm, and this is the Divine Truth of the Word. In the highest sense, by a temple is signified the Lord as to His Divine Human, in particular as to His Divine Truth ; but in the representative sense the Lord's Church in heaven is signified by the temple, as also the Lord's Church in the world. That by the temple in the highest sense the Lord is signified as to His Divine Hu- man, and in particular as to His Divine Truth, is manifest from these passages : Jesus said to the Jews, Destroy thu temple, and in three days I will raise it up : He spake of the Temple of His Body (John ii. 19, 21). I saw no temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Almighty is the temple of it, and the Lamb (Apoc. xxi. 22). Behold, the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, and the angel of the covenant whom ye seek (Mai. iii. 1). / will bow myself down towards the temple of thy holiness (Ps. exxxviii. 2). / will look again unto the temple of thy holiness ; and my prayer came unto thee, unto the temple of thy holiness (Jonah ii. 4, 7). Jehovah No. 191.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 197 is in the temple of His holiness (Hab. ii. 20). " The temple of the holiness of Jehovah," or the Lord, is His Divine Human ; for the bowing, the looking, and the praying are to this, and not to the temple alone, for this is not holy in itself. It is called " the temple of holiness," because holiness is predicated of the Divine Truth (n. 173). By "the temple that sanctifies the gold " (Matt, xxiii. 16, 17), nothing else is meant but the Lord's Divine Human. That by the tem- ple in the representative sense the Lord's Church in heaven is signified, is manifest from these passages : The voice of Jehovah out of the temple (Isa. lxvi. 6). A great voice came forth out of the te?nple of heaven (Apoc. xvi. 1 7). The te??iple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in the temple the ark of His covenant (Apoc. xi. 19). The temple of the tabernacle of the testimo?iy in heaven was opened ; and the seven angels went forth out of the te?nple ; a?id the te?nple was filed with smoke from the glory of God (Apoc. xv. 5, 6, 8). / called u?ito Jehovah, and cried unto my God ; He heard my voice out of His temple (Ps. xviii. 6). I saw the Lord sitting upon a high and lofty throne, and His skirts filled the temph (Isa. vi. 1). That " the temple " signifies the Church in the world, is manifest from these : Our house of holiness has beco?ne a conflagration (Isa. lxiv. 1 1). I will shake all nations, that I may fill this house with glory : the glory of the lattet house shall be greater than of the former (Hag. ii. 7,9). The Church to be established by the Lord is described by the . " new temple " in Ezekiel xl. to xlviii. j and is meant by the temple which the angel measured (Apoc. xi. 1) ; and so in other places j as Isa. xliv. 28 ; Jer. vii. 2-4, 9-1 1 ; Zech. viii. 9. The disciples came to Jesus, to show Him the build- ings of the tonple ; and Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left stone upon stone, which shall not be thrown down (Matt. xxiv. 1,2; Mark xiii. 1-5 ; Luke xxi. 5-7). By the temple is here signified the Church of this day ; and by its destruction till there should not be one stone upon another, is signified the end of that Church, J 98 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap, lit that there should not be any truth then remaining. For when the disciples spoke with the Lord concerning the temple, the Lord foretold the successive states of that Church, even to its end, or the consummation of the age ; and by the consummation of the age is meant its last time, which is at this day. This is represented by that temple's being destroyed to its foundation. The temple signifies these three things, namely, the Lord, the Church in heaven, and the Church in the world ; because these three make one : they cannot be separated ; consequently the one can- not be understood without the other. He, therefore, who separates the Church in the world from the Church in heaven, and the latter and the former from the Lord, is not in the truth. The reason that the church in heaven is here meant by the temple, is because the church in the world is treated of directly after (n. 194). 192. And he shall 110 more go out : That it signifies that they will remain therein for ever, is manifest without ex- planation. 193. And I will write upon him the name of my God, sig- nifies that the Divine Truth wili be written in their hearts. To write upon any one signifies to inscribe so that it may be in him as his ; and " the name of my God " signifies the Divine Truth. Something shall here be said concerning this, that " my God " is the Divine Truth. In numberless places in the Word of the Old Testament it is said Jeho- vah God ; also separately, sometimes Jehovah and some- . times God : and by Jehovah is meant the Lord as to the Divine Good, and by God the Lord as to the Divine Truth : or, what is the same, by Jehovah is meant the Lord as to the Divine Love, and by God the Lord as to the Divine Wisdom. Both are mentioned on account of the heavenly marriage in every thing of the Word ; which is the marriage of love and wisdom, or the marriage of good and truth ; concerning which marriage see the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 80-90). No. 194.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 199 But in the Word of the New Testament it is not said "Jehovah God," but "the Lord God;" for "the Lord." like as " Jehovah," signifies the Divine Good or the Divine Love. From this it may be evident, that by " the name of my God " is signified the Lord's Divine Truth. That name, when spoken of the Lord, is all that by which He is worshipped, may be seen above (n. 81) : and all that by which He is worshipped has reference to Divine Good and Divine Truth. As it is not known what is meant by these words of the Lord, Father, glorify thy name ; then came a voice out of heaven, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again (John xii. 28), it shall be told. When the Lord was in the world, He made His Human the Divine Truth, which is also the Word j and when He went out of the world, He fully united the Divine Truth to the Divine Good which was in Him from conception. For the Lord glorified, that is, made Divine, His Human, as He makes a man spiritual. For He first implants truths from the Word in the man, and afterwards unites them to good ; and by that union the man is made spiritual. 194. And the name of the city of my God, the New Jeru- salem, signifies that the doctrine of the New Church will be written in their hearts. By " the New Jerusalem " the New Church is signified ; and by it, when it is called a city, is signified the New Church as to doctrine : therefore, by writing upon him the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, is signified that the doctrine of the New Church will be inscribed upon them. That by Jerusalem the Church is signified, and by it as a city the Church as to doctrine, may be seen below (n. 880, 881). That doc- trine is signified by a city, is because by a land, and in particular by the land of Canaan, the Church in the whole aggregate is signified; and hence by the inheritances into which the land of Canaan was divided, the various things of the Church are signified ; and by the cities in them, its doctrinal tenets. From this it is, that by cities, where they 200 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Ill are named in the Word, nothing else is understood by the angels \ which has also been testified to me by much ex- perience. This is the same as with the signification of mountains, hills, valleys, fountains, and rivers, which all signify such things as are of the Church. That cities signify doctrinal tenets, may in some degree be evident from the following passages : The land shall be emptied, the land (hall be confounded, the land shall be profaned, the empty city shall be broken, the remnant in the city is a waste, and the gate shall be beaten down even to destruction (Isa. xxiv. 3, 4, 10-12). The lion has come up from the thicket, to reduce the la?id to a waste; thy cities shall be destroyed ; I saw Carmel a wilderness, and her cities deso- late: the land shall mourn; the whole city shall flee, being deserted (Jer. iv. 7, 26-29). "The land" here is the Church, and " the city " is its doctrine. Thus is de- scribed the devastation of the Church by the falsities of doctrine. The waster shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape, and the valley shall perish, and the plain be destroyed (Jer. xlviii. 8). In like manner, Behold, I have made thee a fortified city against the whole land (Jer. i. 18). This was said to the prophet, because by a prophet the doctrine of the church is signified (n. 8). In that day it shall be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city ; salvation will He put for walls and bulwarks (Isa. xxvi. 1, 2). The great city was divided into three parts, a?id the cities of the nations fell (Apoc. xvi. 18, 19). The prophet saw up o?i a high mountain the structure of a city to the south, and an angel ?neasured the wall, the gates, the cham- bers, the porch of the gate ; and the name of the city was Jehovah there (Ez. xL, and the following chapters). A river, whose streams made glad the city of God (Ps. xlvi. 4, 5). Itvill confound Egypt with Egypt, that city may fight against city, and kingdom against kingdom (Is. xix. 2). Every kingdom divided against itself is desolated, and ezery city divided against itself shall not stand (Matt. xii. 25). In No. 195.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 20I these passages by " cities " in the spiritual sense are meant doctrines; as also Isa. vi. 11 ; xiv. 12, 17, 21 ; xix. t8, 19; xxv. 1-3 ; xxxiii. 8, 9; liv. 3 ; Ixiv. 10; Jer. vii. 17, 34; xiii. 18, 19 : xxxii. 42, 44; xxxiii. 4; Zeph. iii. 6; Ps. xlviii. 2 ; Ps. lv. 9 ; Ps. cvii. 4, 7 ; Matt. v. 14, 15 ; and elsewhere. From the signification of a city it may be evi- dent what is meant by " the cities " in this parable of the Lord : A nobleman going away to receive for himself a king- dom, gave his servants pounds to trade with : when he re- turned, he called the servants : the first approached, saying, Thy pound hath gained ten pounds ; to whom he said, Good servant, thou shalt have authority over ten cities : a?id the second came, saying, Thy pound hath gained five pounds ; to whom he said, Be thou over five cities (Luke xix. 12-19). By " cities " here also doctrinal tenets or the truths of doc- trine are signified, and by being over them is to be intelli- gent and wise, and thus to give power over them is to give intelligence and wisdom : " ten " signifies much, and five some. That by trading and gaining is meant to procure to one's self intelligence by the use of one's faculties, is manifest. That the holy city Jerusalem signifies the doc- trine of the New Church, is plainly manifest from the description of it (Apoc. xxi.) ; for it is described as to its dimensions, also as to its gates, and as to the wall and its foundations ; which, when Jerusalem signifies the Church, can signify nothing else but the things that are of its doc- trine. From nothing else is the church a church. Because the church as to doctrine is meant by the city Jerusalem, it is therefore called the City of Truth (Zech. viii. 3, 4) ; and in many places the holy city ; and this because " holy " is predicated of truths from the Lord (n. 173). 195. Which comcth do7vn out of heaven f?vm my God, sig- nifies which will be from the Lord's Divine Truth, such as it is in heaven. Since by " my God " the Divine Truth is signified (n. 193), it follows that by "coming down out of heaven from my God," when it is said by the Lord, 202 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Ill and concerning the doctrine of the New Church, is signi- fied, which will be from the Lord's Divine Truth, such as it is in heaven. 196. And my new name, signifies the worship of the Lord alone, with new things which were not in the former Church. That by the Lord's name is signified all that by which He is worshipped, may be seen above (n. 81) ; here, therefore, the worship of the Lord alone, with new things which were not in the former church. That the worship of the Lord alone is in the New Church, is manifest from chapter xxi. vers. 9, 10; where that Church is called the Lamb's Wife. That there are new things in that Church, is manifest from chapter xxi. vers. 5 ; where it is said, "Behold, I make all things new." These, therefore, are signified by " my new name," which will be written upon them. 197. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, signifies that he who understands should obey the things which the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem ; as above (n. 87). 198. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, signifies to those and concerning those in the church, who believe sometimes from themselves, and sometimes from the Word, and so profane holy things. But of these something preliminary must be said. There are found in the church those that believe and do not believe ; they believe that there is a God, that the Word is holy, that life is eternal, and more things which are of the church and its doctrine : and still they do not believe. They believe them when they are in their natural sensual, but they do not believe when they are in their natural rational : they thus believe when they are in externals, consequently when they are in society and conversation with others ; but they do not believe when they are in their internals, consequently when they are not in society with others, No. 200.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 203 and then in converse with themselves. Of these it is said, that they are neither cold nor hot, and that they are to be spewed out. 199. These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, signifies the Lord as to the Word, which is the Divine Truth from Him. That " Amen " is the Divine confirmation from the truth itself, which is the Lord, and thus from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 23) : and that " the faithful and true witness," when speaking of the Lord, is the Divine Truth which is from Him in the Word (n. 6, 16). Whether you say that the Lord testifies of Himself, or that the Word testifies of Him, it is the same ; since the Son of Man, who here speaks to the Churches, is the Lord as to the Word (n. 44). These things aie premised to this church, because those in the church are here treated of, who believe both from themselves and from the Word ; and they who believe from the Word, believe from the Lord. 200. The begi?ini7ig of the work of God, signifies the Word. That the Word is the beginning of the work of God, has not yet been known in the church, because these things in John have not been understood : In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God : all things were made by H'un, and without Him was nothing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of ?7ien. He was in the wo?id, and the world was made by Him ; but the World knew Him not. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ; and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father (i. 1-14). He who understands these words as to their in- terior sense, and at the same time compares them with the things that are written in the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture," as also with some which- are in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord," can see that the Divine Truth itself, in the Word which had before been in this world, spoken 204 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Ill of n. ii, which also is in this Word which exists at the present day, is meant by the Word which was in the beginning with God, and which was God : yet not the Word as to the words and letters of languages, but as to its essence and life, which is from the inmost in the senses of its words and letters. From this life the Word vivifies the affections of the will of the man who reads it in a holy state, and from the light of that life enlightens the thoughts of his understanding : on which account it is said in John, In the Word ivas life, and the life was the light of 7nen (i. 4). This the Word does, because the Word is from the Lord and concerning the Lord, and thus the Lord. All thought, speech, and writing derives its essence and life from him who thinks, speaks, and writes : the man with his quality is in them ; but the Lord alone is in the Word. But no one feels and perceives the Divine life in the Word but he who is in the spiritual affection for truth when he reads it, for he is in conjunction with the Lord through the Word : there is something inmostly affecting the heart and the spirit, which flows in into the understanding with light, and testifies. The same as in John, is signified by these words in the first chapter of Genesis : In the beginni?ig God created the heaven and the earth ; and the Spirit of God moved itself upon the face of the waters : and God said, Let there be light, and there was light (ver. 1-3). " The Spirit of God " is the Divine Truth, and so too " the Light : " the Divine Truth is the Word ; and therefore, when the Lord calls Himself " the Word," He also calls Himself "the Light" (John i. 4, 8, 9). The same is also meant l»y these words in David : By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Ps. xxxiii. 6). In fine, without the Divine Truth of the Word, which in its essence is the Divine Good of the Divine Love and the Divine Truth of the Divine Wisdom of the Lord, a man cannot have life. Through the Word there is conjunction of » the Lord with man. and of man with No. 202.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 205 the Lord j and through that conjunction there is life. There must be something from the Lord, which can be re- ceived by man, by means of which there may be conjunc- tion, and thence eternal life. It may be evident from these things that by " the beginning of the work of God " the Word is meant, and if you are willing to believe it, the Word such as it is in the literal sense ; for this sense is t:he complex of its interior sanctities, as has been abun- dantly shown in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scripture." And what is wonderful, the Word is so written that it communicates with the universal heaven, and in its particulars with every society there ; which it has been given me to know by living experience : concerning which elsewhere. That the Word is such in its essence, is manifest also from these words of the Lord : The wards which I speak tmto you are spirit, and are life (John vi. 63). 201. I know thy works, signifies that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once ; as above (n. 76). 202. That thou art neither cold nor hot, signifies that they who are such sometimes deny that the Word is Divine and Holy, and sometimes acknowledge it. At one time to deny in one's self and at another to acknowledge the holi- ness of the Word, is to be neither cold nor hot ; for thev are against the Word, and also for the Word. They are also the same in regard to God, — they now deny and now acknowledge Him ; and the same in regard to all the things of the church : consequently they are now with them that are in hell, and now with those who are in heaven. They fly upward and downward as between the two • and whither they fly, thither they turn their faces. Such do those be- come, who have confirmed in themselves that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is eternal life ; and afterwards recede. When the former confirmation returns, they acknowledge ; but when it does nc' return, they deny. The reason that they recede is that 206 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap III. they afterwards think only of themselves and the world, being continually ambitious to be supereminent ; and thereby they immerse themselves in their proprium (ownhood) : thus hell swallows them up. 203. Would that thou wert cold or hot, signifies that it is better that they should either deny from the heart the holy things of the Word and of the church, or from the heart acknowledge them. The reason will be told in the para- graph now following. 204. Therefore because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I zvill spew thee out of my mouth, signifies profana- tion, and thence separation from the Lord. By "I will spew thee out of My mouth " is signified to be separated from the Lord ; and to be so separated from the Lord is not to be in heaven nor in hell, but in a separate place, deprived of human life, where there are nothing but fanta- sies. The reason is, that they have mingled truths with falsities and goods with evils, and thus holy things with profane, so that they cannot be separated : and as the man cannot then be prepared, so as to be either in heaven or in hell, the whole of his rational life is rooted out, the ultimates of life remaining, which, when separated from the interiors of life, are mere fantasies. Concerning the state and lot of these, more may be seen in the " Angelic Wis- dom concerning the Divine Providence " (n. 226-228, 231) ; which will suffice for information respecting them. It is said of these that they are spewed out, because the World of Spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, — into which every man first comes after death, and is there prepared, — corresponds to the stomach, in which all the things that are put in are prepared, either to become blood and flesh, or to become excrement and urine. The latter have correspondence with hell, but the former with heaven. Yet the things that are spewed out of the stomach, are those which have not been separated, but mixed up together. On account c f this correspondence, to be " spewed out " and No. 206 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 207 " spewing " are mentioned in the following passages : Dsitik and be made drunk, that thy foreski?i may be revealed ; the cup of Jehovah shall go around to thee, that disgraceful spew- ing may be upon thy glo?y (Hab. ii. 15, 16). Make Mo ab drunk, that he may clap the hands i?i his spewmg (Jer. xlviii. 26). All tables are full of the spewing of e?nptyi?ig ; what one shall He teach knowledge ? (Isa. xxviii. 8, 9) : besides other places, as in Jer. xxv. 27 ; Lev. xviii. 24, 25, 28. That tepid water excites vomiting is also from correspondence. 206. Because thou say est, I am rich, and increased i?i goods, signifies that they believe themselves to possess in all abundance the knowledges of truth and good which are of the church and of heaven. To be rich and increased in goods, signify nothing else here but fully to know and un- derstand such things as are of the church and heaven, which are called spiritual and theological things, because these are here treated of. Spiritual riches and resources are nothing else. They that believe from themselves, and not from the Lord through the Word, also believe that they know and understand all things. The reason is, because their spiritual mind is closed up, and only the natural mind open ; and this mind, without spiritual light, sees no otherwise. That by riches and wealth in the Word spirit- ual riches and wealth are signified, which are the knowl- edges of truth and good, is manifest from these passages : In thy wisdom and in thy intelligence thou madest to thyself wealth ; gold and silver was in thy treasures ; by the multi- plication of thy wisdom thou hast multiplied to thyself wealth (Ez. xxviii. 4, 5). This is said of Tyre, by which the church as to the knowledges of truth and good is signified. In like manner, The daughter of Tyre shall bring thee a pres- ent ; O daughter of the king, the rich peoples shall entreat thy favor (Ps. xlv. 12). Jehovah zvill impoverish .Tyre ; He will shake off her wealth into the sea (Zech. ix. 4). O Tyre, they shall plunder thy wealth (Ez. xxvi. 12). Ashur said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, because 208 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. I am intelligent ; whence I will plunder the treasures of the peoples, my hand shall find the wealth of the peoples (Isa. x. 13, 14). By Ashur the rational is signified; here that it perverts the goods and truths of the church, which are the treasures and wealth of the peoples, which he will plunder. I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and the hidden wealth of the lurking-places (Isa. xlv. 3). Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah ; wealth and riches are in his house, and his justice endureth forever (Ps. cxii. 1, 3). God hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent away empty (Luke i. 53). Woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your joy ; woe unto you that are filled, for ye shall hunger (Luke vi. 24, 25). By the rich are here meant those who possessed the knowledges of truth and good because they had the Word, who were the Jews : the same by the rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine-linen (Luke xvi. 19). The same by the rich and by riches elsewhere, as Isa. xxx. 6; Jer. xvii. 11 j Mic. iv. 13; vi. 12; Zech. xiv. 14; Matt. xii. 35; xiii. 44; Luke xii. 21. 207. And I have need of nothing. That it signifies that they have no need of more knowledge and wisdom and from any other source, is manifest from the things said above, because it is a consequence. 208. And knowest not that thou art wretched, signifies that they do not know that all the things that they know and think concerning the truths and goods of the church do not at all cohere, and that they are walls of loose stones. By "wretchedness" is. here signified incoherency, and thus by " wretched " one who thinks about the things of the church without coherence. The reason is, because they of whom these things are said, now deny God, heaven, eternal life, and the holiness of the Word, and now acknowledge them ; on which account what they build up with one hand, mey destroy with the other. They are thus like them that build a house, and soon pull it down ; or like those who No. 209.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 209 array themselves in becoming garments, and soon tear them off : wherefore their houses are rubbish, and their garments are rags. Such are all the things that they think about the church and heaven ; but this they do not know. These things are meant bv wretchedness also in the following places : Thy wisdom and thy knozuledge hath seduced thee, when thou saidst in thy heart, I. and none besides ; therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee (Isa. xlvii. 10, 11). Wretch- edness shall co?7ie upon wretchedness ; the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with astonishment (Ez. viL 26, 27). "The king who shall mourn," and "the prince who shall be clothed with astonishment," are they who are in the truths of the church. The right is 7iot in their mouth, wretchedness is in the niidst of them (Ps. v. 9). Similar things are signified by the walls of loose stones (Jer. xlix. 27 ; Ez. xiii. 10, 12 ; Hos. ii. 6). 209. And miserable and poor, signifies that they are without truths and goods. By " the miserable " and " the poor " in the spiritual sense of the Word are meant those who are without the knowledges of truth and good j for they are spiritually miserable and poor. They are also meant by them in the following passages : I a 771 miserable and poor, O Lo?'d; re7ne77iber 7ne (Ps. xl. 17 ; lxx. 5). O Jehovah, i7icli7ie thine ear, a7id a7iswer ; for I a77i miserable and poor (Ps. lxxxvi. 1). The wicked draw the sword, afid bc7id their bow, to cast down the 77iise7'able a7id the poor (Ps. xxxvii. 14). The wicked pcrsecuteth the 77iise7-able and the poor, a7id the dejected i7i heart, to slay him (Ps. cix. 16). God will judge the 7niserable of the people ; He will keep the so7is of the poor; He will deliver the poor that crieth, and the 7niserable (Ps. lxxii. 4, 12, 13). Jehovah deliver eth the miserable f'077i hi77i that is stronger than he, and the poor fro7n the7n that spoil him (Ps. xxxv. 10). The wicked plotteth evil deeds to destroy the miserable by the words of a lie, even when the poor speakcih judgment (Isa. xxxii. 7). The miserable shall have joy in Jehovah, and the poor a7no7ig men shall exult in the Holy 2IO THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. One of Israel (Is a. xxix. 19). Blessed are the poor in spit it, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. v. 3 : besides other places, as Isa. x. 2 ; Jer. xxii. 16 ; Ez. xvi. 49 ; xviii. 12 ; xxii. 29 ; Am. viii. 4; Ps. ix. 18 ; Ps. lxix. 32, 33 ; Ps. lxxiv. 21 ; Ps. cix. 22 ; Ps. cxl. 12 ; Deut. xv. 11 ; xxiv. 14 ; Luke xiv. 13, 21, 23). By the miserable and the poor are chiefly meant those who are not in the knowledges of truth and good, and yet desire them j since by the rich are meant those who possess the knowledges of truth and good (n. 206). 210. And blind and naked, signifies that they are without the understanding of truth and the will of good. By the blind in the Word are meant they that are without truths, either from the lack of them in the church, and thus from ignorance, or from the non-understanding of them ; and by the naked those are meant who thence are without goods : for all spiritual good is procured by truths. No others are meant by the blind in the following places : Then shall the deaf in that day hear the words of the Book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of thick darkness (Isa. xxix. 18). Behold, your God shall come ; then shall the eyes of the blind be opened (Isa. xxxv. 4-6). I will give thee for a light of the nations, to open the blind eyes (Isa. xlii. 6-8). I will lead the blind into a way which they faiew not : I will make their darkness light (Isa. xlii. 16). Bring out the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears (Isa. xliii. 8). His watchmen are all blind, and know not how to understand (Isa. Ivi. 10, 11). He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they may not see with the eyes, and understand with their heart (John xii. 40). Jesus said, For judgment came I into the world, that they that see not may see, and they that see may be made blind (John ix. 39). Bli?id leaders, fools and infatuated (Matt, xxiii. 16, 17, 19, 24). Blind leaders of the blind (Matt. xv. 14; Luke vi. 39). On account of the signification of blind and blindness, it was forbidden to offer the blind in sacrifice (Lev. xxi. 18; Deut. xv. 21). Xo. 212.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 21 I They were not to put a stumbling-block before the blind (Lev. xix. 14). He was cursed, who made the blind to wander (Deut. xxvii. 18). Respecting the signification of naked and nakedness, see below (n. 213). 211. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, signifies admonition to procure to them- selves the good of love from the Lord through the Word, that they may be wise. For " to buy" signifies to procure to one's self; "of Me" signifies from the Lord through the Word; "gold" signifies good, and "gold tried in the fire" the good of heavenly love ; and to be enriched therefiom signifies to understand and be wise. The reason that gold signifies good, is because the metals in their order signify such things as are of good and truth ; gold heavenly (celestial) and spiritual good, sriver the truth of those goods, brass natural good, and iron natural truth. These are signified by the metals of which the statue of Nebu- chadnezzar consisted, the head of which was gold, the breast a?id ar7ns silver, the belly and thighs brass, the legs iron, and the feet part iron and part clay (Dan. ii. 32, 33) ; by which are represented the successive states of the church as to the good of love and the truth of wisdom. Because the states of the church succeeded each other in this manner, the ancients therefore gave similar names to the periods, calling them the golden, the silver, the brazen, and the iron ages ; and by the golden age they meant the first period, when the good of heavenly love reigned. Heavenly love is love to the Lord from the Lord : from this love they then had wisdom. That gold signifies the good of love, see below (n. 913). 212. And white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, sig- nifies that they should procure for themselves the genuine truths of wisdom. That garments signify truths clothing good, may be seen above (n. 166) ; and that white is predicated of truths (n. 167): hence "white garments" signify the genuine truths of wisdom ; and this because 2 1 2 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. "gold purified in the fire" signifies the good of heavenly love, and the truths of this love are the genuine truths of wisdom. 213. That the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, sig- nifies lest the good of heavenly love should be profaned and adulterated. No one can know what " the shame of nakedness " signifies, except he who knows that the mem- bers of generation in both sexes, which are also called the genitals, correspond to heavenly love. That there is a correspondence of man and all his members with the heavens, may be seen in the wrork on " Heaven and Hell," published at London in the year 1758 (n. 87-102) ; and that the genital members correspond to heavenly love in the " Heavenly Arcana," also published at London (n. 5050-5062). Now because those members correspond to heavenly love, which is the love of the third or inmost heaven, and a man is born of his parents into loves opposite to that love, it is manifest that if he does not procure to himself from the Lord the good of love and the truth of wisdom, .which are signified by the gold tried in the fire, and by the white garments, he must appear in the oppo- site love, which in itself is profane. This is signified by " uncovering the nakedness," and " manifesting the shame of it," in the following passages : Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame (Apoc. xvi. 15). Daughter of Babylon and of Chaldea, sit on the earth ; uncover thy locks \ uncover the thigh, pass over the streams ; let thy nakedness be ux :overed< and let thy reproach also be seen (Isa. xlvii. 1-3). Woe to the city of bloods, because of the multitude of her whoredoms : /will uncover iks skirts upon thy face, and will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy disgrace (Nah. iii. i, 4, 5). Contend with your mother, lest perchance I set her naked (Hos. ii. 2-4). When I passed by thee, I covered thy ?iakcd- ness, and washed thee, and clothed thee : but thou committedst whoredom ; not recollectifig thy youth, when thou wast naked No. 214.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 213 and stripped bare ; therefore thou hast revealed thy naked?iess (Ez. xvi. 6, and following verses). Jcrusalein hath grievously sinned ; therefore all speak ill of her, because they sau her nakedness (Lam. i. 8). By Jerusalem, of which these things are said, the church is meant ; and by committing whoredom is signified to adulterate and falsify the Word (n. 134). Woe to him that maketh his companion drink, making him drunk, that thou mayest look upon his nakedness : drink also thyself, that thy foreskin, may be uncovered (Hab. ii. 15, 16). He who knows what nakedness signifies can understand what is signified by the case of Noah, when he lay drunk with wine naked in the midst of his tent, and Ham saw and laughed at his nakedness, and Shem and yaphet covered his nakedness, turning away their faces lest they should see it (Gen. ix. 2 1-23) ■ also why it was ordained Xh&t Aaron and his sons should not go up by steps upon the altar, lest their nakedness should be uncovered (Ex. xx. 26) : as also, that they should make for them breeches of line?i to cover the flesh of their nakedness, a?id that they should be upon them when they we?it up to the altar, a?id that otherwise they should carry their iniquity, and should die (Ex. xxviii. 42, 43). By "nakedness" in these passages are signified the evils into which a man is born, which, because they are opposite to the good of heavenly love, are in themselves profane ; which are not removed except by truths, and by a life according to them : " linen " also signifies truth (n. 671). By "nakedness" is also sig- nified Innoce?ice, and likewise Ignorance of good and truth ; innocence in this passage : They were both naked, the man and his wife, and had no cause for shame (Gen. ii. 25): ignorance of good and truth in this : This is the fast which J choose ; to break bread to the hungry ; and when thou seest the naked, to cover him (Isa. lviii. 6, 7). Let him give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment (Ez. xviii. 7). / hungered, and ye gave Me to eat ; I was naked, and ye clothed Me (Matt. xxv. 35, 36). 214. And anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest v214 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. see, signifies that the understanding may be healed, lest the genuine truths of wisdom be profaned and falsified. That the understanding is signified by the eyes, and intelligence and wisdom by the sight of the eyes, may be seen in n. 48 ; and since its medicine is signified by eye-salve, it follows that by anoint thine eyes with eye-salve is signified to heal the understanding, that it may see truths, and be wise ; and unless this is done, the genuine truths of the Word are profaned and adulterated. 215. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, signifies that those of them who do thus are loved by the Lord, and that then they cannot but be let into temptations, that they may fight against themselves. That this is the sense of these words is manifest ; for it is said, As many as I love, by whom are meant they who buy of the Lord gold purified in the fire, and who anoint their eyes with eye-salve, that they may see. It is said, I rebuke and chasten them, by which is meant temptation as to falsities and as to evils ; by rebuking, temptation as to falsities ; and by chastening, temptation as to evils. They who are here treated of cannot but be let into temptations, since without them denials of and confirmations against Divine truths cannot be extirpated. Temptations are spiritual combats against the falsities and evils in one's self, and thus against one's self. Furthermore, what tempt itions are, whence they are, and what good they effect, may be seen in the work on " the New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine," published at London in the year 1758 (n. 187-201). 216. Be zealous, therefore, and repent, signifies that this should be done from affection for truth and aversion to falsity. It is here said, " Be zealous," because it was said above (vers. 15), " I would thou wert cold or hot," here that they should be hot ; for zeal is spiritual heat, and spirit- ual heat is the affection of love j here the affection of the love of truth : and he who acts from the affection of the love of truth, acts also from an aversion to falsity ; for which No. 2i8.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 215 reason these things are signified by " repent." "Zeal " in the Word, when the Lord is spoken of, signifies love and wrath : love, John ii. 17 ; Ps. lxix. 9 j Isa. xxxvii. 32 j briii 15 ; Ez. xxxix. 25 ; Zech. i. 14; viii. 2 : wrath, Deut xxxii. 16, 21 j Ps. lxxix. 5, 6 ; Ez. viii. 18 ; xxiii. 25 ; Zepb i. 18 ; iii. 8. But zeal with the Lord is not wrath ; it only appears in externals as if it were : interiorly it is love. The reason that it appears in externals as if it were wrath is that it appears as if the Lord was .wrathful when He reproves man, especially when his evil punishes him ; which is permitted from love, that his evil may be removed. He is altogether like a parent, who, if he loves his children, permits chastisement in order to remove their evils. From these things it is manifest why Jehovah calls Himself zealous [jealous] (Deut. iv. 24 ; v. 9, 10 ; vi. 14, 15). 217. Behold, I stand at the door and knock, signifies that the Lord is present to even- one in the Word, and is earnest there to be received, and teaches how. Things similar to these are said by the Lord in Luke : Ye shall be like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding ; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Hi?n iijimcdiately (xii. 36). That " a door " signifies ad- mission and entrance may be seen above (n. 176). 218. If any one hear my voice, a?id open the door, signifies he who believes the Word, and lives according to it. " To hear the voice " is to believe the Word, for the Divine Truth of the Word is the voice of Jehovah (n. 37, 50) : and " to open the door " is to live according to it ; since the door is not opened, and the Lord. received, by only hearing the voice, but by living according to it : for the Lord says, He that hath my commandments, and doeth them, I will mani- fest Myself to him, and will come unto him, and make my abode with him (John xiv. 21-24). That a man ought to open the door as of himself, by shunning evils as sins, and doing goods, is shown in the " Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem j " and that it is so, is also manifest from the 2l6 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I1L Lord's words here, "If any one open ; " also from His words, Luke xii. 36. 219. I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with Me, signifies that the Lord conjoins Himself to them and them to Himself. " To come in and sup with him," signifies to conjoin Himself to him : and because there must be reciprocity that there may be conjunction, it is also said, " and he with Me." That being conjoined is signified by " coming in and supping," is manifest from the Holy Supper instituted by the Lord ; by which is effected the Lord's presence with those who hear His voice, that is, who believe the Word ; but conjunction with them that live ac- cording to the Word. To live according to the Word, is to repent and believe on the Lord. It is said " to sup," and "the Lord's Supper," because supper takes place in the evening ; and by the evening the last period of the church is signified : on which account, when the Lord departed out of the world, — and then was the last period of the church, — He supped with the disciples, and instituted the Sacrament of the Supper. That " evening " signifies the last period of an old church, and " morning " the first of a new church, may be seen above (n. 151). 220. To him that overcometh. That it signifies those who are in conjunction with the Lord by a life according to His precepts in the Word, is manifest from what is said above. 221. Will I grant to sit with Me on my throne, signifies that they will have conjunction with the Lord in heaven. That " the Lord's throne " is heaven, may be seen above (n. 14) ; and therefore " to sit with the Lord on His throne " signifies conjunction with Him in Heaven. 222. As I overcame, and sit with My Father on His throne, signifies, as He and the Father are One, and are heaven. That the Father and the Lord are One is fully shown in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord ; " also elsewhere that heaven is not heaven from the things No. 222.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 217 belonging to the angels, but from the Divine of the Lord, which is in the angels and with them : on which account by this, " as I sit with the Father on His throne," is signi- fied as He and the Father are One, and are heaven. " Throne " is heaven (n. 14, 221). " As I overcame," sig- nifies that by the temptations admitted into His Human, and by the last of them, which was the passion of the cross, also by fulfilling all the things of the Word, He conquered the hells and glorified His Human, that is, united it to His Divine, which was in Him from conception, and is called Jehovah the Father : on which subjects see the foremen- tioned " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord " (n. 8-14, 29-36) ; and also above (n. 67). The reason that the Lord says, " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me on my throne, as I overcame and sit with My Father on His throne," is that the Lord's union with the Father, that is, with His Divine in Himself, had for its end that man might be conjoined to the Divine which is called the Father in the Lord, because it is im- possible that a man may be conjoined to the Divine of the Father immediately, but mediately through His Divine Human, which is the Divine Natural : on which account the Lord says, No one hath seen God at any time ; the Only- begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath brought Him forth (John i. 18). And again : I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one cometh to the Father but by Me (John xiv. 6). The conjunction of the Lord with man is by His Divine Truth ; and this in a man is the Lord's, and thus the Lord ; and is not at all the man's, and thus not the man. The man indeed feels it as his ; yet it is still not his, for it is not united to him, but is adjoined. It is otherwise with the Divine of the Father. This is not adjoined, but united, to the Lord's Human, as the soul is to its body. He who understands this can understand the following words of the Lord : He that abideth in Me, and I in him, beareth much fruit ; for without Me ye can do nothing vol. 1. 10 2l8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. 111. (John xv. 4, 5). I?i that day ye shall know that I attain my Father, and ye in Me, and I in you (John xiv. 20). And this : Sanctify them in thy truth ; thy Word is truth : for them I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in the truth : that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee ; that they also i7iay be one i?i us : I in them, and Thou in Afe (John xvii. 17, 19, 21, 23). 223. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit taith unto the churches, signifies that he who understands should obey the things which the Divine Truth of the Word teaches to those who will be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem \ as above (n. 87). 224. TO THESE THINGS I WILL ADD THIS RELATION. I saw an assembly of spirits, all upon their knees, praying to God, that He would send angels to them, with whom they might speak face to face, and to whom they might open the thoughts of their heart ; and when they rose, there were seen three angels in fine linen standing in their presence. And they said, " The Lord Jesus Christ has heard your prayers, and has therefore sent us to you. Open to us the thoughts of your heart." And they answered, " The priests have told us that in theological matters not the understanding, but faith, has efficacy ; and that intel- lectual faith is not profitable to any one in those things, because it springs from the man. We are Englishmen, and we have heard many things from our sacred ministry, which we believed : but when we have spoken with others, who also called themselves Reformed, and with others who called themselves Roman Catholics, and again with sectarians, they all appeared to us learned, and yet in many things not one agreed with another ; and still they all said, Believe us ; and some, We are God's ministers^ and we know. Yet as we knew that the Divine truths No. 224.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 219 which are called those of faith, and are those of the church, are not any one's by birthright alone, nor from inheritance, but out of heaven from God ; and as they show the way to heaven, and enter the life together with the good of charity, and thus lead to life eternal, we became anxious, and prayed upon our knees to God." Then the angels answered, " Read the Word, and believe on the Lord, and you will see the truths which must be of your faith and life. From the Word as from the only fountain all in the Christian world draw their doctrinal tenets." But two of the assembly said, " We have read, but we did not understand." And the angels answered, " Ypu did not go to the Lord, and you have also confirmed yourselves in falsities." And the angels said further, "What is faith without light? and what is thinking without understand- ing? It is not human. Ravens and magpies even can learn to speak without understanding. We can assure you, that every man, whose soul desires it, can see the truths of the Word in light. There is not found an ani- mal, that does not know the food of its life when he sees it. And man is a rational and spiritual animal. He sees the food of his life, — not so much that of his body, but of his soul, which is the truth of faith, — if he hungers for it, and seeks it from the Lord. Whatever also is not received by the understanding, does not abide in the memory as to the matter, but only as to the words. On which account, when we have looked down from heaven into the world, we have not seen any thing, but have only heard sounds, the most of them inharmonious. But we will enumerate a few things which the learned of the clergy have removed from the understanding ; not knowing that there are two ways to the understanding, — one from the world, and the other from heaven ; and that the Lord withdraws the un- derstanding from the world, when He enlightens it. But if the understanding is closed from religion, the way to it from heaven is closed, and then the man sees nothing 220 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IIL more in the Word than the blind. We have seen many such, that had sunk into pitfalls ; out of which they did not rise. Let examples serve for illustration : Can you not understand what charity is, and what faith is ? that charity is to act well with the neighbor, and that faith is to think well concerning God and concerning the essen- tials of the church ? and hence that he who acts well and believes well, that is, who lives well and thinks well, is saved ? " To these things they said that they understood them. The angels further said, " Do you not understand that a man must repent from sins that he may be saved ? and that unless a man repents, he remains in the sins in which he was born ? and that to repent is, not to will evils because they are against God, and to search one's self once or twice a year, to see one's evils, to confess them before the Lord, to implore help, to desist from them, and to enter upon a new life ? and as far as he does this, and believes on the Lord, so far his sins are remitted ? " Some of the company then said, "We understand these things, and so also what the remission of sins is." And they then asked the angels to inform them further ; and now especially concerning God, concerning the immortal- ity of the soul, concerning regeneration, and concerning baptism. To these things the angels replied, "We will X not say any thing but what you understand ; otherwise our discourse falls like rain upon the sand, and into the seeds there, which, however irrigated from heaven, still wither and perish." And concerning God they said: "All who come into heaven are allotted a place there, and thence eternal joy, according to their idea of God ; because this idea reigns universally in all the things of worship. The idea of an invisible God is not determined to any one, nor terminated in any one ; for which reason it comi:s to an end and perishes. The idea of God as a spirit, when spirit is believed to be like ether or wind, is an empty idea. But the idea of God as a Man is the just idea. For God No. 224.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 22 1 is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, with every quality of them ; and the subject of these is Man, and not ether or wind. In heaven the idea of God is the idea of the Lord. He is the God of heaven and earth, as He taught. Let your idea of God be similar to ours, and we shall be conso- ciated." When they said these things, their faces shone. Concerning the Immortality of the Soul they said : " Man liv'es for ever, because he is capable of being conjoined to God by love and faith : of this every one is capable. That this capability makes the immortality of the soul, you can understand, if you think concerning it a little more deeply. Concerning Regeneration : " Who does not see that every man has freedom to think of God, and not to think of Him 1 provided he has been instructed that there is a God ? Every one thus has freedom in spiritual things equally as in civil and moral things. This the Lord continually gives to all ; on which account one becomes guilty, if he does not think. Man is man from this ability ; but a beast is a beast from not having this ability. For which reason a man can reform and regenerate himself as of himself, pro- vided he in heart acknowledges that it is from the Lord. Every one who repents, and believes on the Lord, is being reformed and regenerated. A man must do both as of himself ; but the as of himself is from the Lord. It is true that the man cannot contribute any thing to this, not in the least : but yet you were not created statues ; but you were created men, that you may do this from the Lord as of yourselves. This is the one return of love and faith, which the Lord constantly wishes that man should make to Him. In a word, do of yourselves, and believe that it is from the Lord : you thus do as of yourselves." But the Englishmen then asked whether to do as of himself was implanted in man from creation ? An angel answered, " It was not implanted, because to do of one's self belongs to God alone; but it is continually given, that is, continually adjoined : and so far as the man then does good and believes truth 222 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. III. as of himself, he is an angel of heaven ; but so far as he does evil and thence believes falsity, which also is as of himself, so far he is an angel of hell. You wonder that this also is as of himself j but still you see it, when you pray to be protected from the devil, lest he should seduce you, — lest \ he should enter into you as he did into Judas, fill you with all iniquity, and destroy both soul and body. But every one becomes guilty, who believes that he does either good or evil of himself; but he does not become guilty, who believes that he acts as of himself." Concerning Baptism they said, that it is a spiritual washing, which is reforma tion and regeneration ; and that an infant is reformed and regenerated, when, having become adult, he does the things which the sponsors promised for him, which are two, — repentance, and faith in God. For they promise, first, that he shall reject the devil and all his works ; and second, that he shall believe in God. All infants in heaven are initiated into these two ; but to them the devil is hell, and God is the Lord. Besides, Baptism is a sign before the angels, that a man is within the church. On hearing these things, some of the company said, " These things we understand." But a voice was heard at the side, crying, " We do not understand ; " and another voice, " We do not wish to understand." And it was asked from whom those voices came ; and it was found that they were from those who had confirmed themselves in falsities of faith, and who wished to be believed as oracles, and thus to be adored. The angels said, " Do not wonder ; there are very many such at this day. They appear to us 'rom heaven like carved images, made with such art as to be able to move the lips, and to make sounds like organs ; and they do not know whether the breath by which they sound is from hell or from heaven, because they do not know whether a thing is false or true. They reason and reason ; they also confirm and confirm: nor in regard to any thing do they see whether it is so. But you may know No. 224.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 223 that human ingenuity can confirm whatever it wishes, even till it appears as if it were so : and therefore heretics can do this ; the impious can ; yea, atheists can prove that there is no God, but nature alone." After these things that assembly of Englishmen, enkindled with the desire of being wise, said to the angels, " They speak such vari- ous things concerning the Holy Supper, tell us what the truth is." The angels said, "The truth is, that the man who looks to the Lord and repents, is by that most holy sacrament conjoined to the Lord, and introduced into heaven." But some of the company said, " This is a mys- tery." And the angels answered, " It is a mystery, but still such as can be understood. The Bread and Wine do not effect this : there is not any thing holy in them : but material bread and heavenly bread correspond to each other, and so do material wine and heavenly wine ; and heavenly bread is the holy of love, and heavenly wine is the holy of faith," — both of them from the Lord, and both the Lord. There is thence conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord ; not with the bread and wine, but with the love and faith of the man who had repented : and conjunction with the Lord is also introduction into heaven." And after the angels taught them something concerning correspondence and its effect, they of the assembly said, "Now for the first time we understand." And when they said, we understand, behold, a flaming light descending from heaven consociated them with the angels, and they loved one another. 224 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV CHAPTER FOURTH. 1. After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven : and the first voice which I heard, as of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must be hereafter. 2. And immediately I was in the spirit ; and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and upon the throne One sitting. 3. And He that sat was in appearance like a jasper and a sardine stone : and a rainbow was around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4. And around the throne were twenty-four thrones ; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting arrayed in white garments, and upon their heads golden crowns. 5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thun- ders and voices ; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 6. And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals full of eyes before and behind. 7. And the first animal was like a lion, and the second animal like a calf, and the third animal having a face like a man, and the fourth animal like a flying eagle. 8. And the four animals, each by himself, had six wings about him : and they were full of eyes within : and they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. 9. And when the animals gave glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat upon the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, Chap. IV.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 225 10. The twenty -four elders fell down before Him that sat upon the throne, and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power : for thou hast created all things ; and by thy will they are, and were created. THE SPIRITUAL SEXSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. The subject treated of is the arrangement and preparation of all things in heaven for the judgment, which is to be executed from the Word and according to it : also the acknowledgment that the Lord is the only judge. The Contents of each Verse. " After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven," signifies a manifestation concerning the arrangement of the heavens by the Lord for the last judgment, which is to be executed according to His Divine truths in the Word. " And the first voice which I heard, as of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up hither," signifies the Divine influx, and thence elevation of mind, and manifest perception then. " And I will show thee the things which must be hereafter," signifies revelations concerning the things that are to be before the last judgment, and concerning that, and the things after it. " And immediately I was in the spirit," signifies that he was let into a spiritual state, in which the things that exist in heaven manifestly appear. " And behold, a throne was set in heaven," signifies the judgment in a representative form. " And upon the throne One sitting," signifies the Lord. "And He that sat was in appearance like a jasper and a sardine stone," signifies the appearance of the Lord's Divine Wisdom and Divine Love in ultimates. " And a rainbow was around the throne in appearance like an 10* 226 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. emeiald," signifies their appearance also around the Lord. " And around the throne were twenty-four thrones ; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting," signifies the arrangement of all things in heaven for the judgment. " Arrayed in white garments," signifies from the Divine truths of the Word. " And they had upon their heads golden crowns," signifies the things which are of wisdom from love. " And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunders and voices," signifies enlightenment, perception, and instruction from the Lord. " And there were seven lamps of fire before the throne, which are the seven spirits o£ God," signifies a New Church thence in heaven and on earth from the Lord through the Divine Truth proceeding from Him. " And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto crystal," signifies a New Heaven from Christians. " And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals," signifies the Lord's Word from first things to ultimates, and its guards. " Full of eyes before and behind," signifies the Divine Wisdom therein. " And the first animal was like a lion," signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to power. " And the second animal like a calf," signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to affection. " And the third animal having a face like a man," signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to Wisdom. " And the fourth animal like a flying eagle," signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to knowledges, and thence understanding. "And the four animals, each by himself, had six wings about him," signifies the Word as to its powers and as to its guards. " And they were full of eyes within," signifies the Divine Wisdom in the Word in the natural sense from its spiritual and heavenly (celestial) sense. " And they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty," signifies that the Word continually teaches the Lord, and that He alone is God, and hence that He alone is to be worshipped. "Who was and who is and who is to come,'" signifies the Lord. " And when the animals No. 225.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 227 gave glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat upon the throne," signifies that the Word ascribes all truth and all good and all worship to the Lord who is to judge. "Who liveth for ever and ever," signifies that the Lord alone is life, and that eternal life is from Him alone. " The twenty-four elders fell down before Him that sat upon the throne, and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever," signifies the humiliation of all in heaven before the Lord. "And cast their crowns before the throne," signifies the acknowledgment that their wisdom is from Him alone. " Saying, Thou art Worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power," signifies the confession that unto the Lord, because He is the Divine Truth and the Divine Good, the kingdom belongs from merit and justice. " For thou hast created all things, and by thy will they are, and were created," signifies that all the things of heaven and the church were made and formed, and that men are reformed and regenerated, from the Lord's Divine Love through His Divine Wisdom, or from the Divine Good through the Divine Truth, which also is the Word. THE EXPLANATION. 225. After these things I sa7V, and behold, a door opened in heaven, signifies a manifestation concerning the arrangement of the heavens by the Lord for the last judgment, which is to be executed according to His Divine truths in the Word. By a door opened, when speaking of heaven, is signified admittance, as above (n. 176); here also manifestation, because he says, M I saw, and behold." And because the things were then seen that are related in this chapter, which are concerning the arrangement of the heavens for the last judgment by the Lord, to be executed according to His Divine truths in the Word, therefore by "I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven," a manifestation concern* ing those things is signified. 228 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. 226. And the first voice which I heard, as of a trumpet speaking with 7ne, said, Come up hither ; signifies the Di- vine influx, and thence elevation of mind, and manifest perception then. That a voice, when it is heard from heaven, is the Divine Truth flowing in, may be seen above (ii. 37, 50), and thus the Divine influx; and that by "a voice like a trumpet " is signified manifest perception, see also above (n. 37); and by "come up hither" is signified elevation of the mind. For in the spiritual world the higher one ascends, into so much the purer light does he come, by which the understanding is by degrees opened 5 that is, the mind is elevated. For which reason it follows also, that he was then in the spirit ; by which is meant that he was let into a spiritual state, in which the things that are in the heavens manifestly appear. The reason that that voice was heard like a trumpet is because the arrangement of the heavens for the last judgment is treated of ; and voices like trumpets are heard in heaven, when convocations and arrangements are made. On which account also among the sons of Israel, with whom all things were representative of heaven and the church, it was ordained that trumpets of silver should be made, and that the sons of Aaron -should sound them, for the convocations, for the journeyi?igs, on days of gladness, on festivals, at the beginnings of the months, over the sacrifices, for a memorial, and for war (Num. x. 1-10). But trumpets and the sounding of them will be spoken of in the explanation of chapter eighth, where the seven angels to whom seven trumpets were given, will be treated of. 227. And I will show thee the things which micst be here- after, signifies revelations concerning the things that are to be before the last judgment, and concerning that, and the things after it. These things are signified, because no other subject is treated of in the Apocalypse but the state of the church at its end ; and thus concerning the things that are to be before the last judgment, concerning that, and the things after it ; as was said above (n. 2). No. 229.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 229 228. And immediately I was in the spirit, signifies that he was let into a spiritual state, in which the things that exist in heaven manifestly appear. That to " be in the spirit " is to be let into a spiritual state from Divine influx, also what a spiritual state is, and what its quality, and that a man may in that state see the things that are in the spiritual world as manifestly as in the natural state of the body he sees those whicn are in this world, may be seen above (n. 36). 229. A?id behold, a throne was set in heaven, signifies the judgment in a representative form. That "a throne" signifies heaven may be seen (n. 14). That a throne also signifies judgment is manifest from these passages : When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory (Matt. xxv. 31, &c). The last judgment is here treated of. O Jehovah, thou hast judged me, thou sattest upon the throne a judge of justice. Jehovah will prepare His th?'o?ie for judgment (Ps. ix. 4, 7, 8). I saw when the Ancient of Days did sit ; His throne was as a flame of fire; a thousand and thousands ministered u?ito Him, and a myriad of myriads stood before Hhn : the judgment was in session and the books were opened (Dan. vii. 9, 10). Jerusalem is built ; thither the tribes go up; and there are set thrones for judgment (Ps. cxxii. 3, 5). I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given u?ito them (Apoc. xx. 4). The throne built by Solomon, mentioned 1 Kings x. 18-20, signified both kingdom and judgment ; since kings, when they ex- ecuted judgment, sat upon thrones. It is said that the throne signifies judgment in a representative form, because the things which John saw were visions which represented. They were seen as he has described ; but they were forms representative of future things, as may be evident from what follows j as that there were seen animals, a dragon, oeasts, a temple, the tabernacle, the ark, and many other things. Similar were the things which were seen by the prophets, spoken of above (n. 36). 23O THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. 230. And upon the throne One sitting. That it signifies the Lord is plainly manifest from what follows, and from the passages in the Word where it is said that the Lord will execute judgment; as Matt. xxv. 32, &c. ; John v. 22, 27 ; and elsewhere. 231. And He that sat was in appearance like a jasper and a sardine stone, signifies the appearance of the Lord's Divine Wisdom and Divine Love in ultimates. " A stone " in the Word signifies truth in ultimates, and a precious stone truth transparent from good (n. 915). There are two colors that are fundamental of the rest in the spiritual world, white and red. White derives its origin from the light of the Sun in heaven, and thus from spiritual light, which is bright-white ; and red derives its origin from the fire of the Sun there, and thus from heavenly (celestial) light, which is flamy. The spiritual angels, because they are in the truths of wisdom from the Lord, are in that bright- white light \ on which account they are clothed in white : and the heavenly angels, because they are in the goods of love from the Lord, are in that flamy light ; for which reason they are clothed in red. Hence these two colors are also in the precious stones in heaven, where they are in great abundance. From this it is, that precious stones in the Word signify such things as are either of the truth of wisdom or of the good of love ; and that the jasper, because it is bright- white, signifies the things which are of the truth of wisdom, and the sardius, because it is red, the things which are of the good of love. The reason that these stones signify the appearance of the Divine Wisdom and the Divine Love in ultimates, is that all precious stones in heaven derive their origin from the ultimates of the Word, and their transparency from the spiritual sense of the 'ultimates there. That it is so, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 44, 45). The ultimates of the Word are the truths and goods of its literal sense. That this is the origin of the precious stones in heaven can hardly be believed No. 233.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 23I by any one in our world, because he does not know that all the things which exist in the spiritual world are correspond- ences, and that all the things which exist in the natural world derive therefrom their spiritual origin. That the origin of the precious stones in heaven is from this, it has been given me tD know from discourse with the angels, and to see also with my eyes ; but the formation of these is from the Lord alone. But the black colors derive their origin from hell ; which are also two ; the one opposite to white, — this blackness is with those who have falsified the truths of the Word ; the other opposite to red, — this blackness is with those who have adulterated the goods of the Word. The latter blackness is diabolical, but the former satanic. What the jasper and the sardius signify may be further seen in the explanation of chapter xxi. vers. 11, 18-20. 232. And a rainbow was around the throne, in appeara?ice like an emerald, signifies their appearance also around the Lord. In the spiritual world there appear rainbows of many kinds. They appear of many colors, as on earth ; and they appear of one color. This was of one color, as it is said to have been like an emerald. This appearance was around the Lord, because it is said to have been around the throne. Around Him is also in the angelic heaven. The Divine sphere which surrounds the Lord, is from His Divine Love and at the same time His Divine Wisdom j which, when it is represented in the heavens, appears in the heavenly kingdom to be red like a ruby, in the spiritual kingdom to be blue like the lapis-lazuli, and in the natural kingdom to be green like the emerald ; everywhere with ineffable splen- dor and radiance. 233. A?id around the thro?ie were twenty-four thrones, and upon the thrones I saw twe?ity -four elders sitting, signifies the arrangement of all things in heaven for the last judgment He who does not know the spiritual sense of the Word, and at the same time the genuine truths of the church, may be- lieve that when the last judgment shall come, the Lord will 232 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV sit upon a throne ; and that around Him will be other judges, also upon thrones. But he who knows the spiritual sense of the Word, and at the same time the genuine truths of the church, knows that the Lord will not then sit upon a throne, nor have other judges around Him ; yea, that the Lord will not judge any one to hell, but that He will cause the Word to judge every one ; the Lord directing, in order that all things may be done according to justice. The Lord indeed says, The Father judgeth no 07ie, but hath given all judg- ment tmto the Son; and hath given Him power to execute judgi?ient, because He is the Son of Man (John v. 22, 27). But He says elsewhere, / came not to judge the world, but to save the world : the Word which I have spoken, that shall judge him at the last day (John xii. 47, 48). These two agree, when it is known that the Son of Man is the Lord as to the Word ; see above (n. 44). Wherefore the Word is to judge, the Lord directing. That by the twelve tribes of Israel and their elders are signified all who are of the church of the Lord in the heavens and on earth, and abstractly all the truths and goods therein, may be seen (n. 251, 349, 369, 808) ; and that the same is signified by the apostles (n. 79, 790, 903.) It is manifest from this what is signified by these words of the Lord : Jesus said to the disciples, Ye who have followed Me, when the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. xix. 28 ; Luke xxii. 30). By " twelve " is signified all, and it is predicated of the truths and goods of heaven and the church (n. 348) ; the same is signified by " twenty-four : " for which reason the twelve apostles and the twenty-four elders signify all the things of the church ; and the twelve and also the twenty-four thrones signify all judgment. Who cannot understand that the apostles and elders are not to judge ? and that they cannot ? It may now be evident from these things, why thrones and elders are mentioned where judgment is treated of; as also in Isaiah: Jehovah shall come to judgment with the elders of His people No. 236.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 233 (iii. 14). In David : Jerusalem is built, and thither the tribes go up, ana7 there are set the thrones for judgment (Ps. exxii. 3-5). And in the Apocalypse : I saw thrones, and they sat upon the?n, and judgment was given unto them (xx. 4). 234. Arrayed in white garments, signifies from the Divine truths of the Word. That "white garments " signify th? genuine truths of the Word, may be seen above (n. 166, 212). 235. And they had upon their heads golden crowns, signifies the things which are of wisdom from love. That a crown signifies wisdom, may be seen above (n. 189) : and that gold signifies the good of love (n. 211, 913). Hence a golden crown signifies wisdom from love. Since all the things of heaven and the church, which are signified by the twenty-four elders, are from that wisdom, golden crowns were therefore seen- upon their heads. It is to be known that the spiritual sense is abstract from persons ; as above (n. 78, 79, 96), so also here. 236. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunders and voices, signifies enlightenment, perception, and instruction, from the Lord. Lightnings, from the flame affect- ing the eyes, signify enlightenment ; and thunders, from the crash affecting the ears, signify perception ; and when these signify enlightenment and perception, then voices signify instruction. These were seen to proceed out of the throne, because from the Son of Man, or from the Lord as to the Word, and all enlightenment, perception, and instruction come from the Lord through the Word. Similar things are signified by lightnings, thunders, and voices elsewhere in the Word ; as in these places : Ihou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people : the shies sent out a voice ; the voice of thunder woit into the world ; the lightnings enlightened the world (Ps. lxxvii. 15, 17, 18). The lightnings of 'Jehovah shall enlighten the world (Ps. xcvii. 3, 4). Thou calledst upon Me in siraitness, and J rescued thee : I answered thee in the secret place of the thunder (Ps. lxxxi. 7). /heard a voice of a great multitude, as a sound of mighty thunders, saying, Hal- 234 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. lelujah,for &ur Lord God omnipotent reigneth (Apoc. xix. 6). Because enlightenment, perception, and instruction are signified by lightnings, thunders, and voices, when there- fore Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai, and promulgated the Law, the7-e were lightnings a?id voices (Ex. xix. i6)„ And when a voice was sent down from heaven to the Lord, it was heard as thwider (John xii. 28, 29). And as James and John represented charity and its works, and all percep- tion of truth and good is from these, they were called by the Lord Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder (Mark iii. 17). From these things it is manifest that similar things are signified by lightnings, thunders, and voices, in the follow- ing places in the Apocalypse : I heard a voice from the four animals, as it were a voice of thunder (vi. 1). / heard a voice out of heave7i as a voice of great thunder (xiv. 2). When the angel cast the censer unto the earth, there were thunders, voices, and lightnings (viii. 5). When the angel cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices (x. 3, 4). When the temple of God was opened in heaven, there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders (xi. 19) : in like manner elsewhere. 237. And there were seven lamps of fire before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God, signifies a New Church thence in heaven and on earth from the Lord through the Divine Truth proceeding from Him. By " the seven lamps " here the same is signified as by " the seven candlesticks," also by "the seven stars," above. That by the seven candlesticks is meant a New Church on earth, which will be in enlightenment from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 43) ; and that by the seven stars is meant a New Church in the heavens (n. 65). And as the church is a church from the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, which is the Divine Truth, and is called the Holy Spirit, it is therefore said, " which are the seven spirits of God." That by the seven spirits of God that proceeding Divine is signified, may be seen above (n. 14, 155). 236. And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto No. 238.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 235 crystal, signifies a New Heaven from the Christians who were in general truths from the literal sense of the Word. In the spiritual world there appear atmospheres, and also waters, as in our worjd, — atmospheres as if ethereal, where the angels of the highest heaven are ; atmospheres as if aerial, where the angels of the middle heaven are ; and atmospheres as if watery, where the angels of the ultimate heaven are. And the latter are the seas which appear in the boundaries of heaven ; and those are there, who are in general truth's from the literal sense of the Word. That waters signify truths, maybe seen above (n. 50) : hence the sea, in which the waters terminate and are collected, signifies the Divine Truth in its boundaries. Since, therefore, by Him that sat upon the throne the Lord is meant (n. 230) ; and by the seven lamps, which are the seven spirits of God before the throne, the New Church which will be in Divine Truth from the Lord (n. 237) \ it is manifest that by the sea of glass which was before the throne, is meant the church with those who are in the borders. The seas in the boun- daries of the heavens it has also been given me to see, and to speak with those who were there, and thus to know by ex- perience the truth of this matter. They were seen by me as in the sea ; but they said that they were not in a sea, but in an atmosphere : from which it was manifest to me, that the sea is the appearance of the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord in the boundaries. That there are seas in the spiritual world is clearly manifest from the fact that they were often seen by John, as here j also chap. v. 13 ; vii 1-3 ; viii. 8, 9 ; x. 2, 8 ; xii. 12 ; xiii. 1 ; xiv. 7 ; xv. 2 ; xvi. 3 ; xviii. 17, 19, 21 ; xx. 13. It is said, " a sea of glass like unto crystal," from the transparency of the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord. Since the Divine Truth in the boundaries in the spiritual world presents the appearance of a sea therefore by sea elsewhere in the Word the same is signiiieol ; as in these passages : In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, part of them to the eastern sea* 236 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. and part of them to the hinder sea (Zech. xiv. 8). "Living waters from Jerusalem " are the Divine truths of the church from the Lord ; hence the sea is where they terminate. O Jehovah, thy way is in the sea, and thy, path in many Waters (Ps. lxxvii. 19). Thus said Jehovah, who made a way in the sea, and a path in ??ia?iy waters (Isa. xliii. 16). Jehovah hath founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the streams (Ps. xxiv. 2). Jehovah hath founded the earth upon its basis, that it may 7iot be removed for ever ; thou hast covered it over with the abyss or sea as with a 'garment (Ps. civ. 5, 6). That the earth is founded upon the sea denotes that the church, which is meant by the earth, is founded upon general truths ; for these are its basis and founda- tions. I will dry up the sea of Babylon, a7id will make dry her spring: the sea shall come up upon Babylon ; she shall be covered by the multitude of its billows (Jer. li. 36, 42). By drying up the sea of Babylon, and making dry its spring, is signified to extinguish all the truth of that church from first things to last. After Jehovah shall they go, and the sons from the sea shall draw near with honor (Hos. xi. 10). "Sons from the sea " are they who are in general or ultimate truths. Jehovah, who buildeth His stairs in the heave?is, and calleth the waters of the sea, and poureth them forth icpon the face of the earth (Am. ix. 6). By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made ; He gathereth the waters of the sea to- gether as a heap, He layeth up the abyss in store-houses (Ps. xxxiii. 6, 7). By my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert (Isa. L 2 : besides other places). Si .ice by the sea Divine truths with those who are in the bor< .ers of heaven are signified, by Tyre, therefore, and Zidon, be- cause they were by the sea, is signified the church as t( the knowledges of good and truth : and therefore also by ' the islands of the sea" those are signified who are in the i^ore remote worship of the Lord (n. 34) ; and for that reason " the sea " in the Hebrew tongue is " the west," tha: is, where the sun's light goes into its evening, or truth intc» No. 239.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 237 obscurity. That the sea signifies also man's natural sepa- rated from his spiritual, and thus also hell, will be seen in what follows. 239. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals, signifies the Lord's Word from first things to ultimates, and its guards. I know that men will wonder that it is said that the four animals signify the Word : but that this is their signification will be seen in what follows. These animals are the same with " the cherubs " in Ezekiel. There also, in chapter first, they are called " animals but in the tenth chapter, " cherubs : " and they were, like these, a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. In the Hebrew language they are there called cha- Joth, which word indeed signifies animals ; but it is derived from chaja, which is life ; from which also Adam's wife was called chaja (Gen. iii. 20). " Animal " also, in the singular number, is called chaja in Ezekiel, on which account Ihose animals may also be called living beings. Nor is it extraor- dinary that the Word is described by animals, when the Lord Himself is here and there in the Word called a Lion, and often a Lamb ; and they who are in charity from the Lord are called sheep ; and also the understanding of the Word is called a horse in chapters that follow. That by those animals or cherubs the Word is signified, is manifest from the fact that they were seen in the midst of the throne and around the throne ; and in the midst of the throne was the Lord : and because the Lord is the Word, they could not be seen anywhere else. That they were also around the throne, was because they were in the angelic heaven, where also the Word is. That the Word and its guards are signified by cherubs is shown in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 97) ; wheie are these words : " The literal sense of the Word is a guard for the genuine truths which lie hid within ; and the pro- tection lies in this, that that sense can be turned hither and thither ; that is, be explained according to one's apprehen- 238 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV sion, and yet the internal of the Word not be injured or violated by it. For it does no harm for the sense of the letter to be understood by one otherwise than by another ; but it does do harm, if the Divine truths which lie hid within are perverted : for by this is violence offered to the Word. Lest this should be done, the sense of the letter acts as a guard ; and it is a guard with those who are in falsities from religion, and do not confirm those falsities , for these do not offer any violence. This guard is signified by cherubs, and is also described by them in the Word. This guard is signified by the cherubs, which, after Adam with his wife was cast out of the garden of Eden, were placed at the entrance of it ; of which we read this : Whe?i Jeho- vah God had drive?i out the man, He made cherubs to dwell on the east of the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning itself hither and thither, to guard the way of the tree of life (Gen. iii. 23, 24). By " the cherubs" is signified a guard ; by " the way of the tree of life " is signified the en- trance to the Lord, which men have through the Word ; by " the flame of a sword turning itself hither and thither " is signified the Divine Truth in ultimates, which is like the Word in the literal sense, which may be so turned, as has been said. The same is signified by " the cherubs of gold placed over the two ends of the mercy-seat, which was over the ark in the tabernacle" (Ex. xxv. 18-21). Because this was signified by the cherubs, Jehovah therefore spake with Moses between them (Ex. xxv. 22 ; xxx. 6 ; Num. vii. 89). Nor is any thing else signified by the cherubs upon the cur- tains of the tabernacle, and upon the vail there (Ex. xxvi. 1, 31) ; for the curtains and vails of the tabernacle represented the ultimates of heaven and the church, and thus also the altimates of the Word. Neither was any other thing signi- fied by the cherubs in the midst of the Temple at Jerusalem (1 Kings vi. 23-28) ; and by the cherubs carved upon the walls and upon the doors of the Temple (1 Kings vi. 29, 32, 35) : and the same by the cherubs in the new temple (Ez. xli. No 239.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 239 18-20). Since by the cherubs was signified a guard, that the Lord, heaven, and the Divine Truth, such as it is inte- riorly in the Word, should not be approached immediately, but mediately through the ultimates, it is therefore said of the king of Tyre : Thou that art co?7iplete in form, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty ; thou hast been in Eden ; every precious stone was thy covering : thou, O spreading cherub, that cover eth : I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, in the midst of the stones of fire (Ez. xxviii. 12-14, 16). By Tyre is signified the church as to the knowledges of truth and good ; and hence by the king of it, the Word where and whence those knowledges are. That the Word in its ulti- mate, which is the sense of the letter, is here signified by the king of Tyre, and a guard by the cherubs, is manifest ; for it is said, " Thou that art complete in form ; every precious stone was thy covering \ and thou, O spreading cherub, that covereth." By the precious stones, which are also named here, the truths of the literal sense of the Word are signified (see n. 231). Since by the cherubs the Divine Truth in the ultimates as a guard is signified, it is therefore said in David, Shepherd of Israel, who sitteth upon the cherubim, shine forth (Ps. lxxx. 1). Jehovah that is seated upon the cherubim (Ps. xcix. 1). Jehovah bowed the heavens, and came down, and rode upon the cherubs (Ps. xviii. 10, 11). To ride upon the cherubs, to sit, and to be seated upon them is upon the ultimate sense of the Word. The Divine Truth in the Word, and its quality, are described by cherubs in Ezekiel in chapters first, ninth, and tenth j and as no one can know what is signified by the particulars of the description of them, except him to whom the spiritual sense has been opened, and as this has been disclosed to me, it shall briefly be told what is signified by all those things which are related concerning the four animals or cherubs in the first chapter in Ezekiel, which are these : " The ex- ternal Divine sphere of the Word is described (vers. 4) ; it is represented as a man (vers. 5) ; conjoined with spiritual 240 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV and heavenly (celestial) things (vers. 6) ; the natural of the Word, its quality (vers. 7) ; the spiritual and heavenly of the Word conjoined to the natural, their quality (vers 8, 9) ; the Divine Love of good and truth, heavenly, spirit- ual, and natural therein, distinctly and together (vers. 10, t 1) ; that they regard one end (vers. 12) ; the sphere of the Word from the Lord's Divine Good and Divine Truth, from which the Word lives (vers. 13, 14) ; the doctrine of good and truth in the Word and from the Word (vers. 15-21) ; the Lord's Divine above it and in it (vers. 22, 23) ; and from it (vers. 24, 25) j that the Lord is above the heavens (vers. 26) ; that Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are His (Vers. 27, 28)." This is a summary. 240. Full of eyes before and behind, signifies the Divine Wisdom therein. By eyes, when speaking of man, the understanding is signified ; and when of the Lord, His Divine Wisdom (n. 48, 125): and the same when said of the Word, as here, because the Word is from the Lord, and concerning the Lord, and thus the Lord. The same is said of the cherubs in Ezekiel, that they were full of eyes " (chap, x. 12). By "before and behind," when speaking of the Word from the Lord, the Divine Wisdom and the Divine Love therein are signified. 241. And the first animal was like a lion, signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to power. That a lion signifies truth in its power, here the Divine Truth of the Word as to power, may be evident from the power of the lion above every animal of the earth ; as also from the lions in the spiritual world, that they are representative images of the power of the Divine Truth ; and also from the Word, where they signify the Divine Truth in its power. What the power of the Divine Truth in the Word is, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture" (n. 49), and in the work on "Heaven and Hell" (n. 228-233). It is hence that Jehovah or the Lord is compared to a lion, and is also called a lion ; as in the No. 242.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 24I following passages : The lion roareth, who would ?iot fear? the Lord Jehovah hath spoken, who would not prophesy ? (Am. iii. 8). / will not return to destroy Ephraim ; they shall walk after Jehovah, as a lion He roareth (Hos. xi. 9, 10). As the lion roareth, and the young lion, so shall Jehovah come down to fght upo?i Mount Zion (Isa. xxxi. 4). Behold, the Lion, which is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath conquered (Apoc. v. 5). Judah is a lion's whelp ; he couched, he lay down like an old lion ; who shall stir him up ? (Gen. xlix. 9). In these places the power of the Divine Truth which is from the Lord is described by the lion. "To roar" signifies to speak and act from power against the hells, which wish to drag man away, and from which the Lord delivers him, as a lion his prey. To couch is to put himself into power. Judah in the highest sense signifies the Lord (n. 96, 266). The angel cried with a great voice as a lion roareth (Apoc. x. 3). He couched, he lay doivn as an old lion ; who shall stir him up ? (Num. xxiv. 9). Lo, the people rise up like an old lion, and lift themselves up as a lion (Num. xxiii. 24). This is said of Israel, by whom the church is signified, whose power, which is in Divine truths, is thus described. In like manner, The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of the peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of the peoples (Mic. v. 7, 8 : besides many other places, as Isa. xi. 6; xxi. 6-9 ; xxxv. 9 ; Jer. ii. 15 ; iv. 7 ; v. 6 ; xii. 8 ; 1. 17 ; li. 38 ; Ez. xix. 3, 5, 6 ; Hos. xiii. 7, 8 ; Joel i. 6, 7 ; Nah. ii. 12 ; Ps. xvii. 12 ; xxii. 13 ; lvii. 4 j lviii. 6 j xci. 13 ; civ. 21, 22 ; Deut. xxxiii. 20). 242. And the second animal was like a calf, signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to affection. By the beasts of the earth the various natural affections are signified : tiny also are those affections ; and by a calf is signified the affection of knowing. This affection is represented by a calf in the spiritual world ; on which account it is also signified by a calf in the Word ; as in Hosea : We will vol. 1. II 242 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV repay to Jehovah the calves of our lips (xrv. 2). The "calves of the lips " are confessions from affection for truth. In Malachi : Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with healing in His wings, that ye may grow up as fattened calves (iv. 2). A comparison is made with fattened calves, because those are signified by them who are filled with the knowledges of truth and good from the affection for knowing them. In David : The voice of Jehovah maketh the cedars of Lebanon to skip as a calf (Ps. xxix. 6). By the cedars of Lebanon the knowledges of truth are signified: hence it is said that "the voice of Jehovah maketh them to skip as a calf." The voice of Jehovah is the Divine Truth, here affecting. As the Egyptians loved knowledges, for that reason they made to themselves calves for a sign of their affection for them. But they afterwards began to- worship the calves as gods, and then by them in the Word are signified the affections for knowing falsities; as Jer. xlvi. 20, 21 ; Ps. lxviii. 30; and elsewhere. The same is therefore signified by the calf which the sons of Israel made to themselves in the desert (Ex. xxxii.) ; the same also by the calves of Samaria (1 Kings xii. 28-32 ; Hos. viii. 4, 5 ; x. 5) : on which ac- count it is said in Hosea, They make to themselves a molten thing of silver; sacrificing a man, they kiss the calves (xiii. 2). To "make to themselves a molten thing of silver" signifies to falsify truth ; to "sacrifice a man" signifies to destroy wisdom; and to "kiss the calves" signifies to acknowledge falsities from affection. In Isaiah : There shall the calf feed, there shall he lie down, and co?isume its branches (xxvii. 10). The same is signified by a calf in Jeremiah (xxxiv. 18-20). Since all Divine worship is from the affections for truth and good, and thence the knowledges of them, the sacrifices, therefore, in which the worship of the church among the sons of Israel principally consisted, were made from various beasts, as from lambs, she-goats, kids, sheep, he-goats, calves, oxen ; and from calves, because they signified the affection No. 244.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 243 for knowing truths and goods, which is the first natural affection. This was signified by the sacrifices from calves (Ex. xxix. 11, 12 * Lev. iv. 3, 13, and the following verses ; viii. 14, and following verses ; ix. 2 ; xvi. 3 ; xxiii. 18 ; Num. viii. 8, &c. ; xv. 24; xxviii. 19, 20 ; Judg. vi. 25-28 ; 1 Sam. i. 25 ; xvi. 2 ; 1 Kings xviii. 23-26, 33). The second animal was seen like a calf, because the Divine Truth of the Word which is signified by it, affects the natural mind, and so instructs and imbues. 243. And the third animal having a face like a man, signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to wisdom. By "a man " in the Word wisdom is signified, because he was born that he might receive wisdom from the Lord, and become an angel. Hence, as far as one is wise, so far he is a man. Wisdom truly human is to be wise in these things, — that there is a God, what God is, and what is God's : these the Divine Truth of the Word teaches. That wisdom is signified by a man, is manifest from these passages : / will 7nake a man more rare than pure gold, and man than the gold of Ophir (Isa. xiii. 12). " A man " (vir-homo) is intelli- gence, and "man" (homo) is wisdom. The inhabitants of the earth shall be burnt, and few men shall be left (Isa. xxiv. 6). / will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast (Jer. xxxi. 27). Ye my flock, ye are ?iwi, Ia?n your God (Ez. xxxiv. 3 1). The wasted cities shall be full of the flocks of men (Ez. xxxvi. 38). I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was vacant and empty, and the heavens, a?id there was no light ; and I beheld, when, lo, there was no man (Jer. iv. 23, 25). They sacrifice a man, they kiss the calves (Hos. xiii. 2). He measured the wall of the Holy jferusalcm, a hundred and forty -four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Apoc. xxi. 17 : besides many other places, in which by " man " is signified he that is wise, and in the abstract sense wisdom). 244. And the fourth animal was like a flying eagle, signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to knowledges, and thence 244 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV understanding. Various things are signified by eagles, and by flying eagles are signified the knowledges from which is understanding ; since when they fly, they recognize and see. They also have sharp eyes, that they may see clearly ; and by the eyes is signified the understanding (n. 48, 214). By flying is signified to perceive and to instruct j and in the highest sense, which treats of the Lord, it signifies to look out for and to provide. That eagles signify such things in the Word, is manifest from these passages : They that wait for Jehovah shall be renewed in strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles (Isa. xl. 31). "To mount up with wings as eagles " is to be elevated into the knowl- edges of truth and good, and thence into intelligence. Is it by thy intelligence and according to thy word that the eagle lifteth himself up, and searcheth out his foodl his eyes look forward afar (Job xxxix. 26, 29). The faculty of knowing, of under- standing, and of looking forward is here described by the eagle, and that this is not from one's own intelligence. jfehovah who satisfieth thy mouth with good, that thou mayest be renewed in thy youth like the eagle (Ps. ciii. 5). "To satisfy the mouth with good " is to give understanding by knowledges : hence the comparison is made with the eagle. A great eagle, great in wings, long in feathers, came tipon Lebanon, and took a twig of a cedar, and put it in a fruitful field, and it grew. And there was another great eagle, to which the vine applied its roots (Ez. xvii. 1-8). By the two eagles are here described the Jewish and Israelitish churches, both of them as to the knowledges of truth and intelligence thence. But in the opposite sense eagles signify the knowledges of falsity, from which comes per- verted understanding; as Matt. xxiv. 28 ; Jer. iv. 13 ; Hab. i. 8 ; and elsewhere. 245. And the four animals, each by himself , had six wings about him, signifies the Word as to its powers and as to its guards. That the Word is signified by the. four animals was shown above. That by wings powers aie signified, and No. 245.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 245 also guards, will be seen below. By six is signified all as to truth and good ; for six arises from three and two multiplied by each other: and by three is signified all as to truth (n. 505); and by two, all as to good (n. 762). By wings are signified powers, because by them the birds raise themselves up, and wings are to them in the place of arms with men • and powers are signified by the arms. Since powers are signified by wings, and each animal had six wings, from what is said above it is manifest what power is signified by the wings of each one ; namely, that by the wings of the lion the power of fighting against evils and falsities from hell is signified ; this power is of the Divine Truth of the Word from the Lord : that by the wings of the calf is signified the power of affecting the natural mind ; for the Divine Truth of the Word affects those who read it in a holy state : that by the six wings of the man is signified the power of being wise as to what God is and what is God's ; for this power is peculiarly man's in reading the Word : and that by the wings of the eagle is signified the power of knowing truth and good, and thus of procuring intelligence to one's self. We read in Ezekiel concerning the wings of the cherubs, that the wings kissed each other, and that they also covered their bodies, and that the likeness of hands was wider them (i. 23, 24; iii. 13 ; x. 5, 21). By kissing each other is signified to act conjointly and unani- mously : by covering the bodies is signified to keep guard lest the interior truths, which are those of the spiritual sense of the Word, should be violated : and by the hands under the wings are signified powers. Concerning the Seraphim it is said also, that they had six wings, with two of which they covered the face, with two the fed, and flew with two (Isa. vi. 2). By the Seraphim in like manner the Word is signified, properly doctrine from the Word ; and by the wings with which they covered the face and the feet, guards are in like manner signified ; and by the wings with which they flew, powers, as above. That by flying is signified to perceive and to instruct, and in the highest sense to look 246 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV, out for and to provide, is also evident from these passages: God rode upon a cherub. He did fly, and was borne upon the wings of the wind (Ps. xviii. 10 ; 2 Sam. xxii. 11). I saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the ez'erlasting gospel (Apoc. xiv. 6). That guards are signified by wings, is manifest from these: Jehovah covereth thee under His wing (Ps. xci. 4). To be hid ttnder the shadow of God's wings (Ps. xvii. 8). To sit in the shadow of His wings (Ps. xxxvi. 7 ; lvii. 1 ; lxiii. 7). / spread a iving over thee, and covered thy nakedness (Ez. xvi. 8). Unto you there shall be healing in His wings (Mai. iv. 2). As the eagle stirreth up her nest, broodeth over her young, spreadeth out her ivings, carrieth them on her wings, so Jehovah leadeth Jmn (Deut. xxxii. 10-12). Jesus said, O Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her chickens imder her wings (Matt, xxiii. 37 ; Luke xiii. 34). 246. And they were full of eyes within, signifies the Divine Wisdom in the Word in the natural sense from its spiritual and heavenly (celestial) sense. That by the animals being full of eyes before and behind the Divine Wisdom in the Word is signified, may be seen above (n. 240). It is the same here by their wings being full of eyes. And because the Divine Wisdom of the Word in the natural sense is from the spiritual and heavenly senses, which lie hid within, it is therefore said that they were full of eyes within. Con- cerning the spiritual and heavenly senses, which are within in each thing of the Word, see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture" (n. 5-26). 247. And they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, signifies that the Word continually teaches the Lord, and that He alone is God, and hence that He alone is to be worshipped. That the animals had no rest day and night, signifies that the Word teaches continually and without intermission j and that it teaches that which the animals say, which is, " Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty ; " that is, that the Lord alone is No. 249.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 247 God, and hence that He alone is to be worshipped. Holy three times repeated signifies this 3 for the triplication implies all holiness in Him alone. That the Divine Trinity is in the Lord, is fully shown in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord j " as also that the Word treats of the Lord alone, and that from this is its sanctity. That the Lord alone is holy, see above (n. 173). 248. Who was and who is and who is to co??ie, signifies the Lord. That it is the Lord is plainly manifest in the first chapter, vers. 4, 8, 11, 17; where the Son of Man is treated of, who is the Lord as to the Word : and it is there openly said that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and the Almighty. But what is signified by these things is explained (n. 13, 29-31, 38, 57) ; here now, that the Lord is meant by " Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come." 249. A?id when the a?iimals gave glory and honor and h to Him that sat upon the throne, signifies that the Word ascribes all good and all truth and all worship to the Lord who will judge. The animals are the Word, as has been shown. Glory and honor, when ascribed to the Lord, mean that all truth and all good are His and from Him : thanks denotes the whole of worship : He that sitteth upon the throne is the Lord as to judgment, as above. Hence it is manifest that by "when the animals gave glory- and honor and thanks unto Him that sat upon the throne," is signified that the Word ascribes all truth and all good and all worship to the Lord who will judge. By giving to the Lord glory and honor nothing else is meant in the Word but to acknowledge and confess that all truth and all good are from Him, and thus that He is the only God j for He has glory from the Divine Truth and honor from the Divine Good. These things are signified by glory and honor in the following passages : Jehovah made the heavens ; glory and honor are before Him (Ps. xcvi. 5,6). O Jehovah God, thou 248 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. art very great ; thou art clothed with glory and honor (Ps. civ. 1). The works of Jehovah are great ; glory and honor are His work (Ps. cxi. 2, 3). Glory and honor thou lay est upon Him, blessings for ever (Ps. xxi. 5, 6). These things are said of the Lord. Gird thy sword upo?i thy thigh, 0 mighty in glory and honor ; in thine honor mount up, ride upo?i the Word of truth (Ps. xlv. 3, 4). Thou hast made Iwn little less than the angels ; thou hast crowned him with glory and honor (Ps. viii. 5). The glory of Lebanoii hast thou given tmto it, the honor of Cannel and Sharon : they shall see the glory of Jehovah, and the honor of our God (Isa. xxxv. 1, 2). These and the foregoing are concerning the Lord ; besides other places, as Ps. cxlv. 4, 5, 12 ; Apoc. xxi. 24, 26. Be- sides, where the Divine Truth is treated of in the Word, the word "glory" is used (n. 629) j and where the Divine Good is treated of, "honor." 250. To Him that liveth for ever a?id ever. That it signifies the Lord, that He alone is life, and that eternal life is from Him alone, may be seen above (n. 58, 60). 251. The twenty-four elders fell dowti before Him that sat upon the thro?ie, a?id worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever, signifies the humiliation of all in heaven before the Lord. That all who are of the Lord's church are meant by the twenty-four elders, may be seen above (n. 233) ; here all who are of His church in heaven : " the elders," as heads, represented all. That it is humiliation before the Lord, and from humiliation adoration, is manifest without explanation. 252. And cast their crowns before the throne, signifies the acknowledgment that their wisdom is from Him alone. That " a crown " signifies wisdom may be seen above (n. 189, 235). Hence by "casting their crowns before the throne" is signified to acknowledge that wisdom is not theirs, but the Lord's in them. 253. Saying, Thou art W07'thy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, signifies the confession that unto the No. 254.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 249 Lord, because He is the Divine Truth and the Divine Good, the kingdom belongs from merit and justice. Con- fession is signified by "saying." That it is from merit and justice, is signified by "thou art worthy, O Lord." That He is the Divine Truth and the Divine Good, is signified by "glory and honor," as above (n. 249). That the kingdom is His. is signified by His receiving the power. These things, therefore, collected into one idea, signify the confession that unto the Lord, because He is the Divine Truth and the Divine Good, belongs the kingdom from merit and justice. 254. For thou hast created all things, and by thy will they are, and were created, signifies that all things of heaven and the church were made and formed, and that men are reformed and regenerated, from the Lord's Divine Love through His Divine Wisdom, or from the Divine Good through the Divine Truth, which also is the Word. This is the spiritual sense of these words, because by creating is signified to reform and regenerate by the Divine Truth ; and by the will of the Lord is signified the Divine Good. Whether it is said the Divine Good and the Divine Truth or the Divine Love or the Divine Wisdom, it is the same, since all good is of love, and all truth is of wisdom. That all the things of heaven and the church are from the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, yea, that the world was created from them, is abundantly shown in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wis- dom ; " also that love and good are of the will, and wisdom and truth are of the understanding. It is hence manifest, that by the will of the Lord is meant His Divine Love or Divine Good. That to create, in the Word, signifies to reform and to regenerate, is manifest from these passages : Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in the midst of ?ne (Ps. li. 10). Thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good; thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they arc created (Ps. civ. 2S, 30). The people which shall be crmUd shjU 11* 25O THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. praise Jah (Ps. cii. 18). Behold, I am He that createth a new heaven and a new earth : rejoice for ever in that which I create: behold, I will create Jerusalem an exultation (Is a. lxv. 17, 18). Jehovah is He that createth the heavens, and that stretcheth out the earth, and that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to the?n that walk on it (Isa. xlii. 5 ; xlv. 12, 18). Thus said Jehovah, thy Creator, O Jacob, thy Former, O Israel ; I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by my name : every one called by my name, I have created him unto my glory (Isa. xliii. 1, 7). In the day that thou wast created, they were prepared : thou wast perfect in thy ways in the day that thou wast created, until perversity was found in thee (Ez. xxviii. 13, 15). This is said of the king of Tyre, by whom are signified they who are in intelligence through Divine Truth. That they may see, k?iow, consider, and understand that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it (Isa. xli. 19, 20). 255. To this I will add this Relation. Lest any one should enter into the spiritual sense of the Word, and pervert the genuine truth which is of that sense, guards are placed by the Lord ; which are meant in the Word by cherubs, which here are the four animals. That guards ire placed, has been thus represented to me. It was given to see great purses, appearing like sacks, in which silver in great abundance was stored up ; and as they were open, it appeared as if every one might take out, yea, plunder, the silver there laid up. But near those purses sat two angels, who were guards. The place where they were stored up appeared like a manger in a stable. In the next room were seen modest virgins, with a chaste wife ; and near that room stood two nfants: and it was said that they were not to be played with in an infantile manner, but wisely. And there afterwards appeared a harlot, and a horse lying No. 255.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 25 1 dead. Seeing these things, I was instructed that by them was represented the literal sense of the Word, in which is the spiritual sense. The great purses full of silver signified the knowledges of truth and good in great abundance. That .hey were open, and yet guarded by the angels, signi- fied that every one could take therefrom the knowledges of (ruth; but that care is taken lest anyone should falsify the spiritual sense, in which are nothing but truths. The manger in the stable, in which the purses lay, signified spiritual instruction for the understanding. This a manger signifies, even the manger in which the Lord was laid when an Infant j because a horse, which eats therefrom, signifies the understanding of the Word. The modest virgins, who were seen in the next apartment, signified affections for truth ; and the chaste wife, the conjunction of good and truth. The infants signified the innocence of wisdom in the Word. They were angels from the third heaven, who all appear as infants. The harlot, with the dead horse, signified the falsification of the Word by many at this day, by which all understanding of truth perishes. A harlot signifies falsification ; and a dead horse, no understanding of truth. It has been given to speak with many after death, who believed that they were to shine in heaven, as the stars; because, as they said, they had held the Word sacred, read it often, and gathered many things therefrom, by which they confirmed the dogmas of their faith, and thereby were cele- brated as learned in the world ; from which they believed that they were to be Michaels and Raphaels. But very many of them were examined as to the love from which they studied the Word : and it was found that some did it from the love of self, that they might appear great in the world, and be reverenced as primates of the church ; but some from the love of the world, that they might gain wealth. When these were examined as to what they knew from the Word, it was found that they knew therefrom nothing of genuine trutn; 252 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IV. but only such as is called truth falsified, which in itself is false ; and this in the spiritual world stinks to the nostrils of the angels. And it was said to them that this was the case with them, for the reason that their ends, or what is the same their loves, were themselves and the world, and not the Lord and heaven : and when self and the world are the ends, then when they read the Word, their mind sticks fast in themselves and the world \ and hence they think perpetually from their proprium (ownhood), which is in thick-darkness as to all the things that are of heaven : in which state a man cannot be withdrawn from his own light (lumen), and so be elevated into the light of heaven ; and consequently he cannot receive any influx from the Lord through heaven. I have also seen these admitted into heaven ; and when they were found to be without truths, they were stripped of their garments, and appeared in na- kedness : and they who falsified truths, because they stank, were expelled. But there still remained with them pride, and the belief in their own merit. It is otherwise with those who have studied the Word from the affection for knowing truth because it is true, and because it subserves the uses of spiritual life, — not only their own, but also their neighbor's. I have seen these taken up into heaven, and so into the light in which is the Divine Truth there ; and at the same time also exalted into angelic wisdom, and into its happiness, which is eternal life. Chap. V.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 2S3 CHAPTER FIFTH. 1. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne a Book written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the Book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3. And no one in heaven, nor upon the earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the Book, neither to look thereon. 4. And I wept much, that no one was found worthy to open and to read the Book, nor to look thereon. 5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not : be hold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed, to open the Book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6. And I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four animals, and in the midst of tne elders, a Lamb standing as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7. And He came, and took the Book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. 8. And when He had taken the Book, the four animals, and the twenty-four elders, fell down before the Lamb, hav- ing every one harps, and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9. And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to open the seals thereof ; because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every tribe and tongue, and people and nation 254 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. V. 10. And hast made us kings and priests unto our God ; and we shall reign upon the earth. 11. And I saw, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the animals and the elders ; and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. 12. Saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and honor and glory and blessing. 13. And every created thing which is in heaven and upon the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, Blessing and honor and glory and strength be unto Him that sit- teth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14. And the four animals said, Amen : and the twenty- four elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. That the Lord in His Divine Human will execute judgment from the Word and according to it, because He is the Word ; and that this is acknowledged by all in the three heavens. The Contents of each Verse. " And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne a Book written within and on the back," signifies the Lord as to His Divine Itself from eternity, who has omnipotence and omniscience, and who is the Word. " Sealed with seven seals," signifies that it is altogether hidden from angel and man. " And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a great voice," sigmfies the Divine Truth from the Lord flowing in deeply with angels and men. " Who is worthy to open the Book, and to loose the seals thereof ? " signifies who has the power to know the states of life of all in heaven and on earth, and Chap. V.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 255 to judge every one according to his state? "And no one in heaven, nor upon the earth, nor under the earth, was able," signifies that no one was able in the higher heavens 01 in the lower heavens. " To open the Book," signifies to know the states of life of all, and to judge every one ac- cording to his state. " Neither to look thereon," signifies not in the least. " And I wept much, that no one was found worthy to open and to read the Book, nor to look thereon," signifies grief of heart, that if no one could, all must perish. "And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not," signifies consolation. " Behold, the Lion which is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed," signifies the Lord, that from His own power He had sub- jugated the hells, and reduced all things to order when He was in the world, by the Divine Good united to the Divine Truth in His Human. " To open the Book, and to loose the seven seals thereof," signifies here as before. " And I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne, and of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders," signifies from in- mosts and thence in all things of heaven, of the Word, and of the church. " A Lamb standing as if slain," signifies the Lord as to His Human hot acknowledged as Divine in the church. " Having seven horns," signifies His omnipo- tence. " And seven eyes," signifies His omniscience and Divine Wisdom. " Which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth," signifies that from it is the Divine Truth in the whole world, where there is any religion, " And He came and took the Book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne," signifies that the Lord as to His Divine Human is the Word, and that this is from His Divine in Himself, and that therefore from His Divine Human He will execute judgment. " And when He had taken the Book," signifies when the Lord determined to execute judgment, and thereby to reduce all things in hea- ven and upon earth to order. "The four animals and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb," signifies 256 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. V. humiliation, and adoration of the Lord from the higher heavens. " Having every one harps," signifies confession of the Lord's Divine Human from spiritual truths. " And golden vials full of incense," signifies confession of the Lord's Divine Human from spiritual goods. "Which are the prayers of the saints " signifies thoughts which are of faith from affections which are of charity with those who worship the Lord from spiritual goods and truths. " And they sung a new song," signifies acknowledgment and glori- fication of the Lord, that He alone is the Judge, Redeemer, and Saviour, and thus the God of heaven and earth. " Saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to open the seals thereof," signifies here as before. " Because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," signifies liberation from hell, and salvation by conjunction with Him. "Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation," signifies that those are redeemed by the Lord, who, in the church or in any religion, are in truths as to doctrine and in goods as to life. "And hast made us kings and priests unto our God," signifies that from the Lord they are in wisdom from Divine truths and in love from Divine goods. " And we shall reign upon the earth," signifies, and they will be in His kingdom, He in them and they in Him. " And I saw, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the animals and the elders," signifies confession and glorification of the Lord by the angels of the lower heavens. " Saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and honor and glory," signifies con- fession from the heart, that to the Lord as to His Divine Human belong omnipotence, omniscience, Divine Good and Divine Truth. " And blessing," signifies all these things in Him, and from Him in them. " And every cre- ated thing, which is in heaven and upon the earth and under the earth and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying," signifies confession and No. 256.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 257 glorification of the Lord by the angels of the lowest hea vens. " Blessing and honor and glory and strength be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever," signifies that in the Lord from eternity and thence in His Divine Human is the all of heaven and of the church, Divine Good and Divine Truth, and Divine Power, and from Him in them. " And the four animals said, Amen," signifies Divine confirmation from the Word. " And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever," signifies humiliation before the Lord, and from humiliation adoration by all the hea- vens of Him from Whom and in Whom is life eternal. THE EXPLANATION. 256. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat tipon the throne a book written within and on the back, signifies the Lord as to His Divine Itself from eternity, who has omnip- otence and omniscience, and who is the Word, who also knows from Himself the states of life of all in the heavens and on the earth, in every particular and in general. By " Him that sitteth upon the throne " is meant the Lord as to the Divine Itself, from which is His Human : for it fol- lows that the Lamb took the Book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne (vers. 7) ; and by the Lamb the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant. By the " Book written within and on the back " is meant the Word in every particular and in general : by " within," in every particular ; and by " on the back," in general. By within and on the back is also meant the interior sense of the Word which is spiritual, and its exterior sense which is natural. By the right hand is meant Himself as to omnipotence and omni- science, because the exploration of all in the heavens and on earth, upon whom the last judgment is to be executed, and their separation, are treated of. That the Lord as the 258 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chav. V. Word knows the states of life of all in the heavens and on earth from Himself is because He is the Divine Truth itself, and the Divine Truth itself knows all things from itself. But this is an arcanum, which is revealed in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom." That the Lord as to the Divine Itself from eternity was the Word, that is, the Divine Truth, is manifest from this in John : I?i the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (i. 1) ; and again, that the Lord as to the Human also became the Word : And the Word became flesh (i. 14). It may hence be evident what it means, that the Book was in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne, and that the Lamb took the Book therefrom (vers. 7). Since the Lord is the Word, and the Word is the Divine Truth, which in general makes heaven and the church, and in particular an angel so that heaven may be in him, and a man so that the church may be in him ; and because the Word is here meant by the Book, from which and accord- ing to which all are to be judged; therefore, "to be writ- ten in the Book," " to be judged from the Book," " to be blotted out of the Book," frequently occur where the state of the eternal life of any one is treated of ; as in these passages : The Ancient of Days did sit for judgment, and the Books were opened (Dan. vii. 9, 10). All the people shall be delivered, who are found written in the Book (Dan. xii. 1.) My bone was not hid from thee ; in thy Book all my days were written, and not one of them is wanting (Ps. cxxxix. 15, 16). Moses said, Blot me, I pray, out of the Book which thou hast writte?i ; and Jehovah said, Him who hath sinned against Me will I blot out of the Book (Ex. xxxii. 32, 33). Let them be blotted out of the Book of Life, a?id let them not be written with the just (Ps. lxix. 28). L saw thai the Books were opened ; and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life ; and the dead were judged according to the things that were written in the Book, according to their No. 25S.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 259 works : and if any one was not found written in the Book of Life, he 7vas cast out into the lake of fire (xx. 12-15). None shall enter into the New Jerusalem but them that a?'e written in the Lamb" s Book of LJfc (Apoc. xxi. 27). All worshipped the beast, whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life (Apoc. xiii. 8 ; xvii. 8). That the Word is meant by the Book may be seen in David : /// the Volume of the Book it is written of Me (Ps. xl. 7) : and in Ezekiel : L saw, and behold, a hand sent forth unto me, and in it the Volume of a Book written before and behind (\\. 9, 10). The Book of the words of Isaiah (Luke iii. 4). The Book of Psalms (Luke xx. 42). 257. Scaled with sevc?i seals, signifies that it is altogether hidden from angel and man. That " sealed with a seal" signifies hidden, is manifest; hence "sealed with seven seals " signifies altogether hidden : for seven signifies all (n. 10), and thus also altogether. That it was altogether hidden fiom angel and man, is soon said in these words : " and no one in heaven, nor upon the earth, neither under the earth, was able to open and read the Book, neither to look thereon" (vers. 3, 4). Such is the Word to all to whom the Lamb, that is, the Lord, does not open it. Here, because the exploration of all before the last judgment is treated of, it is the states of life of all, in general and in particular, which are altogether hidden. 258. And I saw a niighty angel proclaiming with a great voice, signifies the Divine Truth from the Lord flowing in deeply into the thought of angels and men, and investiga- tion. By an angel proclaiming, in the spiritual sense, the Lord is meant ; because the angel does not proclaim and teach from himself, but from the Lord ; yet still as of him- self. The angel is called mighty, because he speaks with power ; and that which is proclaimed with power flows in deeply into the thought. A great voice signifies the Divine Truth from the Lord in power or virtue. That investiga- tion also is signified, is because it asks the question, " Who s worthy to open the Book ? " as now follows. 26o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. V. 259. Who is worthy to open the Book, and to loose the seals thereof '? signifies, who has the power to know the states of life of all in heaven and on earth, and to judge every one according to his state ? " Who is worthy," signifies, who can, or who has the power : " to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof," signifies here to know the states of life of all in heaven and on earth, and also to judge every- one according to his state. For, when the Book is opened, inquisition is made as to their quality, and then sentence or judgment is passed, comparatively as by a judge with a book of the law, and from it. That by opening the Book inquisition is signified as to what the state of life of all and each is, is manifest from the following chapter, where what was seen when the Lamb opened its seven seals in their order is described. 260. And no one in heaven, nor upon the earth, neither under the earth, was able, signifies that no one was able in the higher heavens, or in the lower heavens. By " in heaven, upon the earth, and under the earth," is meant in the higher and lower heavens ; as also below (vers. 13), where are these words : And every created thing, which is in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying. Because he heard the latter and the former "saying," it is manifest that they were angels and spirits who were speaking. John also was in the spirit, as he says in the preced- ing chapter (iv. vers. 2) ; in which state no other earth ap- peared to him than the earth of the spiritual world : for there are earths there as in the natural world, as may be evident from the description of that world in the work on " Heaven and Hell," also in the " Continuation concern- ing the Spiritual World " (n. 32-38). The higher heavens appear there upon mountains and hills, the lower heavens upon the earth beneath, and the ultimate heavens as it were under the earth. For the heavens are expanses, one above another, and each expanse is as the earth under the feet 0/ No. 262.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 26l those who are there. The highest expanse is as the top of a mountain ; the second expanse is under it, but ex- tending itself more widely round about on the sides ; and the lowest expanse more widely still : and because the lat- ter is under the former, those there are they who are under the earth. The three heavens also appear thus to the angels who are in the higher heavens, because to them there appear two below them. To John, therefore, they ap- peared the same, because he was with them j for he as- cended up to them, as appears from chap. iv. vers. 2, where it is said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. He who does not know any thing con- cerning the spiritual world and concerning the earths there, can by no means know what is meant in the Word by " under the earth," and in like manner what by the " lower parts of the earth," as in Isaiah : Sing, O heavens , shout, ye lower parts of the earth ; resound, ye mountains, with singing ; because Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob (xliv. 23) : and elsewhere. Who does not see that earths in the spiritual world are there meant ? for no man dwells under the earth in the natural world. 261. To open the Book. That it signifies to know the states of life of all, and to judge every one according to hip state, is manifest from the explanations above (n. 259). 262. Neither to look thereon, signifies not in the least. When by opening the Book is signified to know the states of life of all, by looking upon it is signified to see what the state of the life of each one is ; wherefore, by no one being able to open the Book nor to look thereon, is signified that they cannot in the least. For the Lord alone sees the state of every one from inmosts to outmosts ; also what a man has been from infancy even to old age, and what he will be to eternity ; as also what place in heaven or in hell he will share. And the Lord sees this in an instant and from Himself, because He is the Divine Truth Itself, or the Word ; but angels and man not in the least, be- 262 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. V. cause they are finite : and those who are finite see only a few things, and external ones ; and these they by no means see from themselves, but from the Lord. 263. And I wept much that no one was found worthy to open and to read the Book, nor to look thereon, signifies grief of heart, that if no one could, all must perish. That to weep much is to grieve at heart is manifest. The cause of his grieving at heart was, that otherwise all would perish: for, if all things in the heavens and on the earth were not reduced to order by the last judgment, it could not be otherwise. For the last state of the church is treated of in the Apocalypse, when its end arrives ; which is described by the Lord as to its quality in these words : There shall be great affliction, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor shall be : wherefore except those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved (Matt. xxiv. 21, 22). This is said of the last period of the church; when the judgment takes place. That such is the state of the church at this day, may be known from these things only j that in the greatest part of the Christian world there are those who have transferred the Lord's Divine power to themselves, and who wish to be worshipped as Gods ; and who invoke dead men, and scarce any one among them the Lord : and that the rest in the church make God three, and the Lord two ; and place salvation not in amendment of life, but in certain words uttered with a devout tone ; thus not in re- pentance, but in the trust that they are justified and sanc- tified, provided they fold the hands and look upwardj and pray in the established form. 264. And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not. That it signifies consolation, is manifest. 265. Behold, the Lion hath prevailed, signifies the Lord, that from His own power He had subjugated the hells, and reduced all things to order when He was in the world. That a lion signifies the Divine Truth of the Word as to power may be seen above (n. 241) ; and because the Lord No. 267.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 263 is the Divine Truth Itself or the Word, He is therefore called a Lion. That when the Lord was in the world, He subjugated the hells, and reduced all things in the heavens to order, and also gloiified His Human, may be seen above (n. 67) ; and how, in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord" (n. 12-14). Hence it is manifest, what is meant by "the Lion hath prevailed." 266. Which is of the t?'ibe of Judah, the root of David, signifies by the Divine Good united to the Divine Truth in His Human. By Judah in the Word is meant the church which is in the good of love to the Lord, and in the highest sense the Lord as to the Divine Good of His Divine Love ; and by David is meant the Lord as to the Divine Truth of His Divine Wisdom. That this is meant by David maybe seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord " (n. 43, 44) ; and that the former is meant by Judah, may be seen (n. 96, 266, 350). From these things it is manifest, that by " Behold, the Lion hath prevailed, which is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David," is signi- fied that the Lord conquered the hells and reduced all things to order by the Divine Good united to the Divine Truth in His Human. That this is the sense of these words cannot be seen in the literal sense, but only that it is He Himself who was born in the world of the tribe of Judah and of the race of David. But still those same words contain in themselves a spiritual sense, in which by the names of persons things are meant, as has been occasionally said above ; thus not by Judah, Judah, nor by David, David, but by Judah the Lord as to Divine Good, and by David the Lord as to Divine Truth. Hence it is that this mean- ing results therefrom. That that sense is here set forth, is because the Apocalypse, as to the spiritual sense, is now being opened. 267. To open the Book, and to loose the seve?i seals there- of, signifies to know the states of life of all in heaven and on earth, and to judge every one according to his state ; as above (n. 258, 259). 264 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. V. 268. And I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders, signifies from inmosts and thence in all things of heaven, of the Word, and of the church. " In the midst " signifies in the inmosts and thence in all things (n. 44). The throne sig- nifies heaven (n. 14). The four animals or cherubs signify the Word (n. 239). And the twenty-four elders signify the church as to all the things of it (n. 233, 251). It follows from these things, that by " in the midst of the throne, and of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders," signi- fies from inmosts in all things of heaven, of the Word, and of the church. 269. A Lamb standing as if slain, signifies the Lord as to His Human not acknowledged as Divine in the church. By " the Lamb " in the Apocalypse is meant the Lord as to His Divine Human j and by " the Lamb slain," that His Human is not acknowledged as Divine in the church ; the same as in chapter i. vers. 18, where it is said, I was made dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever, by which is meant that the Lord has been neglected in the church, and His Human not acknowledged as Divine (n. 59). That it is so, may be seen below (n. 294). Since therefore the Lord as to His Divine Human is meant by the Lamb, and it is said of Him that " He took the Book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne," and afterwards that " He opened it, and loosed its seven seals ; " and since no mortal could do this, but the Lord alone ; it follows that the Lord as to His Divine Human is meant by the Lamb ; and by " slain," that as to His Human He is not acknowl- edged as God. 270. Having seven horns, signifies His omnipotence. A horn is mentioned very often in the Word, and by it is everywhere signified power ; for which reason, by a horn, in speaking of the Lord, omnipotence is signified. That there are said to be seven horns, is because seven signifies all (n. 10), thus omnipotence. That a horn signifies power, No. 270.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 265 and in speaking of the Lord, omnipotence, may be evident from the following passages : They who are glad at a thing of nought, who say, have we not by our strength taken us horns (Amos vi. 13). I said to the wicked, lift not up the horn, lift not up your horn on high : all the horns of the wicked Twill cut off; the horns of the just shall be exalted (Ps. lxxv. , and behold, a pale horse, signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed both as to good and as to truth. By a horse the understanding of the Word is sigrrfied (n. 298), and by pale is signified what has not vital -ty. In the Word those are said to have no vitality, who are not in goods of life from the truths of doctrine. For the Word in the sense of the letter is not understood without doctrine, and doctrine is not perceived without a life according to it. The reason is, that a life according to doctrine from the Word opens the spiritual mind, and light flows into it out of heaven, and enlightens, and gives per- ception. That it is so is unknown to him who knows the truths of doctrine, and yet does not live according to them. That it was the fourth animal that showed the pale horse, is because that animal was like a flying eagle ; and by it is therefore signified the Divine Truth of the Word as to knowledges and thence understanding (n. 244) ; on which account he showed that with those who were now seen there were not any knowledges of good and truth from the Word, nor any understanding of them ; and they who are such in the spiritual world appear pale, like those that are without life. 321. And the name of him that sat upon him was death, and hell followed with him, signifies the extinction of spirit- ual life, and thence damnation. By death is here signified spiritual death, which is the extinction of spiritual life , and by hell damnation is signified, which follows that death. Every man has spiritual life, indeed, from crea- tion, and thence from birth ; but that life is extinguished, when God, the holiness of the Word, and eternal life, are denied. It is extinguished in the will, but remains in the understanding, or rather in the faculty of understanding. By the latter, man is distinguished from the beasts. Since 316 THE APOC AXYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VL death signifies the extinction of spiritual life, and hell damnation thence, therefore death and hell are named together in some passages, as in these: I will redeem them out of the hand of hell ; I will deliver them from death : O death, I will be thy' plague ; O hell, I will be thy destruc- tion (Hos. xiii. 14). The cords of death encompassed met the cords of hell encompassed me, the snares of death pre- vented me (Ps. xviii. 4, 5 ; Ps. cxvi. 3). Like sheep they are laid in hell; death feedeth upon them; hell is their habita- tion ; but God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell (Ps. xlix. 14, 15). / have the keys of hell and of death (Apoc. i. 18). 322. And there was given unto them power over the fourth pa?'t of the earth, to kill, signifies the destruction of all the good of the church. Since the extinction of man's spiritual life is meant by death, and by hell damnation, it follows that by killing is here meant to destroy the life of a man's soul. The life of the soul is spiritual life. By the fourth part of the earth all the good of the church is signified : the earth is the church (n. 285). That the fourth part is all good cannot be known by any one, unless he knows what numbers signify in the Word. The numbers two and four in the Word are applied to goods, and signify them ; and the numbers three and six are applied to truths, and signify them. Hence the fourth part, or simply a fourth, signifies all good ; and the third part, or simply a third, signifies all truth : and therefore by killing a fourth part of the earth is here signified to destroy all the good of the church. That the power of killing the fourth part of the habitable earth was not given to him that sat upon the pale horse is manifest. Besides, four in the Word signifies the conjunction of good and truth. That these are the things which are signified by four may be proved from the Word, as from the four ani- mals or cherubs (Ez. i., iii., x.; Apoc. iv.) ; by the four chariots between the two mountains of brass (Zech. vi.); by the four horns (Zech. i.) ; and by the four horns of the No. 323.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 3 1 7 altar (Ex. xxvii. 1-8 ; Apoc. ix. 13) ; by the four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth (Apoc. vii. 1 ; Matt. xxiv. 31): also by visiting iniquity upon the third and the fourth generation (Num. xiv. 18) ; and elsewhere by the third and fourth generation. By these and many more passages in the Word, I say, it may be proved that four is descriptive of goods, and signifies them, and also the conjunction of good and truth. But as this is not manifest without an extended explanation of those passages, suffice it to declare that nothing else is understood by four and a fourth part in heaven. 323. With the sword and with famine and with death and by the beasts of the earth, signifies, by falsities of doctrine, by evils of life, by the love of proprium (ownhood), and by lusts. That by a sword is signified truth combating against evils and falsities and destroying them, and in the opposite sense falsity fighting against goods and truths and destroying them, may be seen above (n. 52, 108, 117). Here, therefore, by a sword, falsities of doctrine are signified because the destruction of all the good of the church is treated of. That by famine evils of life are signified, will be confirmed below. That man's love of proprium is signified by death, is because by death is signified the extinction of spiritual life, and thence natural life separate from spiritual life, as above (n. 321) ; and this life is a life of the love of one's proprium (ownhood) : for from this life a man does not love any thing else but himself and the world, and hence also loves evils of every kind, which from the love of that life are delightful to him. That by the beasts of the earth the lusts from that love are signified, will be seen below (n. 567). Something will here be said concerning the. signification of famine. Famine signifies the deprivation and the rejection of the knowledges of truth and good, arising from evils of life. It also signifies ignorance of the knowledges of truth and good arising from deficiency of 3i8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. them in the church ; and it signifies also a desire to know and understand them. I. That famine signifies the depri- vation and rejection of the knowledges of truth and good arising from evils of life, and the evils of life thence, may- be evident from the following passages : By the sword and by fa7?iine they shall be consumed, that their carcase may be for food to the birds of the heavens a?id to the beasts of the earth (Jer. xvi. 4). These two things shall come upon thee, devasta- tion and breaking in pieces, and famine and the sword (Isa. li. [9). Behold, I will visit upon them; the young men shall die by the sword, the sons and daughters shall die of famine (Jer. xi. 22). Give his sons to famine, and pour out their blood by the power of the sword, let the men be put to death (Jer. xviii. 21). I will send against them the sword, famine, and pestilejice, and J will make them like wild figs that cannot be eaten for badness, a?id I will pursue after them with the sword, famine, and pestilence (Jer. xxix. 17, 18). I will send against them the sword, famhie, and the pestilence, until they are consumed from the earth (Jer. xxiv. 10). Iproclai?n liberty for you to the sword, to famine, and to the pestile?ice ; a?id I will deliver you to the attack of all nations (Jer. xxxiv. 17). Because ye have polluted my sanctuary, the third part of thee shall die by the pestilence and shall be consumed with famine, and the third part shall fall by the sword : when I send the evil darts of famine against them, which shall be for destruction (Ez. v. 11, 12, 16, 17). The sword without, and the pestilence and famine within (Ez. vii. 15). On accoinit of all the evil abominations, they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by the pestilence (Ez. vi. 11, 12). My four evil judgments, the sword, the fami?ie, and the evil beast, and the pestilence, will I send upon Jerusalem, to cut off from it man and beast (Ez. xiv. 13, 15, 21 : besides other places, as Jer. xiv. 12, 13, 15, 16 ; xlii. 13, 14, 16-18, 22 ; xh'v. 12, 13, 27 ; Matt. xxiv. 7, 8; Mark xiii. 8 ; Luke xxi. 11). By the sword, famine, pesti- lence, and the beast# in these places the same things are signified as here by the sword, famine, death, and the beasts No. 325.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 319 of the earth ; for there is a spiritual sense in every thing in the Word, in which a sword is the destruction of spiritual life by falsities, famine is the destruction of spiritual life by evils, the beast of the earth is the destruction of spiritual life by the lusts of falsity and evil, and the pestilence and death are an utter wasting away, and thus damnation. II. That famine signifies ignorance of the knowledges of truth and good arising from deficiency of them in the church, is evident also from various passages in the Word, as Isa. v. 13 ; viii. 19-22 ; Lam. iv. 9 ; v. 8-10 ; Amos viii. u-14; Job v. 17, 20: and elsewhere. III. That famine or hunger signifies the desire of knowing and understanding the truths and goods of the church, is manifest from these, Isa. viii. 21 ; xxxii. 6 • xlix. 10 j lviii. 6, 7 ; 1 Sam. ii. 4, 5 j Ps. xxxiii. 18, 19; xxxiv. 9, 10; xxxvii. 18, 19; cvii. 8, 9, 35-37 ; cxlvi. 7 ; Matt. v. 6 ■ xxv. 35, 37, 44; Luke i. 53 ; John vi. 35 : and elsewhere. 324. And when he had opened the fifth seal, signifies exploration by the Lord of the state of life of those who were to be saved at the day of the last judgment, and in the mean time were reserved. That these are treated of here is manifest from what now follows. But it is to be known, that these and those like them are treated of throughout the twentieth chapter, the explanation of which may be seen from n. 840-874 ; from which it is manifest who they are, and why they were reserved. 325. / sa7c> tinder the altar the souls of them that were slam for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held, signifies those who were hated, reproached, and rejected, by the evil, on account of their life according to the truths of the Wrord, and their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human, and were guarded by the Lord lest they should be led away. "Under the altar" signifies the lower earth where they were guarded by the Lord. An altar signifies the worship of the Lord from the good of love. By the souls of the slain are not here signified martyrs, but 320 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. those that were hated, reproached, and rejected, by the evil, in the world of spirits, and who might be led away by dragonists and heretics. " For the Word of God and for the testimony which they held," signifies on account of a life according to the truths of the Word, and on account of their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human. Testimony is not given in heaven to any others but those who acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human ; for the Lord is He who testifies, and gives to the angels to testify (n. 1 6) : For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Apoc. xix. 10). As they were under the altar, it is manifest that they were guarded by the Lord ; for all who have lived any life of charity are guarded by the Lord, lest they should be hurt by the evil; and after the last judgment, when the evil have been removed, they are released from the guards, and are taken up into heaven. After the last judgment I often saw them sent forth from the lower earth and transferred into heaven. That by the slain are meant they who are rejected, treated with abuse, and held in hatred, by the evil in the world of spirits, and who might be led away, also they who desire to know truths, but cannot on account of the falsities in the church, may be evident from these passages : Jehovah God said, Feed the sheep of slaughter, which their possessors slay : and I fed the sheep of slaughter for your sakes, ye poor of the flock (Zech. xi. 4, 5, 7). We are slain every day, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter ; forsake us not, O Jehovah (Ps. xliv. 22, 23). Jacob shall cause them that co?ne to take root ; is he slain according to the slaughter of them whom he slew ? (Isa. xxvii. 6, 7). I heard the voice of the daughter of Zion, Woe unto me, my soul is wearied by the slayers (Jer. iv. 31). They shall deliver you into affliction, and shall slay you ; and ye shall be hated for my name's sake (Matt. xxiv. 9; John xvi. 2,3). This last the Lord says to the disciples ; but by the disciples are meant all who worship the Lord and live according to the truths of His Word. These the evil in the world of spirits No. 32S.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 321 continually wish to kill ; but as they cannot there do this as to the body, they continually wish to do it as to the soul : and as they cannot do this, they burn with such hatred against them, that they feel nothing to be more delightful than to do evil to them ; which is the cause of their being guarded by the Lord : and when the evil are cast out into hell, which is done after the last judgment, they are led forth from their guards. But see the explanations on chapter twentieth, and concerning these in n. 846 there. That " to kill ;' in the Word signifies to destroy souls, which is to kill spiritually, is manifest from many passages therein, as from these, Isa. xiv. 19-21 ; xxvi. 21 j Jer. xxv. 33 ; Lam. ii. 21 ; Ez. ix. 1, 6 ; Apoc. xviii. 24. 326. And they cried with a great voice. That it signifies grief of heart, is manifest from what now follows. 327. Saying, How long, O Lord, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood upofi them that dwell on the earth, signifies on this account, that the last judgment is delayed, and that those are not removed who offer violence to the Word and to the Lord's Divinity. " How long, O Lord, dost thou not judge," signifies, why is the last judgment delayed? "and avenge our blood," signifies, why are not those in justice condemned, who offer violence to these on account of their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human, and on account of a life according to the truths of His Word. By "blood" is signified the violence offered to them (n. 379) by them that dwell upon the earth are meant the evil in the world of spirits, from whom they have been guarded lest they should be injured. 328. And there were given unto each of them white robes, signi- fies that there was given to them communication and conjunc- tion with the angels who are in Divine truths. Garments signify truths (n. 166); and white garments genuine truths (a. 212). These things are signified by garments, because all in the heavens are clothed according to the truths which they possess; and every one is clothed according to his conjunction 14* 322 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. with angelic societies : for which reason, when conjunction is given, they forthwith appear clothed correspondingly. Hence it is, that by " white robes were given to each of them," is signified that communication and conjunction were given to them with the angels who are in Divine truths. Robes, mantles, and cloaks signify truths in genera!, because they were general clothings. He who knows that this is their signification, can know the arcana that lie hid in the following passages: That Elijah, when -he found Elisha, threw his mantle upon him (i Kings xix. 19). That Elijan by his mantle divided the waters of the jfordan (2 Kings ii. 8). In like manner Elisha (2 Kings ii. 14). That the mantle fell from Elijah when he was taken up, and Elisha took it up (2 Kings ii. 12, 13). For by Elijah and Elisha the Lord as to the Word was represented, and hence their mantle sig- nified the Divine Truth of the Word in general. Also what the cloak of Aaron's ephod signified, upon whose fri?ige were pomegratiates of hyacinthine blue and purple, and bells of gold (Ex. xxviii. 31-35). That it signified Divine Truth in gen- eral may be seen in the " Heavenly Arcana " published at London (n. 9825). Similar things are signified by clocks and mantles in these passages : All the princes of the sea shall descend from their thrones, they shall throw away their robes (Ez. xxvi. 16). The scribes and pharisees enlarge the fri7iges of their garments, that they may be seen by men (Matt, xxiii. 5). My people have made themselves an enemy for the sake of a gar?nent, ye pull off the mantle from them that pass by (Mic. ii. 8; and elsewhere). 329. And it was said unto them, that they should rest yet a little while, until their fellow-servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, should be fulfilled, signifies that the last judgment would be delayed yet a little, until those were gathered together from every quarter, who were in like manner hated, reproached, and rejected, by the evil, on account of their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human, and life according to the truths of His Word. No. 330.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 323 That this is signified is manifest from what is said above. Similar things are signified by this in Isaiah : Thy dead shall live: awake and shout, ye dwellers in the dust: come, my people, enter thou i?ito thy bedchambers, and shut the door behi?id thee ; hide thyself as for a little moment, tcntil the anger be passed by: for, behold, Jehovah goeth forth out of His place, to visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them : then the earth shall reveal her blood, and shall no longer conceal her slain (xxvi. 19-21). But, as was said above, these and similar things are treated of in chapter twentieth that follows, which is explained from n. 840-874. 330. And I saw when he had opened the sixth seal, signi- fies the exploration of the state of life of those who were interiorly evil, upon whom the judgment was to come. That these are treated of is manifest from the things that now follow. But that they may be understood, two arcana are to be revealed. First, that the last judgment was not executed upon any others but those who appeared as Christians in the external form, and professed with the mouth the things which are of the church ; but in the in- ternal form, or in the heart, were opposed to them. And because they were such, they were therefore conjoined as to their exteriors with the ultimate heaven, and as to their interiors, with hell. Secondly, that as long as they were conjoined with the ultimate heaven, so long were the internals of their will and love closed up ; owing to which they did not appear before others as evil. But when they were separated from the ultimate heaven, their interiors were then opened j which were totally in opposition to their exteriors, from which they dissembled, and pretended that they were angels of heaven, and that the places where Ihey dwelt were heavens. These heavens so called were those which passed away at the time of the last judgment (Apoc. xxi. 1). But more may be seen on this subject in the little work on the "Last Judgment" (n. 70, 71); and in the " Continuation concerning the Last Judgment " (n. 10). 3H THE ATOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. 331. And, behold, there was a great earthquake, signifies the state of the church altogether changed with them, and terror. The reason that earthquakes signify changes of state in the church, is because the earth signifies the church (n. 285) : and because, in the spiritual world, when the state of the church is anywhere perverted, and a change is made, there is an earthquake ; and because this foreshadows their destruction, they are in terror. For the earths or lands * in the spiritual world are similar as to their appearance to the lands * in the natural world (n. 260) ; but because the lands there, like all other things in that world, are from a spiritual origin, they are therefore changed according to the state of the church with them that dwell upon them : and when the state of the church is perverted, they quake and tremble, yea, sink down and are moved out of their place. That it was so done when the last judgment was impending and taking place, may be seen in the small work on the " Last Judgment." It may be evident from these things, what is signified by quakings, concussions, and commotions of the earth, in the following passages : There shall be pestile?ices, fa?nines, and earthquakes in divers places (Matt. xxiv. 7 ; Mark xiii 8; Luke xxi. 11). The things here are said concerning the last judgment. In the fire of indignation I have spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake, that every man upon the face of the earth should shake, and the mountains should be overturned (Ez. xxxviii. 19, 20). There was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were made upon the earth (Apoc. xvi. 18). / will shake the heavens, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the indigna- tion of Jehovah Zabaoth (Isa. xiii. 12, 13). The founda- tions of the earth have been shaken ; the earth hath been shaken exceedmgly, because its transgression is heavy upon it (Tsa. xxiv. 18-20). The earth is smitten and shaken, and * See note, page 278. No. 333.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 325 the foundations of the mountains, because He was wroth (Ps. xviii. 6, 7). The mountains tremble before Jehovah, and the rocks are overturned (Nah. i. 5, 6). In like manner else- where, as Jer. x. 10; xlix. 21 ; Joel ii. id; Hag. ii. 6, 7 \ Apoc. xi. 19 ; and elsewhere. But these things are to be understood as being done in the spiritual world, and not in the natural world : there they signify such mings as are said above. 332. And the sun beca?7ie black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, signifies every good of love with them adulterated, and every truth of faith falsified. That by the sun the Lord is signified as to His Divine Love, and thence the good of love from Him, and in the oppo- site sense the Lord's Divinity denied, and thence the good of love adulterated, may be seen above (n. 53) • and as the sun signifies the good of love, hence the moon signi- fies the truth of faith : for the sun is red from fire, and the moon is white from the light of the sun \ and fire signi- fies the good of love, and light, truth from that good. Con- cerning the moon, see also the passages adduced above (n. 53). The reason that the sun is said to have become black as sackcloth of hair, is because good adulterated is in itself evil, and evil is black. And the moon is said to have become as blood, because blood signifies Divine Truth, and in the opposite sense Divine Truth falsified ; see below (n. 379, 684). Of the sun and the moon almost the same is said in Joel ; The sun shall be turned into dark- ness, and the moon into blood, before the great amd terrible day of Jehovah cometh (ii. 31). 333. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, signifies all the knowledges of good and truth dispersed. That the stars signify the knowledges of good and truth, may be seen above (n. 51). That to fall from heaven to the earth is to be dispersed, is manifest. In the spiritual world also the stars appear to fall from heaven to the earth when the knowledges of good and truth perish. 326 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. 334. As a fig-tree casteth its unripe figs when shaken by a great win//, signifies by the reasonings of the natural man separated from the spiritual. The reason that it is said that they signify, when yet it is a comparison, is because all comparisons in the Word are in like manner corre- spondences, and in the spiritual sense cohere with the thing that is treated of, as in the present instance. For a fig-tree from correspondence signifies a man's natural good conjoined with his spiritual good, but here, in the opposite sense, a man's natural good separated from his spiritual good, which is not good. And because the natural man separated from the spiritual man perverts by reasonings the knowledges of good and truth which are signified by the stars, it follows that this is signified by the fig-tree shaken by a great wind. That reasoning is signified by a wind and a storm, is manifest from many passages in the Word ; but there is no need to adduce them here", as it is a comparison. That a fig-tree signifies natural good in man, is because every tree signifies something of the church in man, and thus also man in respect to it. These passages may serve for confirmation : All the host of heaven shall fall down, as a leaf falleth fro77i the vine, and as a fig falleth from the fig-tree (Isa. xxxiv. 4). 1 7vill con- sume them ; there shall be 110 grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree; and the leaf shall fall (Jer. viii. 13). All thy bulwarks are like a fig-tree with its first fruits, which, if they be shaken, fall into the* mouth of the eater (Nah. iii. 12). Besides other places, as Jer. xxiv. 2, 3, 5, 8; Isa. xxxviii. 21 ; Jer. xxix. 17, 18 ; Hos. ii. 12 ; ix. 10 ; Joel i. 7, 12 ; Zech. iii. 10; Matt. xxi. 18-21; xxiv. 32, 33; Mark xi. 12-14, 19—23 ; Luke vi. 44; xiii. 6-9; in which passages nothing else is meant by a fig-tree. 335. And the heaven departed as a book rolled together \ signifies separation from heaven and conjunction with hell. The reason that it is said that the heaven departed as a book rolled together, is that man's interior under- No. 336 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 327 standing and thence his thought is like heaven. For his understanding can be elevated into the light of heaven, and in elevation can think with the angels about God, about love and faith, and about eternal life. But if his will is not at the same time elevated into the heat of heaven, the man is still not conjoined to the angels of heaven, and thus is not like heaven. That it is so, may be seen in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom," in Part Fifth. By this faculty of the understanding, the evil, who are here treated of, were able to be in consociation with the angels of the lowest heaven. But when these were separated from them, their heaven then departed like a book rolled together. By a book rolled together is meant a parchment rolled to- gether, since their books were parchments : and the com- parison is with a book, because the Word also is a book (n. 256) ; wherefore when it is rolled together as a parch- ment, whatever is therein does not appear, but is as if it were not. For this reason the like is said in Isaiah : All the host of heaven shall waste away, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a book, and shall fall down as a leaf falleth from the fig-tree (xxxiv. 4). " The host " are the goods and truths of the church from the Word (n. 447). It may be evident from this that by "the heaven departed as a book rolled together," separation from heaven and conjunction with hell are signified. That separation from heaven is conjunction with hell, is manifest. • 336. A?id every moi/ntam and island were removed out of their places, signifies that all the good of love and the truth of faith receded. That this is signified by these words no one can see except by the spiritual sense. The reason that it is signified is that those who are in the good of love are meant by mountains, because the angels dwell upon mountains ; they who are in love to the Lord upon the more elevated and they who are in love towards the neighbor upon the less elevated : on which account by 328 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. " every mountain " every good of love is signified. That by islands those are meant who are more remote from the worship of God, may be seen above (n. 34) j here they who are in faith, and not so much in the good of love. Hence, in the abstract sense, by " every island " every truth of faith is signified. By being moved out of their places is signified to recede. It is because the homes of the angels are upon mountains and hills that by mountains and Ivlls in the Word heaven and the church are signified, where are love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor; and in the opposite sense hell, where are the love of self and the love of the world. That heaven and the church, where are love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor, and thus where the Lord is, are signified by mountains and hills, is manifest from these passages following : Lift thine eyes to the mountains, whence cometh help (Ps. cxxi. 1). Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him that publisheth peace (Nah. i. 15 ; Isa. lii. 7). Praise Jehovah, mountains and hills (Ps. cxlviii. 9). A mountain of God is the mou?i- tain of Bashan, a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan ; wherefore leap ye, O mountains, ye hills of the mountain, Jehovah desires to dwell therein, even Jehovah will dwell for ever (Vs. lxviii. 15, 16). The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like the sons of the flock ; before the Lord thou art in travail, O earth (Ps. cxiv. 4-7). / will bri?ig forth a seed from Jacob, and from Judah an inheritor of my mountains ; that my elect may possess them, and my ser- vants shall dwell there (Isa. lxv. 9). Ln the consummation of the age ; then let them that ai-e in Judea flee to the moun- tains (Matt. xxiv. 16). O Jehovah, thy justice is like the great mountains (Ps. xxxvi. 6). Jehovah shall go forth and fight; His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives before the face of Jerusalem on the east (Zech. xiv. 3, 4). Since the mount of Olives signified the Divine Love, for that reason the Lord in the day time preached in the temple, bid going out at night, He abode in the Mount of No. 336.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 329 Olives (Luke xxi. 37 ; xxii. 39 ; John viii. 1) : and for that reason the Lord spake with the disciples upo?i that mountain concerning His coming and concerning the consummation of the age (Matt. xxiv. 3 ; Mark xiii. 3, &c.) : and He also went thence to Jerusalem and suffered (Matt. xxi. 1 ; xxvi. 30 ; Mark xi. 1 \ xiv. 26 ; Luke xix. 29, 37 ; xxi. 37 • xxii. 39). Since a mountain signified heaven and love, hence Jehovah descended upon the top of Mount Sinai, and promulgated the law (Ex. xix. 20; xxiv. 17); and for the same reason, the Lord was transfigured upon a high mountain befo?-e Peter, James, and John (Matt. xvii. 1). And for that reason Zion was upon a mountain, and also Jerusalem ; and they are called the Mountain of Jehovah and the Moun- tain of Holiness in many places in the Word. Similar things are signified by mountains and hills elsewhere, as Isa. vii. 25 ; xxx. 25 ; xl. 9 ; xliv. 23 ; xlix. 11, 13 ; lv. 12 ; Jer. xvi. 15, 16; Ez. xxxvi. 8; Joel iii. 18; Amos iv. 1, 13; ix. 13, 14; Ps. Ixv. 6; Ixxx. 8, 10; civ. 5-10, 13. That mountains and hills signify those loves may be still more manifestly evident from their opposite sense, in which they signify infernal loves, which are the love of self and the love of the world ; as is manifest from these passages : The day of Jehovah shall come upon all high mountains and upon all lofty hills (Isa. ii. 12, 14). Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (Isa. xl. 3, 4). The mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall (Ez. xxxvi ii. 20, 21). Behold, L am against thee, O mountain, that destroyest the whole earth ; L will make thee a mountain of burning (Jer. Ii. 25). L saw the mountains, and behold they were shaken, and all the hills were tlwown down (Jer. iv. 23-25). A fire is kindled in mine anger, and it shall set fire to the foundations of the mountains (Deut. xxxii. 22). / will lay waste mountains ard hills (Isa. xlii. 15). Behold, O Jacob, L have made thee as a threshing-sledge, that thou mayest thresh and grind the viountains, and mayest make the hills as chaff, that the wind 33o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. may take them away (Isa. xli. 15, 16). Give glory to jfe- hovah, before your feet stumble against the mountains of the twiliglit (Jer. xiii. 16). Nor is any thing else meant by the seven mountains, upon which the Woman, who was Baby- lon, sat (Apoc. xvii. 9 : besides other places, as Isa. xiv. 13 1 Jer. ix. 10 ; 1. 6 ; Ez. vi. 3 ; xxxiv. 6 ; Mic. vi. 1, 2 ; Nah. i. 5, 6 ; Ps. xlvi. 2, 3). « From these passages it may now be evident, what is meant by " every mountain and island being moved out of their places;" also what in a following chapter by " every island fleeing away, and the mountains not being found" (Apoc. xvi. 20; n. 714). 337. And the kings of the earth and the great ones, and the rich and the commander s-of thousands, and the mighty, and every servant and every freeman, signifies those who before the separation were in the understanding of truth and good, in the knowledge of the cognitions of them, and in erudition, from others or from themselves, and still not in a life according to them. No one can know that all these things are signified by these persons in their order, but he who knows what is signified in the spiritual sense by kings, by great ones, by the rich, by commanders-of -thousands, by the mighty, by a servant and by a freeman. In the spiritual sense by " kings " those who are in truths are signified, by " the great ones " those who are in goods, by " the rich " those that are in the cognitions of truth, by " commanders-of -thousands " they who are in the cogni- tions of good, by " the mighty " they that are in erudition, y " servants " they that are in such things from others, and thus from the memory, and by " freemen " they that are in such things from themselves, and thus from judgment. But to prove from the Word that these are signified by all these names, would be too prolix. What kings signify was shown above (n. 20) ; and what the rich (n. 206). What ihe great-ones signify, is manifest in Jer. v. 5 ; Nah. iii. 10 ; Jonah iii. 7 : for great is predicated of good (n. 896, 898). That the mighty, and that servants and freemen, are they No. 333.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 33 1 that are in erudition, either from others or from them- selves, will be seen below. It is said, those who were in these things, and still not in a life according to them ; since the evil, yea, the worst, can be in the knowledge and understanding of the cognitions of truth and good, and also in much erudition ; but because they are not in a life ac- cording to them, they are actually not in them. For what is only in the understanding, and not at the same time in the life, is not in the man : it is out of him as in the entrance-hall ; but that which is at the same time in the life is in the man; it is within him as in the house: on which account the latter are preserved, but the former rejected. 338. Hid themselves in the caves and i?i the rocks of the mountains, signifies that they were now in evils and in the falsities of evil. That by hiding themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains is signified to be in evils and in the falsities of evil, is because they who have pretended before the world that they were in the good of love, and yet were in evil, hide themselves after death in caves ; and they who have pretended that they were in the truths of faith, and yet were in the falsities of evil, hide themselves in the rocks of the mountains. The entrances appear like holes in the earth and like fissures in the mountains, into which they introduce themselves like serpents, and hide themselves therein. That such are their dwellings I have often seen. Hence it is that by caves the evils of such are signified, and by holes and fissures the falsities of evil, in the following passages : In that day they shall enter into the caves of the rocks, and into the fissures of the cliffs, when Jehovah shall arise to terrify the earth (Isa. ii. 19). In that day they shall enter into the defh of the rocks and into the fissures of the cliff, for fear of fchovah (Isa. ii. 21). They shall dwell in a fissure of the valley and in the holes of the earth and in the rocks (Job xxx. 6) The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, who dwcllest 332 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VL in the fissures (Obad. vers. 3). In that day they shall come and rest in the rivers of desolations, and in the fissures of the rocks (Isa. vii. 19). The palace shall be a desert, the hill and the tower shall be for caves for ever (Isa. xxxii. 14). The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou who dwellest in the holes of the rock (Jer. xlix. 16). They shall hunt them fi'om upon every mountain and hill, and out of the holes of the rocks : they shall not be hidden from me, nor shall their iniquity lie hid (Jer. xvi. 16, 17). In that day the sucking child shall play upon the hole of the viper, and the weaned child shall put his hand upon the cave of the basilisk (Isa. xi. 8). 339. And said to the mountains a?id rocks, Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the anger of the Iamb, signifies the confirmations of evil by falsity and of falsity from evil, until they did not acknowledge any thing Divine in the Lord. By moun- tains the loves of evil, and thus evils, are signified (n. 336) ; and by rocks are signified the falsities of faith. By falling upon them and hiding them is signified to protect against influx from heaven : and because this is done by the con- firmations of evil by falsity and of falsity from evil, this is therefore signified. By hiding themselves from the face of Him that sat upon the throne and from the anger of the Lamb, is signified, until they would not acknowledge any thing Divine in the Lord. By Him that sitteth upon the throne is meant the Lord's Divine from Which [all things are], and by the Lamb, Himself as to His Divine Human. The Lord as to both was upon the throne, as was shown above. The reason that it is said, "from His face and from His anger," is because all those who are in the caves and in the rocks do not dare to set foot out of them, nor even to put out a finger, on account of torment and torture if they do. The reason is, because they hate the Lord to such a degree that they cannot speak His name ; and the Lord's Divine sphere fills all things, which they cannot No. 340.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. remove from themselves except by the confirmations ot evil by falsity and of falsity from evil. The enjoyments of evils do this. Similar things are signified by this in Hosea : They shall say to the mountains, Cover us, a?id to the hills, Fall upon us (x. 8) ; and in Luke : T/ien shall they begin to say to the mountains. Fall upon us, and to the hills hide us (xxiii. 30). That this is the spiritual sense of those words cannot appear in the letter ; but in the spiritual sense it appears from this, that when a last judgment is being accomplished, they that are in evil and wish to be in good then suffer hard things in the beginning, but less hard at that time those who confirm themselves in their evil by falsities : for the latter cover up their evil by the falsities, but the former lay bare their evil, and then cannot endure the Divine influx ; as appears in what fol- lows. The caves and caverns into which they cast them- selves are correspondences. 340. Because the g?-eat day of His anger is come, and who can standi signifies that they became such of themselves by separation from the good and the faithful on account of the last judgment, which they could not otherwise endure. By "the great day of the anger of the Lamb " the last judgment is signified ; and by " who can stand " is signi- fied not to be able to endure for torture. For where a last judgment is impending, the Lord with heaven draws near j and of those who are below, in the world of spirits, no others can endure the Lord's coming, but they who are interiorly good ; and they are interiorly good, who shun evils as sins, and look to the Lord. That the day of the Lord's anger signifies the last judgment, is plainly mani- fest from these passages : Before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of the anger of Jehovah come upon you, it may be ye shall be hid in the day of Jehovah's V-v (Zeph. ii. 2, 3). Behold, the day of Jehovah comcth, cruel, both with indignation, and with the wrath of anger (Isa. xiii. 9, 13). The great day of Jehovah is near, a day iff 334 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI. wrath, a day of straitness and distress, a day of darkness and of thick darkness (Zeph. i. 14, 15). Thine anger is come, and the time to judge the dead, and to give reward unto thy servants, and to destroy them that destroy the earth (Apoc. xi. 18). Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and ye perish in tht way, because His anger is kifidled quickly ; blessed are all they that trust in Him (Ps. ii. 12). 341. To this I will add this Relation. I saw the clergy of England assembled to the number of six hundred, who prayed to the Lord that He would permit them to ascend into one of the societies of the higher heaven ; and it was granted, and they ascended. And when they entered, they saw their king, — the grandfather of the king that reigns at this day (1766) ; and they were glad. He then approached two bishops who were among them, whom he had known in the world, and speaking with them, asked, How did you come hither? They answered that they made supplication to the Lord, and it was granted. He said to them, "Why to the Lord, and nut to God the Father?" And they said that they were so instructed below. And he said, " Did I not tell you this many times in the world, that the Lord is to be approached ? as also that charity is the primary ? What did you then answer concerning the Lord ? " And it was given them to recollect that they had answered, that when the Father is approached the Son also is approached. But the angels who were around the king said, " You mistake ; you did not think that: neither is the Lord approached when God the Father is approached j but God the Father is approached when the Lord is approached, because they are one like soul and body. Who goes to a man's soul and thus to his body ? When a man is approached as to his body which one sees, is not his soul also aj preached, which one does not see? " At this they were sik -t. And No. 34i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 335 the king came up to the two bishops holding in his hand two gifts, saying, "These are gifts from heaven." They were heavenly forms, of gold; and he wished to piesent them. But then a dusky cloud covered them over, and separated them ; and they descended by the way by which they came up : and they wrote these things in a book. The rest of the clergy of England, who heard that it had !>een granted to their companions to ascend into the higher heaven, gathered together at the foot of the mountain, where they were waiting for their return. And when they returned, they saluted their brethren, and related what had happened to them in heaven, and that two heavenly forms, of gold, most beautiful to the sight, were given by the king to the bishops ; but that they fell out of their hands. And they then went away out of the open air into a grove which was near ; and they conversed among themselves, looking around to see whether any one was hearing : but they were overheard, nevertheless. They spoke concern- ing unanimity and concord, and then concerning sove- reignty and dominion. The bishops spoke, and the rest favored by assent. And suddenly — which I wondered at — they no longer appeared as many, but as one great person, whose face was like the face of a lion, having upon his head a turreted mitre upon which was a crown : and he spoke in a lofty tone, and walked with a proud step ; and looking back said, To whom else, of right, be- longs the sovereignty, but to me ? The king looked down from heaven, and saw, first all as one, and then as many unanimous ; and most of them, as h€ said, in a secular dress. 33^ THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI L CHAPTER SEVENTH. 1. And after these things I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow oh the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God ; and he cried with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea : 3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4. And I heard the number of the sealed, — a hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the chil- dren of Israel. 5. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed \ of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed ; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed : 6. Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand sealed ; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand sealed ; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand sealed : 7. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand sealed ; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand sealed ; of the tribe of Issa- char twelve thousand sealed : 8. Of the tribe of Zebulon twelve thousand sealed ; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand sealed ; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed. 9. After these things I saw, and behold a great multitude which no one could number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and Chap. VII.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 337 before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands. 10. And crying with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11. And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the four animals, and fell before the throne upon their faces, and worshipped God. 12. Saying Amen : Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might unto our God, for ever and ever, Amen. 13. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, Who are these that are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they ? 14. And I said unto him, Lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they that come out of great afflic- tion, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple : and He that sit- teth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16. They shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more ; neither shall the sun fall upon them, nor any heat. 17. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters j and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. In this chapter those are treated of who are and who will be in the Christian heaven : and first, concerning the separation of them from the evil (vers. 1-3) : after that, concerning those who are in love to the Lord and thence in wisdom, of whom are the higher heavens (vers. 4-8) ; and concerning those vol. 1. 15 338 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII, who are in charity and its faith from the Lord, because they have fought against evils, of whom are the lower heavens (vers. 9-17). The Contents of each Verse. " After these things I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth," signifies the entire heaven now in the effort to execute the last judgment. " Holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree," signifies a nearer and thence stronger influx into the lower parts, where the good were conjoined to the evil, which influx is withheld and restrained by the Lord. " And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun," signifies the Lord providing and directing. " Having the seal of the living God," signifies who alone knows all and each, and can distinguish and separate them from one another. " And He cried with a great voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and sea, say- ing, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees," signi- fies the keeping back and withholding by the Lord of the nearer and stronger influx' into the lower things. " Till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads," signifies before those are separated who are in truths from good from the Lord. " And I heard the number of the sealed, — a hundred forty-four thousand," signifies all who acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth, and are in truths of doctrine from the good of love from Him through the Word. " Sealed out of every tribe of Israel," signifies the Lord's heaven and church from them. u Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed," signifies heavenly (celestial) love, which is love to the Lord, and this with all who will be in the New Heaven and the New Church. " Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed," signifies wisdom from heavenly love, with those who will be there. " Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed," signifies uses of life which are of wisdom from that love, with those who will be there. " Of the tribe of Asher Chap. VII.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 339 twelve thousand sealed," signifies mutual love with them. " Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand sealed," signifies the perception of use and of what use is, with them. " Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand sealed," signifies the will of serving and of doing, with them. "Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand sealed," signifies spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor, with them. " Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand sealed," signifies the affection for truth from good, from which is intelligence, with them. " Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand sealed," sig- nifies the good of life with them. " Of the tribe of Zebulon twelve thousand sealed," signifies the conjugial love of good and truth with them. " Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thou sand sealed," signifies the doctrine of good and truth with them. "Of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed," signifies the life of truth from good according to doctrine, with them. " After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number," signifies all the rest who are not of those enumerated, and yet are in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church, and are they who make the ultimate heaven and the external church, whose quality no one knows but the Lord alone. " Out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues," signifies all in the Christian world who are in religion from good and in truths from' doctrine. " Standing before the throne and before the Lamb," signifies hearing the Lord and doing the things which He teaches. " Clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands," signifies communication and conjunction with the higher heavens, and confession from Divine truths. " And crying with a great voice ; and sav- ing, Salvation unto our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb," signifies the acknowledgment from the heart that the Lord is their Saviour. " And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the foui animals," signifies all in the entire heaven, hearing and do- ing what the Lord teaches. " And fell upon their faces 340 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. before the throne, and worshipped God," signifies their humiliation of heart, and worship of the Lord from humilia- tion. " Saying, Amen," signifies Divine Truth and confir- mation from it. " Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving," signifies the Spiritual Divine things of the Loi d. " And honor and power and might," signifies the Heavenly Divine things of the Lord. " Unto our God for ever and ever," signifies those things in the Lord and from the Lord to eternity. " Amen," signifies the consent of all. :< And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, Who are these that are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they ? and I said unto him, Lord, thou knowest," signifies the desire to know and the wish to inquire and the answer and information. " And he said, These are they who came out of great affliction," signifies that they are those who have been in temptations, and have fought against evils and falsities. " And have washed their robes," signifies, and who have cleansed their religious principles from the evils of falsity. " And made white their robes in the blood of the Lamb," signifies, and have purified them from the falsities of evil by truths, and thus are reformed by the Lord. " Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them," signifies that they are in the Lord's presence, and live constantly and faithfully according to the truths which they receive from Him in His church. "They shall not hunger any more, nor thiist any more," signifies that hereafter goods and truths shall not be wanting to them. " Neither shall the sun fall upon them, nor any heat," signifies that hereafter they shall not have concupiscences to evil nor to the falsity of evil. " For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them," signifies that the Lord alone will teach them. " And shall lead them to living fountains of waters," signifies, and will lead by the truths of the Word to conjunction with Himself. " And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes," No. 342.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 341 signifies that they shall no longer be in combats against evils and their falsities, and so not in grief, but in goods and truths, and thence in heavenly joys from the Lord. THE EXPLANATION. 342. Afterw.ards I saw four angels standing upon the four forners of the earthy signifies the entire heaven now in the effort to execute the last judgment upon those who were in the world of spirits. Many things now follow concerning the state of the spiritual world just before the last judg- ment, which no one can know except by revelation from the Lord ; and because it was given me to see how the last judgment was accomplished, and the changes which pre- ceded, and the arrangements which followed it, I am able to relate what things are signified in this chapter, and what in the following, by all the things in them. By the four angels here the entire heaven is signified ; by the four cor- ners of the earth is signified the entire world of spirits, which is in the midst between heaven and hell : for the last judgment was executed upon those who were in the world of spirits, but not upon any one in heaven, nor upon any one in hell. The reason that heaven is signified by the angels is that in the highest sense the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant by an angel (n. 344) ; and because heaven is heaven from the Lord, heaven is also signified by the angels. The reason that the entire heaven is here signified by the four angels, is that they were seen to stand upon the four corners of the earth j and by the four corners the four quarters are signified. Why the effort of the entire heaven to execute the last judgment is signified, is because the Lord, when the judgment was impending, caused the heavens to approach over the world of spirits ; and by the approach of the heavens such a change was effected in the state of the interiors of the mind with those who were below, that they saw nothing but terrors before their 342 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII eyes. That the corners signify the quarters, and hence the four corners all the quarters, may be evident from the fol- lowing passages : Ye shall measure without the city the cor- ner towards the east, the corner towards the south, the corner towards the west, a7id the corner towards the north (Num. xxxv. 5). Thou shalt make planks for the tabernacle for the corner of the south and for the corner of the north of it (Ex. xxvi. 18, 20, 23). And the court to the corner of the south, to the corner of the north, to the cor7ier of the west, and to the coimer of the east (Ex. xxvii. 9, 11-13). The four quarters are also often called the four corners in Ezekiel, as chap, xlvii. 18-20, and chap, xlviii. Since corners signify the quarters, they therefore signify all things, as all things of heaven or of hell, or of good or truth, as is manifest from these passages : Satan shall go forth to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth (Apoc. xx. 8). I will cut off the nations, a?id their corners shall be laid waste (Zeph. iii. 6). Israel was gathered together as one man, and the corners of all the people stood together (Judg. xx. 1, 2). A sceptre shall arise out of Israel, which shall crush the co?'?iers of Moab (Num. xxiv. 17). A day of the trumpet and of out- cry upon the high corners (Zeph. i. 16). I will cast them into the farthest corners (Deut. xxxii. 26). That a corner signifies the ultimate which sustains things higher, as the foundation does a house, and so also all things, is manifest from these : He will lay in Zion a comer-stojie, a precious stone, a well- foimded foundation (Isa. xxviii. 16). They shall not take from it a stone for a corner (Jer. li. 26). Out of Judah there shall be a cor7ier-stone (Zech. x. 4). The stone which they rejected has become the head of the cor?ier (Ps. cxviii. 22 ; Matt. xxi. 42 ; Mark xii. 10 ; Luke xx. 17, 18). 343. Holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor oji the sea, nor 011 any tree, signifies a nearer and thence stronger influx into the lower parts, where the good were conjoined with the evil, which influx is restrained and withheld by the Lord. It is to be No. 343.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 343 known, that a last judgment takes place, when the evil are multiplied to such a degree under the heavens in the world of spirits, that the angels in the heavens cannot sub- sist in the state of their love and their wisdom ; for they then have no support and foundation. And because this takes place from the multiplication of the evil below, the Lord, therefore, that He may preserve their state, flows in more and more strongly with His Divine ; and this is done until they cannot be preserved by any influx, unless the evil below are separated from the good : and this is effected by a lowering and drawing near of the heavens, and hence a stronger influx, until the evil cannot endure it ; and the evil then flee away, and cast themselves into hell. This also it is, which is signified in the preceding chapter by these words : They said to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb ; for the great day of His anger is come, and who can stand i (Apoc. vi. 16, 17). To return to the explanation: By the four winds the influx of the heavens is signified. By the earth, the sea, and every tree, all the lower parts are signi- fied, and the things that are there : by the earth and the sea all the lower parts, and by every tree all the things which are there. That wind signifies influx, properly the influx of truth into the understanding, may be evident from the following passages : The Lord yehovih said, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live (Ez. xxxvii. 9, 10). Four chariots were seen-, to which there were four horses; these are the four winds of the heavens (Zech. vi. 1, 5). Ye must be born again : the wind bloweth where it Hsteth, and thou knowest not whence it comeih and whither it goeth (John iii. 7, 8). The Maker of the earth hath established the world by His wisdom; He bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures (Jer. x. 12, 13 : ii. 15, 16; Ps. exxxv. 7). Jehovah makcth His wind to blow, and the waters flow ; He dcclarcth His Word, His 344 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. statutes and His judgments (Ps. cxlvii. 17-19). Let the stormy wind praise Jehovah, that doeth His Word (Ps. cxlviii. 8). Jehovah maketh the winds His angels (Ps. civ. 3, 4). Jehovah did fly upon the wings of the wind (Ps. xviii. 9, 10 ; civ. 3). " The wings of the wind " are the Divine Truths which flow in. On this account the Lord is called the "breath of the nostrils " (Lam. iv. 20) ; and it is said that He breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life (Gen. ii. 7) : also, that He breathed upon the disciples, and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (John xx. 21, 22). The Holy Spirit is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, the influx of which into the disciples was represented and thence is signified by His breathing upon them. That wind and breathing signify the influx of the Divine Truth into the understanding, is from the correspondence of the lungs with the understanding, on which see the " Angelic Wis- dom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom " (n. 371-429). As a nearer and stronger Divine influx through the heavens disperses the truths that are with the evil, therefore wind signifies the dispersion of the truth with them, and thence their conjunction with hell, and their destruction ; as may be seen from these passages : / will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of the heavens, and will scatter him (Jer. xlix. 36). Thou shall fan them, that the wind may take the7?i away, and the storm dissipate them (Isa. xli. 16). The breath of Jehovah like a stream of brimstone doth kindle them (Isa. xxx. 33). The plotters of iniquity perish by the blast of God, and are consumed by the breath of His nostrils (Job iv. 8, 9). The foundations of the world were revealed by thy rclmke, O Je- h wah, by the blast of the breath of thy nostrils (Ps. xviii. 15). I saw in the vision, and behold the four winds rushed upon the great sea ; and four beasts went up (Dan. vii. 2, 3, &c). From the storm of Jehovah went forth His anger; it shall rush upon the head of the wicked (Jer. xxiii. 19 ; xxx. 23). My God, persecute them by thy storm, terrify them by No. 344.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 345 thy tempest (Ps. lxxxiii. 15). The way of Jehovah is in the storm and the tei?ipest (Nah. i. 3) : besides other places, as Jer. xxv. 32 ; Ez. xiii. 13 ; Hos. viii. 7 ; Amos i. 14; Zech. ix. 14 ; Ps. xi. 6 ; 1. 3 ; lv. 8 ; cvii., where are these words : He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind ; God made tht storm to calm, that its waves might be still (vers. 25, 29). It is hence manifest, what is signified in the spiritual sense by this : Jesus in the ship rebuked the wind, a?id said to the sea, Be still ; and it was at rest (Mark iv. 39, 40 ; Luke viii. 23, 24). By the sea here is signified hell, and by the wind influx therefrom. Nor is any thing but a strong influx signified by "the east wind" Jer. xviii. 17; Ez. xvii. 10; xix. 12 ; Hos. xiii. 15 ; Ps. xlviii. 7) : also by the same w ind, bywhith the Red Sea was dried up (Ex. xiv. 21), thus spoken of in Moses : By the blast of thy nostrils the waters were heaped up ; Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them (Ex. xv. 8, 10). It may now be evident from these things., that by holding the four winds lest the wind should blow upon the ' earth, the restraining and keeping back of a nearer and stronger influx into the lower parts is sig- nified. 344. And I saw another angel ascending f?'om the rising of the sun, signifies the Lord providing and directing. By the angel here the Lord as to the Divine Love is under- stood, because He ascended from the rising of the sun ; and from the rising of the sun, or from the east, is from the Divine Love. For in the spiritual world the Lord is the Sun and the East, and is also so called as to that 'ove. That He was providing and directing is manifest fron His command to the four angels, not to hurt the earth and the sea, until the servants of God were sealed in their fore- heads. That in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human is meant by an angel, is manifest from these pas- sages : The angel of the face of Jehovah delivered them on account of His love and His pity; He redeemed them, and He took them, and carried them all the days of eternity (Isa. 346 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. lxiii. 9). The angel who redeemed me from all evil bless them (Gen. xlviii. 16). The Lord whom ye seek shall sud- denly come to His temple, and the Angel of the Cove?iant whom ye desire (Mai. iii. 1). I send an angel before thee, to guard thee in the way ; beware of His face, because My name is in the midst of Him (Ex. xxiii. 20-23). Angel and Sent in the Hebrew language are one word. Hence it is that the Lord so many times says that He was Sent by the Father, by which the Divine Human is meant. But an angel in a relative sense is every one who receives the Lord ; not only he who is in heaven, but he who is in the world. 345. Having the seal of the living God, signifies who alone knows all and each, and can distinguish and sepa- rate them from one another. Since they were sealed with the seal upon their foreheads, therefore by having a seal of the living God, because it is said of the Lord, is meant to know all and each, and to be able to distinguish and sepa- rate the servants of God from those who are not the ser- vants of God. 346. And he cried with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, signifies the keeping back and restraining by the Lord of the nearer and stronger influx into the lower parts. That those things are signified is manifest from the things explained above (n. 343). According to the sense of the letter the four angels restrained the influx, but according to the spiritual sense it was the Lord, That they should not hurt the earth, the sea, and the trees, signifies that there should not be a vehement but a moderate influx. For the Lord, by vari- ous degrees of influx, disposes, arranges, tempers, and directs all things there and in the hells, and through the heavens and the hells all things in the world. 347. Till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads, signifies before those are separated who are ic No. 347.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 347 truths from good from the Lord, and thus who are good interiorly. By sealing upon their foreheads is not meant to seal them there, but to distinguish and separate those who are in the good of love from the Lord ; for the fore- head signifies the good of love. That it is those who are in truths from good from the Lord, is because these are meant by the servants of God (n. 3). The forehead signi- fies the good of love, because the face is the image of man's affections j and the forehead is the highest part of 'the face : the brain from which is the origin of all the things of a man's life, is directly under the forehead. As the forehead signifies love — good love with the good, and evil love with the evil — by sealing upon the fore- heads is therefore signified to distinguish and separate one from another according to the love. The same is signified in Ezekiel : Pass through the midst of Jerusalem, and seal a seal upon the foreheads of them that sigh over the abomina- tions (ix. 4-6). As the forehead signifies love, it is there- fore said of the plate upon Aaron's mitre, upon which was engraved Holiness to Jehovah, that it was over agai?ist the face of his mitre, that it might be upon Aaron's forehead, and be upon Aaron's forehead perpetually that they may be acceptable before Jehovah (Ex. xxviii. 36-38). And it was also commanded that these words, Thou shalt love thy God ivith all thy heart, and with all thy soul, should be upon the hand and upon the forehead (Deut. vi 5, 8 ; xi. 18). And that they should have the name of the Father written upon their fo7'eheads (Apoc. xiv. 1). And the name of God and the Lamb upon their foreheads (Apoc. xxii. 4). It is to be known that the Lord looks at the angels in their foreheads, and they in turn look at the Lord through the eyes ; for the reason that the Lord looks at all from the good of love, and wishes that they should look at him in turn from the truths of wisdom : thus conjunction is effected. By the forehead in the opposite sense evil love is signified, in these passages : They who have the mark of the beast upon 348 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. their foreheads (Apoc. xiii. 16 ; xiv. 9; xx. 4): and also the name of Babylon upon her forehead (Apoc. xvii. 5). The forehead of a woman a harlot (Jer. iii. 3). Obstinate in forehead, and hard in heart (Ez. iii. 7, 8). Thou art hard, and thy forehead is brazen (Isa. xlviii. 4). 348. And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred forty-four thousand, signifies all who acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth, and are in truths of doc- trine fiY>m the good of love from Him through the Word. These are signified by the one hundred forty-four thousand out of the twelve tribes of Israel, because by the twelve tribes of Israel is signified the church from those who are in good and truth from the Lord, and who acknowledge Him as the God of heaven and earth. All these are meant by the number one hundred forty-four thousand ; for the like is signified by that number as by twelve, since it arises from the multiplication of twelve by twelve, and then from multiplication -by a hundred and a thousand: and any number whatever, multiplied into itself, and then by ten, a hundred, or a thousand, signifies the like as the original number ; thus the number a hundred forty-four thousand the same as a hundred forty-four * and this the same as twelve, because twelve times twelve makes the number a hundred forty-four : in like manner the twelve thousand sealed out of every tribe, multiplied by twelve, makes a hundred forty-four thousand. The number twelve signifies all, and is predicated of truths from good, be- cause twelve arises from the multiplication of three and four into each other : and the number three signifies all as to truth, and the number four all as to good ; hence twelve here all as to truth from the good of love. That all num- bers signify the properties of things, determining their quality or quantity, may be manifestly evident from the numbers in the Apocalypse, for unless they were significa- tive, there would in many places be no sense in them. It may be seen from the things here said, that by the hundred No. 348.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 349 and forty-four thousand sealed,, and by the twelve thousand out of each tribe, is not meant that just so many were sealed and elected out of the tribes of Israel, but all who are in truths of doctrine from the good of love from the Lord. This is signified in general by the twelve tribes of Israel, and also by the Lord's twelve apostles ; but in particular some truth from good by every tribe and by every apostle. But what is here signified by each tribe will be told in what follows. Since the twelve tribes sig- nify all truths of doctrine from the good of love from the Lord, they therefore signify also all things of the church ; on which account the twelve tribes of Israel represented the church, and the twelve apostles the same. Because " twelve " is applied to the truths and goods of the church, therefore the New Jerusalem, by which the Lord's New Church is meant, is described in its particulars by the number twelve ; as that the city was twelve thousand fur- longs in length and breadth ; that its wall Was a hundred and forty-four cubits, — a hundred forty-four is twelve times twelve \ that there were twelve gates, and the gates of twelve pearls ; that over the gates were twelve angels, and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written ; that there were twelve foundations to the wall, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and they consisted of tivelve precious stones; also, that there was there the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, according to the twelve months : all which may be seen in chap. xxi. and mi. Of these which are here treated of, the New Heaven was formed, and a New Church is being formed, by the Lord : for they are the same who are mentioned (chap, xiv., &c), where these things are said of them : And I saw, and behold the Lamb standing upon mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousand : and they sung a new song before the throne; and no one could learn that song but the hundred forty-four thousand redeemed from the earth : they art i.rgins, and fallout the Lamb 7i>hith:'rsoever He goeth (vers. 35° THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII i, 3, 4). Since the twelve tribes signify the Lord's church as to all its truths and goods, the number twelve therefore became a number of the church, and was used in its solemnities ; as that in the breast-plate of judgment, where the Urim and Thummim were, there were twelve precious stones (Ex. xxviii. 2 1). That twelve loaves of show-bread were put upo?i the table in the tabernacle (Lev. xxiv. 5, 6). That Moses built a?i altar under mount Sinai, and erected twelve pilla7-s (Ex. xxiv. 4). That twelve men were sent to explore the land of Canaan (Deut. i. 23). That twelve men carried out twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan (Josh. iv. 1-9, 20). That at the dedication of the altar the twelve princes brought twelve silver chargers, twelve cups of silver, twelve censers of gold, twelve bullocks, twelve rams, twelve lambs, twelve he-goats (Num. vii. 84, 87). That Elijah took twelve stones, and built the altar (1 Kings xviii. 31, 32). That Elijah found Elisha when he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he among the ttvelve ; and that he then threw his mantle upon him (1 Kings xix. 19). That Solomon placed twelve oxen wider the braze?i sea (1 Kings vii. 25, 44). That he made a throne, and twelve lions standing at the steps (1 Kings x. 19, 20). That upon the head of the woman clothed with the sun was a crown of twelve stars (Apoc. xii. 1). From the above it may now be evident that by the one hundred forty-four thousand sealed, twelve thousand out of each tribe, are not meant just so many in number from the Jews and Israelites, but all in the New Christian Heaven and the New Church, who will be in truths of doctrine from the good of love through the Word from the Lord. 349. Sealed out of every tribe of Israel, signifies the Lord's heaven and church from them. By a tribe is signified re- ligion as to good of life, and by " every tribe " is signified the church as to all the good of love and as to all the truth from that good, from both of which is the good of life. For there are two things which make the church, the good of No. 349.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 35-' love and the truth of doctrine : their marriage is the church. The twelve tribes of Israel represented and thence signified the church as to that marriage, and each tribe some universal truth of good or good of truth in it. But what each tribe signified has not hitherto been revealed to any one ; nor* could it be revealed, lest by wrongly connected explanation the holiness which lies hid in them when united into one should be profaned : for the signification is according to the conjunction ; it is one thing in the series in which they are named according to their births (Gen. xxix., xxx., xxxv. 18). The series there is this : Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, Benjamin. It is another in the series in which they are named when they came into Egypt, which is, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan. Naphtali (Gen. xlvi. 8-24). And another in the order in which they are blessed by their father Israel ; which is this, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin (Gen. xlix). Another, in the order in which they are blessed by Moses, which is this, — Reuben, Judah, Levi, Benjamin, Joseph, Ephraim, Manasseh, Zeb- ulon, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, Asher (Deut. xxxiii.) : there Ephraim and Manasseh are found, and not Simeon and Issachar. And another, in the order in which they en- camped and marched; which is this, — the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon to the east; the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad to the south ; the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin to the west ; the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali to the north ; and the tribe of Levi in the middle (Num. ii. 1, to the end). And another, in the series in which they are named elsewhere ; as Gen. xxxv. 23-26; Num. i. 5-16 ; vii. 1, to the end j xiii. 4-15 ; xxvi. 5-57 ; xxxiv. 17-28; Deut. xxvii. 12, 13; Josh, xv.-xix. Ez. xlviii. 1, to the end. On which account, when Balaam saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, he said, How 352 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. goodly are thy tabernacles ', O Jacob, and thy dwelling-places, O Israel (Num. xxiv. 1-4, &c). In the breastplate of judgment, which was the Urim and Thummim, in which were twelve precious stones according to the names of the 'sons of Israel (Ex. xxviii. 15-21), the tribes signified in series according to the inquiry, to which they returned an answer. But what they signify in the series in which they are here named in the Apocalypse, which is still diffeient, will be told in what follows. That the tribes signify religion, and the twelve tribes the church as to all things in it, is because tribe and sceptre are one word in the Hebrew lan- guage ; and the sceptre is the kingdom, and the Lord's kingdom is heaven and the church. 350. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousa7id sealed, signifies heavenly (celestial) love, which is love to the Lord, and this with all who will be in the New Heaven and in the New Church. In the highest sense by Judah the Lord as to heavenly love is signified ; in the spiritual sense, the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and the Word ; and in the natural sense the doctrine of the heavenly church from the Word. But here heavenly love, which is love to the Lord, is signified by Judah : and because it is named the first in the series, that love is signified with all who will be in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. For the tribe named in the first place is the all in the rest : it is as their head, and as a universal entering into all the things which follow : it gathers together, qualifies, and affects them : such is love to the Lord. That " twelve thousand " signify all who are in that love, may be seen above (n. 348). It is known that after Solomon the twelve tribes of Israel were divided into two kingdoms, the Jewish and the Israelitish. The Jewish kingdom represented the heavenly kingdom, or the Lord's priesthood ; and the Israelitish kingdom the spiritual kingdom, or the Lord's royalty: but the latter was destroyed when there remained nothing spiritual with them ; but the Jewish kingdom was preserved for the sake of the Word, No. 350 ] THE ATOCALYPSE REVEALED. 353 and because the Lord was born there. But when they altogether adulterated the Word, and thus could not know the Lord, their kingdom was then destroyed. It may be evident from these things that heavenly love, which is love to the Lord, is signified by the tribe of Judah : but as thev were such in regard to the Word and in regard to the Lord, the opposite love is also signified by the tribe of Judah, which is the love of self, — properly the love of ruling from the love of self, which love is called diabolical love. That the heavenly kingdom and its love, which is love to the Lord, is signified by Judah and his tribe, is evident from these passages : O Judah, thy brethren shall praise thee: the scept?'e shall not be removed from Judah, until Shiloh come ; and to him is the adherence of the peoples : he bindeth his foal to the vine, and the ass's colt to the choice vine ; he washeth his garment in wine ; his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk (Gen. xlix. 8-12). David shall be prince to them for ever, and I will make with them a covenant of peace ; a covenant of eternity shall be with them, and I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever (Ez. xxxvii. 25, 26). Shout and be glad, O daughter of Zion ; Jehovah will make Judah an inheritance to Himself His portion in the land of holiness (Zech. ii. 10-12). O Judah, keep thy festivals, perfonn thy voles, because Belial shall no ?nore pass through thee; every one shall be cut off (Nah. i. 1 5). The Lord shall suddenly come to his temple ; then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah as in the days of old (Mai. iii. 1, 4). Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem unto generation and generation (Joel iii. 20). Behold, the days shall come, when I will raise up unto David a just branch ; in His days Judah shall be saved (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6). / will bring forth a seed from Jacob, and from Judah an inheritor of my mountains, that the elect may possess it (Isa. Ixv. 9). Judah 7i>as His sanctuary, and Israel His dominions (Fs. cxiv. 2). Behold, the days shall come, in which I will 354 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIL make a new covenant' with the house of Judah ; this shall be the covenant, I will put my law in the midst of them, and write it upon their heart (Jer. xxxi. 27, 31, 33, 34). In those days shall ten men take hold of the skirt of a ma?i a Jen , saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you (Zech. viii. 22, 23). As the new heave?is and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, so shall your seed and your name remain : the kings of the nations shall be thy nursing fathers, their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow themselves doiun to thee with their faces upon the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet (Is a. lxvi. 20, 22 ; xlix. 22, 23). From these and many other places, too numerous to adduce, it may be manifestly evident, that by Judah is not meant Judah, but the church : as that the Lord will make with that nation a new and eternal covenant, will make it His inheritance and His sanctuary for ever ; and that the kings of the nations and their princes will bow themselves down to him, licking up the dust of his feet ; and more besides. That the diabolical kingdom, which is the love of ruling from the love of self, is meant by the tribe of Judah viewed in itself, may be evident from these passages : I will hide my face from them, I will see what their latter end will be; it is a generation of perversenesb, children in whom there is no fidelity ; a nation void of counsel are they ; their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Go?norrah ; its grapes are grapes of gall, clusters of bitter- ness a7-e theirs ; their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel veno?n of asps : all this is hidden with Me, sealed up in my treasures (Deut. xxxii. 20-35). Know that not for thy justice and the uprightness of thy heart doth Jehovah give thee the la?id of Canaan, for thou art a people of stiff neck (Deut. ix. 5, 6). According to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah ; according to the 7iumber of the streets of Jerusalem hast thou set altars for burning incense to Baal (Jer. ii. 28 ; xi. 13). Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do (John viii. 44). They are said No. 351.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 355 to be full of hypocrisy, iniquity, and u?iclean?iess (Matt xxiii. 27, 28). An adulterous generation (Matt. xii. 39 ; Mark viii. 38) : and Jerusalem, their habitation, was called Sodom (Isa. iii. 9 ; Jer. xxiii. 14 ; Ez. xvi. 46, 48 j Apoc. xi. 8 : besides other places where it is said that that nation was altogether corrupt, and that Jerusalem was to be destroyed ; as in Jer. v. 1 ; vi. 6, 7 ; vii. 17, 18, &C. ; viii. 6-3, &e. ; ix. 10, 11, 13; xiii. 9, 10, 14 ; xiv. 16; Lam. i. 8, 9, 17 ; \Lz. iv. 1, to the end ; v. 5, to the end; xii. 18, 19 ; xv. 6-8 ; .\ vi. 1-63 ; xxiii. 1-49). 351. Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed, signi- fies wisdom from heavenly (celestial) love with those who will be in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. In the highest sense by Reuben is signified omniscience ; in the spiritual sense, wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge, also faith ; in the natural sense, sight. But here wisdom is signified by Reuben, because it follows after Judah, by whom heavenly love is signified ; and heavenly love produces wisdom. For there is not given a love without its partner, which is knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. The partner of natural love is knowledge, of spiritual love is intelligence, and of heavenly love is wisdom. These things are signified by Reuben, because he was named from sight, and spiritual- natural sight is knowledge, spiritual sight is intelligence, and heavenly sight is wisdom. Reuben was also Jacob's first- born, and was for that reason called by Israel the first of his strength, the beginning of his powers, excellent in eminence and excellent in valor (Gen. xlix. 3). Such is also the wisdom from heavenly love. And because Reuben from his birth- right represented and thence signified the wisdom of the men of the church, he therefore exhorted his bretrnen not to kill Joseph, and grieved when Joseph was not found in the pit (Gen. xxxvii. 21, 22). And therefore his tribe encamped on the south, and they were called the camp of Reuben (Num. ii. 10-16). "The south" also signifies wisdom from love ; on which account they who are in that 356 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII wisdom dwell to the south in heaven (see the work on " Heaven and Hell," n. 148-150). This wisdom is signified by Reuben in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak, by this: In the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart ; wherefore sittest thou, O fssachar, between the burdens to hear the bleatings of the flocks ? in the divisions of Reuben, where there are great searehings of heart (Judg. v. 15, 16). " The divisions of Reuben " are knowledges of every kind, which are of wisdom. As all the tribes signify opposite things also, so also does the tribe of Reuben ; and in the opposite sense it signifies wisdom separate from love, and hence also faith separate from charity ; on which account he was cursed by Israel his father (Gen. xlix. 3,4); and was therefore deprived of his birthright (1 Chron. v. 1) ; see above (n. 17) ; and an inheritance was therefore given him beyond the Jordan, and not in the land of Canaan : and also instead of Reuben and Simeon the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, were acknowledged (Gen. xlviii. 5) : nevertheless he still retained the representation and thence the signification of wisdom. 352. Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed, signifies uses of life also, which are of wisdom from that love, with those who will be in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. By Gad in this highest sense omnipotence is signified, in the spiritual sense good of life, which also is use, and in the natural sense work ; here the uses of life, because it follows after Reuben and Judah ; and heavenly (celestial) love by means of wisdom produces uses. There are three things which cohere, and cannot be separated, love, wisdom, and use of life. If one is separated, the remaining two perish ; see the " Angelic Wisdom concern- ing the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom " (n. 241, 297, 316). That use of life, which is also called fruit, is signified by Gad, may be evident from the derivation of his name from a troop or a heap (Gen. xxx. 10, 11) ; also from his blessing by his father Israel (Gen. xlix. 19) ; and from his blessing by No. 354.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 357 Moses (Deut. xxxiii. 20, 21) ; and also from his inheritance (Num. xxxii. I, to the end; xxxiv. 14; Deut. hi. 16, 17 ; Josh. xiii. 24-28) : also from the signification in the oppo- site sense (Isa. lxv. 11 ; Jer. xlix. 1-3). It is to be known that all the tribes of Israel are here distinguished into four classes, as in the Urim and Thummim, and in their encampment ; and that each class contains three tribes, for the reason that the three cohere as one, like love, wisdom, and use, and like charity, faith, and work ; for, as u as said, if one is wanting, the remaining two are not any- thing. 353. Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand scaled, signifies mutual love, which is the love of doing good use to the community or society, with those who will be of the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. By Asher in the highest sense eternity is signified, in the spiritual sense eternal blessedness, and in the natural sense affection for good and truth ; but by Asher here is signified the love of doing uses, which is with those who are in the Lord's heavenly (celestial) kingdom, and is there called mutual love. This love descends proximately from love to the Lord, since the Lord's love is to do uses to the community and to each soci- ety in the community ; and He does them through men who are in love to Him. That the things said above are signi- fied by Asher can in some degree be seen from his blessing by Israel his father : Of Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield the dainties of a king (Gen. xlix. 20) : and fiom his blessing by Moses : Blessed above the children is Asher ; let him be acceptable to his brethren ; as his day shall his fame be (Deut. xxxiii. 24, 25). He was named also from " blessing ; " and they who are in the love of doing uses to the community and to society are in blessedness in heaven above others. 354. Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand sealed, sig- nifies the perception of use and of what use is, with those Who will be in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. 358 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. By Naphtali in the highest sense is signified the power of the Lord's Divine Human, in the spiritual sense temptation and victory, and in the natural sense struggle by the natural man ; for he was named from strugglings. But here the perception of use and of what use is, is signified by Naph- tali, because he follows after Asher in the series, by whom the love of uses is signified ; and those also have an interior perception of uses, who have conquered in temptations : for by temptations the interiors of the mind are opened. The perception which these have is described in Jeremiah xxxi. 33, 34. They feel in themselves what is good, and see in themselves what is true. That the tribe of Naphtali signifies angels and men as to this perception, may be confirmed by these things in the Word : Naphtali is upon the heights of the field (Judg. v. 18). " The heights of the field " are the interiors of the church as to perception. Naphtali is satisfied with the goodwill, and full of the blessing of Jehovah, possess the west and the south (Deut. xxxiii. 23). To possess the west is to have the good of the love of serving, and to possess the south is to have the light of wisdom, which is the perception mentioned above. Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving dis- courses of elegance (Gen. xlix. 21). The state after temptation is thus described, as to free eloquence from perception. It is also related that one of the tribe of Naphtali, who was filled with wisdom, intelligence, and k?iowledge, made all th* work of brass for Solomon about the temple (1 Kings vii. 14). The historical parts of the Word, as to the names and as to the tribes, are equally significative with the prophecies. 355. Of the tribe of Afanasseh twelve thousand sealed, sig- nifies the will of serving and of doing, also with those who will be of the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. There are three things which follow in order, love to the Lord, wisdom, and use, as was said above (n. 352) : so also here, mutual love, understanding or perception, and will or act. These also make one, so that if one is wanting, the other two ai 2 nothing. The will of serving with the act is the No. 356.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 359 effect, and thus the ultimate, in which the two former are and coexist. Manasseh signifies this, because Joseph, who was the father of Manasseh and Ephraim, signifies the spiritual of the church ; and the spiritual of the church is the good of the will, and at the same time the truth of the understanding. It is hence that Manasseh signifies the roluntary of the church, and Ephraim the intellectual of it. Manasseh signifies the voluntary of the church because Ephraim signifies the intellectual, as manifestly appears in Hosea, where Ephraim is so many times mentioned : and because Manasseh signifies the voluntary of the church, he also signifies act ; for the will is the effort of every act : and where there is effort, there there is action, when it is possible. Manasseh is mentioned in several places, as when he was born (Gen. xli. 50-52) ; when accepted by Jacob instead of Simeon (Gen. xlviii. 3-5) ; and when blessed by him (Gen. xlviii. 15, 16) ; and by Moses (Deut. xxxiii. 17: and besides in Isa. ix. 19-21 ; Ps. lx. 7 ; lxxx. 2 j cviii. 8) : from which it may in some measure be seen that the voluntary of the church is meant by Manasseh. 356. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand sealed, signi- fies spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor or charity, with those who will be of the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. In the highest sense by Simeon is sig- nified Providence, in the spiritual sense love towards the neighbor or charity, and in the natural sense obedience and hearing. In the two foregoing series they who are in the Lord's heavenly (celestial) kingdom were treated of ; in the present series those are treated of who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom. The love of these is called spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor, as also charity. Simeon and his tribe represented this love, and signify it in the Word, because he was born after Reuben, and next before Levi ; and by these three, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, in their order, is signified truth in the under- standing, or faith ; truth in the will, or charity ; and truth 360 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII in act, or good work : the same as by Peter, James, and John. As, therefore, Simeon and his tribe represented truth in the will, which is both charity and obedience, he was therefore named from hearing: and to hear signifies both to understand the truth and to will it or to obey, — to understand it when it is said " to hear any one," and to w ill it and obey, when it is said " to hearken to any one," or to listen. Something shall here be said concerning love towards the neighbor, or charity. Love towards the neigh- bor is the love of obeying the Lord's precepts, which are especially those that are contained in the second table of the Decalogue ; and which are, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not testify falsely, Thou shalt not covet the things that are thy neighbor's. The man who will not do such things because they are sins, loves his neighbor. For he does not love his neighbor, who holds him in hatred, and from hatred wishes to kill him ; he does not love the neighbor, who wishes to commit adultery with his wife ; nor does he love his neighbor, who wishes to steal and plunder his goods : and so with the rest. This also Paul teaches in these words : He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law : for this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, 27wtt shalt not be a false witness^ Thou shalt not covet ; and if there be a?iy other command- ment, it is comprehended in this precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself : charity is therefore the fulfilling of the law (Rom. xiii. 8-10). 357. Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand sealed, signifies the affection for truth from good, from which is intelli- gence, with those who will be of the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. By Levi in the highest sense love and mercy are signified, in the spiritual sense charity in act, which is good of life, and in the natural sense consocia- tion and conjunction. He was named also from adhering by which in the Word conjunction by love is signified. No. 358.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 36 1 But by Levi here is signified love or affection for truth, and thence intelligence ; because he follows after Simeon, and is the intermediate in this series. Since Levi repre- sented these things, that tribe was therefore appointed to the priesthood (Num. iii. 1 to the end ; Deut. xxi. 5 ; and elsewhere). That the tribe of Levi signifies the love of {ruth, which is the very love from which the church is a crunch, and intelligence therefrom, may be evident from these passages : The sons of Levi were chosen by Jehovah to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name (Deut. xxi. 5). To bless in the name of Jehovah is to teach ; which those only can do, who are in the affection of truth, and thence in intelligence. They guard thy Word and keep thy cove- fiant ; they shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law (Deut. xxxiii. 8-1 1). The Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, and shall sit as a rejiner and purifier of silver ; and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold and silver (Mai. iii. 1-4). "To purify the sons of Levi " is to purify those that are in the affection for truth. Because that affection flourishes from intelligence, there- fore the rod of Levi, upon which Aaron's name was written, blossomed with almonds (Num. xvii. 1-11). 358. Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand sealed, sig- nifies the good of life with those who will be of the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. By Issachar in the high- est sense the Divine Good of Truth and Truth of Good are signified, in the spiritual sense heavenly conjugial love which is that of good and truth, and in the natural sense recompense : but here good of life, because he is the third in order in this class j and the third in any class signifies the ultimate, which is produced from the former two, as an effect from its causes : and the effect from spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor, and is signified by Simeon, through affection for truth, which is signified by Levi, produces good of life, which is Issachar. He was named also from hire (Gen. xxx. 17, 18), and thus vol. 1. 16 362 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. from recompense ; and good of life has its recompense in itself. Some such thing is also signified by Issachar in his blessing by Moses : Rejoice, Zebulon, in thy going forth ; Issachar, in thy tents ; they shall call the peoples into the mountain, there they shall sacrifice the sacrifices of right- eousness ; because they suck the abundance of the sea, and the hidden things concealed in the sand (Deut. xxxiii. 18, 19). But by Issachar in the blessing from his father Isiael (Gen. xlix. 14, 15), meritorious good of life is signified (see the " Heavenly Arcana," published at London, n. 6388). 359. Of the tribe of Zebulo?i twelve thousa7id sealed, sig- nifies the conjugial love of good and truth,- also with those who will be of the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. In the highest sense by Zebulon the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human in the Lord is signified, in the spiritual sense the marriage of good and truth with those who are in heaven and in the church, and in the natural sense conjugial love itself. Hence by Zebulon here the conjugial love of good and truth is signified. He was named also from cohabitation (Gen. xxx. 19, 20) ; and cohabitation is predicated of married partners, whose minds are conjoined into one : for that conjunction is spiritual cohabitation. The conjugial love of good and truth, which is here signified by Zebulon, is the conjugial love of -the Lord and the church. The Lord is the Good itself of love, and He gives to the church to be truth from that good ; and cohabitation is effected when the man of the church receives good from the Lord in truths. Then is accomplished in man the marriage of good and truth, which is the church itself, and constitutes heaven. Hence it is that the kingdom of God, that is, heaven and the church, are in the Word compared so many times to a marriage. 360. Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand sealed, signi- fies the doctrine of good and truth with those who will be No. 360.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 363 of the Lord's New .Heaven and New Church. By Joseph in the highest sense is signified the Lord as to the Spiritual Divine, in the spiritual sense the spiritual kingdom, and in the natural sense fructification and multiplication. But here by Joseph the doctrine of good and truth is signified, which is with those who are in the Lord's spiritual king- dom. This is here signified by Joseph, because, he is named after the tribe of Zebulon, and before the tribe of Benjamin, and thus in the middle: and the tribe which is named first in the series or class signifies some love which is of the will ; and the tribe which is named after it signi- fies something of wisdom, which is of the understanding ; and the tribe which is named last signifies some use or effect from them. Hence each series is full. Since Joseph signified the Lord's spiritual kingdom, he was therefore made Ruler in Egypt (Gen. xli. 38-44; Ps. cv. 17-22), where each thing signifies such things as are of the Lord's spiritual kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is the Lord's Royalty, and the heavenly (celestial) kingdom is His Priesthood. The reason that Joseph here signifies the doctrine of good and truth, is because he is here in the place of Ephraim ; and by Ephraim the intellectual of the church is signified (see the " Doctrine of the New Jeru- salem concerning the Sacred Scripture," n. 79) j and the intellectual of the church is altogether from the doctrine of good and truth from the Word. Joseph is here in the place of Ephraim, because Manasseh, who was Joseph's other son, and signified the voluntary of the church, has been before reckoned among the tribes (n. 355). Because the intellectual of the church is from the doctrine of good and truth, therefore that intellectual, and also that doc- trine, are signified by Joseph in the following passages : Joseph is the son of a fruitful tree, of a fruitful tree by a fountain ; he shall sit in the strength of his bow : he shall be blessed with the blessings of heaven from above, and with the blessings of the deep below (Gen. xlix. 22, 26). "The 364 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII fountain" signifies the Word, and "the bow" doctrine (n. 299). Blessed of Jehovah is the land of Joseph, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, for the deep also lying below, and for the precious things of the products of the sun, for the precious things of the produce of the moons, and for the precious things of the earth and its fulness ; let it coine upon the head of Joseph (Deut. xxxiii. 13-17). The knowl- edges of good and truth, from which is doctrine, are signi- fied by these precious things. Who drink wine from bowls, and are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph (Amos vi. 5, 6). I will strengthen the house of Judah, and will save the house of Joseph ; and they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall be glad as from wine (Zech. x. 6, 7). Here also Joseph stands for doctrine wine signifies the truth of it from good (n. 316). 361. Of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed, signifies the life of truth from good according to doctrine, with those who will be of the Lord's New Heaven and New Church. When the conjugial love of good and truth is signified by Zebulon, and by Joseph the doctrine of good and truth, by Benjamin, because he is the third in the series, the life of truth from good is signified. " Ben- jamin" bears this signification, because he was latest born, and was called by his father the son of his right hand (Gen. xxxv. 18) ; and by the son of the right hand truth from good is signified : on which account also his tribe dwelt around Jerusalem, where the tribe of Judah was : and the city Jerusalem signified the church as to doctrine, and the confines of it the things which are from doctrine (see Josh, xviii. 1 1-28 ; Jer. xvii. 26 ; xxxii. 8, 44 ; xxxiii. 13 ; and elsewhere). 362. In this enumeration of the tribes of Israel Dan is not mentioned, nor Ephraim. The reason is that Dan was the last of the tribes, and his tribe dwelt most remcte in the land of Canaan, and thus could not signify any thi ig in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church, where will No. 363.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 3^5 be only the heavenly (celestial) and the spiritual : hence Manasseh is put instead of Dan. That Joseph is put for Ephraim, see above (n. 360). 363. After these things I saw, and behold, a great multi- tude, which no one could number, signifies all the rest who are not of those enumerated, and yet are in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church, and are they who make the ultimate heaven and the external church, whose quality no one knows but the Lord alone. That the rest, who are not of those recounted, and yet are in the Lord's heaven and church, are signified by the great multitude, is mani- fest from vers. 9, 10, 13-17 ; where it is said that they stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and pahns in their hands ; and that they shall se?'ve Hint in His temple; and He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell amo?ig them ; besides other things. By " num- bering " in the spiritual sense is signified to know what or of what quality, they are. That this is signified by num- bering will be seen in the following paragraph. But who in particular are meant by these who are called the great multitude, cannot be known without an arcanum which must first be disclosed. The arcanum is this. The whole heaven together with the church on earth is before the Lord as one Man : and because it is as one Man, there are those there who constitute the head and thus the face with all its organs of sense ; and there are there those who constitute the body with all its members. Hitherto those have been enumerated who constitute the face with all its organs of sense, but these who are now mentioned are they who constitute the body with all its members. That it is so, has been revealed to me, as also that they who make the first class of the tribes (vers. 5), are those who correspond to the forehead as far as the eyes ; that they who make the second class (vers. 6), are they that correspond to the eyes together with the nose ; that the third (vers. 7), are they who correspond to the ears and 366 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. the cheeks ; and that the fourth (vers. 8), are they that correspond to the mouth and tongue. The Lord's church is also internal and external. They who are meant by the twelve tribes of Israel are those that make the Lord's internal church ; but they who are now mentioned are those that make the external church ; and they cohere as one with those above recounted, as lower things with higher, and thus as the body with the head. Wherefore the twelve tribes of Israel signify the higher heavens, and also the internal church ; but these the lower heavens and the external church. The latter are also called a great multitude elsewhere, as may be seen below (n. 803, &c-., and n. 811). 364. The reason why "to number" in the spiritual sense signifies to know the quality, is because a number in the Word does not signify a number, but the quality of a thing (n. 10). Here therefore by this, a great multitude which no one could number, is meant in the natural sense according to the words, that the multitude was so vast ; but in the spiritual sense it is meant that no one but the Lord alone knows their quality. For the Lord's heaven consists of numberless societies, and the societies are distinguished according to the varieties of the affections in general, and so all in each society in particular. The Lord alone knows the quality of the affection of each, and arranges all into order according to it. The knowledge of this quality is understood by the angels by numbering, and the same in the Word in these passages : When Belshazzar drank wine out of the vessels of the temple of Je?-usalem, it was written on the wall, Thou art numbered, thou art numbered (Dan. v. 2, 5, 25). I shall go to the gates of hell, I am numbered (Isa. jexxviii. 10). A voice of the tumult of the kingdo7?is ; Jehovah Zebaoth numbereth the host of battle (Isa. xiii. 4). Behold who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number (Isa. xl. 26). Jehovah who numbereth the host of the stars (Ps. cxlvii. 4). The flocks shall yet pass wider the hands of No. 356.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 367 him that numbereth (Jer. xxxiii. 13). My steps are numbered (Job xiv. 16). The houses a?id towers of Zio7i a?id Je?-usalem were numbered (Isa. xxii. 9, 10; xxxiii. 18, 19; Ps. xlviii. 12-14). " To number " means to know of what quality they are. It may be evident from the signification of number and numbering why a punishment was denounced upon David for numbering the people or tribes of Israel, and why h a said to the prophet Gad, / have sinned greatly i?i what / have done (2 Sam. xxiv. 1, to the end). And why. when the people were numbered by Moses as to all their tribes, it was commanded that every one should give an expiatio?i of his soul to Jehovah at the numbering, that there might not be a plague among them in ?iu7nbering them (Ex. xxx. 12). The reason was because " to number " signifies to know their quality as to their spiritual state, and thus as to the state of the church understood by the twelve tribes of Israel, which the Lord alone knows. 365. Out of all nations and t?'ibes and peoples a7id tongues ■ signifies all in the Christian world who are in religion from good, and in truths from doctrine. By all nations and tribes are meant those who are in religion from good, and who are of the ultimate heaven (n. 363) : by nations they that are in good (n. 920, 921) j and by tribe religion (n. 349). By peoples and tongues those are meant who are in truths from doctrine ; by peoples they that are in truths (n. 483) ; and by tongue doctrine (n. 2S2). Hence all who are in religion from good and in truths from doctrine are meant in the spiritual sense by "out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues." 366. Standing before the throne and before the Lamb, signi- fies hearing the Lord and doing the things which He teaches. By standing before God is signified to hear and do what He teaches, as he does who stands before a king. This is sig- nified by standing before God elsewhere also in the Word, as, 77: e angel said to Zacharias, I am Gabriel that stand bifore God (Luke i. 19). There shall not be wanting a man 368 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. Vli, to stand before Me for ever (Jer. xxxv. 19). These are the two sons of the olive-tree standing before the Lord of the whole earth (Zech. iv. 1 4). He separated the tribe of Levi to stand before Jehovah (Deut. x. 8 : and elsewhere). 367. Clothed in white robes, and palms in their hand?, signifies communication and conjunction with the higher heavens, and confession from Divine truths. That to be clothed in white robes signifies to have communication and conjunction with the heavens, may be seen above (n. 328). To hold palms in the hands signifies confession from Divine truths, because palms signify Divine truths. For every tree signifies something of the church, and palms Divine Truth in ultimates, which is the Divine Truth of the literal sense of the Word. For this reason upon all the walls of the te77iple at Jerusalem within a?id without, and also upon the doors, were carved cherubs and palms (1 Kings vi. 29, 32). In like manner in the New Temple, spoken of Ez. xli. 18-20. By the cherubs the Word is signified, and by the palms the Divine Truth therein. That by palms the Divine Truths of the Word are signified, and confessions from them by the palms in the hands, may be evident from the command that at the feast of tabernacles they should take the fruits of goodly trees, and leaves of palms, a?id should rejoice before Jehovah (Lev. xxiii. 39, 40). That when Jesus went to Jerusalem to the feast, they took branches of palms, and went to meet Him, cryi?ig, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord (John xii. 12, 13) : by which was sig- nified confession from Divine truths concerning the Lord. The palm also signifies the Divine Truth in David : The just shall flourish as the palm-tree, he shall g?vw planted i?i the house of Jehovah, he shall flourish in the courts of our God (Ps. xcii. 12, 13: and the same elsewhere). Because Jericho was a city near the Jordan, and that which is first in the church was signified by the river Jordan, and this is the Divine Truth such as it is in the sense of the letter ot the WTord, it was therefore called " the City of Palms No. 369.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 369 (Deut. xxxiv. 3 ; Judg. i. 16 ; iii. 13): for the Jordan was the first boundary or the entrance into the land of Canaan, and by the land of Canaan the church is signified. 368. And crying with a great voice, sayifig, Salvation unto our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto theLanib, signifies the acknowledgment from the heart that the Lord is their Saviour. "To cry with a great voice " signifies acknowl- edgment from the heart : " Salvation unto our God who sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb," signifies that the Lord is salvation itself, and that the salvation of all is from Him, and thus that He is the Saviour. By Him that sitteth upon the throne and by the Lamb the Lord alone is meant ; by Him that sitteth upon the throne His Divine from Which [all things are], and by the Lamb His Divine Human ; as also above (n. 273). Both are mentioned, because from His Divine from Which [He came forth], through His Divine Human, He was the Saviour. That they are one is manifest from the places where it is said, the Lamb in the midst of the throne (chap. v. 6 ; vii. 17). The Lord is many times called " Salvation " in the W7ord, by which is meant that He is the Saviour ; as, My salvation shall not delay, and I will place salvation in Zion (Isa. xlvi. 13). Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh (Isa. lxii. 1 1). / gave thee, that thou mayest be my salvation to the end of the earth (Isa. xlix. 6). This is Jehovah whom we have waited for, we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation (Isa. xxv. 9). Salvation in the Hebrew language is called Joschia, which is Jesus. 369. And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four animals, signifies all in the entire heaven, hearing and doing what the Lord teaches. The angels of the higher heavens are meant by the animals and the elders, as above, and also below (n. 808) : but by the angels here the angels of the lower heavens are meant ; thus all in the entire heaven. By "standing" is signified to hear and do what He teaches (n. 366). 16* 37o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap VII. 370. And fell upon their faces before the throne, and wor- shipped God, signifies their humiliation of heart, and worship of the Lord from humiliation. It is manifest that to fall upon their faces and to worship, is humiliation of the heart, and worship thence. Humiliation before the Lord and the worship of Him is signified by falling before the throne and worshipping God, because by God His Divine is meant, which is the Divine from Which, and at the same time the Divine Human (n. 368): for both are one God, because one person. 371. Saying, Amen, signifies Divine Truth, and confirma- tion from it; see above (n. 23, 28, 61). 372. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, signifies the Spiritual Divine things of the Lord. All acknowledgment and confession of the Lord in general comprehends these two things, that He is Divine Love itself and Divine Wisdom itself, and thence that love, and all that belongs to it, with those who are in heaven and in the church, is from Him ; in like manner wisdom and all that is of it. Whatever proceeds from the Lord's Divine Love is called the Heavenly Divine, and what is from His Divine Wisdom is called the Spiritual Divine. The Lord's Spiritual Divine is meant by " glory, wisdom, and thanks- giving ; " and the Heavenly Divine by " honor, power, and might," which follow. Blessing, which precedes, signifies both ; see above (n. 289). That glory is predicated of the Divine Truth, and thus of the Spiritual Divine, see n. 249. That wisdom has relation to the same, is manifest. That it is the same with thanksgiving is because this is from Divine Truth ; for man gives thanks from it and by means of it. 373. And honor, and power, and might, signifies the Heav- enly Divine things of the Lord. It was said in the preceding paragraph, that these three, honor, and power, and might, in the Word, where the Lord is spoken of, refer to His Heavenly Divine, or His Divine Love or Divine Good So. 376.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 371 That this is true of "honor," may be seen, n. 249. of might, n. 22 : that power also has such meaning may be evident from the places in the Word where it is men- tioned. It is to be known, that in every thing in the Word there is the marriage of good and truth ; and that there are words which have relation to good, and that there are words which have relation to truth. But these words cannot be dis- tinguished but by those who study the spiritual sense. From that it is manifest which word relates to good or love, and which to truth or wisdom. And it has been given to know from many passages, that "honor, power, and might " occur, where the Divine Good is treated of. That "power" relates to the same may be seen Matt. xiii. 54 ; xxiv. 30 ; Mark xiii. 25, 26 ; Luke i. 17, 35 ; fat 1 ; xxi. 27 : and elsewhere. That in every thing in the Word there is the marriage of the Lord and the church, and thence the marriage of good and truth, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jeru- salem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. So-90). 374. Unto our God for ever and ever. That it signifies those things in the Lord and from the Lord to eternity, is manifest from what is said above ; and that for ever and ever is to eternity. 375. Amen, signifies the consent of all. In this verse " Amen " occurs in the beginning, and now at the end. When at the beginning, it signifies the Truth, and confir- mation from it (n. 371) ; but when at the end, it signifies confirmation, and the consent of all that it is the truth. 376. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, Who «re these that are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they 1 And I said unto him, Lord, thou knowest, signifies the desire to know and the wish to inquire, and the answer and information. The reason why John was asked con- cerning these things is, because it is common in all Divine worship, that the man should first wish, desire, and prav. and the Lord then answer, inform, and do : otherwise the man does not receive any thing divine. Now as John saw 372 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. V[L those that were arrayed in white robes, and desired to know and to ask who they were, and this was perceived in heaven, he was therefore first asked, and then informed. The like occurred to Zechariah the prophet, when he saw many things represented to him ; as may be evident from chap. i. 9 ; ii. 2, 4 ; iv. 2, 5, 11, 12 ; v. 2, 6, 10 ; vi. 4. Besides, we may often read in the Word that the Lord answers those who call and cry ; as Ps. iv. 1 ; xvii. 6 ; xx. 9 ; xxxiv. 4 ; xci. 15 ; cxx. 1. Also that He gives to those who ask (Matt, vii. 7, 8 ; xxi. 22 ; John xiv. 13, 14 ; xv. 7 ; xvi. 23-27). But still the Lord gives them to ask, and what to ask ; and therefore the Lord knows it before ; but still the Lord wishes that man should ask first, to the end that it may be as of himself, and so be appropriated to him. Otherwise if the petition itself were not from the Lord, it would not have been said in those places, that they should receive whatsoever they asked. 377. And he said, These are they who come out of great affliction, signifies that they are those who have been in temptations, and have fought against evils and falsities. That affliction is infestation from evils and falsities, and spiritual combat against them, which is temptation, may be seen (n. 33, 95, 100, 101). 378. And have washed their robes, signifies, and who have cleansed their religious principles from the evils of falsity. By " washing " in the Word is signified to cleanse from evils and falsities ; and by " robes " general truths are signified (n. 328). General truths are the knowledges of good and truth from the literal sense of the Word, according to which they have lived ; and hence they are religious principles: and because everything religious has reference to good and truth, the robes are therefore twice named ■ namely, they washed their robes, and they made white their robes. The robes, or religious principles, are cleansed only with those who fight against evils, and so reject falsities, and thus by temptations, which are signified by the great No. 378.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 373 affliction (n. 377). That to be washed signifies to be cleansed from evils and falsities, and so to be reformed and regenerated, may be evident from the following pas- sages : When the Lord hath washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, a?id hath cleansed the blood of Jerusalem by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of purifying (Isa. iv. 4). Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings fro?n before mi?ie eyes ; cease to do evil (Isa. i. 16). Wash thy heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that thou mayst be saved (Jer. iv. 14). Wash me fro7n my iniquity, and I shall be whiter than snow (Ps. li. 2, 7). Though thou shouldst wash thee with nitre, and shouldst take thee much soap, thy iniquity will still ?'etain its spots (Jer. ii. 22). If I should wash me in the waters of snow, and should cleanse my hands with soap, still my clothes shall abhor me (Job ix. 30, 3 1). Who washed his garment in wine, his clothing in the blood of grapes (Gen. xlix. n). This is said of the heavenly (celestial) church, to which they belong who are in love to the Lord ; and in the highest sense it is said of the Lord. Wine and the blood of grapes is Divine Truth spiritual and heavenly (celestial). I have washed thee with waters, and I have washed away the blood from off thee (Ez. xvi. 9). This is said of Jerusalem : " waters " are truths, and " bloods " are the adulterations of truth. It may be evident from these things what was represented and thence signified by the washings in the Israelitish church, as that Aaroji should wash himself before he put on the garments of ministry (Lev. xvi. 4, 24). And before he drew near to the altar to minister (Ex. xxx. 18-21 ; xl. 30, 31). In like manner the Levitcs (Num. viii. 6, 7). In like manner others, who were, made unclean by sins; even that they washed the vessels- (Lev. xi. 32 ; xiv. 8, 9 ; xv. 5-13 ; xvii. 15, 16 j Matt, xxiii. 25, 26). That they were sanctified by the washings (Ex. xxix. 4; xl. 12 ; Lev. viii. 6). That Naaman of Syria washed himself in the Jordan (2 Kings v. 10, 14). On which account, that they might wash themselves, the brazen sea and many lavers were 374 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. placed near the temple (i Kings vii. 23-39). And tnat ^u Lord washed the feet of the disciples (John xiii. 5) ; and told the blind man, that he should wash himself in the pool of Siloam (John ix. 6, 7. 11, 15). From these things it may be evident that the washing among the sons of Israel represented spiritual washing, which is purification from evils and falsities, and thence reformation and regeneration. From the foregoing it is also manifest what is signified by he baptism performed by John in the Jordan (Matt, iii., Mark i. 4-13) ; and what by these words of John concerning the Lord, that He should baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke iii. 16 ; John i. 33) ; and concerning him- self, that he baptized with water (John i. 26) ; the meaning of which is, that the Lord washes or purifies man by the Divine Truth and the Divine Good, and that John by his baptism represented them. For the Holy Spirit is the Divine Truth, fire is the Divine Good, and water is the representa- tive of them ; for water signifies the truth of the Word, which becomes good by a life according to it (n. 50). 379. And made white their robes in the blood of the Lamb, signifies, and have purified them from the falsities of evil by truths, and thus are reformed by the Lord. There are evils of falsity and falsities of evil, — evils of falsity with those who believe from religion that evils do not condemn provided they confess with the mouth that they are sin- ners ; and falsities of evil with those who confirm evils in themselves. By robes, here as above (n. 378), general truths from the Word are signified, which constitute their religious principles. It is said that they made white their robes in the blood of the Lamb, because " white " is repre- sentative of- truths (n. 167, 231, 232): thus that they puri- fied themselves from falsities by truths. That they were thus reformed by the Lord is also signified, because all who have fought against evils in the world, and have be- lieved in the Lord, are taught by the Lord after their departure out of the world, and are led away from the No 379.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 375 falsities of their religion by means of truths, and so are reformed. The reason is, because they who shun evils as sins are in good of life ; and good of life desires truths, and acknowledges and accepts them : but in no wise evil of life. It is believed that by the blood of the Lamb here and elsewhere in the Word is signified the Lord's passion of the cross. But the passion of the cross was the last temptation, by which the Lord fully conquered the hells, and fully glorified His Human ; by which two works He saved man (see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Lord," n. 22-24, and n. 25-27 ; also above, n. 67). And because the Lord by that fully glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, nothing else can therefore be meant by His flesh and blood but the Divine in Him and from Him, — by flesh the Divine Good ' of the Divine Love, and by blood the Divine Truth from that Good. Blood is mentioned in many places in the Word, and by it everywhere in the spiritual sense the Lord's Divine Truth b signified, which is also the Divine Truth of the Word, and in the opposite sense the Divine Truth of the Word falsified and profaned ; as may be evident from the follow- ing passages. First: that the Divine Truth of the Lord or of the Word is signified by blood, from these : that blood was called the blood of the covenant ; and a cove- nant is conjunction ; and this is effected by the Lord by His Divine Truth ; as in Zechariah : By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth the prisoners out of the pit (ix. 11): and in Moses: Moses, after he had read the Book of the Law in the ears of the people, sprinkkd half of the blood upon the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which Jehovah hath made with you concer?ii?ig all these words (Ex. xxiv. 3-8). And Jesus took the cup, and gave to them, saying, Drink all ye of it; this is my Blood, that of the New Covenant (Matt. xxvi. 27, 28 ; Mark xiv. 24 ; Luke xxii. 20). By the blood of the New Covenant or Testament nothing else but the Word is signified, which is called 37^ THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIL the Covenant and Testament, Old and New, and thus the Divine Truth therein. Since that is signified by tolood, the Lord therefore gave them the wine, saying, This is my blood; and wine signifies the Divine Truth (n. 316); on which account it is also called the blood of grapes (Gen* xlix. 11 ; Deut. xxxii. 14). This is still more manifest from these words of the Lord : Verily, verily I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and dtink His blood, ye have ?w life in you ; for my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink : he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I i?i him (John vi. 50-58). That the Divine Truth is here meant by blood is plainly manifest, because it is said that he who drinks it has life, and abides in the Lord, and the Lord in him. That the Divine Truth and a life according to it do this, and that the Holy Supper confirms it, may be known in the church. Since blood signified the Divine Truth of the Lord, which is also the Divine Truth of the Word, and this is the Covenant or Testament itself, Old and New, blood was therefore the most holy representative in the Israelitish church, in which every thing and all things were corre- spondences of spiritual things : as that they should take of the blood of the Passover, and put it upon the posts and upon the lintels of the houses, lest the plague should come upon them (Ex. xii. 7, 13, 22). That the blood of the burnt-offeritig should be sprinkled upon the altar, at the foundations of the altar, upon Aaron, upon his sons, and upon their garments (Ex. xxix. 12, 16, 20, 21 ; Lev. i. 5, 11, 15; hi. 2, 8, 13; iv. 25, 30, 34; v. 9 ; viii. 15, 24 ; xvii. 6 ; Num. xviii. 17 ; Deut. xii. 27): also upo?i the vail which was over the ark, upon the mercy-seat there, and upon the horns of the altar of incense (Lev. iv. 6, 7, 17, 18; xvi. 12-15). The same is signified by the blood of the Lamb in the following places in the Apocalypse : There was war in Jieaven ; Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon, and overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony No. 379 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 377 (xii. 7. 11). For it cannot be thought that Michael and his angels conquered the Dragon by any thing else but the Lord's Divine Truth in the Word. For the angels in heaven cannot think of any blood ; nor do they think of the Lord's passion, but of His Divine Truth and of His resurrection. Wherefore when a man thinks of the Lord's blood, the angels perceive His Divine Truth ; and when he thinks of the Lord's passion, they perceive His glorifi- cation, and then only His resurrection. That it is so, has been given to know by much experience. That blood sig- nifies the Divine Truth is also manifest from these things in David : God will preserve the souls of the needy, precious *hall their blood be in His eyes ; and they shall live, and He shall give them of the gold of Sheba (Ps. lxxii. 13-15). The blood precious in the eyes of God stands for the Divine Truth with them ; the gold of Sheba is wisdom therefrom. In Ezekiel : Gather yourselves together to the great sacrifice tip on the ?noimtains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh a/id drink blood ; the blood of the princes of the earth shall ye drink, and ye shall drink blood even to drunkenness, of my sacrifice which I sacrifice for you : so will I set ?)iy glory a??iong the nations (xxxix. 17-21). By blood here cannot be meant blood, because it is said that they shall drink the blood of the princes of the earth, and that they shall drink blood even to drunkenness. But the true sense of the Word appears, when Divine Truth is understood by blood. The Lord's church is also there treated of, which He was to establish with the gentiles. Secondly : That blood signifies the Divine Truth maybe clearly manifest from its opposite sense, in which it signifies the Divine Truth of the Word falsified or profaned ; as is manifest from these passages : Who stoppeth his ears, lest he should hear of bloods, and shutteth his eyes, lest he should see evil (Isa. xxxiii. 15). Thou shalt destroy them that speak falsehood; the ?nan of bloods and deceit Jehovah abhorreth (Ps. v. 6). Every oni that is written among the living in Jerusalem, when the Lord • 378 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. shall have washed away the blood thereof out of the midst of it by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of purifying (Isa. iv. 3, 4). In the day that thou wast born I saw thee trodden down in thy blood ; and I said, In thy blood live ; I washed a?id cleansed the blood from off thee (Ez. xvi. 5, 6, 9, 22 j 36, 38). They have wa?idered like blind men in the streets ; they we?~e polluted by blood, till they can no more ,* they touch with their garments (Lam. iv. 13, 14). The gat - merit is polluted with blood (Isa. ix. 5). Even in thy skirt* is found the blood of the souls of the innocents (Jer. ii. 33, 34). Your hands are full of blood; wash you, purify you '■ put away the evil of your doings (Isa. i. 15, 16). Your hands are def ied with blood, a?id your fingers with iniquity ; your lips have spoken a lie ; .they hasten to shed innocent blood (Isa. lix. 3, 7). Jehovah goeth forth to visit the iniquity of the ea?'th ; then shall the earth rroeal her blood (Isa. xxvi. 21). As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become childrcji of God ; who were born not of blood (John i. 12, 13). In Babylon was found the blood of the prophets and of the saints (Apoc. xviii. 24). The sea became as the blood of a dead man, a?id the fountains of waters became blood (Apoc. xvi. 3, 4 : Isa. xv. 6, 9 ; Ps. cv. 23, 28, 29). The same is signified by the streams, pools, and lakes of waters i?i Egypt being turned into blood (Ex. vii. 15-25). The moon shall be turned into blood before the great day of Jehovah co??ieth (Joel ii. 31). The moon became blood (Apoc. vi. 12). In these places, and many more, blood signifies the truth of the W ord falsified, and also profaned ; which can be still more manifestly seen from the passages read in the Word in their connection. Since therefore the truth of the Word falsified or profaned is signified by blood in the opposite sense, it is manifest that by blood in the genu- ine sense the truth of the Word not falsified is signified. 380. The?-efore are they before the throne of God, a?id serve Him day and night in His te?nple, and He that sitteth upon the thro?ie shall dwell among them, signifies that they are No. 381.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 379 in the Lord's presence, and live constantly and faithfully according to the truths which they receive from Him in His church, and that the Lord continually implants good in their truths. " Therefore are they before the throne of God," signifies that they are in the Lord's presence. And seive Him day and night, signifies that they constantly and faithfully live according to the truths, that is, the precepts, which they receive from Him : by serving the Lord nothing else is signified. " In His temple " signifies in His church (n. 191). "He diat sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them," signifies that the Lord continually fills with good the truths which they receive from Him. This is signified by dwelling among them, because " to dwell "' in the Word relates to good, and to serve, to truth. Here this arcanum is now to be disclosed, — that the marriage of the Lord with the church consists in this, that the Lord flows into angels and men with the good of love, and that the angels and men receive Him or His good of love in truths ; that thereby a marriage of good and truth is effected, which marriage is the church itself, and becomes heaven with them. Because the Lord's influx and the reception of Him are such, the Lord therefore looks at angels and men in the forehead, and they look in turn at the Lord through the eyes : for the forehead corresponds to the good of love, and the eyes correspond to truths from that good, which thus by conjunction become truths of good. But the influx of the Lord with truths into angels and men is not like the influx of good with them ; for it is mediate, flowing forth from good as light from fire, and is received in the under- standing by them, and in the will as far as they do the truths. This therefore is the marriage of love and wisdom, or of good and truth, from the Lord, with them that receive it in the heavens and on earth. This arcanum is disclosed, that it may be known how it is to be understood that the Lord continually fills their truths with good. 381. They shall not hunger any more, nor thirst any more} 380 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. signifies that hereafter goods and truths shall not be wanting to them. By not hungering is signified not to have a lack of good, and by not thirsting is signified no lack of truth: for hunger relates to bread and food, and thirst to wine and water ; and by bread and food good is signified, and truth is signified by wine and water ; see above (n. 323). 382. Neither shall the sun fall upon them, nor any heat, signifies that hereafter they shall not have concupiscences to evil, nor to the falsity of evil. The sun shall not fall upon them, signifies that they shall not have concupiscences to evil : nor shall any heat fall upon them, signifies that they shall not have concupiscences to falsity. That the sun signifies the Divine Love and the affections of good there- from, and in the opposite sense diabolical love and the concupiscences to evil thence, may be seen above (n. 53). But that heat signifies lust for the falsity of evil is because falsity is produced from evil, like heat from the sun. For, when the will loves evil, the understanding loves falsity, and is heated by the lust of confirming it \ and confirmed evil in the understanding is the falsity of evil : the falsity of evil is therefore evil in its form. Heat and to be hot sig- nify the same in the following passages : Blessed is the man who trusteth in jfehovah ; he shall not see when heat cometh (Jer. xvii. 7, 8). Thou hast been a refuge to the needy from the storm, and a shade from the heat. He tempereth the heat with the shadow of a cloud (Isa. xxv. 4, 5). When they are heated, I will make them drunk, that they may sleep a perpetual sleep (Jer. li. 39). They are all hot as an oven, not one among them calleth unto me (Hos. vii. 7). He beholdeth not the way of the vineyards, drought and heat consume the waters of the snow (Job xxiv. 18, 19). The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with a great heat ; and they blasphemed the name of God (Apoc. xvi. 8, 9). That thou mayest say to the pris- oners, Go forth ; they shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat smite them (Isa. xlix. 9, 10). No. 384. J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 38 1 383. For the Lamb who is in the 7?iidsi of the throne shall feed them, signifies that the Lord alone will teach them. By " the Lamb in the midst of the throne " is signified the Lord as to His Divine Human in the inmost, and so in all things of heaven. "In the midst" is in the inmost and i-hus in all things (n. 44). The throne is heaven (n. 14) ; and the Lamb is the Lord as to His Divine Human (269, 291) : and He who is in the inmost, and thus in all things, He alone feeds, that is, teaches all. If it is asked how He alone can feed all, let it be known that it is because He is God, and because He is in the universal heaven like the soul in its body ; for heaven from Him is as one Man. To feed is to teach, because the church is called in the Word the flock, and the men of the church are called sheep and lambs : hence to feed signifies to teach, and the shepherd him that teaches ; and this in many passages, as, They shall feed the flocks in that day in a broad meadow (Isa. xxx. 23). He shall feed His flock like a shepherd (Isa. xl. 11). They *hall feed in the ways, and all the hills shall be their pastures (Isa. xlix. 9). Israel shall feed in Car?nel and Bashan (Jer. 1. 19). I will seek my flock, I will feed them in a good pasture, and in a fat pasture upon the mountains of Israel (Ez. xxxiv. 12-14). Feed thy people; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead (Mic. vii. 14). The rem?iant of Israel shall feed, and shall rest (Zeph. iii. 13). Jehovah is my Shepherd, I shall not want : He maketh 77ie to lie down i?i green pastures (Ps. xxiii. 1, 2). The Lord chose David to feed Jacob and Israel, and he fed them (Ps. lxxviii. 70-72). Jesus said to Peter, Feed my lambs ; the second and third time He said, Feed my sheep (John xxi. 15-17). 384. And shall lead the?n to living fountains of waters, signifies, and will lead by the truths of the Word to con- junction with Himself. Since by "a living fountain of waters " the Lord and also the Word are signified, and by waters truths are signified (n. 50), and because by the Divine truths of the Word — when they are made of the life, 382 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. which is done when one lives according to them — conjunc- tion with the Lord is effected, therefore by leading them to living fountains of waters is signified to lead by the truths of the Word to conjunction with the Lord. That the Lord and also the Word are signified by a fountain and foun- tains, is evident from .these passages : All my fountains are in Thee, O Jehovah (Ps. lxxxvii. 7). They have forsaken Jehovah, the. fountain of living waters (Jer. xvii. 13). The people have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters (Jer. ii. 12, 13). Thoumakest them to drink of the river of de- lights, because with Thee is the fountain of life (Ps. xxxvi. 8, 9). In that day shall a fou?itain be opened to the inhabi- tants of Jerusalem (Zech. xiii. 1). Israel hath dwelt securely solitary at the fountain of Jacob (Deut. xxxiii. 28). When the lord sat at the foimtain of Jacob, He said to the woman, The water which I will give shall be a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (John iv. 5-20). Joseph is the son of a fruitful tree by a fountain (Gen. xlix. 22). Bless ye the Lord f-om the fountain of Israel (Ps. lxviii. 26). Therefore with joy shall ye draw waters out of the fountains of salvation (Isa. xii. 3). I will give unto hi?n that thirsteth of the fountain of the water of life freely (Apoc. xxi. 6). / will lead them to fountains of waters in a straight way (Jer. xxxi. 9). Similar things to those said here in the Apocalypse are said also in Isaiah : They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat smite them ; for He that hath mercy upon the?n shall lead them even to foun- tains of waters (Isa. xlix. 10). 385. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, signifies that they shall no longer be in combats against evils and their falsities, and so not in grief, but in goods and truths, and thence in heavenly joys from the Lord. These things are signified by the Lamb's wiping away every tear from their eyes, because it is said above in vers. 14, that they are those who came out of great affliction ; by which is signified that they are those who have been in No. 386.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 383 temptations, and have fought against evils (n. 377) : and they who afterwards are not in combats against evils are they who are in goods and truths, and thence in heavenly joys. Similar things are signified by this in Isaiah : He shall swallow up death for ever ; and the Lord Jehovah shall wipe away tears from off all faces : then shall they say in that day, Behold, this is our God, whom we have waited for, that He might deliver us ; this is Jehovah whom we have waited for ; let us rejoice and be glad i?i His salvation (xxv. 8, 9). 386. To the above I will add this Relation. Once when I looked around in the spiritual world, I heard as it were the gnashing of teeth, and as it were a knocking, and mixed with them something grating ; and I asked what they were. And the angels who were with me said, "They are schools, which are called by us diver soria, where disputations are carried on. These disputations are heard thus at a dis- tance ; but when near, they are only heard as disputations. I drew near, and saw small houses constructed of reeds plastered together with mud: and I wished to look in through a window, but there was none : for it was not per- mitted to enter through the door, since light would thus flow in out of heaven, and confound them. But a window was suddenly made on the right side, and I then heard them complaining that they were in darkness. But soon a window was made on the left side, the window on the right side being shut j and the darkness was then dissipated by degrees, and they seemed to themselves to be in light: and after this it was given me to enter by the door, and to hear. There was a table in the midst, and benches round about ; yet they all seemed to me to be standing upon the benches, and to be disputing sharply with one anothei concerning Faith and Charity; — on the one part, that Faith was the principal thing of the church ; on the other, 3§4 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VII. that Charity was. They who made faith the principal thing said, " Do we not act with God by faith, and by charity with man? Is not faith therefore heavenly, and charity earthly ? Are we not saved by the heavenly, and not by the earthly ? Also, " Cannot God give faith out of heaven because it is heavenly ? and is not man to procure for himself charity because it is earthly ? And what a man procures for himself is not of the church, and therefore does not save. Can any one thus be justified before God by the works which are called of charity ? Believe us, that we aie not only justified by faith alone, but sanctified also ; if the faith is not defiled by the things of merit which are from the works of charity. And more was said. But they who made Charity the principal thing of the church, sharply refuted these things ; saying that " Charity saves, and not faith. Does not God hold all dear, and will good to all ? How can God do this good, except through men ? Does God only give us to speak with men the things of faith ? and does He not give us to do to men those which are of charity ? Do you not see that you said absurdly of charity, that it is earthly ? Charity is heavenly ; and because you do not do the good of charity, your faith is earthly. How do you receive faith, except as a stock or a stone ? You say, by the hearing of the Word only. But how can the Word operate when only heard? and how upon a stock or a stone ? Perhaps you are vivified unconsciously. But what is that vivification, except that you can say that faith alone saves ? Yet what faith is, and what saving faith, you do not know." But one then arose, who was called a Syncretist by the angel that was speaking with me. He took off a turban from his head, and laid it upon the table ; but suddenly put it on again, because he was bald. He said, " Hear : you all mistake. It is true that faith is spiritual, and charity moral ; but still they must be con- joined : and they are conjoined by the Word, by the Holy Spirit, and by the effect, while man knows it not ; which No. 386.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 3B5 effect may indeed be called obedience ; but one in which the man has no part. I have long meditated upon these things ; and I have at length found, that a man may re- ceive from God a faith which is spiritual ; but that he cannot be moved by God to a charity which is spiritual, except as a pillar of salt." Having said this, they that were in faith alone applauded j but they who were in charity hooted. And the latter said with indignation, " Hear, friend : you do not know that there is a moral life which is spiritual, and that there is a moral life merely natural, — a moral life which is spiritual with those who do good from God and still as of themselves, and a moral life merely natural with those that do good from hell and still as of themselves. It was said that the disputation was heard as the gnash- ing of teeth, and as a knocking, with which something grating was intermixed. The sound heard as the gnashing of teeth was from those who were in faith alone ; but that heard as a knocking was from them that were in charity alone ; and the grating intermixed was from the Syncretist. The reason that their sounds were heard thus at a distance, was because they all disputed in the world, and did not shun any evil, and therefore did not do any moral good which was spiritual. And they were altogether ignorant also, that the all of faith is truth, and the all of charity, good j and that truth without good is not truth in spirit, and that good without truth is not good in spirit ; and that the one thus makes the other. The reason why there was darkness when the window was made on the right side, is because light flowing in from heaven on that side affects the will ; and the cause of its being light when a v.indow was made on the left side, the window on the right being shut, is because light flowing in from heaven on the left side affects the understanding : and every man can be in the light of heaven as to the understanding, provided the will is closed as to its evil. vol. 1. 17 3*6 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII. CHAPTER EIGHTH. 1. And when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven as of half an hour. 2. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God ; and there were given unto them seven trumpets. 3. And another angel came, and stood at the altar, hav- ing a golden censer ; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4. And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints out of the angel's hand before God. 5. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it unto the earth ; and there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6. And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7. And the first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood ; and they were cast unto the earth : and a third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. 8. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea ; and 3 third part of the sea became blood. 9. And a third part of the creatures that were in the sea and had lives died ; and a third part of the ship? pe rished. to. And the third angel sounded ; and there fell from heaven a great star burning as it were a lamp : and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the foun- tains of waters. Chap. VIII.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 387 11. And the name of the star is called Wormwood j and the third part of the waters became wormwood : and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. 12. And the fourth angel sounded ; and a third part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that the third part of them \yas darkened ; and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. 13. And I saw, and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe to them that dwell on the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels that are about to sound. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. The Church of the Reformed is here treated of, as to the quality of those therein who are in faith alone : the preparation of the Spiritual Heaven for communication with them (vers. 1-6). The exploration and manifestation of those therein, who are in the interiors of that faith (vers. 7) j and of those who are in its exteriors (vers. 8, 9). What they are as to the understanding of the Word (vers. 10, 11). That they are in falsities and thence in evils (vers. 12, 13). The Contents of each Verse. " And when he opened the seventh seal," signifies the exploration by the Lord ot the state of the church and thence of the life of those who are in His spiritual kingdom, who are they that are in charity and its faith \ here those who are in faith alone. " There was silence in heaven as of half an hour," sig/iifies that the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom were exceedingly astonished, when they saw that those who said they were in faith were in such a state. " And I saw the seven angels 388 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII. who stood before God," signifies the entire spiritual heaven in the Lord's presence, hearing and doing the things which he teaches. " And there were given unto them seven trumpets," signifies the exploration and disclosure of the state of the church and thence of the life of those who are in faith alone. " And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer," signifies spiritual worship, which is from the good of charity by the truths of faith. " And there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne," signifies propitiation, lest the angels of the Lord's Spiritual King- dom should be hurt by the spirits of the satanic kingdom, who were below. " And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints out of the angel's hand be- fore God," signifies their protection by the Lord. " And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it unto the earth," signifies spiritual love in which there is heavenly (celestial) love, and the influx of it into the lower parts, where those were who were in faith sepa- rate from charity. " And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake," signifies that after communication was opened with them, there were heard reasonings concerning faith alone and confirmations in favor of it. " And the seven angels that had the Seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound," signifies that they were prepared and qualified to explore the state of the church and thence of the life of those whose religion was faith alone. " And the first angel sounded," signifies ex- ploration and manifestation of the quality ot the state of the church with those who are interiorly in that faith. " A*nd there followed hail and fire mingled with blood," signifies falsity from infernal love destroying good and truth, and falsifying the Word. " And they were cast unto the earth, and a third part of the trees was burnt up," signifies that with them all affection for and perception of truth, Chap. VIII.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 3*9 which make the man of the church, perished. " And all green grass was burnt up," signifies thus every living thing of faith. " And the second angel sounded," signifies ex- ploration and manifestation of the quality of the state of the church with those who are exteriorly in that faith. a And as it were a mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea," signifies the appearance of infernal love with them. " And a third part of the sea became blood," signifies that all general truths with them were falsified. u And a third part of the creatures that were in the sea and had lives died," sig?iifies that they who have lived and are living that faith cannot be reformed and receive life. " And a third part of the ships perished," signifies that all the knowledges of good and truth from the Word serviceable for use of life were destroyed with them. "And the third angel sounded," signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, as to their affection for and reception of truths from the Word. " And there fell from heaven a great star burning as it were a lamp," signifies the appearance of their own intelligence from pride aris- ing from infernal love. " And it fell upon a third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters," sig?iifies that thence all truths of the W7ord were altogether falsi- fied. " And the name of the star is called Wormwood, and a third part of the waters became wormwood," signifies the infernal falsity from which is their own intel- ligence, by which all the truths of the Word were falsi- fied. " And many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter," signifies the extinction of spiritual life by the falsified truths of the Word. " And the fourth angel sounded/ sigJiifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, tiiat they are in the evils of falsity and in the falsities of evil. " And a third part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, and 3Q-0 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED [Chap. VIII. the third part of them was darkened," sig?iijies that on ac- count of evils from falsities and falsities from evils they did not know what love is, what faith is, nor any truth. " That the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night L'Ve- wise," signifies that there was no longer any spiritual truth nor natural truth serviceable for doctrine and life from the Word with them. " And I saw, and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven," signifies instruction and pre- diction irom the Lord. " Saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe to them that dwell upon the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels that are about to sound," signifies the deepest lamentation over the damned state of those in the church, who in doctrine and in life have confirmed themselves in faith separate from charity. THE EXPLANATION. 387. There are two kingdoms into which the Universal Heaven is distinguished, the Heavenly {Celestial) Kingdom and the Spiritual Kingdom. The Heavenly Kingdom consists of those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in wisdom ; and the Spiritual Kingdom of those who are in love towards the neighbor, and thence in intelli- gence : and because love towards the neighbor is at this day called charity, and intelligence faith, the latter kingdom consists of those who are in charity and thence in faith. Now because heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms, hell is also distinguished into two kingdoms op- posite to them, — into the Diabolical Kingdom and the Satanic Kingdom. The Diabolical Kingdom consists of them that are in the love of ruling from the love of self, and thence in foolishness ; for that love is opposite to hea/enly love, and its foolishness is opposite to heavenly wisdom : but the Satanic Kingdom consists of those that are in the love of ruling from the pride of their own intel- ligence, and thence in insanity ; for that love is opposite to No. 388J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 39 1 spiritual love, and the insanity of it is opposite to spiritual intelligence. By folly and insanity are meant folly and insanity in heavenly and spiritual things. Similar things are to be understood concerning the Church on the earth as have been said concerning heaven ; for they make one. Concerning those two kingdoms, see the work on Heaven and Hell," published at London (n. 20-28) ; see also many other places. Now as the only thing treated of in the Apocalypse is the state of the church at its end, as was said in the Preface and in n. 2, for that reason those who are in the two kingdoms of heaven and those that are in the two kingdoms of hell together with their quality are henceforth treated of ; from this eighth chapter to the six- teenth they who are in the Spiritual Kingdom, and in the Satanic Kingdom opposite to it ; and in the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters, they who are in the Heavenly King- dom, and in the Diabolical Kingdom opposite to it ; and afterwards the Last Judgment ; and at length the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. This last forms the conclusion to all the things that precede, because it is the end for the sake of which they are. In the Word, the Devil and Satan are many times mentioned, and by each is meant hell. It is so called, because all who are in one hell are called devils, and all in the other are called satans. 388. And when he opened the seventh seal, signifies the ex- ploration by the Lord of the st ate of the church and thence of the life of those who are in His Spiritual Kingdom, who are they that are in charity and its faith, here those who are in faith alone. That this is signified may be evident from each of the things in this chapter when understood in the spiritual sense. For in this chapter and in those that follow, as far as the sixteenth, they who are in the spirit- ual kingdom are treated of, who, as was said just above (n. 387), are those who are in love towards the neighbor and thence in intelligence. But since at this day instead of love to the neighbor they say charity, and instead of 392 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VUL intelligence faith ; and since there is no exploration here of those that are in charity and thence in faith, as these things belong to those who are in heaven ; therefore the exploration here is of those that are in faith alone. Faith alone is also faith separated from charity, since there is no conjunction ; see below (n. 417). That to open the seal signifies to explore the states of life, or what is the same, the states of the church and thence of life, may be seen above (n. 295, 302, 309, 317, 324). 389. There was silence in heaven as of half an hour, signi- fies that the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom were exceedingly astonished, when they saw those who said they were in faith, in such a state. By the silence in heaven nothing else is meant but the astonishment there at those who say they are in faith, and yet are in such a state : for their state is described in what follows, and what its quality is may be evident from the explanations. By " half an hour " it signified exceedingly, because by an hour a full state is signified. That time signifies state will be seen below. 390. And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, signifies the entire spiritual heaven in the Lord's presence, hearing and doing the things which He teaches. That the whole heaven is signified by the seven angels is because by seven is signified all, and thence the whole and the entire (n. 10) ; and in the highest sense by angels the Lord is signified, and in a relative sense heaven (n. 5, 66, 342, 344) : here the spiritual heaven, as maybe evident from the things said above (11.387,388). That "to stand before - God " signifies to hear and do what He teaches, may be seen above (n. 366). 391. And there were given unto them seven trumpets, sig- nifies the exploration and disclosure of the state of the church, an I thence of the life of those who are in faith alone. B5 trumpets is here signified the same as by sound- ing, because they sounded with them ; and by sounding trumpets is signified to call together upon solemn occasions. No. 392J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 393 which were various : here to explore and disclose the qual- ity of those who are in faith alone, and thus the quality of those who are of the church of the Reformed at this day. It is to be known that the church in the Reformed World is at this day divided into three, from the three great leaders, Luther, Calvin, and Melanchthon ; and that these three churches disagree on various points. But, what is wonderful, they all agree in this article, That man is justi- fied by faith without the works of the law. That by sounding the trumpets is signified to convoke, will be seen below (n. 397). 392. And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer, signifies spiritual worship, which is from the good of charity by the truths of faith. By the altar at which the angel stood, and by the golden censer which he had in his hand, the worship of the Lord from spiritual love is signified, which worship is from the good of charity by the truths of faith. There were two Altars wTith the chil- dren of Israel, — the one without the tent, the other within the tent. The altar without the tent was called the Altar of Burnt-offering, because burnt-offerings and sacrifices were offered upon it. The altar within the tent was called the Altar of Incense and also the Golden Altar. The reason of there being two altars was that the worship of the Lord is from heavenly (celestial) love and from spiritual love ; from heavenly love by those who are in His heavenly king- dom, and from spiritual love by those who are in His spiritual kingdom. Concerning these two kingdoms see above (n. 387). And concerning the two altars see the following places in Moses: the Altar of Burnt-offering, Ex. xx. 21 to the end; xxvii. 1-8: xxxix. 36-43; Lev. vii. 1-5 ; viii. 11 ; xvi. 18, 19, 33, 34: the Altar 01 Incense, Ex. xxx. 1-10; xxxi. 8; xxxvii. 25-29; xl. 5, 26; Num. vii. 1. The reason why altars, censers, and incense were seen by John was not because there are such things in hea- ven : they were only representatives of the worship of the 17* 394 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII. Lord there. The reason is, because such things were in- stituted among the children of Israel, and are therefore often named in the Word : and that church was a represen- tative church ; for all the things of their worship repre- sented and therefore here signify the Divine Heavenly and Spiritual things of the Lord, which are of His church in the heavens and on earth. Similar things are therefore signified by the two altars in the Word in the following passages : Send out thy light and thy truth, let them lead vie to thy habitation, and I will go in unto the altar of God, to God (Ps. xliii. 3,4). / will wash my hands in innocence, and compass thine altar, O Jehovah, and will make the voice of confession to be heard (Ps. xxvi. 6, 7). The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron upon the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars (Jer. xvii. 1, 2). God is Jehovah, who hath showed us light, bind the sacrifice with cords even to the horns of the altar (Ps. cxviii. 27). In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt (Isa. xix. 19). " An altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt " signifies the worship of the Lord from love in the natural man. The thistle and the thorn shall come up upon their altars (Hos. x. 7, 8) : by which is signified worship from evils and the falsities of evil. And other places be- sides, as Isa. xxvii. 9 ; lvi. 6, 7 ; lx. 7 ; Lam. ii. 7 ; Ez. vi. 3, 4, 6, 13 ; Hos. viii. n ; x. i, 2 ; Amos iii. 14; Ps. li. 18. 19; lxxxiv. 2, 3, 4; Matt. v. 23, '24; xxiii. 18-20. Since the worship of the Lord was represented and thence signified by the altar, it is manifest that nothing else is meant by the altar in the Apocalypse here, and also else- where ; as, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God (Apoc. vi. 9). The angel stood and said, Measure the temple of God and the altar, and them that worship in it (Apoc. xi. 1). I heard another angel out of the altar saying, true and just are thy judgments (Apoc. xvi. 7). Since representative worship, which was chiefly performed upon the two altars, was abrogated by the Lord No. 593.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 395 w hen He came into the world, because He opened the inte riors of the church, therefore it is said in Isaiah, /// that day shall a ?na?i look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel, and not to the altars, the work of his hands (xvii. 7, 8). 393. And there was given unto him much incense, that he should offe? it with the prayers of all the saints upofi the golden ttltar which was before the throne, signifies propitiation lest the angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom should be hurt by the spirits of the satanic kingdom, who were below. By the incense and by the golden altar the worship of the Lord from spiritual love is signified (n. 277, 392) : by the prayers are signified the things which are of charity and thence of faith in the worship (n. 278) : and by the saints are meant those who are of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and by the just they who are of His heavenly (celestial) kingdom (n. 173). It may from this be evident that those are here treated of who are in the Lord's spiritual king- dom. By the much incense offered with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, is signified propitiation lest they should be hurt by the spirits of the satanic king- dom who were below, because propitiations and expiations were made by incense, especially when perils were eminent, as may be evident from these passages : Whe?i the congre- gation fnurmured against Moses and Aaron, and they were affected by the plague, Aaron took fire from the altar, and put incense into the censer, atid ran between the living and the dead to expiate, and the plague was stayed (Num xvi. 41-48). 7 'he altar of i?icense was also placed in the te?it before the mercy-seat which was over the ark, and every morning, when the lamps were trimmed, incense was offered upo?i it (Ex. xxx. 1-10) : and it was commanded, that as ofte?i as Aaron entered within the vail, he should offer incense, and the cloud of the incense should cover the mercy-seat, lest he should die (Lev. xvi. 11-13.) It may be evident from this that in the representative Israelitish church propitiations 396 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI U were made by offering incense : in like manner here, lest they should be hurt by the satanic spirits who were below. 394. And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints out of the angel's hand before God, signifies their protection by the Lord. By the smoke of the incense going up before God is signified what is acceptable and grateful ; on which account David says the like : Let my prayers be acceptable as incense before Thee (Ps. cxli. 2). The reason was, because the smoke of the incense was fragrant from the aromatics of which the incense was compounded, which were stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense (Ex. xxx. 34) : and the fragrance from those aromatics corresponds to such things as are of spiritual love, or of charity and thence of faith. For in heaven the most fragrant odors are perceived, corresponding to the perceptions of the angels arising from their love : on which account also it is said in many places in the Word, that Jehovah smelled an odor of rest. That protection from the Lord is signified follows from the things that were said just above (n. 393). 395. And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it unto the earth, signifies spiritual love in which is heavenly love, and the influx of it into the lower parts, where those were who are in faith separate from charity. That worship from spiritual love is signified by the censer equally as by the incense, is manifest from what is shown above, and from this, that in the Word the con- taining vessel signifies the same as the contents, as the cup and platter signify the same as the wine and the food (Matt, xxiii. 25, 26 • Luke xxii. 20 ; and elsewhere). That the Divine Heavenly (Celestial) Love is signified by the fire of the altar of burnt-offering, is because worship from that love was signified by that altar • see above (n. 392) : and by fire in the highest sense the Divine Love is signified (n. 494). Spiritual love, which is charity, derives its essence from heavenly love, which is love to the Lord. Without the latter love there is nothing living in spiritual love, or charity No. 396.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 397 for spirit and life are from no other source than the Lord. This was represented in the Israelitish church by their not taking fire for the censers from anywhere else, when they offered incense, than from the altar of burnt-offering ; as may be evident in Moses (Lev. xvi. 12, 13 ; Num. xvi. 46, 47) : and by the two sons of Aaroii being consumed by fire from heaven, because they offered incense with strange fire: that is, with fire not taken from the altar (Lev. x. 1,2): on which account it was also ordained that the fire should burn continually upon the altar of burnt-offering, and should not be put out (Lev. vi. 12, 13). This was for the reason that the fire of that altar signified the Lord's Divine Love, and hence love to the Lord. By casting the censer unto the earth is signified influx into the lower parts. 396. And there were voices a?id thunders and lightnings and a?i earthquake, signifies that after communication was opened with them, there were heard reasonings concerning faith alone and confirmations in favor of it, and the state of the church with them was perceived to be tottering to destruction. That lightnings, thunders, and voices signify enlightenments, perceptions, and instructions, by influx from heaven, may be seen above (n. 236). But here, with those who were in faith alone, and who had no enlightenment, perception, and instruction, by influx from heaven, reasonings about faith alone and argumentations and confirmations in favor of it are signified by the voices, the thunders, and the lightnings. By the earthquake changes of state of the church are signified (n. 331) ; here that the state of the church with them was perceived to be tottering to its destruction. For earthquakes take place in the world of spirits, when the state of the church in the societies is perverted and inverted. The reason that the censer was cast by the angel unto the earth before the seven angels began to sound the trumpets was, that communication might be opened by influx between those who were in the spiritual heaven, and those below who were in faith alone ; from 393 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII. which communication the reasonings and confirmations in favor of it arose, and were also heard and perceived ; on which account it is said that they were heard and peiceived after the communication was opened. 397. And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets pre- pared the?7iselves to sound, signifies that they were prepared and qualified to explore the state of the church and thence of the life of those whose religion is faith alone. What is signified by the trumpets is evident from the statute respecting their use among the children of Israel, of which it is said in Moses : Jehovah spake unto Moses, to make trumpets of silver for the convocation of the assembly, and the setting forth of the camp, and that they should sound them on days of joy, on the festivals, the new-moons, and over the burnt- offermgs and sac?'ifices : also, that when they we?it to war against enemies that infested them, they should give the signal with trumpets, and that then they should co?ne into remembrance before Jehovah God, and should be preserved from their ene?nies (Num. x. 1-10). From this it may be seen what is signified by sounding with trumpets. That here by the seven angels sounding is signified the exploration and manifestation of the quality of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, is manifest from the particulars in this chapter, and from the things in the following chapters as far as the sixteenth inclusive, when understood in the spir- itual sense. From the uses of trumpets among the children of Israel, it may also be seen what is signified by trumpets and by sounding them, in the following passages : Sound the trwnpet in Zion, and sound in the mountain of holiness, for the day of Jehovah cometh (Joel ii. 1, 2). Jehovah shall appear upon them, and His dart shall go forth as lightning, and the Lord Jehovih shall sound the trumpet (Zech. ix. 14). Jehovah shall go forth as a lion, and shall soicnd (Isa. xlii. 13). In that day the great trumpet shall be sounded, and they shall come that are perishing i?i the land of Asshur, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall bow themselves down to Jehovah No. 398.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 399 in the mountain of holiness (Isa. xxvii. 13). He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, a?id they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end of them (Matt. xxiv. 31). Blessed is the people that k?iow the trumpet sound ; O Jehovah, they shall walk in the light of thy countenance (Ps. lxxxix 15). When the morning stars sing, and the sons of God sound the trumpet (Job xxxviii. 7). Since the sounds of trumpets signify such things, and in the Israelitish church all things were presented to the life according to correspondences and thence significations, it therefore so came to pass, that, when Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai, there were voices a?id thunders a?id a heavy cloud, and a vehement voice of a trumpet, a?id a voice of a trumpet going on and strengthening itself exceedingly, and the people in the ca?np trembled exceed- ingly (Ex. xix. 16-25). Therefore also it came to pass, that when the three hundred with Gideon sounded with the trumpets against Midian, then every man's sword was against his companion, and they fled (Judg. vii. 16-22). So too, that the twelve thousand from the sons of Israel, with the vessels of holiness and with the trumpets i?i their hands, overcame Midian (Num. xxxi. 1-8). As also, that the wall of Jericho, after the seven priests with the seven trumpets went around the city seven times, fell dozen (Josh. vi. 1-20). Wherefore it is said in Jeremiah, Sound the trumpet against Babylon round about, its walls are destroyed (1. 15) j and in Zephaniah: A day of darkness and of thick-darkness, a day of the trumpet and of sounding against the fortified cities (i. 15, 16). 398. And the first angel sowidcd, signifies an exploration and manifestation of the quality of the state of the church with those who are interiorly in that faith. By sounding is signified to explore and to manifest (n. 397). By the sounding of this first angel is meant the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church with those that are interiorly in that faith, because the operation of it was directed to the earth, as it follows ; and the operation c< 400 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII. the sounding of the second angel was into the sea : and by the earth and the sea, everywhere in the Apocalypse, when both are named, the entire church is meant ; by the earth the church composed of those who are in its internals, and by the sea the church composed of those that are in its externals. For the church is internal and external, — internal with the clergy, and external with the laity ; or internal with those who have studied its doctrines interiorly, and have confirmed them from the Word, and external with those who have not done so. The latter and the former are they who are meant by the earth and the sea in these passages in the Apocalypse : That the wind should not blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea (vii. i). That they should not hurt the earth nor the sea (vii. 3). The angel coming down out of heaven set his right foot upon the sea and his left upo?i the earth (x. 2, 8 : also, vers. 5). I sa7u a beast coming up out of the sea, and another beast coming up out of the earth (xiii. 1, 11). Praise God, who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea (xiv. 7). The first angel poured out his vial upon the earth, and the second angel his upon the sea (xvi. 2, 3). By the earth and the sea the church internal and external, and thus the entire church, is signified, because in the spiritual world they who 'are in the internals of the church appear upon dry-land, and they that are in the externals as in the seas ; but the seas are appearances from the general truths in which they are. That the earth signifies the church, may be seen (n. 285). That the world stands for the same («• 55 0- 399. And there followed hail and fire mi7igled with blood, signifies falsity from infernal love destroying good and truth and falsifying the Word. Falsity destroying good and truth is signified by the hail ; by the fire is signified infernal love, and by the blood the falsification of truth. That hail signifies falsity destroying good and truth, will be seen below : that fire is love in both senses, the heav- enly and the infernal, may be seen (n. 468) : that blood is No. 399.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 4OI the Lord's Divine Truth, which is also the Word, and in the opposite sense the Word falsified (n. 379). From these gathered into one sense, it is manifest that by "there fo1- lowed hail and fire mingled with blood," is signified falsity from infernal love destroying good and truth, and falsi- fying the Word. These things are signified because in the spiritual world such things appear, when the sphere of the Lord's Divine Love and Divine Wisdom descends into societies below, where are falsities from infernal love, and the Word is falsified by them. Similar things are signified by hail together with fire in the following passages. At the brightness before Him the clouds passed away, hailsto?ies and coals of fire: the Most High gave His voice, hail- stones and coals of fire ; and He sent His arrows, and scat- tered them (Ps. xviii. 12-14). I will judge with pestilence and blood, and I will ?nake hailstones, fire, and brimstone to rain upon them (Ez. xxxviii. 22). Then shall jfehovah make His voice to be heard, with a fame of devouring fire and hailstones (Isa. xxx. 30). He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire i?i their land, and He brake the trees of their coasts (Ps. cv. 32, 33). The hail smote their vine, and their sycamores with grievous hail, and their flocks with burning coals ; He sent in the wrath of His anger an incursion of evil angels (Ps. lxxviii. 47-49). These things are said of Egypt, concerning which we read in Moses : Moses stretched out the rod, and Jehovah gave voices and hail, and there was hail and fire walking together in the ??iidst of the heavy hail ; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field (Ex. far. 22-35). All the mira- cles performed in Egypt signified the evils and falsities from infernal love which were with the Egyptians. Every miracle signified some evil and falsity. For there was with them a representative church, as in many kingdoms of Asia ; but it had become idolatrous and magical. By the Red Sea is signified hell, in which they at length perished. Something like this is signified by the hailstones, by which 402 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIIL more of their ene?nies perished than by the sword (Josh. x. n). The like also is signified by hail in the following passages: Woe to the crown of pride : the Lord is strong, like an inundation of hail : the hail overturneth the refiige of lies (Isa. xxviii. i, 2, 17). It shall hail until the forest sink itsdf down (Isa. xxxii. 19). The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail (Apoc. xi. 19). And great hail of the weight of a tale7it came down out of heaven upon men (Apoc. xvi. 21). Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which are kept back unto the day of battle a?id of war? (Job xxxviii. 22, 23). Say to them that daub on what is unfit, that it shall fall : there shall come an inundati?ig rain, in which you, O hailstones, shall fall (Ez. xiii. 11). "To daub on what is unfit" is to confirm falsity so as to appear as truth ; on which account they who do this are called hailstones. 400. And they were cast unto the earth, and a third part of the trees was burnt up, signifies that with those who are in the internals of the church and in faith alone, all affec- tion for and perception of truth, which make the man of the church, perished. By the earth upon which the hail and fire mingled with blood were cast, is signified the church with those that are in its internals and in faith alone ; who are the clergy, as may be seen n. 398. By a third part is signified all as to truth, as by a fourth part all as to good (n. 322). That by three is signified all, full, and altogether, will be seen below (n. 505) : hence by a thijd, which is a third part, the same is signified. By being burnt up is signified to perish, here by falsity from infernal love, which is meant by the hail and fire mingled with blood ; respecting which see just above (n. 399). By a tree man is signified ; and because man is man from affec- tion which is of the will and from perception which is of the understanding, therefore these also are signified by a tree. There is also a correspondence between a man and No. 40i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 403 a tree ; on which account there appear in heaven paradises of trees, which correspond to the affections and thence the perceptions of the angels. And there are also in some places m hell forests of trees which bear evil fruits, ac- cording to correspondence with the lusts and thence the thoughts of those there. That trees in general signify men as to their affections and their thoughts thence, may- be evident from .he following passages : All the trees of ihe field shall know, that I Jehovah will humble the high tree, will exalt the low tree, and will dry up the green tree, and will make the dry tree to flourish (Ez. xvii. 24). Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah ; he shall be like a tree planted by the waters ; he shall not cease from bearing, fruit (Jer. xvii. 7, 8). Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law ; he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, which bringeth forth fruit in its season (Ps. i. 1-3). Praise Jehovah, ye fruitful trees (Ps. cxlviii. 9). The trees of Jehovah are full (Ps. civ. 16). The axe lies at the root of tjie tree ; every tree that beareth not good fruit shall be cut down (Matt. iii. 10 j vii. 16-20). Either 7iiake the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit cor- rupt; for the tree shall be known by its fruit (Matt. xii. 33 ; Luke vi. 43, 44). / will kindle a fire which shall consume every green tree a?id every dry tree (Ez. xx. 47). Since a tree signifies man, it was therefore ordained that the fruit of a tree serviceable for food in the la?id of Canaan should be circumcised (Lev. xix. 23-25). Also that when any city was besieged, they should not put forth an axe against any free with good fruit (Deut. xx. 19, 20). As also, that at the feast of tabernacles they should take the fruit of goodly ti ees, and should be glad before Jehovah (Lev. xxiii. 40, 41) : be- sides more passages which are not here adduced on account of their abundance. 401. And all green grass was burnt up, signifies thus every living thing of faith. By being burnt up is signified to perish, as just above (n. 400). By green grass in the 4O4 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII, Word is signified that good and truth of the church or of faith, which first springs up in the natural man. The same is also signified by the herb of the field ; and as faith lives from good and truth, therefore by all the green grass being burnt up is signified that every living thing of faith perished ; and every living thing of faith perishes, when there is no affection for good and perception of truth ; see just above. That this is signified by grass is also from correspondence ; for which reason they who separate faith from charity not only in doctrine but also in life, in the spiritual world, dwell in a desert, where there is no grass. As a fruit-tree signifies a man as to the affections for good and the perceptions of truth, so green grass signifies a man as to that thing of the church which is conceived and also born first with him ; and grass not green signifies this destroyed. In general, all the things that are in gardens, forests, fields, and plains, signify man as to something of the church, or, what is the same, something of the church in him : the reason is, because they correspond. That grass does, may be evident from these passages : The voice said, Cry ; and he said, What shall I cry ? All flesh is grass: the grass withereth, a?id the flower fadeth because the wind hath blown upon it ; truly the people is grass : the grass with- ereth, and the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand for ever (Isa. xl. 5-8). The inhabitants were as an herb of the field, a green herb, the grass of the roofs ; and a field scorched before the corn is grown up (Isa. xxxvii. 27 ; 2 Kings xix. 26). I will pour my blessing upon thy seed, and they shall spring up as among the grass (Isa. xliv. 3, 4) ; and elsewhere, as Isa. li. 12; Ps. xxxvii. 2; Ps. ciii. 15; Ps. cxxix. 6 ; Deut. xxxii. 2. That by green or growing- green is signified living or alive is manifest in Jer. xvii. 8 ; xi. 16; Ez. xvii. 24; xx. 47; Hos. xiv. 8; Ps. xxxvii. 35 ; Ps. lii. 8 ; Ps. xcii. 10. The same that is here described in the Apocalypse came to pass in Egypt, namely, that from hail and fire mi?igled every tree and every herb of the field was burnt up (Ex. ix. 28-35 > lxxviii. 47-49 ; Ps. cv. 32, 33). No. 404.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 405 402. And the second angel sounded, signifies exploration and manifestation of the quality of the state of the church with those who are exteriorly in that faith. That to sound a trumpet signifies to explore and manifest the state of the chuich and thence of the life with those whose religion is faith alone, may be seen above (n. 397). These words are said of those who are exteriorly in that faith, because those are here treated of who were in the sea, and in the former case those that were upon the earth \ and they that are in the internals of the church, who are the clergy, are meant by those that were upon the earth ; and by them that were in the sea those are meant that are in the externals of the church, who are the laity ; see above (n. 398). That they appear in the spiritual world as in the sea (n. 238, 290). 403. And as it were a mountain bur7ii?ig with fire was cast into the sea, signifies the appearance of infernal love with those who are in the externals of the church and in faith alone. The church with those that are in ex- ternals and in faith alone is signified by the sea ; and they who are in externals are called in common speech the laity, because those that are in internals are called the clergy (n. 397, 402). By a mountain is signified love ; and by a mountain burning with fire, infernal love (n. 494, 599). There is a manifestation of this love with those who are here treated of ; for that love appears from them before the angels. The reason is, because faith alone is faith separate from charity (n. 388) ; and where there is no charity, that is, love towards the neighbor, which is spirit- ual love, there is infernal love. There is no middle love except with the lukewarm, treated of in Apoc. iii, 15, 16. 404. And a third part of the sea became blood, signifies that all general truths with them were falsified. By a third part is signified all (n. 400). By blood the falsification of the truth of the Word is signified (n. 379). By the sea is signified the church with those who are in the externals of 406 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII. it, and in faith alone (n. 398, 402). General truths are falsified with these, because they are in them alone ; for they do not know the particulars of that faith, like the clergy. It is owing to the general truths that are with them, that they appear as in the sea in the spiritual world. The reason is, because waters signify truths (n. 50) ; and the sea is the general receptacle of them (n. 238). 405. And a third part of the creatures that were in the sea and had lives died, signifies that they who have lived and are living that faith cannot be reformed, and receive life. By a third part all of them are signified, as above : by creatures they that can be reformed are meant (n. 290) ; for the rea- son that by creating is signified to reform (n. 254) : by having lives is signified to be able to receive life by refor- mation : by their dying is signified that they who live that faith alone cannot thus receive life. They cannot, because all are reformed by faith united to charity, and thus by the faith of charity ; and no one by faith alone : for charity is the life of faith. Since the affections and thence the per- ceptions and the thoughts of spirits and angels in the spiritual world appear at a distance in the forms of the animals or creatures upon the earth which are called beasts, of the creatures in the air which are called birds, and of the creat- ures in the sea which are called fishes, therefore beasts, birds, and fishes are so often mentioned in the Word ; by which, however, nothing else is meant ; as in these pas- sages : Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the earth, because there is no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God ; and every one dwelling in it shall waste away with the beast of the field, and the bird of the heavens ; the fishes of the sea shall also be gathered together (Hos. iv. 1, 3). / will consicme man and beast, the bird of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, the stumbling-blocks with the wicked (Zeph. i. 3). There shall be a great earthquake upon the land of Israel, and the fishes of the sea, the bird of the heavens, and the beast of the field shall shake greatly before Me (Ez. xxxviil No. 405.I THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 18-20). Thou hast made Him to rule over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under His feet, beasts of the fields, bird of heaven, and fish of the sea, and whatever pass- eth through the paths of the seas (Ps. viii. 6-8) : this is said concerning the Lord. Ask, I pray, the beasts, and they shall teach thee, or the birds of heaven, and they shall declare unto thee, and the fishes of the sea shall relate to thee ; who of all these doth not know, that the hand of Jehovah doeth this (Job xii. 7-9). Besides many other places. But by the fishes or creatures of the sea spoken of here are meant the affections and thence the thoughts of those men who are in general truths, and who thus partake more of the natural than of the spiritual. These are meant by fishes in the foregoing passages, and also in these following : By my re- buke I dry icp the sea, I make the rivers a desert, their fish shall putrify, and die with thirst (Isa. L 2). Thou king of Egypt art a great sea-monster, who liest in the midst of thy rivers, thou saidst, The river is mine, I made me ; therefore I will make the fish of thy rivers to adhere to thy scales, and I will abandon thee and all the fish of thy rivers in the desert (Ez. xxix. 3-5). These things were said to the king of Egypt, because by Egypt the natural separated from the spiritual is signified, and hence by the fishes of its rivers those who are in doctrinals, and from them are in faith separate, which faith is only knowledge ; on account of which separation it was also among the miracles there, that their waters were tu?'ned into blood, and that from this the fishes died (Ex. vii. 17-25 \ Ps. cv. 29). Wherefore dost thou ?nake man as the fishes of the sea ? every one draweth out with a hook, and gathereth in a ;/^/(Hab. i. 14-16). Fishes here stand for those who are in general truths and in faith separated from charity ; but fishes stand for them that are in general truths and in faith conjoined to charity in Eze- kiel : He said unto me, These are the waters that go forth to the eastern boundary ; they come to the sea ; whence it Cometh to pass that every soul which crcepeth liveth, and exceeding 408 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII much fish : the fishers stand upon it to spread forth nets ; its fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea exceeding many (xlvii. i, 8-n). In Matthew: Jesus said, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a net cast into the' sea, and they gathered the fishes together ; and the good they put into vessels, and the bad they cast away (xiii. 47-49). And in Jeremiah: I will bring back the childre?i of Israel into their land, and I will send for. many fishers who shall fish them (xvi. 16). He, therefore, who knows that such persons and things are signified by fishes, can see why the Lord chose fishers for His disciples, a?id said, Come unto Me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matt. iv. 18, 19 ; Mark i. 16, 17), why the disciples, by the Lord's blessing, caught a vast multitude of fishes ; and the Lord said to Peter, Fear not, henceforth thou shall catch men (Luke v. 2-10) : why the Lord, when they wished to exact tribute from Him, told Peter to go to the sea, and draw out a fish, and give the piece of money found in it for himself and for Him (Matt xvii. 24- 27): why the Lord, after His resurrection, gave the disciples fish and bread to eat (John xxi. 2-13) : and commanded them to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark xvi. 15) : for the nations which they converted were only in general truths, and in natural truth more than in spiritual. 406. And a third part of the ships perished, signifies that all the knowledges of good and truth from the Word service- able for use of life were destroyed with them. " A third part " signifies all, as above (n. 400, 404, 405) : ships signify the knowledges of good and truth from the Word service- able for the use of life. That these are signified by ships is because ships cross the sea, and bring back the neces- saries which supply the natural man for every use : and the knowledges of good and truth are the necessaries which supply the spiritual man for its uses : for from them is the doctrine of the church, and according to this is life. Ships signify these knowledges, because they are contain- No. 406.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 409 ers ; and in many places in the Word the container is taken for the thing contained, as a cup for wine, a platter for food, the tabernacle and the temple for the holy things in them, the ark for the law, the altars for worship, and so on. Ships signify the knowledges of good and truth in the fol- lowing passages : Zebulon shall dwell at the shore of the seas, and at the port of the ships (Gen. xlix. 13). By Zebulon is meant the conjunction of good and truth. O Tyre, the builders have perfected thy beauty ; of firs from Senir have they made all thy boards ; they have taken the cedar of LebaTion to ?nake masts ; they have made thine oars of the oaks of Ba- shan ; thine oar-bench have they made of ivory, the daughter of steps from the isles of Kittim ; the inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy rowers ; thy wise men were thy ship-masters ; all the ships of the sea and their sailors were in thee to trade ; the ships of Tarshish were thy troops in thy tradings ; whence thou wast exceedingly filled a?id ho?wred in the midst of the seas (Ez. xxvii. 3-9, 25). This is concerning Tyre, because the church as to the knowledges of truth and good is signi- fied by Tyre in the Word, as may be evident from the par- ticulars concerning it in this chapter and in the eighteenth following, when understood in the spiritual sense : and as the knowledges of the truth and good of the church are signified by Tyre, a ship is therefore described as to the particulars of it, and by each one is signified some quality of those knowledges that conduces to intelligence. What has the Word in common with the ships of Tyre and its commerce ? The devastation of that church is afterwards described thus : At the voice of the cry of thy shipmasters the suburbs shall quake, and all that hold an oar shall descend from thy ships, all mariners and shipmasters of the sea shall cry out bitterly upon thee (Ez. xxvii. 28-30) ; also Isa. xxiii. 14, 15). The devastation of Babylon as to all the knowl- edges of truth is similarly described in what follows in the Apocalypse : In one hour are so great riches come to naught ; every shipmaster and every one employed upon ships, and the? VOL. I. iS 4IO THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII. mariners, shall cry out, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, i?i which all who have ships in the sea were made rich (xviii. 17, 19) ; see the explanation hereafter. The knowledges of truth and good are also signified by ships in the following passages : My days were swift, they fled away, they saw not good, they passed by with the ships of desire (Job ix. 25, 26). They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of 'Jehovah, and His wonders in the deep (Ps. cvii. 23, 24). The isles shall trust in me, and the ships of Tarshish in the beginning, to bring thy sons from afar (Isa. lx. 9). The kings gathered thefnselves together, terror seized them; thou shall break the ships of Tarshish by an east wind (Ps. xlviii. 4- 7). Howl, ye ships of Tarshish (Isa. xxiii. 1, 14). Besides other places, as Num. xxiv. 24; Judg. v. 17 ; Ps. civ. 26; Isa. xxxiii. 21. 407. And the third angel sounded, signifies the exploration and manifestation of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, of what quality they are as to their affection for and reception of truths from the Word. That this is signified may be evident from the things which now follow, when understood in the spiritual sense. 408. And there fell from heaven a great star burning as it were a lamp, signifies the appearance of their own intelligence from pride arising from infernal love. The appearance of their own intelligence from pride arising from infernal love is signified by the great star falling from heaven, because it was seen to burn as a lamp, and because its name was wormwood, as it follows ; and by a star and also by a lamp intelligence is signified, — here one's own intelligence, because- it seemed to burn : and all self-intelligence burns from pride ; and the pride of it arises from infernal love, which is signified by the mountain burning with fire (n. 403). By wormwood infernal falsity is signified, from which that intelligence springs forth and is enkindled. That a star signifies intelligence may be seen (n. 151, 954); so too a lamp or a lantern (n. 796). No. 409.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 411 409. And it fell upo?i a third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters, signifies that thence all truths of the Word were altogether falsified. By rivers are signi- fied truths in abundance, because truths are signified by waters (n. 50) • and by fountains of waters the Word is signified (n. 384). The truths of the Word were al- together falsified ; because it follows that a third part of the waters were made wormwood, and by wormwood infernal falsity is signified (n. 410). That rivers signify truths in abundance may be evident from the following passages: Behold, I do a new thing: I will give waters in the desert and rivers in the wilderness , to give dri?ik to my people, my chosen (Isa. xliii. 19, 20). I will pour water upo?i him that is thirsty, and rivers upon the dry ground ; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring (Isa. xliv. 3). Then the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and- rivers in the plain of the desert (Isa. xxxv. 6). I will open rivers upon the slopes, and I will put fountains in the midst of the valleys, I will make the wilderness a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of water (Isa. xli. 18). Jehovah hath founded the world upon the seas, he hath established it upon the rivers (Ps. xxiv. 2). I will put His hand in the sea, and His right hand in the rivers (Ps. lxxxix. 25). Was Jehovah incensed at the rivers 1 was thy anger against the rivers ? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou dost ride upon thy horses ? (Hab. iii. 8). A river whose streams shall gladden the city of God (Ps. xlvi. 3, 4, 5). He showed me a pure river of water of life, going forth from the tlironc of God and of the. Lamb (Apoc. xxii. 1). He clave the rocks in the desert, and gave them drink from the great deeps ; He smote the rock and the rivers gushed out (Ps. lxxviii. 15,^6, 20; cv. 41). Then the waters shall fail in the sea, and the river shall be dried up (Isa. xix. 5-7 ; xlii. 15 ; 1. 2 ; Nah. i. 4; Ps. cvii. 33 j Job xiv. 10, 11). Jesus said, if any one come unto Me, as the Scripture hath said, Out of his belly shall plow rivers of living 412 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII water (John vii. 37, 38. Besides other places, as Isa. xxxiii. 21 ; Jer. xvii. 7, 8 ; Ez. xxxi. 3, 4 ; xlvii. 1-12 ; Joel iii. 18 ; Zech. ix. 10 ; Ps. lxxx. 1 1 ; xciii. 3, 4; xcviii. 7, 8 ; ex. 7 ; Num. xxiv. 6, 7 ; Deut. viii. 7). But that rivers in the op- posite sense signify falsities in abundance may be evident from these : He shall send ambassadors on the sea to a nation trodden down, whose land the rivers have destroyed (Isa. xviii. 2). Except Jehovah were for us, the waters would have overwhelmed us, and the river would have gone over our soul (Ps. exxiv. 2-5). When thou passest through the waters, J will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not over- flow thee (Isa. xliii. 2). The cords of death encompassed me, and the floods of Belial terrified me (Ps. xviii. 4). The dragon cast forth water as a river out of his mouth after the woman, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the flood (Apoc. xii. 15). Behold, Jehovah brifigeth up upon you the waters of a river strong and many, a?id it shall overflow and go over, and shall reach even to the 7ieck (Isa. viii. 6-8). The floods came, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upo?i a rock (Matt. vii. 25, 27 ; Luke vi. 48, 49). Here the floods also stand for falsities in abundance, be- cause the Lord as to the Divine Truth is signified by the Rock. By floods also temptations are signified, because temptations are inundations of falsities. 410. And the ?iame of the star is called Wormwood, and a third part of the waters became wormwood, signifies the infernal falsity from which is their own intelligence, by which all the truths of the Word have been falsified. By the star is signified their own intelligence from the pride arising from infernal love (n. 408) : by name is signified its quality (n. 81, 122, 165): by wormwood infernal falsity is signified, spoken of in#hat follows : by waters are signified truths (n. 50) ; here the truths of the Word, because faith is treated of: by a third part is signified all, as above. From these collected into one the sense above stated results. Wormwood signifies infernal falsity owing to its strong bit- No 411.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. terness, by which it renders food and drink abominable. Such falsity is therefore signified by wormwood in the fol- lowing passages : Behold I feed this people with wormwood, and I give the?n drink of the waters of gall (Jer. ix. 14, 15). llius said Jehovah against the prophets, Behold, I feed them with wormwood, and give them dri?ik of the waters of gall ; because hypocrisy hath gone forth from the prophets of Je?-usalem into all the earth (Jer. xxiii. 15). Ye turn judgment into gall, and the fruit of justice into wormwood (Amos v. 7 ; vi. 12). Lest there should be among you a root bearing gall and worm- wood (Deut. xxix. 18). Since the Jewish Church falsified all the truths of the Word, like the church which is here treated of, and the Lord in all. the things of His passion represented it by permitting the Jews to treat Him as they did the Word, because He was the Word, therefore they gave Hi?n vinegar mixed 7uith gall, which is like wormwood : but tasting it He would not drink it (Matt, xxvii. 34 ; Mark xv. 23 ; Ps. Ixix. 21). Because the Jewish Church was such, it is therefore thus described : He hath filled Me with bitterness, and hath made Me drunk with wormwood '(Lam. iii. 15, 18, 19). 411. And many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter, signifies the extinction of spiritual life with many by the falsified truths of the Word. " Many men died," signifies the extinction of spiritual life ; for a man is called alive from the spiritual life that is in him : but from natural life separate from spiritual life he is called dead. " Of the waters because they were made bitter," signifies by the falsified truths of the Word. That waters are the truths of the Word, may be seen just above (n. 409) : that bitter signifies falsified is because the bitter of wormwood is meant; and by wormwood is signified infernal falsity (n. 410). A Christian man has spiritual life from no other source but the truths of the Word, for in them is life ; but when the truths of the Word are falsified, and a man under- stands and regards them according to the falsities of his religion, spiritual life is then extinguished in him. The 4H THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII reason is, because the Word communicates with heaven ; on which account when it is read by a man, the truths therein ascend into heaven, and the falsities to which the truths are adjoined or conjoined tend to hell : hence a rending takes place, by which the life of the V/ord is extinguished. But this is done with those only who confirm falsities by the Word, but not with those that do not. I have seen these rendings, and have heard the noise from them as of wood split up by the fire in a furnace. Bitter signifies falsified in the following passages also : Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Isa. v. 20, 22). They shall not drink wine with the song, strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it (Isa. xxiv. 9). Something similar is signified by the little book eaten up, which was sweet in the mouth, and from which the belly was made bitter (Apoc. x. 9, 10) : and by these words, They came to Mar ah, but they could not drink the waters for bitterness ; but Jehovah showed him wood, which lies cast i?ito the waters, and they were made sweet (Ex. xv. 23-25). Wood in the Word signifies good. The like is also signified by the wild-gourds cast into the pottage, on account of which the sons of the prophets cried out, There is death in the pot ; which Elisha healed by putting in meal (2 Kings iv. 38-41). Meal signifies truth from good. 412. And the fourth angel sounded, signifies the explora- tion and manifestation of the state of the church with those whose religion is faith alone, that they are in the evils of falsity and in the falsities of evil. That this is signified is evident from the things which now follow when understood in the spiritual sense. To sound signifies here as above (n. 398, 402, 407), to explore and to manifest. 413. A7id a third part of the sun was sniitten, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, and the third part of them was darkened, signifies that on account of evils from falsities and falsities from evils they did not know what love is, what faith is, nor any truth. By a third No. 413.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 415 part is signified all (n. 400) : by the sun love is signified (n. 53): by the moon intelligence and faith are signified (n. 332): by the stars are signified the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (n. 51): by being darkened is signified not to be seen and known on account of evils from falsities and falsities from evils. Those have evils from falsities who assume falsities of religion, and con- firm them until they appear as truths ; and when they live according to them, they do evils from falsities or evils of falsity*. But those have falsities from evils, who do not regard evils as sins ; and still more those who, by reason- ings from the natural man, and more still from the Word, confirm in themselves that evils are not sins. The con- firmations themselves are falsities from evils, and are called the falsities of evil. The reason that darkness signifies this, is because light signifies truth ; and when the light is extinguished, there comes darkness. In confirmation the passages will first be adduced, where similar things to those here in the Apocalypse are said of the sun, the moon, and the stars, and of the darkness arising from the extinc- tion of them : The sun shall be turned into darkness, a?id the moo7i into blood, before the great and terrible day of Je- hovah cometh (Joel ii. 31). The stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not shine tuith their light ; the sun shall be darkc?ied in his rising ; and the 7noon shall not ma he her light to shine (Isa. xiii. 10). When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens ; I will cover the sun with a cloudy and the moon shall not make her light to shine ; all the lumi- naries of light in the heavens will I make black over thee, and I will set darkness upon thy land (Ez. xxxii. 7, 8). The day of Jehovah is near; the sun and the moon are black- ened, and the stars shall withdraw their brightness (Joel ii. 10). Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven (Matt. xxiv. 29 ; Mark xiii. 24, 25). Who, that elevates his mind, cannot see that the 416 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIIL sun, the moon, and the stars of the world are not meant in these cases ? That falsities of various kinds are signi- fied by darkness, is evident from these passages : Woe to them that desire the day of Jehovah ; it is a day of da: kness and 7iot of light : is not the day of Jehovah darkness, and not light? thick-darkness, and not brightness? (Amos v. 18, 20). The day of Jehovah is a day of darkness and thick- darkness, a day of cloud and of cloudiness (Zeph. i. 15). In that day He shall look down upon the earth, which, behold, is darkness ; and the light shall grow dark in its ruins (Isa. v. 30 ; yiii. 22). Behold, darkness cover eth the earth, a?id thick- darkness the peoples (Isa. lx. 2). Give glory to Jehovah, before He cause darkness ; we 7oait for light, but He makcth it thick-darkness (Jer. xiii. 16). We wait for light, but behold da?'kness, and not brightness ; we 7valk in thick-darkness ; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, as if dead among the living (Isa.. lix. 9, 10). Woe to them that put darkness for light, and light for darkness (Isa. v. 20). The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light (Isa. ix. 2 ; Matt, iv. 1 6). The day-spring from on high hath appeared to us, who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke i. 79). If thou give thy soul to the hungry, thai shall thy light rise in the darkness, and thy thick-darkness shall be as the noon-day (Isa. lyiii. 10). In that day the eyes of the blind, who are in thick-darkness and darkness, shall see (Isa. xxix. 18 ; xlii. 16 ; x!ix. 9). Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John viii. 12). Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you : I am come a light into the world, that every one that believeth in Me should- not abide in dark- ness (John xii. 35, 46). When I sit in darkness Jehovah is a light unto me (Mic. vii. 8). This is the judgment, that light hath come into the world ; but 7nen loved the dark- ness more than the light (John iii. 19 ; i. 4, 5). If the light {lumen) that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness (Luke xi. 34-36). This is your hour, and the power of No. 414.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 417 darkness (Luke xxii. 53). By darkness in these places is signified falsity arising from ignorance of the truth, or from a false principle of religion, or from a life of evil. Of them that are in falsities of religion, and thence in evils of life, the Lord says, that they are to be cast out into outer darkness (Matt. viii. 12 ; xxii. 13 ; xxv. 30). 414. That the day shone not for a third part of it, ana the night likewise, signifies that there was no longer any spiritual truth nor natural truth serviceable for doctrine and life from the Word with them. By the day not shin- ing is meant that there was no light from the sun, and by the night in like manner is meant that there was not light from the moon and stars. By light in general Divine Truth is signified, which is Truth from the Word : by the light of the sun spiritual Divine Truth, and by the light of the moon and stars natural Divine Truth, both from the Word. The Divine Truth in the spiritual sense of the Word is like the light of the sun in the day, and the Divine Truth in the natural sense of the Word is like the light of the moon and stars in the night. The spiritual sense of the Word also flows in into its natural sense, as the sun with its light into the moon, which presents the light of the sun mediately. So also the spiritual sense of the Word enlightens men — even those who do not know any thing of that sense — while they are reading the Word in the natural sense ; but it enlightens the spiritual man as the light from the sun his eye, but the natural man as the light from the moon and stars enlightens his eye. Every ore is enlightened according to his spiritual affection for trutn and good, and at the same time according to the genuine truths by which he has opened his rational. These things are also meant by day and night in the following passages : God said, Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heav- ens, to distinguish between the day and the night : and God made two great luminaries — the great luminary to rule in the day, and the less luminary to rule in the night, — and the iS* 4i8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VI IL stars : and God set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule i?i the day and in the night, and to distinguish between the light and the darkness (Gen. i. 14-19). Jehovah made great luminaries, the sun to rule i?i the day, the moon and stars to rule in the night (Ps. cxxxvi. 7-9). To thee, O Jehovah, is the day, and to thee the night ; thou hast prepa?'ed the light a?id the sun (Ps. lxxiv. 16). Jehovah that giveth the sun for the light of the day, the statutes of the moon and stars for the light of the night (Jer. xxxi. 35). If ye ean make void my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night, that there should ?iot be day and night in their season, my covenant also with David my servant shall be made void; if I have not set my covenant of the day and of the flight, the statutes of heaven and earth, I will also set aside the seed of Jacob and of David (Jer. xxxiii. 20, 21, 25, 26). These are adduced, that it may be known that the darkening of both kinds of light is meant. 415. And I saw and I heard an a?igel flying in the midst of heaven, signifies instruction and prediction from the Lord. By an angel in the highest sense is meant the Lord, and hence also something from the Lord (n. 344) : and by " flying in the midst of heaven and saying," is signified to perceive and to understand ; and when speaking of the Lord, to foresee and to provide (n. 245) : here, indeed, to instruct and foretell. 416. Saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe to them that dwell upon the earth by reason of the other voices of the trmnpet of the three angels that are about to sound, signifies the deepest lamentation over the damned state of those in the church who have confirmed themselves in faith separate from charity in doctrine and in life. By " woe " is signified lamentation over the evil in any one, and thence over his unhappy state ; here over the damned state of those who are treated of in the following chapter and afterwards : and by " woe, woe, woe," the highest lamentation is signified ; for the triplica- tion makes it superlative, because three signifies all and full No. 417.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 419 (n. 505). By " them that dwell upon the earth " are meant those who are in the church where the Word is and by it the Lord is known. That " earth M signifies the church may be seen above (n. 285). By " the voices of the trum- pet of the three angels that are about to sound," is signified the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church and of life with them that have confirmed themselves in faith separate from charity in doctrine and in life, over whose state the lamentation is made. " Woe " signifies lamentation over the present or future calamity, unhappiness or damnation of others, in these passages : Woe unto you, Pharisees and hypocrites (Matt xxiii. 13-16, 23, 25, 27, 29). Woe unto that man by whom the Son of Jlfan is betrayed (Luke xxii. 22). Woe unto him by whom offences come (Luke xvii. 1). Woe to them that join house to house. Woe to them that rise in the morning at the dawn, to pursue strong- drink. Woe to them that draw iniquity. Woe to them that call evil good. Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes. Woe to them that are mighty to drink wine (Isa. v. 8, 11, 18, 20-22) : and many more elsewhere. 417. To this I will add this Relation. Two flocks were seen in the spiritual world ; the one was of goats, the other of sheep. I wondered who they were ; since I knew that the animals seen in the spiritual world are not animals, but that they are correspondences of the affections and thence of the thoughts of those who are there : for which reason I came nearer j and as I approached, the appearance of animals disappeared, and in place of them were seen men : and it was made manifest that they who composed the flock of goats were those that had confirmed themselves in the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and that they who composed the flock of sheep were they who believed that Charity and Faith are one, as good and truth are one. And 420 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIIL I then spoke with those who were seen as goats, and said, 1 Why are you thus gathered together ? ' The most of them were of the clergy, who gloried in the fame of their learning, because they knew the arcana of justification by faith alone. They said that they were gathered together to sit as a coun- cil, because they had heard that the saying of Paul (Rom. iii. 28), that "man is justified by faith without the works of '.lie law," was not rightly understood, since by the works of the law Paul meant the works of the Mosaic law, which was for the Jews ; which we also saw clearly from his words to Peter, whom he blamed for judaizing, when yet he knew that " no one is justified by the works of the law " (Gal. ii. 14-16). Also, that he distinguishes between the law of faith and the law of works, and between Jews and Gen- tiles, or circumcision and uncircumcision ; and by circum- cision he means Judaism, as he does everywhere else : and that he also closes the subject with these words : " Do we then make void the law by faith ? by no means, but we establish the law." All these things he says in one con- nection (Rom. iii. 27-31): and in the chapter which pre- cedes he also says, " Not the hearers of the law shall be justified by God, but the doers of the law shall be justi- fied " (Rom. ii. 13). Also, that " God will render to every one according to his works " (Rom. ii. 6). And further, "We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things which he hath done in the body, whether good or evil " (2 Cor. v. 10). Be- sides other things from him ; from which it is manifest that Paul rejected faith without good works equally with James (chap. ii. 17-26). That the works of the Mosaic law which was for the Jews were meant by Paul, we were fur- ther confirmed by this, that all the statutes for the Jews in Moses are called the law, and thus the works of the law ; as we see from these passages : This is the law of the meat- offering (Lev. vi. 14, etc.). This is the law of the sacrifici (Lev. vii. 1). This is the law of the sacrifice of peace- tio. 417.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 421 offerings (Lev. vii. 7, 11, &c) This ts the law for the burnt offering, for the ?neat-offering, for the sacrifice for sin and guilt, for the consecrations (Lev. vii. 37). This is the law of the beast and of the bird (Lev. xi. 46, &c.). This is the law of her that bringeth forth, for a son or for a daughter (Lev. xii. 7). This is the law of leprosy (Lev. xiii. 59 ; xiv. 2, 32, 54, 57). lids is the law of him that hath an issue (Lev. xv. 32). This is the law of jealousy (Num. v. 29, 30). This is the law of the Nazarite (Num. vi. 13, 21). This is the law of cleansing (Num. xix. 14). This is the law concerning the red heifer (Num. xix. 2). The law for the king (Deut. xvii. 15-19). Indeed, the whole book of Moses is called "the Book of the Law " (Deut. xxxi. 9, 11, 12, 26). So also in the Evangelists (Luke ii. 2 j xxiv. 44 ; John i. 45 ; vii. 22, 23 1 viii. 5) ; and elsewhere. To this they also added that they saw in Paul that the law of the Decalogue is to be lived, and that it is fulfilled by charity, which is love towards the neighbor (Rom. xiii. 8-1 1) ; and thus not by faith alone. They said that on account of these things, they were called together. But lest I should disturb them I withdrew : and then they were again seen at a distance like goats, and sometimes as lying down, and sometimes as standing; but they turned themselves away from the flock of sheep. They appeared to be lying down when they were deliberating, and standing when they were drawing con- clusions. But I kept my sight upon their horns, and won- dered that the horns on their foreheads now appeared as stretched out forward and upward, now curved backward, and at length altogether thrown back. And then they all suddenly turned themselves to the flock of sheep, but still appeared as goats. On which account I again came up, and asked, " What now ? " They said that they had con- cluded that faith alone produces the goods of charity, which are called good works, as a tree produces fruit. But then thunder was heard and lightning seen from above ; and soon an angel appeared standing between those two flocks 422 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIII who cried to the flock of sheep, " Do not listen to them. They have not receded from their former faith ; which is, that God the Father is merciful for the sake of the Son ; which faith is not a faith in the Lord. Neither is faith a tree ; but man is a tree. But repent, and look to the Lord \ and you will have faith. Faith before that is not a faith in which there is any thing living." The goats, with their horns bent back, then wished to approach the sheep. But the angel that stood between them divided the sheep into two flocks * and said to those on the left, " Join yourselves to the goats : but I tell you that a wolf will come, who will carry them off, and you with them." But after the two flocks of sheep were separated, and they on the left had heard the threatening words of the angel, they looked at each other, and said, " Let us converse with our former associates." And then the left-hand flock spoke to the right, saying, " Why did you withdraw from your shepherds ? Are not faith and charity one, as a tree and its fruit are one ? For the tree by the branch is con- tinued into the fruit. Tear away from the branch any thing which flows in by continuity into the fruit, and will not the fruit perish ? Ask our priests whether it is so or not." And then they asked : and the priests looked around to the rest ; who winked with their eyelids, that they should say, that they spoke well. And after this they answered that it was so, — that faith is preserved by the fruits ; but they were not willing to say that faith is continued into the fruits. But then one of the priests, who was among the sheep on the right, arose and said, "They answered you, that it is so ; but still to their friends, that it is not so ; for they think otherwise." Wherefore they asked, " How then do they think ? Do they think as they teach ? " He said, " No ; they think that every good of charity that is called a good work, which is done by a man for the sake of salva- tion or eternal life, is not good, but evil ; for the reason that the man wishes to save himself by a work done by him* No.417-] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 423 self, claiming to himself the justice and merit of the one Saviour ; and that it is so with every good work, in which a man is sensible of his own will. On which account, among themselves, they call good works done by man not blessed, but cursed ; and say that they merit hell lather than heaven." But they of the left flock said, " You speak lies against them. Do they not preach manifestly before us charity and its works, which they call the works of faith ? " And he answered " You do not understand their preach- ings. A clergyman only who is present attends and under- stands. They think of moral charity only, and its civil and political goods, which they call those of faith ; and they are not at all so : for an atheist can do them in a like manner and under the same form. On which account they say unanimously, that no one is saved by any works, but by faith alone. But let this be illustrated by comparisons. An apple-tree produces apples : but if a man does goods for the sake of salvation, as that tree bears apples, by con- tinuity7, then those apples are inwardly rotten, and full of worms. They say also, that a vine produces grapes : but if a man were to do spiritual goods as the vine bears grapes, he would produce wild-grapes." But they then asked, " What kind of goods of charity or works have they then, which are the fruits of faith?' He answered that " they are inconspicuous, done within in the man by the Holy Spirit, of which the man knows nothing." But they said, "Though the man knows nothing of them, there must by all means be some conjunction ; otherwise how can they be called works of faith ? Perhaps those insensible goods are insinuated at the time into the man's voluntary works by some mediating influx ; as by some affection, aspir- ation, inspiration, incitation, and excitation of the will, — by a tacit perception in the thought, and thence exhortation, contrition, and thus by conscience and an impulse, thence obedience to the Decalogue and the Word either as a child or as a wise man, or by some other similar motive." But 424 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. VIIE he answered, " No j and if they say that it is done by such things because by faith, they still bur}' them in their sermons with words which produce the result that it is not from faith. Still some put forth such things, but as the signs of faith, not as its bonds with charity. Some, however have devised a conjunction by the Word." And then they said, " Is there not a conjunction by this, that a man does voluntarily according to the Word ? " But he answered, " They do not think this, but that it is only by the hearing of the Word, and thus not by the understanding of the Word ; lest through the understanding something should enter manifestly into the thought and will of the man. For they assert that every thing voluntary with man is merito- rious ; and that man in spiritual things cannot begin, will, think, understand, believe, operate, and co-operate any thing, any more than a stock. But yet it is different with the influx of the Holy Spirit through faith into the words of the preachers, because these are the acts of the mouth, and not the acts of the body ; also because man acts with God by faith, but with men by charity." But one, when he heard that it was only by the hearing of the Word, and not by the understanding of the Word, being indignant, said, " Is it thus through the understanding of the Word by the Holy Spirit alone, while the man turns himself away during the service, or sits deaf as a post, or while he is sleeping ? or only from an exhalation from the volume of the Word ? But what is more ludicrous ? " After this a certain man from the right-hand flock, who excelled the rest in judg- ment, requested to be heard ; and speaking, he said, " I heard a certain one say, ' I have planted a vineyard ; I will now drink wine even to intoxication.' But another asked, * Are you going to drink the wine from your own cup by your own right hand ? ' And he said, ' No, but from an unseen cup by an unseen hand.' And the other answered, 'You certainly will not then be intoxicated.'" Presently, the same man said, " But hear me, I pray : I say unto you, No 417 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 425 Drink wine from the Word understood. Do you not know that the Lord is the Word ? Is not the Word from the Lord ? Is He not thus in it ? If then you do good from the Word, do you not do it from the Lord ? from His mouth and will ? And if you then look to the Lord, He will also lead you, and will do the good ; and He will do it through you ; and you will do it as of yourselves. Who. that does any thing from a king — his mouth and will — can say, J do this of myself, — of my own mouth or command, — of my own will ?" After this he turned himself to the clergy, and said, " Ministers of God, do not mislead the flock." On hearing these things, the greatest part of the flock to the left withdrew, and associated themselves with the flock to the right. Some also of the clergy then said, " We have heard what we have not heard before. We are shepherds ; we will not leave the sheep/' And they withdrew together with them, and said, " That man spoke a true word. Who, that acts from the Word, and thus from the Lord, — His mouth and will, — can say, I do this of myself ? We now see the Divine Providence, why a conjunction of faith and works has not been found out, which has been acknowledged by the ecclesiastical body. It could not be found out, because it cannot be given. For there is not faith in the Lord, who is the Word ; and hence neither is there faith from the Word." But the rest of the priests went away, and swung their caps, and shouted " Faith alone, faith alone ; it will live still." THE APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER NINTH. 1. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen from heaven unto the earth ; and there was given unto him the key of the pit of the abyss. 2. And he opened the pit of the abyss ; and there went up a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the pit. 3. And out of the smoke there went forth locusts upon the earth ; and power was given unto them as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4. And it was said to them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who have not the seal of God in their fore- heads. 5. And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should torment them five months ; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it j and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7. And the likenesses of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for war ; and upon their heads were as it were crowns like gold ; and their faces were as the faces of men. VOL. ll. 1 428 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX 8. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as those of lions. 9. And they had breastplates as breastplates of iron ; and the voice of their wings was as the voice of chariots of many horses running to war. 10. And they had tails like unto scorpions ; and there were stings in their tails : and their power was to hurt men five months. 11. And they had a king over them, the angel of the abyss : his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he hath the name Apollyon. 12. One woe is passed; behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14. Saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates. 15. And the four angels were loosed, that were prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year, to kill a third part of men. 16. And the number of the armies of horsemen was two myriads of myriads ; and I heard the number of them. 17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat upon them, having breastplates of fire and jacinth and brimstone : and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions ; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18. By these three was a third part of men slain, by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone that issued out of their mouths. 19. And their power was in their mouth: for their tails were like unto serpents, having heads ; and with them they hurt. Chap. IX.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 20. And the rest of the men, who were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, thai they should not worship demons, and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk : 21. And repented not of their murders, nor of their en- chantments, nor of their whoredoms, nor of their thefts. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. Concerning the exploration and manifestation of the state of the life of those in the Church of the Reformed who are called learned and wise from the confirmation of faith separated from charity, and of justification and salvation by it alone : these are treated of, vers. 1-13. Concerning the exploration and manifestation of those therein who are not so learned and wise, and are in faith alone, and live as they list : these are treated of, vers. 13-20. Lastly, concerning those therein who know nothing but that faith is the all by which man is saved, and not any thing besides this, vers. 20, 21. The Contents of each Verse. " The fifth angel sounded," signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the life of those in the Church of the Reformed who are called learned and wise from their confirmation of faith separate from charity, and of justification and salva- tion by it alone. " And I saw a star fallen from heaven unto the earth," signifies spiritual Divine Truth flowing in out of heaven into the church with, them, exploring and manifesting. " And there was given unto him the key of the pit of the abyss," signifies the opening of their hell. " And he opened the pit of the abyss, and there went up a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace," signifies the falsities of the lusts of the natural man arising from their evil loves. " And the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the pit," signifies that thence 430 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. the light of truth became thick-darkness. " And out of the smoke there went forth locusts upon the earth," signifies that from them were falsities in the outermost things, such as those have who have become sensual, and see and judge all things from the senses and their fallacies. " And power was given unto them as the scorpions of the earth have power," signifies the power of persuading that their falsities are truths. " And it was said to them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who had not the seal of God in their foreheads," signifies the Lord's Divine Providence, that they should not be able to take away any truth and good of faith, nor affection for and perception of them, from any but those who are not in charity and thence not in faith. " And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should torment them five months," signifies that neither should they be able to take away from these the faculty of understanding and willing truth and good, but only that they should be able to induce a stupor for a short time. "And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man," signifies that this is from their persuasive power. " And in those days men shall seek death, and shall not find it ; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them," signifies that they wish that in matters of faith the understanding should be shut up and the will closed, by which spiritual light and life are extinguished ; and still that this cannot be done. "And the likenesses of the locusts," signifies the appearances and images of those who have confirmed in themselves faith separate from charity. " Were like unto horses prepared for war," signifies that because they can reason, they appeared to themselves as if fighting from the understanding of truth from the Word. " And upon their heads were as it were crowns like gold," signifies that they appeared to themselves as conquerors. " And their faces were as the faces of men," signifies that they appeared to themselves as wise. " And they had hair Chap. IX.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 431 as the hair of women," sig?iifies that they appeared to them- selves as in affection for truth. " And their teeth were as those of lions," signifies that sensual things, which are the ultimates of the life of the natural man, appeared to them to have power over all things. " And they had breastplates as breastplates of iron," signifies the argumentations from fallacies, by which they fight and prevail, which appeared to them so strong that they could not be refuted. "And tie voice of their wings was as the voice of chariots of many horses running to war," signifies their reasonings as from the truths of doctrine from the Word, fully understood, for which they must ardently fight. " And they had tails like unto scorpions," signifies the truths of the Word falsified by which they induce stupor. " And there were stings in their tails, and their power was to hurt men five months," signifies subtle falsifications of the Word, by which for a short time they darken and fascinate the understanding, and thus deceive and captivate. " And they had a king over them, the angel of the abyss ; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he hath the name Apollyon," signifies that they are in the satanic hell, who are in falsities from lusts, and have destroyed the church by the total falsification of the Word. " One woe is passed ; behold, there come two woes more hereafter," signifies further lamentations over the state of the church. " And the sixth angel sounded." signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the life with those in the church of the Reformed who are not so wise, and still place the all of religion in faith, and think of that alone, and live as they list. " And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God, saying to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet," signifies a command from the Loid out of the spiritual heaven to them who should explore and manifest. " Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates," signifies that external bonds should be taken away from them, that the interiors of their minds 432 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. might appear. " And the four angels were loosed," signifies that when the external bonds were taken away the interiors of their minds appeared. " Prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year, to kill a third part of men," signifies that they were in the perpetual effort to take away spiritual light and life from the men of the church. " And the number of the armies of horsemen was two myriads of myriads," signifies the reasonings concerning faith alone, with which the interiors of their minds were crammed, from mere falsities of evil in abundance. " And I heard the number of them," signifies their quality perceived. "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat upon them," signifies that it was then disclosed that the reasonings of the interiors of their minds concerning faith alone were imaginary and visionary, and that they themselves were insane from them. " Having breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone," signifies their argumentations imaginary and visionary from infernal love and their own intelligence and from the lusts thence. " And the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions," signifies their fantasies concerning faith alone as if it were in power. " And out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone," signifies that in their thoughts and discourses viewed interiorly there is nothing else, and from them proceeds nothing else, but the love of self and of the world, the pride of their own intelligence, and the lusts of evil and falsity from these two. " By these three was a third part of men killed, by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, that issued out of their mouths," signifies that it is from those things that the men of the church perish. "And their power was in their mouth," signifies that they prevail only by discourse that confirms faith " For their tails were like unto serpents, having heads ; and with them do they hurt," signifies the reason, that they are sensual and inverted, speaking truths with the mouth, but falsifying them from the principle which makes the head of their religion ; and thus they deceive. No. 419.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 433 " And the rest of the men, who were not killed by these plagues," signifies those in the church of the Reformed, who are not so spiritually dead from visionary reasonings, and from the love of self, from the pride of their own intelligence, and from the lusts thence, as the former, and still make faith alone the head of their religion. " Yet repented not of the works of their hands," signifies that neither did they shun as sins the things of their own which are evils of every kind. "That they should not worship demons," signifies that thus they are in the evils of their lusts, and make one with their like in hell. " And idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood," signifies that thus they are in worship from mere falsities. " Which neither can see nor hear nor walk," signifies in which there is nothing of spiritual and truly rational life. " And repented not of their murders nor of their enchantments nor of their whoredoms nor of their thefts," signifies that the heresy of faith alone induces in the hearts stupidity, tergiversation, and hardness, so that they do not think any thing of the precepts of the decalogue, nor indeed of any sin that it is to be shunned because it is with the devil and against God. THE EXPLANATION. 419. And the fifith angel sounded, signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the life of those in the Church of the Reformed, who are called learned and wise from their confirmation of faith separate from charity, and of justification and salvation by it alone. That these are treated of in what now follows as far as to vers. 12, is evi- dent from the particulars when understood in the spiritual sense. That by sounding is signified to explore and mani- fest the state of the church and thence of the life with those whose religion is faith alone, may be seen above 397)- 434 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chaf. IX, 420. And I saw a star fallen from heaven unto the ea7'th, signifies spiritual Divine Truth flowing in cut of heaven into the church with them, exploring and manifesting. Spiritual Divine Truth is here signified by the star, be- cause it fell down from the spiritual heaven, spoken of above (n. 387, 388) ; and by the earth is here signified the church with those that are in its internals, as above (n. 398). By spiritual Divine Truth is meant intelligence from spiiit- ual love, which is love towards the neighbor; and because that intelligence is at this day called faith, and that love charity, it is faith from charity, or rather, it is the truth of faith from the good of charity, which is here signified by the star. The like is signified by a star in the singular Apoc. ii. 28 ; xxii. 16 : for by stars, in the plural, the knowledges of good and truth are signified (n. 51); and through these comes intelligence. That it is the Divine Truth exploring and manifesting is manifest from what follows. 421. And there was given unto him the key of the pit of the abyss, signifies the opening of their hell. By a key is signified the power of opening, and also the act of opening (n. 62, 174, 840); and by the abyss is signified the hell where those are who have confirmed themselves in justifi- cation and salvation by faith alone, who all are from the Church of the Reformed ; here, however, those who, in their own eyes and thence in the eyes of many others, appear as learned and erudite, when yet they appear before the angels in heaven bereft of understanding as to the things which are of heaven and the church ; since they who confirm that faith even to its interiors close up the higher things of their understanding, and to such a degree at length, that they can no longer see any spiritual truth in the light. The reason is because the confirmation of falsity is the denial of truth : on which account, when they hear any spiritual truth, which is a truth of the Word ser- viceable for doctrine and life to those who are of the church, No. 421.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 435 they keep '.heir minds upon the falsities which they have confirmed ; and then the truth they have heard they either cover over with falsities, or reject as a mere sound, or yawn at it, and turn themselves away ; and this so much the more as they are in pride from their erudition : for pride glues falsities together, till they at length cohere like the hardened scum of the sea ; on which account the Word is hidden to them, like the Book sealed with seven seals. Of what quality they are afterwards, and of what quality their hell is, shall also be told ; because it has been per- mitted me to see it, as well as to speak with them that are there, and also to see the locusts which went forth there- from. " That pit, which is like the opening of a furnace, appears in the southern quarter ; and the abyss below is of great extent towards the east. They have light in it, but if light from heaven is let in, there is darkness there ; on which account that pit is closed above. There appear there huts arched as if with bricks, which are divided into many cells ; and in each is a table, upon which lie papers with some books. At his own table sits every one who in the world had confirmed justification and salvation by faith alone, by making charity a merely natural-moral act and its works only the works of civil life, from which men may gain rewards in the world : but if they should do them for the sake of salvation, they condemn them ; and some severely, because there is human reason and will in them. All who are in this abyss were learned and erudite in the world ; and among them are some metaphysicians and schoolmen, who are esteemed above the rest there. When it was permitted me to speak with them, I recognized some of them. But yet their lot is this. When they are first let in thither, they sit clown in the first cells : but as they confirm faith, by excluding the works of charity, they leave their first seats, and enter the cells nearer to the east; and so on successively up towards the end, where those are who confirm those dogmas from the Word : and be- 1* 436 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. cause they then cannot but falsify the Word, their huts vanish, and they see themselves in a desert j and then it happens to them as is described above (n. 153). There is likewise an abyss below that abyss, where those are who have in like manner confirmed justification and salvation by faith alone, but who have denied God secretly in their spirit, and have laughed in their heart at the holy things of the church. There they only quarrel, tear their gar- ments, mount the tables, kick, fight among themselves with vituperations ; and because it is not there permitted to do harm to any one as to the body, they threaten with mouth and fists. It is unclean and squalid there." But these are not treated of here. 422. And he opened the pit of the abyss, and there went up a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace, signifies the falsities of the lusts of the natural man aris- ing from their evil loves. By " the pit of the abyss" is signified the hell described just above (n. 421): by the smoke from it the falsities from lusts are signified j and because it is said to be as the smoke of a great furnace, the falsities of the lusts flowing up from the evil loves are meant : for fire signifies love (n. 468), and the fire of hell evil love (n. 494). " A great furnace " signifies the same, since this smokes from fire. The infernal spirits are not in any material fire, but in spiritual fire, which is their love ; and therefore they do not feel any other fire : on which subject see the work on " Heaven and Hell," pub- lished at London, 1758 (n. 134, 566-575). In the spiritual w orld, every love, when it is excited, appears at a distance as fire, — within the hells as a glowing fire, and out of them as the smoke of a fire or as the smoke of a furnace. The falsities of lusts welling up out of the evil loves are also described elsewhere in the Word by smoke from fire and from a furnace ; as in these passages : Abraham looked iowards Sodom and Gomorrah, and, behold, the smoke of the earth went up as the smoke of a f urnace (Gen. xix. 28). The No. 424.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 437 sun set, and there was thick-darkness ; and, behold, a furnace of smoke, and a torch of fire, which passed between the pieces (Gen. xv. 1 7). They go on to sin, therefore they shall be as the smoke from a chi?nncy (Hos. xiii. 2, 3). The wicked shall perish, into smoke shall they consume (Ps. xxxvii. 20). I will show signs in heaven and o?i the earth, fire and pillars of smoke (Joel ii. 30). They shall cast the wicked into a furnace of fire, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. xiii. 41, 42, 49, 50, and elsewhere). 423. And the sun and the air were darke?ied from the smoke of the pit, signifies that thence the light of truth became thick-darkness. By the sun and the air here the light of truth is signified ; for love is signified by the sun, and the Divine Truth by the light thence : on which account, when it is said that the sun was darkened, and at the same time the air, it is signified that the Divine Truth became thick- darkness. That this was from the falsities of lusts is signi- fied by its being from the smoke of the pit. 424. And out of the smoke there went forth locusts upon the earth, signifies that from them were falsities in the outer- most things, such as those have who have become sensual, and see and judge all things from the senses and their fallacies. Those things are called falsities in the outer- most things, which are in the outermosts of a man's life, which are called sensual things, spoken of below : these are signified in the Word by locusts. But it is to be known that they do not appear like locusts in the fields, which leap about and lay waste the meadows and the crops ; but that they appear like pigmies or dwarfs ; which is also manifest from the description of them, as that they had crowns upon their heads, faces as of men, hair as of women, teeth as of lions, iron breastplates, and as king over them the angel of the abyss. That dwarfs were also called locusts by the ancients may be concluded from these pas- sages : The explorers of the land of Canaan said, We sa70 the Ncphilim, the sons of the Anakim, and we we?'e in their 438 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. eyes as locusts (Num. xiii. 33). Jehovah who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants of it are as locusts (Isa. xl. 22). But because falsities in the outermost things, such as are with those mentioned above, are signi- fied in the Word by locusts, those persons are therefore called locusts, and also are said to be crowned and com- manding, in Nahum : The fire shall devour thee, it shall eat thee up like the caterpillar ; multiply thyself like the caterpillar, multiply thyself like the locust ; thy crowned ones are as the locust, and thy coi?imanders as the locust of locusts (iii. 15-17). That falsities in the outermost things, because they consume the truths and goods of the church springing up in man, are signified by the locusts which consume the grass in the plains and the herbs in the fields, is evident from these passages : Thou shall carry out much seed into the field, but the locust shall consume it (Deut. xxviii. 38). That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten, and that which the locust hath left hath the ca?iker-worm eaten, and that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten (Joel i. 4, 5). I will compe?isate to you the years which the locust hath consumed, the canker-worm, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm (Joel ii. 24, 25). The same is signified by the locusts in Egypt, thus spoken of in Moses : Moses stretched out his rod over the la?id of Egypt, and an east wind brought the locusts ; a?id the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt ; before them there were no such locusts ; and they did eat up every herb of the field : and afterwards Moses stretched out his rod, and the locusts were cast into the Red Sea (Ex. x. 12, &c). And in David: He gave their produce to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust (Ps. cv. 34, 3 5 J. By the miracles in Egypt the vastation of the church is described ; and by this miracle vastation by falsities in the outermost things ; and the outermost things of the life of man, when the interiors on which they depend are closed up, are infernal : on which account the locusts were cast into the Red Sea, by which hell is signified. No. 424.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 439 As few at this day know what is meant by the sensual, and of what quality the sensual man is, since this is signified by the locusts, the following passages shall therefore be adduced from the " Heavenly Arcana " concerning it. "That the sensual is the ultimate of the life of a man's mind, adhering and cohering to the five senses of his body (n- 5°77> 5767> 92I2> 92l6> 933I>973°)- That he is called a sensual man who judges all things from the senses of the body, and who believes nothing but what he can see with his eyes and touch with his hands, saying that these are something, and rejecting every thing else (n. 5094, 7693). That the interiors of his mind, which see from the light of heaven, are closed up ; so that he sees in them nothing of the truth, which is of heaven and the church (n. 6564, 6844, 6845). That such a man thinks in the outermost things, and not interiorly from any spiritual light (n. 5089, 5094, 6564, 7693). In a word, that such men are in gross natural light {lumen) (n. 6201, 6310, 6564, 6844, 6845, 6612, 6614, 6622, 6624). That hence they are interiorly against the things which are of heaven and the church, but that exteriorly they can speak in favor of them, with an ardor proportioned to the dominion by them (n. 6201, 6316, 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949). That the learned and erudite, who have confirmed themselves deeply in falsities, and still more those who have confirmed themselves against the truths of the Word, are sensual beyond others (n. 6316). That sensual men reason acutely and shrewdly, because their thought is so near to the speech as to be almost in it, and as it were in the lips ; and because they place all intelligence in speech from the memory alone : also that some of them can confirm falsities dexterously, and that after confirmation they believe them to be true (n. 195, 196, 5700, 10236). But that they reason and con- firm from the fallacies of the senses, oy which the common people are captivated and persuaded (n. 5084, 6948, 6949, 7693)- That sensual men are cunning and malicious above 440 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. others (n. 7693, 10236). That the avaricious, adulterers, the voluptuous, and the deceitful are especially sensual, although they do not appear so before the world (n. 6310). That the interiors of their minds are foul and filthy (n. 6201). That by them they communicate with the hells (n. 63 11), That they who are in the hells are sensual, and the more so the deeper they are (n. 4623, 63 11). That the sphere of infer- nal spirits conjoins itself with man's sensual from behind (n. 63 1 2). That they who reasoned from sensual things alone, and thence against the genuine truths of the church, were called by the ancients serpents of the tree of knowledge (n. 195, 196, 197, 6398, 6399, 10313). Further, man's sen- sual and the sensual man is described (n. 10236) ; and the extension of sensual things with man (n. 9731). That sen- sual things ought to be in the last place, and not in the first ; and that with a wise and intelligent man they are in the last place, and subject to things interior ; but that with an unwise man they are in the first place, and rule : it is the latter who are properly called sensual (n. 5077, 5125, 5128, 7645). That if sensual things are in the last place, the way to the understanding is opened by them, and truths are elaborated by a mode of extraction (n. 5580). That these sensual things stand out nearest to the world, and admit the things that flow in from the world, and as it were sift them (n. 9726). That by these sensual things man commu- nicates with the world, and by rational things with heaven (n. 4009). That the sensual supply things that are of service to the interiors of the mind(n. 5077, 5081). That there are sensuals that supply the intellectual part, and those that sup- ply the voluntary part (n. 5077). That unless the thought is elevated out of sensual things the man has little wisdom (n. 5089). That a wise man thinks above sensual things (n. 5089, 5094). That a man, when his thought is elevated above sen- sual things, comes into a clearer light (lumen), and at length into heavenly light (n. 6183, 6313, 6315, 9407, 9730, 9922). That elevation above sensual things and withdrawal from No. 426 J THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 441 them was known to the ancients (n. 6313). That a man can observe in his spirit the things that are done in the spiritual world, if he can be led away from sensual things, and ele- vated into the light of heaven, by the Lord (n. 4622) j the reason is, because the body does not think, but the man's spirit within the body, and as far as it does this in the body, so far it does it obscurely and in darkness : and as far as it does it not in the body, so far it does it clearly and in light; but in spiritual things (n. 4622, 6614, 6622). That the ultimate of the understanding is the sensual faculty* of knowing, and that the ultimate of the will is sensual enjoy- ment (n. 9996). What the difference is between the sen- suals common to beasts and the sensuals not common to them (n. 10236). That there are sensual persons who are not evil, because their interiors are not so much closed up ; whose state in the other life is spoken of n. 63 1 1 . 425. And power was given unto them, as the scorpions of the earth have power, signifies the power of persuading that their falsities are truths. By a scorpion is signified a deadly persuasive power, and by " a scorpion of the earth " per- suasive power in matters of the church ; since the earth signifies the church (n. 285). For a scorpion, when he stings a man, induces a stupor upon the limbs, and, if it is not cured, death. Their persuasive power induces the like upon the understanding. Such also is signified by the scorpion in these passages : Be thou not afraid of them a?id of their words ; they are thorny ; thou divellest among scor- pions ; they a?-e hard of face and obstinate of heart (Ez. ii. 6). Jesus said to the seventy whom He sent forth, Behold, I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke x. 19). 426 And it was said to them, that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor a?iy tree, but only the men who had not the seal of God in their foreheads, signifies the Lord's Divine Providence, that they should 442 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. DC not be able to take away any truth and good of faith, nor affection for and perception of them, from any but those who are not in charity and thence not in faith. By " its being said to them V the Lord's Divine Providence is sig- nified, because it was said from heaven. By " not hurting the grass of the earth, nor any green thing," is signified not to be able to take away any truth and good of faith ; for the truth of faith, which is the first thing springing up in a man, is signified by grass (n. 401) : and by a green thing is signified the living principle of faith, which is from good (n. 401). By not hurting any. tree is signified not to be able to take away the affection for and perception of truth and good ; for man as to these is signified by a tree (n. 400). By them that have not the seal of God upon their foreheads those are signified who are not in charity and thence in faith ; for the forehead signifies love and charity (n. 347) ; and to have a seal signifies to know and distinguish these from others (n. 345). That they who have confirmed faith alone even to the arcana of justifi- cation and salvation by it, cannot take away any truth and good of faith, nor affection and perception, from any but those who are not in the faith of charity, is because scarce any one except the prelate who teaches and preaches them, comprehends those things. The layman hears them ; but they pass in through one of his ears, and out at the other : which the mystery-preaching priest himself may know from this, that he has himself expended all the force of his talent in imbibing them in his youth, and afterwards in retaining them in his subsequent age ; also that he esteems himself super-learned by reason of them. What then shall the layman do, who simply thinks of faith from charity, when he hears these mystic notions ? It may be seen from this, that faith alone justifying is the faith of the clergy, and not of the laity, except of those who live carelessly. These draw from those mysteries only this, that faith alone saves ; that they cannot do good of themselves ; that they No 427.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 443 can neither fulfil the law j that Christ suffered fcr them : besides a few more general propositions similar to these. 427. And it 7i>as given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should torment them Jive months, signifies that it is of the Lord's Divine Providence that they cannot take away from those who are not in the faith of charity the faculty of understanding and willing truth and good, but can only induce a stupor for a short time. By " its being given to them " is signified that it is of the Divine Providence of the Lord, as just above. " Not to be able to kill them " signifies not to be able to take away from those who are not in the faith of charity the faculty of under- standing and willing truth and good ; for when this faculty- is taken away the man is spiritually killed. By tormenting them five months is signified to induce a stupor for a sho?i time. Five signifies a little, or for a short time ; and to torment signifies to induce a stupor, because this is signi- fied by a scorpion (n. 425), and by torment as of a scorpion, as it follows (n. 428). That the faculty of understanding truth and of willing it, or rationality and liberty, cannot be taken away from a man, is shown in many places in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence " (n. 73, 74, 82-86, 92-98, 138-149, 322). " Five months "signify a little, or a short time, because this is signified by five : for times, whether they be hours, days, weeks, months, or years, do not signify time, but state ; and the numbers determine its quality (n. 4, 10, 348, 947). That five signifies some, and also a little, may be evident from these passages : A thru- sand shall flee at the rebuke of five (Isa. xxx. 17). Five shall pursue a hundred (Lev. xxvi. 8). Jesus said, that the kingdom of the heavens is like unto ten virgins, of who??i five were prudent, and five foolish (Matt. xxv. 1, 2). By the ten virgins all in the church are signified ; by five are signified some part or some. Similar things are signified by ten and five in the parable which says, that the pound's u v given to the servants, that they might traffic, and that 444 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. from a pound one acquired ten pounds, and another five (Luke xix. 13-20). "Ten pounds" signify much, and "five pounds " a little : besides other places, as Isa. xvii. 6 ; xix. 18, 19 j Matt. xiv. 15-22. 428. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man, signifies that this is from their persuasive power. This follows from the things just said (n, 427) : for by the torment is signified the stupor which their persuasive power induces upon the understanding, as the scorpion does upon the body, when he stings. The scor- pion signifies that persuasive power (n. 425). In the spiritual world a persuasive power is given, which takes away the understanding of truth, and induces stupor and thus pain in the mind (animus) ; but this persuasive power is unknown in the natural world. 429. And in those days men shall seek death, and shall not find it, and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them, signifies that they who are in the doctrine of faith separate wish that in matters of faith the understanding should be shut up, and the will closed, and thus that they should not have any spiritual light and life 5 but that it is still provided by the Lord, that the understanding should not be shut up, nor the will closed, lest spiritual light and life should be extinguished with man. " In those days," signifies the last state of the church, when the doctrine concerning faith alone was universally received. " Men shall seek death," signifies that they wish the understanding to be shut up in matters of faith : " and shall not find it," signifies that it is provided by the Lord, that it should not be done: and shall desire to die, signifies that they wish also to have the will closed in those things : and death shall flee from them, signifies that it is provided that this cannot be done : for thus spiritual light and life would be extinguished, and man would spiritually die. " To seek " is predicated of he understanding, and " to desire " of the will, and " death " >f both. That this is signified by these words is manifest. No. 432.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 445 What otherwise would it mean that "men should seek death in those days, and not find it ? and desire to die, and death should flee from them ? " For by death no other death is meant but spiritual death, which is brought on when the understanding is removed from the things that should be believed : for thus' a man does not know whether he thinks and does truth or falsity ; and thus whether he is with the angels of heaven or with the devils of hell. 430. And the likenesses of the locusts, signifies the appear- ances and images of those who have confirmed in themselves faith separate from charity. By the likenesses are signified their appearances in a representative image : by the locusts falsities in the outermost things are signified (n. 424) : and because falsities make one with those who are in the falsities, these also are signified by the locusts. That they who have confirmed faith alone in themselves, or their falsities, are meant by the locusts, was clearly manifest to me from this, that the Presbyters who were in that faith embraced and kissed the locusts that were seen, and wished to introduce them into their houses. For the images, which are repre- sentative forms of the affections and thoughts of angels and spirits in the spiritual world, appear as alive, in like manner as the animals, birds, and fishes spoken of above. 431. Were like unto horses prepared for war, signifies that because they can reason they appeared to themselves as if fighting from the understanding of truth from the Word. The understanding of the Word is signified by a horse (n. 298) : by war spiritual war is signified, which is made by reasonings and argumentations (n. 500, 586) : by "like 9 or "likenesses " are signified the appearances, as just above (n. 43°)- • 432. And upon their heads 7vere as it were crcnuns like gold, signifies that they appeared to themselves as conquerors. By "crowns upon their heads like unto gold" are signified badges of victory, because kings formerly wore golden crowns in battles (n. 300) ; for it was said that they were 446 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. ICHAr. IX. seen like unto horses, that is, upon horses, prepared for war (n. 431), for they had the faces of men, as it follows : and they are in the persuasion that they cannot be con- quered. . 433. And their .faces were as the faces of men, signifies that they appeared to themselves as wise. By man in the Word one wise and intelligent is signified (n. 243) ; and by his face wisdom and intelligence. Hence it is that by their faces being as the faces of men is signified that they appeared to themselves wise. They are also called wise, learned, and erudite, although they are among " the foolish virgins who had not oil in their lamps " (Matt. xxv. 1, 2) : oil signifies love and charity : and they are among " the foolish ones who hear the Lord," that is, read the Word, " and do not do it" (Matt. vii. 26). 434. A7id they had hair as the hair of women, signifies that they appeared to themselves to be in affection for truth. By a man (vir) in the Word the understanding of truth is signified, and by a woman the affection for truth ; because the man is born understanding, and the woman affection ; on which see " the Angelic Wisdom concerning Marriage." By hair in the Word is signified the ultimate of man's life, which is the sensual, described n. 424. It is this which appears to them as being in affection for truth, when yet they are in affection for falsity ; for this they believe to be truth. That " a woman " signifies affection for truth may be evident from any passages in the Word. It is hence that the church is called a wife, a woman, a daughter, a virgin ; and the church is a church from love or affectic n for truth, for from this comes the understanding of truth. The church is- called a woman in these passages : There were two women of one mother, who committed whoredo?n in Egypt, OJwla which is Samaria, and Oholiba which is "Jerusalem (Ez. xxiii. 2, 3, 4). As a woman deserted and afflicted in spirit hath Jehovah called thee, and a wo?7ian of youth (Isa. liv. 6, 7). Jehovah will create a new thing in No. 435 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 447 the earth, a woman shall compass a man (Jer. xxxi. 21, 22). By the woman encompassed with the sun, whom the dragon persecuted (Apoc. xii.), a New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, is signified. By women are signified affections for truth, from which the church is a church, in very many places, as in these : Ye drive out the women of my people from the house of their delights (Mic. ii. 9). The families of the houses shall i?iour?i apart, and the women apart (Zech. xii 11-13). Stand up, ye careless women; hear my speech (Isa. xxxii. 9). Wherefore ye do evil to cut off from you man and woman (Jer. xliv. 7). / will disperse ma?i and woman (Jer. li. 22). By man and woman, here and elsewhere, in the spiritual sense, the understanding of truth and affection for truth are signified. 435. A?id their teeth were as those of lions, signifies that the sensual things which are the ultimates of the life of the natural man, appeared to them to have power over all things. The teeth signify the ultimates of the natural life of man, which are called things sensual, spoken of above (n. 424). There are two kinds of sensual things, one which is of the will, and another which is of the understanding. The sensual things of the will are signified by " the hair of women," treated of just above (n. 434) ; and the sensual things of the understanding are signified by the teeth. These sensual things, or, what is the same, sensual men who are in falsities from confirmation, appear to themselves to be in such power over all things that they cannot be conquered ; on which account the teeth of the locusts, by which such sensual things are signified, were like those of lions. By the lion is signified power (n. 241). That teeth signify the ultimates of the life of man, which are called sensual things, which when they are separated from the interiors of the mind are in mere falsities, and offer violence to truths, and destroy them, may be evident from the following passages : My soul, I lie in the midst of lions, their teeth are spears and darts (Ps. lvii. 4). O God, break the teeth in their 44* THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. month, break out the great teeth of the young lions (Ps. lviii. 6). A strong nation hath come up upon my land, its teeth are the teeth of a lion, a?id it hath the great teeth of a lion (Joel i. 6). Jehovah, thou breakcst the teeth of the ungodly (Ps. iii. 7). A beast came up out of the sea, terrible, and dreadful, and strong exceedingly, which had great iron teeth ; it devoured and crushed (Dan. vii. 7). Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not delivered us a prey to their teeth (Ps. cxxiv. 6). Since sensual men do not see any truth in its light, but argue and wrangle about every thing as to whether it is so, and these altercations in the hells are heard out of them as gnashings of teeth, which in themselves are the collisions of falsity and truth, it is manifest what is signified by the gnashing of teeth (Matt. viii. 12 ; xiii. 42, 50 ; xxii. 13 ; xxiv. 51 ; xxv. 30 ; Luke xiii. 28) : and in a measure what by gnashing v with the teeth (Ps. xxxv. 16 ; xxxvii. 12 ; cxii. 10 ; Mic. iii. 5 \ Lam. ii. 16). 436. And they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, signifies the argumentations from fallacies by which they fight and prevail, which appeared to them so strong that they could not be refuted. By breastplates are signified protections, because they protect the breast ; here the pro- tections of falsities, which are effected by argumentations from fallacies, by which a false principle is defended. For from a false principle nothing but falsities can flow forth. If truths are brought forward, they are not looked at except outwardly and superficially, and thus also sensually, and so are falsified, and become fallacies with them. Breast- plates signify such things, because wars in the Word sig- nify spiritual wars ; and hence the arms of war signify the various things which are of this war ; as in Jeremiah : Harness the horses, and mount, ye horsemen, and stand ye in helmets, polish the lances, put on the coat-of-mail (xlvi. 4). In Isaiah : He put on justice as a coat-of-mail, and thehehnei of salvation upon his head (lix. 17). In David: Under Hh wings shall thou trust, His truth thy shield and buckler (Ps, No. 437.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 449 xci. 4). Besides other places, as Ez. xxiii. 24 j xxxviii. 4 ; xxxix. 9 ; Nah. ii. 3 ; Ps. v. 12 ; xxxv. 2, 3. The breast- plates being as of iron signifies that the argumentations appeared to them so strong, that they could not be refuted ; for iron, from its hardness, signifies strength. 437. And the voice of their wings was as the voice of the chariots of many horses running to war, signifies their rea- i onings as from the truths of doctrine, from the Word fully understood, for which they must ardently fight. "The voice of wings " signifies reasonings, because " to fly " sig- nifies to perceive and to instruct (n. 245, 415): "a char iot " signifies doctrinal tenets, spoken of hereafter : horses signify the understanding of the Word (n. 298) ; and "many horses" plenary understanding: that "to run to war " signifies ardor for fighting, is manifest. That a char- iot signifies doctrine is evident from these passages : The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands of peaceful ones ; the Lord is in them (Ps. lxviii. 17). Jehovah maketh the clouds His chariots, He goeth upon wings of the wind (Ps. civ. 2, 3) Jehovah, thou rides t upon thy horses, thy chariots are salvation (Hab. iii. 8). Behold, Jehovah shall come in fire, and His chariot as a storm (Isa. lxvi. 15). Ye shall be satisfied upon my table with horses and with chariots ; so will I set my glory among the nations (Ez. xxxix. 20, 21). / will cut off the horse from Ephraim, and the chariot from Jc7'usalem (Zech. ix. 10). / will overturn the throne of kingdoms j I will overturn the chariot, arid them that ride in //(Hag. ii. 22). Set a watchman, who may boh; and an- nounce: he saw therefore a chariot, a pair of horsemen, a camel-chariot, and the chariot of a man; and he said, Babylon hath fallen, hath fallen (Isa. xxi. 6-9). Since Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, and thence signified doctrine from the Word, as all the prophets did (n. 8), they were therefore called the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof ; and Elijah was there- fore seen to be taken away inty heaven in a chariot of fire ; 45° THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. and around Elisha chariots and horses of fire were seen by his servant (2 Kings ii. f i, 12; vi. 27; xiii. 14). Besides other places, where chariot is mentioned ; as Isa. xxxi. 1 ; xxxvii. 24 ; Ixvi. 20 • Jer. xvii. 25 ; xxii. 4 ; xlvi. 2, 3, 8, 9 ; I. 37, 38 ; li. 20, 21 ; Ez. xxvi. 7, 8, 10, 11 ; Dan. xi. 40 ; N*h. iii. 1-3 ; Joel ii. 1-5. 438. And they had tails like unto scorpions, signifies the Itutbs of the Word falsified, by which they induce stupor. By the tail is signified the ultimate of the head, because the head is continued through the spine of the back into the tail ; on which account the head and the tail make one as the first and the last. When, therefore, faith alone jus- tifying and saving is signified by the head, by the tail are signified all the confirmations of it in the aggregate, which are from the Word, and thus the truths of the Word falsi- fied. Every one who takes a principle of religion from his own intelligence, and puts it for the head, takes confirming things from the Word, and puts these for the tail. He thus induces stupor upon others, and so hurts them. On which account it is said, that they "had tails like unto scorpions," and directly, that " there were stings in theii tails, and their power was to hurt men : " for by the scor pion is signified a persuasive power inducing stupor upon the understanding (n. 425). As to the tail being the con- tinuation of the brain through the spine of the back to its ultimate, ask an anatomist, and he will tell you ; or look at a dog or other wild beast which has a tail, and coax and caress him, and you will see the crest of the back smooth clown, and the tail move correspondingly ; and on the con- trary, that the crest will rise up, if you irritate him. The primary thing of the understanding, which is taken as a principle, is also signified by the head, and the ultimate by the tail, in these passages : He shall cut off from Israel the head and the tail ; the old and the honored is the head, but the prophet a teacher of lies is the tail (Isa. ix. 14, 15). There shall be no work for Egypt which may make head and No. 439.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 45' tail (Is a. xix. 15). By the seven heads of the dragon, and by the tail, with which he drew down a third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them unto the earth (Apoc. xii. 4), as also by the tails like unto serpents, having heads, with which they do hurt (vers. 19 of this chapter), nothing else is sig- nified. Since the ultimate is signified by the tail, and the ultimate is the aggregate of all, Jehovah therefore said to Moses, Take hold of the tail of the serpent, and he took hold, and it became a rod (Ex. iv. 3, 4). And it was therefore commanded that they should remove the entire tail next the spi?ie of the back, and should sacrifice it with the fat which is upon the inwards, the kidneys, and the intestines, and the liver (Lev. iii. 9-1 1 ; viii. 25 ; ix. 19; Ex. xxix. 22). That the ultimate is the continent and aggregate of all prior things, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 38, 65) ; and in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom" (n. 209-216, 217-222). 439. And there were stings i?i their tails, and their power was to hurt ?nen five months, signifies subtle falsifications of the Word by which for a short time they darken and fasci- nate the understanding, and thus deceive and captivate. By the stings in their tails are signified subtle falsifications of the Word ; by the stings subtlety, and by the tails the truths of the Wrord falsified (n. 43S) : by the power of hurt- ing is signified that they can bring on stupor by those falsi- fications, that is, darken and fascinate the understanding, and so deceive and captivate ; for the tails were similar to scorpions, and such things are signified by scorpions (n. 425) : by the five months is signified for a short time, as above (n. 427). This takes place when they bring forth any things from the Word and apply them : for the Word is written by correspondences, and correspondences are in part appearances of truth ; and these contain genuine truths within in themselves. If the genuine truths are not known in the church, many things can be produced from vol. 11. 2 452 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. the Word which appear at first as agreeing with heresy: but when genuine truths are known in the church, the ap- pearances of truth are then laid bare, and the genuine truths come into view. But before this is done, a heretic can, by various things from the Word, veil over and fascinate the understanding, and so deceive and captivate. That this is done by those who assert that sins are remitted to man (which is to be justified) by the act of faith, of which no one knows any thing, and this in a moment, and at the last hour of death if not before, — this may be illustrated by examples, but not properly here. By " stings " falsities from evil doing hurt are signified also in Amos : Behold^ the days shall come upon you in which they shall take you away with stings (iv. 2) ; and in Moses : that they should extirpate the inhabitants of the land, lest they should be thorns in their eyes, and stings in their sides (Num. xxxiii. 55). Thorns, briers, brambles, and thistles also signify the falsi- ties of evil from their stings. 440. And they had a king over them, the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he hath the name Apollyon, signifies that they are in the satanic hell who are in falsities from lusts, and who have destroyed the church by the total falsification of the Word. By " the king the angel of the abyss " is not signified any angel as king there, but the falsity reigning there : for by a king in the genuine sense he who is in truths from affection for good is signified, and abstractly that truth itself (n. 20) ; and hence, in the opposite sense, he who is in falsities from the lust of evil is signified by a king, and abstractly that falsity itself. By the abyss is signified the satanic hell, where those are (n. 387, 421). By a name the quality of a state is signified (n. 81, 122, 165). Abaddon in the Hebrew language is he that destroys or a destroyer, and Apollyon in the Greek language is the same; and this is falsity in the outermost things, which by the total falsification of the Word had destroyed the church. Destruction is signified No. 442.] THE ArOCALYPSE RE YE A LED. 453 by Abaddon in the Hebrew text, in these places : Thy truth in destruction (Ps. lxxxviii. 11). Hell is naked before him, and there is no covering to destruction (Job xxvi. 6). Shall the fire drcour even to destruction ? (Job xxxi. 12). Destruction and death say (Job xxviii. 22). In other places hell and the devil are called destruction and destroyer (Isa. liv. 16 ; ¥.z. v. 16 j ix. 1 ; Ex. xii. 13), but by another word. 441. One woe is past; behold, there come two woes more hereafter, signifies further lamentations over the devastation of the church. That " woe " signifies lamentation over ca- lamity, unhappiness, and damnation, may be seen n. 416 : Here, therefore, by "the two woes hereafter" further lam- entations over the state of the church are signified. 442. And the sixth angel sounded, signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the life with those in the church of the Reformed who are not so wise, and still place the all of religion in faith, and think of that aione, and of nothing beyond that and the customary worship, and thus live as they list. That these are treated of quite to the end of the chapter, will be manifest from the explanation of what follows. That to sound signifies to explore and manifest the state of the church and thence of the life with those whose religion is faith alone, see above (n. 397). "These who are now treated of are altogether distinct from those who have been treated of thus far in this chapter, and whose falsities of faith were seen in the forms of locusts. They are distinct in this, that they who have been treated of apply themselves closely to the study of exploring the arcana of justification by faith, and also of teaching the signs of it, as also the evidences of it, which, with them, are the goods of moral and civil life ; admitting that the precepts of the Word are in themselves indeed Divine, but that with man, because they proceed from his will, they become natural things which have no conjunction with the spiritual things of faith : and because they confirm these by the rational things which they are skilled in from erudition, they dwell 454 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. in the southern quarter in the abyss, according to the description above (n. 421). But they who are treated of in what now follows to the end of the chapter do not study those arcana, but only make bare faith the all of religion, and think of nothing beyond that and the stated worship, and so live as they list. These it has also been given me to see, and to speak with them. They live in the northern quarter in huts built of rushes and reeds plastered over with lime, in which the ground is the floor. These huts are scattered about. The more ingenious, who know from natural light (lumen) how to establish that faith by reasonings, and to prove that it has nothing in common with the life, dwell more in front, the more simple behind these, and the more stupid towards the west of that quarter. The multitude of them is so great that it cannot be believed. They are taught by angelic spirits ; but they who do not receive the truths of faith, and live according to them, are sent down into the hell which is under them, and imprisoned." 443. And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, signifies a command from the Lord out of the spiritual heaven to those who should explore and manifest. By the voice the Divine command is signified : by the golden altar, or the altar upon which incense offerings were made, the spiritual heaven is signified (n. 277, 392): by the four horns of that altar its power is signified (n. 270) ; here the power of loosing the four angels bound at the river Euphrates, as it follows : by the sixth angel who had the trumpet is signified those upon whom the office of exploring and man- ifesting those things was enjoined (n. 442). 444. Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates, signifies that external bonds should be taken away from them, that the interiors of their minds might appear. That this is signified by these words no one can know, and scarce suspect, unless he knows what is meant by the great river Euphrates, and what by the four angels No. 444.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 455 bound there. By the river Euphrates in the Word those interiors of the human mind which are called rational are signified ; which, with them who are in truths from good, are full of wisdom, but with those that are in falsities from evil, are full of insanity. The reason that these things are signified in the Word by the river Euphrates, is because that river separated the land of Canaan from Assyria ; and by the land of Canaan the church was signified, and by Assyria its rational ; and hence by the bounding river those interiors of the mind which are called rational are signified in both senses. For there are three things which make the man of the church, — the Spiritual, the Rational or Intellectual, and the Natural, which is also the faculty of knowing. The spiritual of the church was signified by the land of Canaan and by the rivers in it ; the rational or intellectual of the church, by Ashur or Assyria, and by its river the Euphrates j and the natural of the church, which also is the faculty of knowing, by Egypt and its river the Nile : but on these subjects see more below (n. 503). By "the four angels bound at the river Euphrates " are signified those interiors with the men of the church, which are said to be bound because they are not manifested. For they are infernal spirits which are meant by these four angels, because it is said of them that they were prepared to kill a third part of men, as soon follows (n. 446) : and the interiors of men make one with spirits, either infernal or heavenly ; since they dwell together. By loosing them is signified to take away external bonds, that the interiors of their minds may appear. These are the things that are signified by those words. That by the Euphrates are signified the interiors of the mind of man bordering upon the spiritual things of the church in him, may be evident from the passages in the Word where Ashur or Assyria is named : but the Euphrates occurs in the opposite sense, in which it signifies the interiors full of falsities and thence of insanities, in these passages : Behold, God bringeth up over them the 456 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. waters of the river (Euphrates) strong a7id many ; the king of Ashur, he shall pass through Judah ; he shall overflow and go over (Is a. viii. 7, 8). What hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of the Sihor ? and what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river ? (Jer. ii. 18). Jehovah shall curse the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and shall shake His hand over the river Euphrates (Isa. xi. 15, 16). The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the river Euphrates, whose water was dried up (Apoc. xvi. 12). // was commanded the prophet that he should put a girdle upon his loins, and should afterwards hide it in a hole of a rock by the Euphrates ; and when after a short time he took it again, behold, it was rotten, nor was it good for any thing (Jer. xiii. 1-7, 1 1). And it was also commanded him that after he should finish reading the book, he should throw it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again (Jer. li. 63, 64). By these things the interiors of the state of the church with the children of Israel were represented. That the river of Egypt, the Nile, and the river of Assyria, the Euphrates, were the boundaries of the land of Canaan, is manifest from this : Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham, Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates (Gen. xv. 18). That the Euphrates was a boundary, see Ex. xxiii. 31 \ Deut. i. 7, 8 ; xi. 24; Josh. i. 4 ; Mic. vii. 12. 445. And the four angels were loosed, signifies that when the external bonds were taken away, the interiors of their minds appeared. This follows from what is said above. 446. Prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year, to kill a third part of men, signifies that they were in the perpetual effort to take away from the men of the church spiritual light and life. By " prepared " is signified tha^ they were in the effort : by " an hour, a day, a month, and a year," is signified continually and perpetually, the same as by all time : by " to kill " is signified to take away spiritual No. 447. J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 457 light and life from the men of the church (n. 325) : and by " a third part of men " all are signified (n. 400). 447. And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two myriads of myriads, signifies the reasonings concerning faith alone, with which the interiors of their minds were crammed, from mere falsities of evil in abundance. By an army goods and truths are signified, and in the opposite sense, evils and falsities ; here the falsities of evil described in what follows : by horsemen are signified reasonings con- cerning faith alone, because the understanding of the Word is signified by a horse (n. 298), and also the understanding of the Word destroyed (n. 305, 312, 321) : hence by horsemen are signified reasonings from the understanding of the Word destroyed ; here concerning faith alone, because those who are in it are treated of. By two myriads of myriads are not meant so many in number, but great abundance. There are said to be two, because two is predicated of good, and in the opposite sense of evil (n. 322) ; and myriads are predicated of truths, and in the opposite sense of falsities (n. 287). It may be seen from this, that by the number of the aimies of the horsemen, two myriads of myriads, are signified the reasonings concerning faith alone, of which the interiors of their minds were full from mere falsities of evil in abundance. That the goods and truths of heaven and the church are signified in the Word by armies, and in the opposite sense evils and falsities, may be evident from the passages where the sun, moon, and stars are called armies or hosts j and by the sun the good of love is signi- fied, by the moon the truth of faith, and by the stars the knowledges of good and truth ; and the contrary in the op- posite sense (n. 51, 53, 332, 413). The former and the latter are called armies (hosts) in these passages : Praise Jehovah, all His hosts ; praise Hi)n, sun and moon ; praise Him, all the stars (Ps. cxlviii. 2, 3). My hands have spread out the heavens, and I have commanded all their host (Isa. civ. 12). By the Word of Jehovah wc?<, the heavens madef 458 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chak IX. and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth (Ps. xxxiii. 6). The heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them (Gen. ii. i). The horn of the he-goat grew even to the host of the heavens ; and it cast down unto the earth from the host and from the stars ; yea, it raised itself up even to the prince of the host : and the host was delivered to it on account of the co?itinual sacrifice for transgression, because he cast down the truth to the earth : the holy one said, How long is the holy place and the host given to be trodden down? (Dan. viii. 10-14). Jehovah uttered His voice before His army (Joel ii. 11). Upon the roofs of the houses they have offered incense to all the host of the heavens (Jer. xix. 13). Lest thou shouldst bow thyself dowfi and serve the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the host of the heavens (Deut. iv. 19 ; xvii. 3 ; Jer. viii. 2) : so too in Isa. xiii. 4; xxxiv. 4; xl. 26; Jer. xxxiii. 22 ; Apoc. xix. 14. Since the goods and truths of heaven and the church are signified by the hosts or armies of the heavens, the Lord is therefore called Jehovah Zebaoth, that is, Jehovah of armies or hosts ; and on this account the ministry of the Levites was called a military service (Num. iv. 3, 23, 30, 39) : and it is said in David, Bless Jehovah, all His hosts, His ministers that do His will (Ps. ciii. 21). The evils and falsities in the church are signified by the army of the nations (Isa. xxxiv. 2) ; by the army of the king of the north with which he came against the king of the south (Dan. xi. 13, 15, 20). " The king of the north " is the falsity of evil in the church, and the king of the south is the truth of good therein. It is said by the Lord, When ye shall see Jeritsale7n encompassed with ar?nies, know that its devastation is near (Luke xxi. 20). By Jerusalem the church is here signified, and by armies the evils and falsities which were vastating it. The con- summation of the age is there treated of, which is the last time of the church. Evils and falsities are signified by armies in Joel : I will recompense to you the years which the locust hath consumed, the canker-worm, the caterpillar^ No. 449.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 459 and the palmer-worm, my great army, which I have sent among you (Joel ii. 25). That by the locust and the other insects falsity in outermost things is signified, may be seen above (n. 424). 448. And I heard the number of them, signifies their quality perceived, that it was as follows : By hearing is signified to perceive : by number the quality of a thing or ^>f a state is signified (n. 10, 348, 364). It is the quality of their state as now follows, because it is described in the following paragraphs ; on which account it is said, " and thus I saw." 449. And thus I saw the horses in the vision and them that sat upon them, signifies that it was then disclosed that the reasonings of the interiors of their minds concerning faith alone were imaginary and visionary, and that they themselves were insane from them. By seeing is signified to disclose their quality : by the horses the reasonings of the interiors of their minds concerning faith alone are sig- nified,— here that they were imaginary and visionary, be- cause it is said that he saw them in vision : by them that sat upon horses those who are intelligent from the Word understood are signified ; here they that are insane from imaginary and visionary things, which are contrary to the Word. As the interiors of their minds appeared under such forms as those by which the imaginary and visionary things relating to faith alone are signified, a few things will be related concerning them, which I have heard from their own lips ; which are these : "Was not faith alone, after man's so grievous fall, made the one only means of salva- tion ? Without that means, how can we appear before God ? Is not that the only means ? Are we not born in sins ? Is not our nature altogether corrupted by Adam's transgression? Is there any other means of healing than faith alone ? What will our works do towards this ? Who can do any good work of himself ? Who can purif) , ab- solve, justify, and save himself? In every little work which 2* 460 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. A man does of himself, do not merit and his own righteous* ness lie concealed ? And if by chance we should do any thing that might be good, could we do all things, and fulfil the law ? and further, if any one sins against one thing, he sins against all, because they cohere together. Why did the Lord come into the world, and suffer so grievous a cross, unless that he might take away from us the condem- nation and curse of the law, might propitiate God the Father, and might alone become merit and righteousness, which should be imputed to man by faith ? On any other ground, what good did His coming do ? or to whom did it do any good ? Since therefore Christ suffered for us, and fulfilled the. law for us, and took away its right of condem- nation, can evil then any longer condemn us ? and can good save us ? Wherefore we who have faith are in the full liberty of thinking, willing, speaking, and doing what- ever we list, provided we do not incur the loss of reputa- tion, honor, and gain, and do not bring upon us the penalties of the civil law, from which come disgrace and injury." Some, who were wandering more remotely in the north, said that " the good works which are done for the sake of salvation are injurious, pernicious, and cursed." Among these were also some presbyters. These are the things that I heard ; but they prated and muttered more, which I did not hear. Besides, they spoke shamelessly with all license, and were lascivious both in words and actions, without the restraint of fear for any misdeed, except by pretence for the sake of the appearance of respectability. Such are the in- teriors of the mind, and thence the exteriors of the body, of those who make faith alone the all of religion. But all these things which were said by them fall to the ground, if the Lord the Saviour Himself is approached im- mediately, and believed in, and good is done, for the sake of salvation ; and if they are dona- by man as of himself, with the belief, however, that it is from the Lord : and un- less these things are done by a man as of himself, there is No. 450-] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 46 1 not any faith nor any charity, and thus no religion, and na salvation. 450. Having breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone, signifies their argumentations imaginary and visionary from infernal love and their own intelligence, and from the lusts thence. By the breastplates are signified the argumenta- tions with which they fight for faith alone (n. 436) : by fire heavenly love is signified, and in the opposite sense, infer- nal love (n. 452, 465, 494) : by jacinth is signified intelli- gence from spiritual love, and in the opposite sense, intelligence from infernal love, which is one's own intelli- gence, spoken of below : and by brimstone is signified lust from that love through one's own intelligence (n. 452). It follows from this, that such things are signified by the breastplates of fire, of jacinth, and of brimstone. The reason why their argumentations for faith alone are thus described, is because all those that believe themselves to be justified, that is, absolved from sins, by means of faith alone, never think of repentance : and an impenitent man is in nothing but sins ; and all sins are derived from and thence partake of infernal love, of one's own intelligence, and of the lusts that are from them : and they who are in them not only act from them, but also speak, and indeed think and will, consequently reason and argue, from them. These are the man, because they are their life ; but a man- devil, and his life, which is infernal life. But indeed they who live a moral life only for the sake of themselves and the world, do not know this. The cause is, that their in- teriors are of such a character, but their exteriors similar to the exteriors of those who live a Christian life. Yet let them know that any one, when he dies, comes into his interiors, because he becomes a spirit ; and this is his inter- nal man. And the interiors then accommodate the exte- riors to themselves, and they become similar. On which account the moral things of their life in the world then become like the scales of fishes, which are wiped away. It 462 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. is altogether otherwise with those who regard the precepts of moral life as Divine, and the civil ones also, because they are of love towards the neighbor. Hyacinth or jacinth signifies intelligence from the affection of spiritual love, because that color partakes of the redness of fire and of the whiteness of light ; and love is signified by fire, and in- telligence by light. This intelligence is signified by the hyacin thine blue in the coverings and vails of the Tabernacle (Ex. xxvi. 31, 36 ; xxvii. 16) : in Aaron's ephod (Ex. xxviii. 6, 15) : by the cloth of hyacinth placed over the ark, the table, the candlestick, and the altar, when they set forth (Num. iv. 6, 7, 9, 11, 12) : by the ribbon of hyacinth upon the skirts of their garments (Num. xv. 38, 39) : and by hyacinth (Ez. xxvii. 7, 24). But intelligence from the affection of infernal love is signified by hyacinth in Ezekiel : Ohola or Samaria committed whoredom, and delighted in her lovers the Assyrians her neighbors, clothed in hyacinth, horsemen riding on horses (xxiii. 4-6). Thus is described the church which had falsified the truths of the Word by reasonings from their own intelligence. And in Jeremiah : They are i?ifatu- ated and grown foolish, their teaching of vanities is a stock ; silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, the work of the workmen and of the hands of the founder, hyacinth and purple is their clothing, all is the work of the wise (x 8, 9). " The work of the workmen and of the hands of the founder," and " all is the work of the wise," signify here that they are from their own intelligence. 451. And the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions, signifies their fantasies concerning faith alone as if it "w ere in power. By the heads the imaginary and vision- ary things with them concerning faith alone are signified, which are here treated of, and which are called by one word fantasies : by the horses are signified the reasonings of the interiors of their minds, which are such (n. 449) : by lions power is signified (n. 241). That it is power from fallacies is because they are sensual 5 and the sensual No. 452.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. reason from fallacies, by which they persuade and capti- vate (n. 424). That their argumentations in favor of faith alone are Imaginary and visionary, every one who elevates the mind a little can see. What are faith in act and faith in state, according to their idea, but visionary things? Who of them knows any thing about faith in act? and what avails faith in state, when nothing of good enters from the man into faith in act? What is the remission of sins, and thence instantaneous salvation, but a thing of visionary thought? That it is the flying serpent in the church may be seen in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence" (n. 340). What is the conceit of immunity, merit, justice, holiness, from imputation, but a visionary thing ? (see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord," n. 18). What is the Divine opera- tion in internals without man's co-operation in externals as from himself ? for to separate the internal from the external so that there should not be conjunction, is merely vision- ary (see below, n. 606). Such a visionary thing is faith separated from charity, for charity in works is the conti- nent and foundation of faith. It is its ground and earth, also its essence and life. In a word, faith from charity is a man ; but faith without charity is a spectre : and it is a creature of the imagination, like a bubble of water flying in the air. But perhaps some one is ready to say, " If you remove the understanding from faith, you will not see visionary things." Yet let him know, that he who can remove the understanding from faith, can also obtrude a thousand visionary things upon any religion ; as has been done by the Roman Catholics for ages back. 452. And out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone, signifies that in their thoughts and discourses viewed interiorly, there is nothing else, and from them pro- ceeds nothing else, but the love of self and of the world which is the proprium (ownhood) of the will, the pride of self-intelligence which is the proprium of the understanding 464 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX, and the lusts of eril and falsity which is the general pro prium ilowing forth from those two. " Out of their mouths " means from their thoughts and discourses. By the fire is signified the love of self and of the world, which love is the proprium of man's will (n. 450, 468, 494) : by the smoke the pride of one's own intelligence is signified, which is the proprium of his understanding, going forth from the love of self and of the world, as smoke from a fire (n. 422) : and by the brimstone is signified the lust of evil and falsity, which is the general proprium flowing forth from those two. But these things do not appear from their discourses before men in the world, but manifestly before the angels in heaven ; on which account it is said that viewed interiorly they are of such a quality. Fire signifies infernal love, and brimstone the lusts flowing forth from that love through the pride of one's own intelligence, in the following pas- sages : 7" will make it rai?i fire a?id brimstone upon him (Ez. xxxviii. 22). Jehovah will rain upon the wicked fire and brimstone (Ps. xi. 6). The day of the vengeance of Jehovah ; the streams shall be turned into pitch, and the dust of it into brimsto7ie . the smoke of it shall go up for ever (Isa. xxxiv. 8-10). In the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rai?ied fire and brimstone from heaven : so shall it be i?i the day when the Son of Man shall be revealed (Luke xvii. 29, 30 \ Gen. xix. 24). He that worshippeth the beast and his image shall be tormented with fire 'and brimstone (Apoc. xiv. 9, 10). The beast, the false-prophet, and the devil shall be cast into thz lake of fire and brimstoiie (Apoc. xix. 20; xx. 10; xxi. 8). The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, shall kindle the pile (Isa. xxx. 33). The whole land is brim- stone, salt, and burning; it shall not be sown, it shall not put forth, according to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomor- rah (Deut. xxix. 2i, 23). Brimstone shall be strewn upon the habitation of the wicked (Job xviii. 15). 453. By these three was a third part of men killed, by the smoke and by the fire and by the brimstofie issuing out of their No. 455 TIIE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 465 mouth >, signifies that it is from those things that the men of the church perish. A third part of men being killed, sig- nifies that the men of the church perish from those three things spoken of just above (n. 452) : for by being killed is signified to be killed spiritually, which is to perish as to the soul ; and by a third part is signified all who are in those falsities, as often said above. What is signified by the fire, the smoke, and the brimstone, and what by their going forth out of their mouths, may be seen just above (n. 452). It is owing to those falsities that it is not known in the whole Christian world, that the fire which is here treated of is the love of self and of the world, and that that love is the devil j also that the smoke from that fire is the pride of one's own intelligence, and that that pride is satan ; as also that the brimstone kindled from that fire by means of that pride, is the lusts of evil and falsity ; and that these lusts are the crew of the devil and satan, of which hell consists : and when these things are not known, it cannot be known what sin is j for sin draws all its enjoy- ment and pleasantness from those things. 454. And their power was in their mouth, signifies that they prevail only by discourse that confirms faith. By power in the mouth is signified power in discourse con- firming doctrine : for finish and elegance of discourse, assumed zeal, the ingenious confirmation of falsity, espe- cially from the appearances in the Word, authority, the closing of the understanding, and other similar things, do all, and the truth nothing, nor yet the Wcrd. For the truth does not shine before any others but those who are in charity and thence in faith \ nor does the Word teach ar.y others. 455. For their tails were like unto serpents, having heads, and with them do they hurt, signifies the reason ; that they are sensual and inverted, speaking truths with the mouth, but falsifying them from the principle which makes the head of the doctrine of their religion ; and so they de* 466 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chaf. IX. ceive. Similar things are here signified as above concern- ing the locusts (n. 438, 439) : but it is there said that they had tails like unto scorpions, but here like unto serpents ; because those who are described by the locusts, speak and persuade from the Word, from knowledges, and from eru- dition ; but these only from arguments, which are the appearances of truth, and fallacies: and they that speak from these elegantly and as it were wisely, do indeed deceive, but not to so great a degree. By serpents in the Word are signified the sensual things which are the ulti- mates of man's life, treated of above (n. 424). The reason is, that all animals signify man's affections ; on which account the affections of the angels and spirits also in the spiritual world appear at a distance like animals, and the merely sensual affections like serpents. The reason is, that serpents creep on the ground and lick up the dust : and sensual things are the lowest things of the understand- ing and will : for they stand forth next to the world, and are nourished from its objects and its enjoyments, which affect only the material senses of the body. Noxious ser- pents, which are of manv kinds, signify the sensual things which are derived from the evil affections, which make up the interiors of the mind with those who are insane from the falsities of evil ; and harmless serpents signify the sensual things which are derived from the good affections, which make up the interiors of the mind with those who are wise from the truths of good. The sensual things that grow out of the evil affections are signified by serpents in these passages : They lick the dust like a serpent (Mic. vii. 17). Dust shall be the serpenfs meat (Isa. lxv. 25). He said to the serpent, Updn thy belly shall thou go, and dust shall thou eat all the days of thy life (Gen. iii. 14). The sensual is thus described, which, because it communicates with hell, where all are sensual, turns heavenly wisdom into infernal insanity in spiritual things. Rejoice not, Phi- listia, for out of the serpenfs root shall go forth a basilisk, No 456.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 467 whose fruit is a flying fiery serpe?it (Isa. xiv. 29) They lay asp's eggs ; he that eateth ofi its eggs dieth, and when one presses it out, a viper is hatched (Isa. lix. 5). Because the sons of Israel desired to return into Egypt, they were bitten by serpents (Num. xxi. 1-10). "To return into Egypt," sig- nified to become sensual from being spiritual ; on which account it is said, The hirelings of Egypt have turned them- selves away, the voice thereof shall go like a serpent (Jer xlvi. 21, 22). Because Dan was the farthest of the tribes, and thence signified the ultimate of the church, which is the sensual subject to the interiors, it is therefore said thus of him : Dan is a serpe?it upon the way biting the horse's heels, and the rider shall fall backwards (Gen. xlix. 17). By the horse's heels the ultimates of the understanding, which are sensual, are signified : by biting is signified to adhere to them : by the rider is signified the lack of knowledge from them, by which truths are perverted ; for which reason it is said, "His rider shall fall backwards." Since sensual men are crafty and cunning as foxes, the Lord therefore says, Be ye prudent as serpents (Matt. x. 16): for the sen- sual man speaks and reasons from appearances and falla- cies ; and if he is strong in the gift of arguing, he knows how to confirm every falsity shrewdly, and also the heresy concerning faith alone, and still is so dull in the power of seeing truth that it is scarcely possible to be duller. 456. And the rest of the men, who were not killed by these plagues, signifies those in the Church of the Reformed who are not so spiritually dead from visionary reasonings and the Jove of self, the pride of their own intelligence, and from the lusts thence, as the former, and still make faith alone the head of their religion. By " the rest of the men " are meant those who are not such, but still make faith alone the head of their religion : by " who were not killed " those are signified who are not so spiritually dead : by " these plagues " are meant the love of self, the pride of their own intelligence, and the lusts of evil and falsity from them ; 4.68 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. which three things are signified by the fire, the smoke, and the brimstone, spoken of above (n. 452, 453). That the plagues signify such things will be seen below ; but concerning these something shall first be said. "These also it has been given me to see, and to speak with them. They dwell in the northern quarter towards the west, where some have huts with roofs, and some without roofs. Their beds are of rushes, their garments of goats' hair. In the light flowing in from heaven there appears in their faces a lividness and also a stupor. The reason is, because they know nothing else from that religion, but that there is a God, that there are three persons, that Christ suffered the cross for them, and that it is faith alone by which they are saved, and also by worship in the temples, and by prayers at stated times. To the rest of the things which are of religion and its doctrine they give no attention ; for the worldly and corporeal things with which their minds are entirely occupied, close their ears to them. There are many of the Presbyters among them, whom I have asked what they thought when they read in the Word of works, of love and charity, of fruits, of the precepts of life, of repentance, in a word, of the things to be done. They answered that they read them indeed, and so saw them, but still did not see them, because they held their minds in faith alone, and thence in the idea that all those things are faith ; and that they did not think that they are the effects of faith. That such ignorance and stupidity belongs to those who have once embraced faith alone, and have made it the all of their religion, can scarcely be believed ; although it has been given me to know it by much experience." That by plagues spiritual plagues are signified, by which a man dies in spirit or soul, is manifest from these passages : Thy wound is incurable, thy plague grievous ; I will restore health unto thee, I will heal thee of thy plagues (Jer. xxx. 12, 14, 17). Every one that passeth by Babylo?i shall hiss at all her plagues (Jer. 1. 13). In one day shall the plagues come upon Babylon, death and lamentation No. 457.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 469 (Apoc. xviii. 8). / saw the seven ivigels that had the seven last plagues, bj which the anger of God is to be Consummated (Apoc. xv. 1). Woe to the sinful nation, to the people heavy with iniquity ; fro?n the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, a wound and a scar and a recent plague, not pressed, not bound up, not mollified with oil (Isa. i. 4, 6). In the day that Jehovah bound up the fracture of His people, and healed the wound of their plague (Isa. xxx. 26. Besides other places, as Deut. xxviii. 59 ; Jer. xlix. 17 ; Zech. xiv. 12, 15 ; Luke vii. 21 ; Apoc. xi. 6 ; xvi. 21). 457. Yet repented not of the works of their hands, signifies that neither did they shun as sins the things of their own, which are evils of every kind. The reason that by the works of a man's hands the man's own things, which are evils and the falsities from them, are signified, is because the things which proceed from the man are signified in the sum by the hands j for the powers of his mind and thence of his body are determined into the hands, and are there terminated : on which account by the hands power is sig- nified. Hence it is that by the works of a man's hands the things of his own are signified, which are evils and falsities of every kind ; his own things in the will are evils, and his own things in the understanding are the falsities from them. It is said of those who are here treated of, that they repented not ; because they who make faith alone the all of religion say in themselves, "What is the need of repentance, when sins are remitted and we are saved by faith alone ? What do our works do towards this ? I know that I was born in sins, and that I am a sinner. If I confess this, and pray that my faults may not be imputed to me, is not repentance then done? What need of more?" And so he does not think any thing about his sins, even till he does not know that they are sins ; and therefore he is borne on continually by enjoyment and pleasantness from them, in them, and into them, as a ship with a favor- able wind and current is borne upon the rocks, while the 47° THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX, helmsman and sailors are asleep. By the works of a man's hands in the Word in its natural sense are meant graven images, molten images, and idols : but in the spiritual sense evils and falsities of every kind are signified by them, which are the things of man's own ; as in these passages : Provoke me not to anger by the works of your hands ; if ye provoke me to anger by the works of your hands, to your own hurt : I will recompense them according to their works, and according to the deeds of their hands (Jer. xxv. 6, 7, 14). The children of Israel provoked me to anger by the works of their hands (Jer. xxxii*. 30 ; xliv. 8). / will speak judgments against them touching all their wickedness, that they have bowed themselves down to the works of their hands (Jer. i. 16). In that day their eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel, a?id not to the altars the wo?'k of their hands, and which their fingers have made (Isa. xvii. 7, 8 ; xxxi. 7 ; xxxvii. 19 j Jer. x. 9). That the work of a man's hands is his proprium (ownhood), and the evil and falsity thence, may be manifestly evident from this, that for that reason it was prohibited to build the altar and the Temple of hewn stones, and to lift up a tool of iron upon those stones ; for by this the work of man's hands was signified. If thou makest an altar of stones unto Me, thou shall not build them hewn ; because if thou lift up a chisel upon it, thoti wilt profane it (Ex. xx. 25). Joshua built an altar of stones, upon which he did not lift up any iron (Josh. vili. 30, 31). The Temple at Jerusalem was built of whole stone, and neither hammer nor axe nor any instruments of iron were heard when it was building (1 Kings vi. 7). All things also which are done by the Lord, are called the works of His hands ; which are His own, and in themselves goods and truths ; as in these places : The works of the hands of Jehovah are truth and judgment (Ps. cxi. 7). O Jehovah, thy mercy is for ever ; forsake not the works of thy hands (Ps. cxxxviii. 8). Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and His Maker, ask signs of Me concerning my sons, concerning the work of my hands command ye Me (Isa. xlv. 11). No. 458 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 471 Thy people shall all be just, the branch of my planti?ig, the work of my hands (Isa. lx. 21). O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, a?id thou our potter ; and we all are the 7Vork of thy hands (Isa. lxiv. 8). 458. That they should not worship demons, signifies that thus they are in the evils of their lusts, and make one with their like in hell. By demons the lusts of evil arising from the love of the world are signified. The reason is, that in hell they are called demons who are in those lusts ; and men also who are in the same become demons after death. Such men also have conjunction with them ; for every man is conjoined with spirits as to his affections, to such a degree that they make one. From which it is manifest, that to worship demons is to sacrifice to those lusts from the love of them. He, therefore, who invokes faith alone as the head of his religion, or as his idol, because he does not search out any evil in himself which he calls a sin, and therefore does not wish to remove it by repentance, remains in it ; and because every evil is made up of lusts, and is nothing but a bundle of lusts, it follows that he who does not search out any evil in himself, and shun it as a sin against God, which is done solely by repentance, becomes a demon after death. Nothing but such lusts are signified by demons in the fol- lowing passages : They sacrifice to demons, not to God (Deut. xxxii. 17). The children of Israel shall no longer sacrifice to demons, after whom they have committed whoredom (Lev. xvii. 7 ; Ps. cvi. 37). The Ziim shall meet with the Ijim, and the de?non of the forest shall co?ne to his companion (Isa. xxxiv. 14). The Ziim shall sing there, and the Ochim shall fill their houses, and the daughters of the owl shall diuell there, and the dcmofis of the forest shall dance there (Isa. xiii. 21). By the Ziim, the Ijim, the Ochim, and the daughters of the owl, various lusts are signified. The demons of the forest are lusts such as those of the Priapi and Satyrs. Babylon has become the habitation of demons, and the hold of every unclean spirit (Apoc. xviii. 2). The demons which the Lord cast out were 472 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX, such lusts when they lived in the world, concerning whom Matt. viii. 16, 28 ; ix. 32,33 ; x. 8 ; xii. 22 ; xv. 22 ; Mark i. 32- 34 j Luke iv. 33-37, 41 > viii. 2, 26-40 j ix. 1,37-50 ; xiii. 32. 459. And idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, signifies that thus they are in worship from mere falsities. By idols in the Word are signified the falsities of worship, and hence by adoring them worship from falsities is signified ; and by adoring idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood, is signified worship from falsi- ties of every kind ; and, taking them together, worship from mere falsities. Even the materials, the forms, and the gar- ments of the idols among the ancients represented the falsities of religion from which the worship of them was performed. Idols of gold signified falsities concerning Divine things, idols of silver falsities concerning spiritual things, idols of brass falsities concerning charity, idols of stone falsities concerning faith, and idols of wood falsities concerning good works. All these falsities are in those who do not repent, that is, shun evils as sins against God. These things are signified in the spiritual sense by the idols which were graven images and molten images, in the follow- ing passages : Every man has become foolish by knowledge, every founder is affected with shame by his graven image, because his molten image is a lie, neither is there breath in them ; they are vanity, a work of errors ; in the time of their visitation they shall perish (Jer. x. 14, 15 ; li. 17, 18). The graven images are the work of the hands of the workman ; they speak not ; they are infatuated and grow foolish together ; the wood is a teaching of vanities ; they all are the work of the wise (Jer. x. 3-5, 8-10). What profiteth the graven image, that the maker and teacher of lies has graven it ; that the maker of a lie hath trusted in it ? there is no breath in the midst of it (Hab. ii. 18-20). In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made for themselves to bow themselves down to, to the moles and to the bats (Isa. ii. 18, 20). They have made themselves a molten No. 460.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 473 image of their silver, idols according to their own understand- ing, the whole the work of the artificers (Hos. xiii. 2). J will sprinkle clean waters upon you, that ye may be cleansed from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols (Ez. xxxvi. 25). " Clean waters " are truths ; the idols are the falsities of worship. Ye shall pronounce unclean the coveri?ig of thy graven images of silver and the veil of thy molten image of gold ; thou shall cast it away as a menstruous cloth, thou s halt call it dung (Isa. xxx. 22). Nor is any thing but the falsities of religion and thence of worship signified by the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone \ which Belshazzar, king of Babylon, praised (worshipped}, when he drank wine with his lords, wives, and concubifies out of the vessels of gold and silver of the Temple of Jerusalem ; for which the king was slain (Dan. v. 1-5, &c.) : besides many other places, as Isa. x. 10, 11 ; xxi. 9 ; xxxi. 7 ; xl. 19, 20 ; xli. 29 : xlii. 17 ; xlviii. 5 ; Jer. viii. 19 ; 1. 38, 39 ; Ez. vi. 4, 5 3 xiv. 3-6 ; Mic. i. 7 ; v. 13 ; Ps. cxv. 4, 5 ; exxxv. 15, 16 ; Lev. xxvi. 30. By idols are properly signified the falsities of worship from one's own intelligence. How a man fashions them, and afterwards accommodates them, so as to appear as truths, is fully described in Isaiah xliv. 9-20. 460. Which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk, signifies in which there is nothing of spiritual and truly rational life. These things are said because idolaters believe that their idols see and hear ; for they regard them as gods. But still this is not the meaning of those words ; but that in falsities of worship there is nothing of spiritual nor truly rational life : for by seeing and hearing is signified to un- derstand and to perceive (n. 7, 25, 87) ; and by walking is signified to live (n. 167) : hence by the three, spiritual and truly rational life is signified. These things are signified because by idols falsities of worship are signified, and in these there is nothing of spiritual and rational life. Thai idols do not see, hear, and walk, is too manifest to be men- tioned here, unless there is something within which is 474 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. signified. Similar things are also said of idols elsewhere in the Word, as in these places : They k?iow not, nor under- stand, and their eyes do not see, their hearts do not know ; they have no knowledge nor intelligence (Isa. xliv. 18, 19). They do not speak nor walk (Jer. x. 3-10). They have mouths, but they speak not ; and they have eyes, but do not see (Ps. cxv. 5 j cxxxv. 15, 16) : by which similar things are signified, because falsities of worship are signified by idols ; and in falsities of worship there is nothing of life, which is life. 461. And repented not of their 7?iurders, nor of their en- chantments, nor of their whoredoms, nor of their thefts, signi- fies that the heresy of faith alone induces in the hearts stupidity, tergiversation, and hardness, so that they do not think any thing of the precepts of the Decalogue, nor indeed of any sin that it is to be shunned because it is with the devil and against God. What murders, whoredoms, and thefts signify in every sense, may be seen in the " Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem from the Precepts of the Decalogue," where it is shown ; on which account there is no need of explaining them here. But what enchantments signify will be told in the following paragraph. That faith alone induces stupidity, tergiversation, and hardness in th-c hearts of them that are in the Churches of the Reformed, is because goodness of life is not religion where faith alone prevails ; and if goodness of life is not religion, then the second table of the Decalogue, which is a table of repentance, is like a smoothed tablet, on which nothing is written. That the second table of the Decalogue is a table of repentance, is manifest ; since it is not said in it that good works are to be done, but that evil works are not to be done ; as, " Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not testify falsely, Thou shalt not covet the things that are thy neighbor's ; " and if these are not of one's religion, this comes to pass, " And they repented not of their murders, nor of their en- chantments, nor of their whoredoms, nor of their thefts." No. 462.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 475 That good of life is not religion where faith alone pre- vails, will be clearly seen in what follows. 462. As it is not known at this day what is meant by cnchant?nents, it will be briefly told. Enchantments are mentioned just above in place of the eighth precept of the Decalogue, " Thou shalt not testify falsely ; " for the remaining three evils, which are murders, whoredoms, and thefts, are there named. By " testifying falsely " is signified in the natural sense to act as false witness, to lie, and defame ; and in the spiritual sense, to confirm and persuade that falsity is truth and that evil is good : from which it is manifest, that by enchanting is signified to persuade to falsity, and so to destroy truth. Enchant- ments were in use among the ancients, and were effected in three ways. First : They kept the hearing of another, and thus his mind, continually in their words and sayings, not relaxing any thing from them ; and at the same time breathing and inspiring thought conjoined with affection through the breath in the sound of the speech, in conse- quence of which the hearer could not think any thing of him- self ; and thus the falsifiers infused their falsities by force. Secondly : They infused a persuasion ; which was done by keeping the mind away from every thing contrary, and holding it intent in the sole idea of the things said by them : hence the spiritual sphere of their mind dispelled the spiritual sphere of the other's mind, and suffocated it. This was the spiritual witchcraft which the magi of old used ; and it was called the binding and tying of the under- standing. This kind of enchantment was of the spirit or thought alone, but the former was also of the mouth or the speech. Thirdly : The hearer kept his mind so fixedly on liis own belief, as almost to stop his ears against hearing any thing from the speaker ; which was done by keeping in the breath of the mouth, and sometimes by a tacit mum- bling, and so by continual denial of the sentiments of his adversary. This kind of enchantment was that of those vol. a. 3 476 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. who heard others, but the two former were used by those who spoke to others. These three kinds of enchantment were among the ancients, and are still with infernal spirits ; but with men in the world there is only the third kind, re- maining with those who have confirmed in themselves the falsities of religion from pride in their own intelligence : for when these hear things contrary, they admit them no nearer into their thought than to contact, and then emit from the interior bosom of their mind a fire as it were which consumes them ; of which the other knows nothing, except by the indications from the face and the tone in the answer, if the enchanter does not keep down that fire, that is, the anger of his pride, by simulation. This kind of enchant- ment, at the present day, causes truths not to be received, and with many, not to be understood. That in ancient times there were many magic arts, and among them en- chantments, is manifest in Moses : When thou shalt come into the land, thou shalt not learn to do after the abomina- tions of those nations ; there shall not be found in thee one that passeth his son or his daughter through the fire; a diviner by divinations, a magician and a soothsayer, a sorcerer, and an enchanter of enchantment, and one that interrogateth a python, and an augurer, and one that inquireth of the dead ; for all these are an abomination to Jehovah (Deut. xviii. 9-1 1). The persuasion of falsity, and thus the destruction of truth, are signified by enchantments in these passages : Thy wisdom and thy k?iowledge hath seduced thee ; therefore shall evil come upon thee : persist in thine enchantments, and in the multitude of thy divinations (Isa. xlvii. 10-12). All nations were seduced by the enchantment of Babylon (Apoc. xviii. 23). Without shall stand dogs, enchanters, whoremongers, mur- derers (Apoc. xxii. 15). Jehoram said to Jehu, Is it peace ? he said, What peace to the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her many enchantments (2 Kings ix. 22). By her whore- doms are signified falsifications (n. 134), and by her en- chantments the destructions of truth by persuasions of No. 463.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 477 falsity. That enchantment, on the other hand, signifies the rejection of falsity by truths, which was also done by tacitly thinking and muttering charms from a zeal for truth against falsity, is manifest from these passages : Jehovah will re- move out of Zion the mighty, the man of war, the counsellor, the learned in muttering charms, the skilful in enchantment (Isaj iii. 1-3). Their poison is as the poison of the deaf asp ; that stoppeth her ear that she may not hear the voice of tht charmers, of the wise e?ichanter of enchantments (Ps. lviii. 4, 5). Behold, I send against you basilisk serpents, against which there is no enchantment (Jer. viii. 17). Iji distress they sought thee, they cried out in murmuring speech (Isa. xxvi. 16). 463. To this I will add this Relation. I looked forth to the sea-coast in the spiritual world, and saw there a magnificent dock. I drew near, and looked at it ; and, behold, there were vessels there large and small, and mer- chandise in them of every kind ; and upon the decks were boys and girls distributing it to those that wished. And they said, We are waiting to see our beautiful tortoises, which now and then come up to us out of the sea. And, behold, I saw tortoises great and small, upon whose shells and scales young tortoises were sitting, which were looking at the islands around. The father tortoises had two heads, the one large, covered over with a shell similar to the shell of their body, whence they had a reddish glow ; and the other small, such as tortoises have, which they were wont to draw back into the front parts of the body, and also to insert in an unobserved manner in the larger head. But I kept my eyes on the great reddish head ; and I saw that it had a face like a man's, and spoke with the boys and girls upon the decks, and licked their hands. And the boys and girls then stroked them, and gave them eatables and dainties, and also costly things, as pure silk for garments, thyine wood for tablets, purple for decorations, and scarlet for paints. Seeing these things, I desired to know what 478 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX. they represented ; as I knew that all the things that appear in the world of spirits are correspondences, and represent something spiritual coming down from heaven. And they then spoke with me out of heaven, and said, " You know yourself what the dock represents, also what the ships, and the boys and girls upon the decks ; but you do not know what the tortoises represent." And they said, "The tortoises represent those of the clergy there, who altogether separate faith from charity and its good works, affirming in themselves that there is plainly no conjunction between them ; but that the Holy Spirit, through faith in God the Father for the sake of the Son's merit, enters into a man, and purines his interiors even to his own will, out of which they make an oval plane as it were ; and that when the operation of the Holy Spirit approaches this plane, it bends itself around it on the left side, and by no means touches it : and thus that the inner or higher part of a man's con- stitution is for God, and that the outer or lower is for man ; and that so nothing that the man does, neither good nor evil, appears before God : not the good, because this is meritorious ; and not the evil, because this is evil : since, if either appeared before God, the man would perish ; and since it is so, that man is permitted to will, think, speak and do whatever he pleases, provided he is careful before the world." I asked whether they also assert that it is permitted to think of God, that He is not omnipresent and omniscient ? They said from heaven, that this also is permitted them ; because God, in him who has once been purified and so justified, does not look at any thing of his thought and will ; and that he still retains in the inner bosom or higher region of the mind or constitution the faith which he had received in its first operation ; and that that operation may sometimes return, when the man does not know it These are the things which the small head represents, which they draw into the fore parts of the body, and conceal, and also insert in the great head, when they No 463.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 479 speak with the laity : for they do not speak with them from the small head, but the large one, which appears in front as furnished with a human face. And they speak with them from the Word concerning love, charity, good works, the precepts of the Decalogue, repentance ; and they quote from the Word almost all the things that are there on these subjects. But they then insert the small head into the large one, from which they understand inwardly in themselves, that all those things are not to be done for the sake of God, of heaven, and of salvation ; but only for pub- lic and private good. But as they speak concerning these things from the Word, especially concerning the Gospel, the operation of the Holy Spirit, and salvation, agreeably and elegantly, they therefore appear before their hearers as handsome men, and as wise above all others in the whole world : for which reason also you saw that costly and precious things were given to them by the boys and girls that sat upon the decks of the vessels. It is these, therefore, whom you saw represented as tortoises. In your world they are little distinguished from others, — only by this, that they believe themselves to be wiser than all, and laugh at others, — especially at their companions who they say are not wise, — as those whom they despise. They carry a kind of small mark with them on their gar- ments, by which they are known to one another. He that spake with me said, " I shall not tell you what they think concerning other matters of faith ; as election, free agency, baptism, the Holy Supper : which are such things as they do not divulge, but we in heaven know. But because they are such in the world, and after death it is not permitted any one to speak otherwise than he thinks, therefore be- cause they cannot then do otherwise than speak from the insanity of their thoughts, they are reputed as insane, and are cast out of the societies, and are at length let down into the pit of the abyss, and become corporeal spirits, and appear like mummies : for a callousness is induced over THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED [Chap. IX. the interiors of their minds, because in the world also they had interposed a barrier. There is an infernal society of them on the confines next the society from the Machiavel- lists, and they sometimes enter from the one into the other, and call themselves companions ; but they go away be- cause there is a contrariety, on this account, that there was with them some religion concerning faith in act, but none among the Machiavellists. After I saw them cast out of the societies, and gathered together to be cast down, there was seen a vessel in the air flying with seven sails, and therein officers and sailors clothed in a purple dress, having magnificent laurels upon their hats, crying, " Lo, we are in heaven ; we are the purple-robed doctors, and crowned above all, because we are the chief of the wise from all the clergy in Europe." I wondered what this was ; and it was told me that they were images of the pride, and the ideal thoughts which are called fantasies, from those who were before seen as tortoises, and now as the insane ones cast out of the soci- eties, and gathered together into one, and standing to- gether in one place. And I then desired to speak with them ; and I came to the place where they were standing, and saluted them, and said, " Are you they who have sep- arated men's internals from their externals, and the opera- tion of the Holy Spirit as in faith from its co-operation with man outside of faith, and so have separated God from man ? Have you not thus removed not only charity itself and its works, from faith, like many other doctors of the clergy, but also faith itself as to its manifestation before God, from man ? But, I pray, Do you wish that I should speak with you on this matter from reason, or from the sacred Scripture ? " They said, " Speak first from reason." And I spoke, saying, " How can the internal and the external with a man be separated ? Who does not see, or cannot see, from common perception, that all of a man's interiors proceed and are continued into his No. 463.J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 481 exteriors and even into the outermosts. that they may produce their effects and do their works ? Are not the internals for the sake of the externals, that they may ter- minate, in them, and subsist in them, and so exist, scarce otherwise than as a column does upon its pedestal ? You can see that if there were not continuation, and so con- junction, the outermosts would be dissolved, and would disperse like bubbles in the air. Who can deny that the i iterior operations of God with men are myriads of myri- ads, of which man knows nothing ? And what good does it do to know them, provided he knows the outermosts, in which he is with his thought and will, together with God ? But this shall be illustrated by an example. Does a man know the interior operations of his speech? as how the lungs draw in the air, and fill the vesicles, the bronchiae, and the lobes with it? how they emit this air into the tra- chea, and there turn it into sound ? how that sound is mod- ified in the glottis by the help of the larynx ? and how the tongue then articulates it, and the lips complete the artic- ulation, so that it becomes speech ? All these interior operations, of which the man knows nothing, are they not for the sake of the outermost, that man may be able to speak? Remove or separate one of those internal things from its continuous connection with the outermosts, — could the man speak any more than a stock ? Take another example : The two hands are the ultimates of man. Are there not interiors, which are continued thither ? Thev are from the head through the neck, also through the breast, the shoulders, the amis, and the forearms ; and there are the innumerable muscular textures, the number- less orders of the moving fibres, the innumerable bundles of the nerves and blood-vessels, and the many connec- tions of the bones with their membranes and ligaments. Do^s man know any thing concerning these? and yet they all combine in the motion of his hands. Suppose that those interiors around the elbow were turned to the left, 482 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. IX and -did not enter the hand ; would not the hand from the elbow pine away, and go to decay like something torn off without life ? Indeed, if you are willing to believe it, it would be as it would with the body, if the man were beheaded. It would be altogether similar with the will and thought of man, if the Divine operation should leave off before it reaches them, and not flow into them. This is according to reason. Now if you are willing to hear it, these same things are also according to the Sacred Scrip- ture. Does not the Lord say, Abide in me, and I in you : I am the Vine, and ye are the bra?iches : he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit ; for without me ye cannot do any thing? (John xv. 4, 5). Is not this fruit the good works which the Lord does through the man, and which the man does as of himself? Does not the Lord also say that He stands at the door and knocks ; and that to him who opetis He will enter in, and will sup with him, and he with Hi?n 1 (Apoc. iii. 20). Does not the Lord give the pounds and the talents, that ma7i may trade with them, and get gain ; and as he gains, give him eternal life ? (Matt. xxv. 14-34; Luke xix. 13-26). Also that He gives reward to every one according to his labor in His vineyard (Matt. xx. 1-17). These are but a few passages. Pages might be tilled from the Word concerning this, — that man ought to bear fruit as a tree, to do the commandments, to love God and the neighbor, and other like things. But I know that your own intelligence can hold no such prin- ciple, as it really is, in common with the Word, which although you quote, still your ideas pervert it. And you cannot do otherwise, because you remove all the things of God away from man as regards communication and thence conjunction. What then remains, except also all the things of worship ? " They were afterwards seen by me in the light of heaven, which discloses and makes manifest what the quality of each one is ; and then they were not seen as before in a ship in the air as it were in heaven, nor in pur- Chap. IX.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 4«3 pie garments, nor with heads crowned with laurel ; but in a sandy place, and in garments of rags, and girded with fishing nets as it were around the loins ; through which their nakedness appeared : and they were then cast down into the society on the confines next the Machiavellists, spoken of above. THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap X. CHAPTER TENTH. 1. And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow was over his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. 2. And he had in his hand a little book open ; and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth. 3. And he cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth ; and when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. 4. And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 5. And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand unto heaven. 6. And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that time shall be no longer. 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God shall also be fin- ished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets. 8. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake again unto me, and said, Go, take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 9. And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book ; and he said unto me, Take it and eat it up j and it shall make thy belly bitter ; but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. 10. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand. Chap. X.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALEf > 485 and eat it up ; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey ; and when I had eaten it up, my belly was made bitter. it. And he saith unto me, Thou must prophesy again over peoples and nations and tongues and many kings THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. The explora tion and manifestation of those who are in the Churches of the Reformed is still treated of ; here what they believe concerning the Lord as being the God of heaven and earth, as He taught (Matt, xxviii. 18) j and as to His Humanity being Divine : and that this is not received there, and that it can with difficulty be received as long as the dogma concerning justification by faith alone is seated in their hearts. The Contents of each Verse. " And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven," signifies the Lord in Divine Majesty and Power. " Encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow was over his head," signifies His Divine Natural and Divine Spiritual. " And his face was as the sun," signifies the Divine Love and at the same time the Divine Wisdom. " And his feet as pillars of fire," signifies the Lord's Divine Natural as to the Divine Love, which sustains all things. " And he had in his hand a little book open," signifies the Word as to this point of doctrine therein, lhat the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine. " And he set his right foot upon the sea and his left upon the earth," signifies that the Lord has the universal church under his auspices and dominion. " And he cried with a great voice as a lion roareth," signifies grievous lamentation that the Church was taken away from Him. " And when he cried, the seven thunders uttered 'heir voices," signifies that the Lord will disclose through the universal heaven what is in the little book. " And 486 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write ; and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not," signifies that those things are indeed manifested, but that they are not received, until after they who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false- prophet have been cast out of the world of spirits ; because there would be danger if they were received before. " And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever," signifies attestation and tes- tification of the Lord by Himself. " Who created heaven and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it," signifies who gives life to all who are in heaven and who are in the church and each and every thing within them. !< That time shall be no longer," signifies that there would not be any state of the church, nor any church, unless one God were acknowledged, and that the Lord is He. " But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound," signifies the final exploration and manifes- tation of the state of the church, that it would perish if a new one were not established by the Lord. " And the mystery of God shall be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets," signifies that it will then appear that it has been foretold in the Word of both Testaments, and has hitherto been hidden, that after the last judgment upon those who have devastated the church, the Lord's kingdom will come. "And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, saying, Take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth," signifies a command from heaven that the) should take to themselves that doctrine, but that it would be made manifest through John how it would be received in the church, before they who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false-prophet, were removed, No. 465.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 487 "And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book," signifies an inclination of the natural mind with many to. receive the doctrine. " And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey," signifies that the reception from acknowledgment that the Lord is the Sav- iour and Redeemer is agreeable and pleasant, but that the acknowledgment that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult owing to falsifications. "And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and eat it up ; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey • and when I had eaten it up, my belly was made hitter "signifies that it was so done, and so manifested. " And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again over peoples and nations and tongues and many kings," signifies that because it is so, it must be further taught of what quality they are who are in faith alone. THE EXPLANATION. 464. In this and the following chapter the Lord is treated of, that He is the God of heaven and earth, and that He is also God as to His Human : consequently that He is Jehovah. That this is treated of in these two chapters may be seen from the particulars in the spiritual sense, and from the conclusion of them (chap. xi. 15-17). 465. And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, signifies the Lord in Divine Majesty and Power. That this angel is the Lord is manifest from the description of him ; that he was encompassed with a cloud, a rainbow over his head, his face as the sun, his feet as pillars of fire, and that he set his feet upon the sea and upon the earth ; also that he cried as a lion roareth, and spake like thunder. He was seen as an angel, because He appears in the heavens and below the heavens as an angel, when He 488 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. manifests Himself : for He fills some angel with His Divine accommodated to the reception of those to whom He gives to see Him. His presence itself, such as it is in itself or in its essence, not any angel, and still less any man, can sustain j on which account He appears above the heavens as the Sun, which is distant from the angels as the sun of the world from men. There He is in His Divine from eternity, and at the same time in His Divine Human, which are one, as soul and body. He is here called " a mighty angel " from the Divine Power : and He is said to be " another angel " from the fact that His Divine is described here different from before. 466. Encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow was over His head, signifies His Divine Natural and Divine Spiritual. By the cloud with which He was encompassed the Divine Natural is signified ; on which account the Word in the natural sense, which also is from Him, thus His and Himself, is signified by a cloud (n. 24). By the rainbow is signified the Divine Spiritual ; and because this is above the Natural, the rainbow was therefore seen over His head. It is to be known, that the Lord in His Divine Natural is with men, but in His Divine Spiritual with the angels of the spiritual kingdom, and in the Divine Heavenly (Celestial) with the angels of the heavenly (celestial) kingdom ; but still He is not divided, but appears to each one according to his quality. The Lord's Divine Spiritual is also signified by the rainbow in Ezekiel : Upon the expanse of the cherubs was the likeness of a throne, and upo?i it the appearance of a man ; and from the fire of his loins as the appearance of the rainbow which is in the cloud on a day of rain ; this was the appearance of the glory of Jehovah (Ez. i. 26-29). By the throne heaven is signified : by the man upon it the Lord : by the fire of his loins heavenly (celestial) love ; and by the rainbow the Divine Truth Spiritual, which aiso is of His Divine Wisdom. By the rainbow, of which this is said in Moses, I have set my bow in the cloud) which shall be N0.46S.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 4S9 a sign of the covenant between me and the earth ; and when I see it in the cloud, I will remember tht eternal covenant (Gen. ix. 12-17), nothing else is meant but the Divine Truth spiritual in the natural with the man who is being regenerated ; for a man, when he is being regenerated, from natural is becoming spiritual : and because there is then a conjunction of the Lord with him, it is therefore said that the bow in the cloud was for a sign of a covenant. A covenant signifies conjunction. That there is no con- junction of the Lord with man by the rainbows in the world, is manifest. 467. And his face was as the sun. That it signifies the Divine Love and at the same time the Divine Wisdom, is manifest from the explanations above (n. 53), where similar things are said of the Son of Man. 468. And His feet as pillars of fire, signifies the Lord's Divine Natural as to the Divine Love, which sustains all things. This also is manifest from the explanations above (n. 49), where it is said of the Son of Man. that His feet were like unto fine brass, as if glowing in a furnace. The reason that His feet were seen as pillars of tire, is because the Lord's Divine Natural, which in itself is the Divine Human which He begot in the world, sustains His Divine from eternity, as the body does the soul, and as the natural sense of the Word sustains its spiriDial and heavenly (celestial) senses ; respecting which see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 27-49A That the feet signify the natural may be seen (n. 49), and a pillar support (n. 191). Fire signifies love, because spiritual fire is nothing else : for which cause it is customary in worship to pray that heavenly tire nay kindle the hearts, that is, heavenly love. That there is a corre- spondence between fire and love is known from this, — that a man grows warm from love, and grows cold from the privation of it. There is nothing else that makes vital heat but love in both senses. The origin of correspondences 490 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. is from the two Suns ; the one in the heavens, which is pure love ; and the other in the world, which is pure fire. Thence also there is a correspondence of all spiritual and natural things. Since fire signifies the Divine Love, there- fore Jehovah was seen by Moses upon mount Horeb in a bush i?i fire (Ex. iii. 1—3). And He came down on mount Sinai in fire (Deut. iv. 36). And therefore the seven lamps of tht candlestick in the tabernacle were kindled every evening, that they might burn before Jehovah (Lev. xxiv. 2-4). Also, that the fire burned perpetually upon the altar, and was not extinguished (Lev. vi. 13). And that they took fire from the altar in the censers, and offered incense (Lev. xvi. 12, 13 ; Num. xvi. 46, 47). That Jehovah went before the children of Israel by night in a pillar of fire (Ex. xiii. 21, 22). That there was fire by night upo?i the tabernacle (Ex. xl. 38 ; Ps. cv. 39 ; Isa. iv. 5, 6). That fire from heaven consumed the burnt-offerings upon the altar, as a sign of the Lord's good pleasure (Lev. ix. 24; 1 Kings xviii. 38). That the bur?it- offerings were called offerings made by fire to Jehovah, and the offerings by fire for an odor of rest to Jehovah (Ex. xxix. 18 3 Lev. i. 9, 13, 17 • ii. 2, 9-1 1 ; iii. 5, 16 ; iv. 31 ; v. 12 ; vi. t8; xxi. 6 ; Num. xxviii. 2 ; Deut. xviii. 1). That the eyes of the Lord were seen as a flame of fire ( Apoc. i. 1 4 ; ii. 18 ; xix. 12 ; Dan. x. 5, 6). That the seven lamps of fire burned before the thro?ie (Apoc. iv. 5). Hence it is manifest what is signified by the lamps with oil and without oil (Matt. xxv. 1-11). By the oil is meant fire, and thus love. Besides many other places. That fire in the opposite sense signifies infernal love, is manifest from so many places in the Word, that it is in vain to adduce them on account of their abundance : see something on this subject in the work on "Heaven and Hell," published at London (n. 566-575). 469. And he had in his hand a little book open, signifies the Word as to this point of doctrine therein, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine. That by the Book which the Lamb took from Him No. 470.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 49 I that sat upon the throne, and whose seven seals He loosed (Apoc. v. 1, 7 ; vi. 1), is meant the Word, may be seen above (n. 256, 259, 295, &x.) ; for which reason by the little book in the hand of the angel, who also is the Lord (n. 465), nothing else is meant but the Word as to some essen- tial therein. That this is the point of doctrine in the Word, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is manifest from the particular in this chapter and in the following, in the spiritual sense ; and also from the natural sense (chap. xi. 15-17). The little book is said to be open, because that point stands out openly in the Word, and is manifest to every one who reads, if he attends. This is now treated of, because this is the essential itself of the New Church. The reason is, that on the knowledge and acknowledgment of God depends the salvation of every one : for it is as it was said in the Pref- ace, that " upon a just idea of God the universal heaven is founded, and the entire church on earth, and in general all religion ; because by that there is conjunction, and by con- junction light, wisdom, and eternal happiness." Now as the Lord is Himself the God of heaven and earth, if there- fore He is not acknowledged, no one is admitted into heaven ; for heaven is His body : but he stands beneath, and is bitten by serpents ; that is, by infernal spirits, against whom there is given no healing, except that which was given to the children of Israel, that they should look to the serpent of brass (Num. xxi. 1-9) ; that by this the Lord is meant as to His Divine Human, is manifest from this in John : As Moses lifted up the serpoit in the wilderness •, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that every one that be- lieveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (iii. 470. And he set his right foot upon the sea and his left upon the earth, signifies that the Lord has the universal church under His auspices and dominion, as well those therein who are in its externals as those who are in its in- 492 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. ternals. By the sea and the earth the universal church is signified ; by the sea the external church, that is, those who are in its externals ; and by the earth the internal church, that is, those who are in its internals (n. 398). By setting His feet upon them is signified to have all things subject to Himself, consequently under His Divine auspices and do- minion. Since the Lord's church on the earth is under the heavens, it is therefore called the footstool of His feet ; as in these passages : He hath cast forth out of heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, He doth not remember the footstool of His feet (Lam. ii. 1). The earth is the footstool of ?ny feet (Isa. lxvi. 1). We will enter ifito His habitations, we will bow ourselves down at the footstool of His feet (Ps. cxxxii. 7). Thou shall not swear by heaven, because it is the throne of God, neither by the earth, because it is the footstool of His feet ^Matt. v. 34, 35). I will make the place of my feet honorable Tsa. lx. 13). Thou hast made Him to rule over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under His feet (Ps. viii. 6). This is said of the Lord. That he put his right foot upon the sea and his left upon the earth is because they who are in the externals of the church have not so confirmed falsi- ties with themselves as those who are in its internals. 471. And he cried with a great voice as a lion roareth, signifies grievous lamentation that the church was taken away from Him. That by " crying as a lion roareth " a grievous lamentation concerning the church is signified, and that it has been taken away from Him, is manifest from the explanations in the preceding chapter, where the states of life of those who are of the church were explored and manifested, which were lamentable : also from these things in this chapter, that " the angel sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, that time shall be no longer ; " by which is signified that there is not a church : as also in the following chapter, that " the beast that came up out of the abyss slew His two witnesses ; " particularly that He is not acknowl- edged and approached, although He is the God of heaven No. 472.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 493 and earth. Lamentation concerning these things is signi- fied by his roaring like a lion ; for the lion roars when he sees his enemies and their insults, and when he sees his whelps and his prey taken away : and so by comparison the Lord, when He sees His church taken away by devils. That this is signified by roaring as a lion, may be evident fjom these passages: As the lion roareth. and the young Hotly over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds goeth forth against him, so Jehovah Zebaoth co?neth down to fight for 7nount Zion (Isa. xxxi. 4). The anger of Jehovah was kindled against His people, His roari?ig is like a lion's, He roared like the young lions, and He growled and seized the prey ; for, behold, darkness and sorrow ; and the light shall be darkened in the ruins thereof (Isa. v. 25-30). Jehovah shall roar from on high, and shall utter His voice from the habitation of His holiness ; He shall mightily roar against His habita- tions (Jer. xxv. 29-31). Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, and shall utter His voice out of Jerusalem (Joel iii. 16). / will not destroy Ephrawi ; they shall go after Jehovah ; as a lion shall He roar, because He shall roar (Hos. xi. 9-1 1). The lion roareth, who shall not fear ? the Lord Jehovah spake, who will not prophesy (Am. iii. 7, 8). God roareth with His voice, He thunder eth with the voice of His majesty (Job xxxvii. 4, 5). That roaring signifies grievous lamentation is evident from these : ATy bones have become old through my roaring all the day (Ps. xxxii. 3). I am feeble and broken ; I have roared because of the roaring of my heart (Ps. xxxvii i. 8). My sighing comes before my bread, and my roarings are poured out as water (Job iii. 24). 47 2 . And when he cried, the sroen thunders uttered their voices, signifies that the Lord will disclose through the universal heaven what is in the little book. This is signified because it follows that he wished to write what the seven thunders spake ; but that it was said to him from heaven that he should seal up those things, and not write them : and after- wards, hat he should eat up the little book ; and that it 494 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. should be sweet as honey in his mouth, but that his belly should be made bitter by it ; by which is signified that such things were in it as could not yet be received. The reason may be seen in the following. paragraph. But I will lay open what was in the little book. In the little book were the things which are contained in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord," from beginning to end, which are the following : — That the entire Sacred Scripture is concerning the Lord, and that the Lord is the Word (n. 1-7). The Lord's fulfilling all the things of the Law means that He fulfilled all the things of the Word (n. 8-1 1). That the Lord came into the world, that He might subjugate the hells, and glorify His Human ; and that the passion of the cross was the last combat, by which He fully overcame the hells, and fully glorified His Human (n. 12-14). That the Lord by the passion of the cross did not take away sins, but that He bore them (n. 15-17). That the imputation of the Lord's merit is noth- ing else but the remission of sins after repentance (n. 18). That the Lord as to His Divine Human is called the Son of God, and the Son of Man as to the Wc:d (n. 19-28)'. That the Lord made His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself, and that He thus became one with the Father (n. 29-36). That the Lord is God Himself from whom and con- cerning whom is the Word (n. 37-44). That God is one, and that the Lord is that God (n. 45). No. 473.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 495 That the Holy Spirit is the Divine proceeding from the Lord, and that it is the Lord Himself (n. 46-54)- That the Doctrine of the Athanasian Creed agrees with the truth, provided that by the Trinity of Per- sons is understood a Trinity of Person, which is in the Lord (n. 55-61). It is said that the seven thunders uttered their voices, because the speech of the Lord passing down through the heavens into the lower parts is heard as thunder j and be- cause He speaks at the same time through the whole heaven, and thus fully, they are called the seven thunders : for by seven are signified all, all things, and the whole (n. 10, 391). For which reason instruction and the perception of truth is also signified by thunder (n. 236) ; here also disclosure and manifestation. That a voice out of heaven, when from the Lord, is heard as thunder, is manifest from these pas- sages : Jesus said, Father, glorify thy name : a?id there came forth a voice out of heave?i, and said, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it: the multitude heard this as thunder (John xii. 28-30). God roareth with His voice, He thunder eth with the voice of His majesty (Job xxxvii. 4, 5). Jehovah thun- dered out of heaven, and the Highest uttered His voice (2 Sam. xxii. 14). I heard a voice out of heaven, as the voice of great thunder (Apoc. xiv. 2). Thou calledst unto me, and I an- swered thee in secret thunder (Ps. lxxxi. 7). 473. And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write ; and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not, signifies that those things are indeed manifested, but that they are not received, until after they who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false- prophet, have been cast out of the world of spirits ; because there would be danger, if they were received before. The 496 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. voices winch the seven thunders uttered are the things which are treated of just above (n. 472), which, because they are the very essentials of the New Church, are mentioned thrice. By writing, in the natural sense, is signified to commit to paper, and thus to posterity, for remembrance. But in the spiritual sense by writing is signified to commit to the heart for reception. Hence by sealing up and not writing those things, is signified that they are not committed to the heart and received, until after the dragon, the beast, and the false-prophet were cast out of the world of spirits, because there would be danger if they should be received before. The reason is, because by the dragon, the beast, and the false-prophet those are signified who are in faith separate from charity ; and these constantly and tenaciously adhere to their faith, that God the Father is to be ap- proached, and not the Lord immediately ; also that the Lord is not the God of heaven and earth as to His Human : on which account, if that doctrine, stated just above (n. 472), which has been manifested and is still being manifested, — which is signified by the little book being open — should be received by any others but those who are in charity and its faith, who are also they that are signified by John (n. 5, 17), before the dragon is cast out, it would be rejected not only by them, but also through them by the rest : and if it should not be rejected, it would still be falsified, yea, profaned. That it is so is plainly manifest from the things that now fol- low in the Apocalypse, when seen in series ; which are, that they killed the Lord's two witnesses (chap, xi.) ; that the dragon stood near the woman that was to bring forth, to devour her offspring, and after he had fought with Michael, persecuted the woman (chap, xii.) ; and that the two beasts coming up, the one out of the sea and the other out of the earth, made one with him (chap, xiii.) ; also that they gathered their associates together to war at the place called Armageddon (chap, xvi.) ; and lastly, that they called together to the war the nations, Gog and Magog (chap, xx No. 474-] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 497 8, 9) : but that the dragon, the beast, and the false-prophet were cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (chap. xx. 10) : after which the New Church, which is to be the Lamb's Wife, came down from heaven (chap, xxi., xxii). These are the things that are meant by this : Seal up the thmgs which the seven thunders uttered, and write them ?iot. Also by this in this chapter : In the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God shall be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets (vers. 7). As also by this in the fol- lowing chapter : And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's (vers. 15): and by many similar things besides in the chapters which follow. See something on this subject in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord" (n. 61). 474. A?id the angel whom I saw standing upo?i the sea and upon the earth, lifted tip his hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, signifies attesta- tion and testification of the Lord by Himself. The Lord is meant by the angel standing upon the sea and the earth (n. 470) : By lifting up the hand unto heaven is signified attestation ; here, that time shall be no longer (vers. 6) : By " swearing " testification is signified ; here, that in the the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God shall be finished (vers. 7). By " Him that liveth for ever and ever" is meant the Lord Himself, as above (chap. i. 18 ; iv. 9, 10 j v. 14 \ Dan. iv. 34). That the Lord testifies by Himself, will be seen presently. From these things it is manifest that by these words : And the angel whom I saw standing upofi the sea and upo?i the earth, lifted up his hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, is signified the Lord's attestation and testifi- cation by Himself. That Jehovah swears, that is, testifies by Himself, is evident from these passages : / have sworn by myself, the word hath gone out of ?ny mouth which shall not be revoked (Isa. xlv. 23). / have sworn by myself, that 498 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. this house shall be a desolation (Jer. xxii. 5). Jehovah hath sworn by His soul (Jer. li. 14 ; Am. vi. 8). Jehovah hath sworn by His holiness (Am. iv. 2). Jehovah hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength (Isa. lxii. 8). Behold, I have sworn by my great name (Jer. xliv. 26). That Jehovah, that is, the Lord, sware by Himself, sig- nifies that the Divine Truth testifies ; for He is the Divine Truth, and this testifies from itself and by itself. Besides these passages declaring that Jehovah sware, cee Isa. xiv. 24; liv. 9 ; Ps. lxxxix. 3, 35 ; xcv. 11 ; ex. 4 ; exxxii. 11. The reason that it is said that Jehovah sware, is because the church instituted with the children of Israel was a rep- resentative church, and hence the conjunction of the Lord with the church was represented by a covenant, such as is made between two who swear to their compact : on which account, because an oath was part of a covenant, it is said that Jehovah sware ; by which, however, is not meant that He sware, but that the Divine Truth attests it. That an oath was part of a covenant, is manifest from these pas- sages : I have sworn unto thee, and have entered into a cove- nant with thee, that thou shouldest be mine (Ez. xvi. 8). To remember the covenant, the oath which He sware (Luke i. 72, 73 ; Ps. cv. 9 ; Jer. xi. 5 ; xxxii. 22 ; Deut. i. 34 ; x. 11 ; xi. 9, 21; xxvi. 3, 15; xxxi. 20; xxxiv. 4). Because a covenant was representative of the conjunction of the Lord with the church, and reciprocally of the church with the Lord, and as the oath was a part of the covenant, and was to be sworn from the truth in itself, and thus also by it, it was therefore permitted the children of Israel to swear by Jehovah, and thus by the Divine Truth (Ex. xx. 7 ; Lev. xix. 12 j Deut. vi. 13 ; x. 20 ; Isa. xlviii. 1 ; Ixv. 16 ; Jer. iv. 2 m} Zech. v. 4). But after the representatives of the church were abrogated, the use of oaths in covenants was also abrogated by the Lord (Matt. v. 33-37 ; xxiii. 16-22). 475. Who created heave?i and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and No. 476.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 499 the things that are in it, signifies Who gives life to all who are in heaven and who are in the church and each and every thing within them. By creating in the natural sense is signified to create, but in the spiritual sense by creating is signified to reform and regenerate (n. 254, 290), which also is to vivify. By heaven is meant the heaven where the angels are. By the earth and the sea the church is signified j by the earth those who are in its internals, and by the sea they that are in its externals (n. 398, 470) ; by " the things that are in them " are signi- fied each and every thing within them. 476. That time should be no longer, signifies that there would not be any state of the church, nor any church, unless one God were acknowledged, and that the Lord is He. By " time " state is signified ; and as the church is here treated of, the state of the church is signified : hence by time being no longer is signified that there will not be any state of the church. It follows that it is also meant that there will not be any church, unless one God is ac- knowledged, and that the Lord is He. Yet how is it at this day ? That God is one, is not denied ; but it is denied that the Lord is He. And yet there is not one God, and in whom there is at the same time a trinity, except the Lord. That the church is from Him who is the Saviour and Redeemer, is not denied ; but that He is to be ap- proached immediately as the Saviour and Redeemer, is denied. Hence it is manifest, that the church is about to expire, unless a new one comes into existence, which acknowledges the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth, and therefore goes immediately to Him (see Matt, xxviii. 18): for which reason this expression, that "time shall be no longer," that is, that there will be no church, has reference to the things which follow in this chapter (vers. 7), and these to the things in chap. xi. 15 ; where it is said that there will be a church which will be the Lord's alone. That state is signified by time is because time is vol. 11. 4 5oo THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X not measured in the spiritual world by days, weeks, months, and years, but by states, which are the progressions of their life, from which they remember the past ; on which subject see the work on " Heaven and Hell," published at London in the year 1758 (n. 162-169) > where time in heaven is treated of. The state of the church is her6 meant by time, because day and night, morning and even- ing, summer and winter, make time in the world ; and these, understood in the spiritual sense, make the states of the church : on which account, when these states are no longer, there is not any church • and there is none, when good and truth are no longer, and thus when the light of truth is thick-darkness, and the heat of good is cold. These are the things that are meant by time being no longer. Similar things are understood by these passages in the Word : The fourth beast thought to change the times (Dan. vii. 25). 7/ shall be one day which shall be known to Jehovah, not day nor ?iight, thus not time (Zech. xiv. 7). I will make the sun to set at noon, and' I will darken the earth in the daylight, thus not time (Amos viii. 9). One evil, behold, has come ; an end is come ; the end has come ; the morning has come upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth ; the ti?ne has come (Ez. vii. 5-7). " The morning " is the beginning of a new church (n. 151); and therefore it is said, "the time has come." 477. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, signifies the final exploration and manifestation of the state of the church, that it would perish, if a new one were not established by the Lord. That by sounding a trumpet is signified to explore and manifest the state of life of those who are of the church, consequently also the state of the church, may be seen above (n. 397) : and because seven angels sounded, by the voice of the seventh angel the final exploration and man- ifestation is signified ; which is, that the church would perish, if a new one were not established by the Lord No. 47S.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. That it would perish is meant by time being no longer (n. 476) ; and that a new church is to be established by the Lord, is meant by the things which now follow. 478. And the mystery of God shall be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets, signifies that it will then appear that it has been foretold in the Word of both Testaments and has hitherto been hidden, that after the last judgment upon those who have devastated the church, the Lord's kingdom will come. By being finished is signified to be fulfilled, to have an end, and then to appear. By the mystery of God declared to the prophets is signified that which has been foretold by the Lord in the Word, and has hitherto been hidden. By declaring (evangelizing) is signified to announce the Lord's coming and His kingdom, for the Gospel (evangel) is a glad messenger. That this will come to pass, after the last judgment upon those who have devastated the church has been executed, is also foretold in the Word ; and therefore this also is signified. From this it may be evident that all these things are meant by those words. Something shall first be said here concerning the prediction of the Lord's coming and His kingdom in the Word of each Testament. In that part of the Word of the Old Testament which is called prophetic, in its spiritual sense, and also in the natural sense where the former sense shines forth, the Lord alone is treated of ; namely, His coming in the fulness of time, which is when there should be no longer the good of charity and the truth of faith in the church ; which state of it is called consummation, devastation, desolation, and termination : His combats with the hells and His victories over them are then treated of, which also are the last judgment executed by Him : and after these the creation of a new heaven and the institution of a new church are treated of, which are the coming king- dom of the Lord. These things are also treated of in the Word of the New Testament, which is called apostolic, and especially in the Apocalypse. That it is the Lord's kingdom 502 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. which will be evangelized in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, is manifest in the eleventh chapter following, from this : And the seventh a?igel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world have become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ever and ever : and the twenty-four elders fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, who art and who wast and who art to come, that thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast begun to reign (vers. 15-17). This mystery is described in Daniel almost in the same manner as here in the Apocalypse, where are these words : / heard the man clothed in linen, that he lifted up his hands to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever, that it should be unto the stated time of stated times and a half, whe?i all these things should be finished : but he said, Go, Daniel, because the words are shut up and sealed even to the time of the end (xii. 7, 9). " Even to the time of the end " is even to this time. That then the Son of Man will take the kingdom he foretells in these words : 1 saw in the visions of the night, and behold, there was one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven ; and to Him was given dominion, and glory, and kingdom ; and all peoples, nations, and tongues shall worship Him : His dominion is the dominion of an age which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not perish (Dan. vii. 13, 14). That to bring good tidings (evangelize) signifies the Lord's coming, and His kingdom at that time, is manifest from these passages : O Zion^ that bringest good tidings, get thee up upon the moun- tain : O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; say, Behold your God; behold the Lord yehovih conzeth in strength, and His arm shall rule for Him (Isa. xl. 9, 10). How delightful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith to Zion, Thy God shall reign (Isa. lii. 7, 8 ; Nak i. 15). Sing unfr Jehovah, bless His name, declare the good No. 479.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 503 tidings of His salvatio?i from day to day ; for yehovah eotneth (Ps. xcvi. 2, 13). The Spirit of the Lord yehovah is upon me, therefore yehovah hath anointed me to preach glad tidings to the poor, to preach liberty to the captives, to proclaim the year of the favor of yehovah (Isa. lxi. 1, 2). The angel said to Zechariah, Behold, thy wife shall bring forth a son, who shall go forth before the Lord God in the spirit and power of Elias, and to prepare a people for the Lord : L am Gabriel, and L was sent to show thee this glad tidings (Luke i. 13, 17, 19). The angel said to the shepherds, Fear not ; behold, L bring you good tidings of great joy ; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord (Luke ii. 10, 11). The Lord preached the glad tidings of the kingdom of God (Matt. iv. 23; ix. 35; Mark i. 15 ; Luke vii. 22 ; viii. 1 ; ix. 1, 2). John the Baptist also (Luke iii. 18). yesus also said to the Disciples, Go out into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark xvi. 15). This also is the everlasting Gospel which the angel had that was flying in the midst of heaven, to preach to them that dwell upon the earth (Apoc. xiv. 6). It is said that the mystery of God shall be finished ; by which is meant that now will be fulfilled that which has not been fulfilled before, which is, that the kingdom will be the Lord's. For it was not fulfilled by the Jews, because they did not acknowledge the Lord. Nor was it fulfilled by the Christians, for neither did they acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth even as to His Human ; for they make this like the human of another man : wherefore they do not go immedi- ately to him ; when yet He is Jehovah, who came into the world. 479. And the voice which L heard from heaven spake unto me again, sayifig, Take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth, sig- nifies a command from heaven that they should take to them- selves that doctrine concerning the Lord, but that it would De made manifest through John how it would be received 504 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. in the church, before they who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false-prophet, were removed. By the voice which he heard from heaven now speaking with him again, is meant the voice which told him to seal up what the seven thunders spake, and not write them (vers. 4) ; by which was signified that that doctrine concerning the Lord would not be received until after they who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false-prophet were cast out of the world of spirits ; because, if received before, there would be danger : see above (n. 473). That it is so, is now made manifest through John, by his eating up the little book, as now follows. That the doctrine concerning the Lord is meant by the little book, may be seen (n. 469; 472): and that the Lord is meant by the angel standing upon the sea and the earth (n. 465, 470). 480. And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give ?ne the little book, signifies an inclination of the natural mind with many in the church to receive the doctrine. This is signified because it is here made manifest through John how the doctrine concerning the Lord is received by many in the church, as was said just above. An inclination of the natural mind with these to receive it is meant, because there was an inclination in John \ for he went and asked for it. Since this involves such things, it was therefore first said to John that he should take the little book ; he next went and asked for it ; then the angel said that he would give it, but that the little book would make his belly bitter ; and at length it is added that it was given, and that it so came to pass. All these things are significative. 481. And he said unto me, Take it and eat it up ; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey, signifies that the reception from acknowledgment that the Lord is the Saviour and Redeemer is agreeable and pleasant, but that the acknowledgment that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult, owing to falsifications. No. 482.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 505 By taking the little book is signified to receive the doctrine, concerning the Lord : by eating it up is signified to ac- knowledge it : by making the belly bitter is signified that it will be disagreeable and difficult on account of falsifica- tions, for truth falsified is signified by bitter (n. 411): by being sweet as honey in the mouth, is signified that the first reception is agreeable and pleasant. These things now applied to that doctrine which is meant by the little book open in the angel's hand (n. 469, 472), signify that the re- ception from acknowledgment that the Lord is the Saviour and Redeemer is agreeable and pleasant ; but that the acknowledgment that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult by reason of falsifications. The principal falsifica- tions on account of which that doctrine will be perceived to be disagreeable and difficult are, that they did not ac- knowledge the Lord to be one with the Father ; which, however, He taught : and that they did not acknowledge the Lord's Human to be Divine, which yet is the Son of God (Luke i. 35) : and thus, it may be said, they made God three, and the Lord two ; besides the falsities flowing from them. From the latter falsities flows faith alone, and faith alone afterwards confirms the former falsities. That from these there arises so great bitterness and internal repug- nance, that they cannot, after death, even name the Divine Human from acknowledgment in the thought, may be seen above (n. 294). 482. And I took the little book out of the angels hand, and eat it up ; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey, and ivhcn I had eaten it up, my belly was made bitter, signifies that it was so done, and thus made manifest what would be the reception of that doctrine, before they who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false-prophet, were removed. As this is a consequence of what is said above, it is not further explained. We read that the prophet Ezekiel also cat up, by command, the roll of a book ; and that in his mouth it uhu sweet as honey (Ez. ii. S-10 ; iii. 1-3). 506 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. 483. And He said unto me, Thou must prophesy again over peoples and nations, and tongues and many kings, signifies that, because it is so, they must be further taught of what quality they are who are in faith alone. That this is signi- fied is manifest from what follows, — that those who are in faith alone are treated of as far as chapter xvii : and after- wards the Roman Catholic religion is treated of ; and after this, the casting out of the dragon, the beast, and the false- pi ophet, into hell ; and then the New Church, in which the Lord alone will be worshipped. By prophesying is signi- fied to teach (n. 8, 133) ; hence by prophesying again is sig* nified to teach further : by peoples those who are in truths or falsities of doctrine are signified \ and by nations those who are in goods or evils of life, treated of below; by tongues those are signified who are in these things exte- riorly (n. 282) ; and by kings those who are in them in- teriorly. That those are signified by kings who are in truths from good, and in the opposite sense, who are in falsities from evil, and abstractly truths from good or falsi- ties from evil, may be seen (n. 20, 664, 704, 720, 830, 92 t). And because they who are in interior falsities are treated of in particular in what follows, it is said "and many kings," by whom falsities of evil in abundance are signified. They are called peoples, nations, tongues, and kings, that all who are such in the church may be understood. Its being said to John that he must prophesy again, signifies that it must be further taught what is the quality of those who are in faith alone, to the end that their falsities may be disclosed, and so abolished ; since no falsity is abolished before it is disclosed. That peoples signify those who are in truths or falsities of doctrine, and nations those that are in goods or evils of life, may be evident from many places in the Word where peoples and nations are mentioned : but to prove this, the passages only where people and nations are men- tioned together shall be adduced here, from which this may oe concluded ; since in the Word, in each and every thing No. 483.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 507 of it, there is the marriage of the Lord and the church, and thence the marriage of good and truth : and " people " has reference to truth, and " nations " to good. That there is such a marriage in each and every thing in the Word, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 80-90). The passages in the Word are these: Woe to the sinful nation, to the people laden with iniquity (Isa. i. 4). / will send him against a hypocritical nation, I will command him against the people of my wrath (Isa. x. 6). Jehovah smote the people with a plague not curable, He ruled the nations with anger (Isa. xiv. 6). In that day shall there be brought as a present to Jehovah a people distracted and phmdered, a?id a nation meted out and trodden down (Isa. xviii. 7). The strong peo- ple shall honor thee, the city of the powerful nations shall fear thee (Isa. xxv. 3). Jehovah shall swallow up the cov- ering over all people, and the veil over all the nations (Isa. xxv. 7). Approach, ye nations, and listen, ye people (Isa. xxxiv. 1). I have called thee for a covenant of the people, and for a light of the nations (Isa. xlii. 6). Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people assemble (Isa. xliii. 9). Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and my standard to the people (Isa. xlix. 22). / have given Him for a witness to the people, a leader and a lawgiver to the nations (Isa. lv. 4). Behold a people coming from the land of the north, ami a great nation from the sides of the earth (Jer. vi. 22). Many people shall come, and numerous nations, to seek Jehovah Zebaoth in Jerusalem (Zech. viii. 22). Jehovah rct dereth void the counsel of the nations, He over- turjieth the devices of the people (Ps. xxxiii. 10). Jehovah will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet: Jehovah reigned over the nations ; the nobles of the people are gathered together (Ps. xlvii. 3, 8, 9). The people shall confess to thee, the nations shall be glad, for thou shall judge the people righteously, and lead the nations on the earth (Ps. lxvii. 2-4). Remember me, O Jehovah, with the favor A* 508 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [C'lAP. X. that thou dearest to thy people, that I may be glad in the joy of thy nations (Ps. cvi. 4, 5). All people, nations, and tongues shall worship the Son of Man (Dan. vii. 14). Besides other places, as Ps. xviii. 43; Isa. ix. 1, 2; xi. 10; Ez. xxxvi. 15 ; Joel ii. 17 ; Zeph. ii. 9 ; Apoc. v. 9 ; Luke ii. 30-32. 484. To this I will add three Relations, of things that oc- curred in the spiritual world. The First Relation is this : I once heard there a sound as of a mill : it was in the northern quarter. I wondered at first what this was ; but I recollected that by a mill and by grinding in the Word is meant to seek from the Word what is serviceable for doc- trine (n. 794). On which account I went up to the place where the sound was heard ; and when I was near, the sound died away ; and I then saw a kind of arched roof above the ground, the entrance to which was through a cave. Seeing which, I descended and entered ; and behold, there was a chamber, in which I saw an old man sitting among books, holding before him the Word, and seeking therefrom what might be serviceable to his doctrine. Scraps of paper lay around, on which he wrote down what served him. There were scribes in an adjoining room, who gathered up the papers, and copied them upon an entire sheet. I asked first about the books around him. He said that they all treated of justifying faith ; those which were from Sweden and Denmark profoundly, those which were from Germany more profoundly, and those that were from Britain more profoundly still, and most profoundly those from Holland. And he added that they disagree in various things, but that in the article of justification and salva- tion by faith alone they all concurred. He afterwards told me that he was now collecting from the Word this first point of justifying faith, that God the Father fell away from grace towards the human race on account of their iniquities ; and No. 4S4.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 509 that it was therefore a Divine necessity for the saving of men, that satisfaction, reconciliation, propitiation, and mediation should be made by some one, who should take upon himself the condemnation of justice ; and this could by no means be done but by His only Son : and that after this was done, access to God the Father was open for His sake. And he said, " I see and have seen, that this is ac- cording to all reason. How, otherwise, could God the Father be approached, except through faith in that merit of the Son ? I have now found also, that this is likewise accord- ing to Scripture." I heard this, and was astonished that he should say that it was according to reason and according to Scripture, when yet it is contrary to reason and contrary to Scripture ; which I also told him plainly. He then re- joined in the wrath of his zeal, " How can you speak so ? " For which reason I explained my meaning, saying, " Is it not contrary to reason to think that God the Father fell away from grace towards the human race, and rejected them ? Is not the Divine Grace an attribute of the Divine Essence ? Wherefore, to fall away from grace would be to fall away from His Divine Essence ; and to fall away from His Divine Essence, would be to be no longer God. Can God be alienated from Himself ? Believe me, that grace on the part of God, as it is infinite, is also eternal. The grace of God may be lost on the part of man, if he does not receive it ; but in no wise on God's part. If grace should recede from God, there would be an end of the uni- versal heaven and the entire human race, insomuch that man would no longer be man in any respect ; for which reason grace on the part of God endures for ever, not only towards angels and men, but also towards the devil himself. Since this is according to reason, why do you say that the only access to God the Father is through faith in the Son's merit, when yet there is perpetual access through grace ? But why do you say, access to God the Father for the sake of the Son ? and why not to God the Father through the 510 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X Son ? Is not the Son the Mediator and Saviour ? Why do you not go to the Mediator and Saviour Himself ? Is He not God and Man ? Who on the earth goes immedi- ately to any emperor, king, or prince ? Must there not be a deputy or introducer ? Do you not know that the Lord came into the world, that He might introduce us to the Father ; and that access is not given, except through Him ? Search now in the Scriptures, and you will see that this is according to them ; and that your way to the Father is con- trary to them, as it is contrary to reason. I tell you, too, that it is presumption to climb up to the Father, and not through Him who is in the bosom of the Father, and alone is with Him. Have you not read John xiv. 6 ? " Hearing these things, the old man was so angry, that he leaped from his seat, and cried out to his scribes to cast me out. And when I immediately went out of myself, he threw out of doors after me the book which his hand by chance took hold of, and that book was the Word. The Second Relation. After I went out, I again heard a harsh sound, but like that of two millstones in col- lision with each other. I went in the direction of the sound, and it died away ; and I saw a narrow gate leading obliquely downwards into a kind of roofed building divided into little cells, in each of which two were sitting, who were also col- lecting from the Word confirming texts in favor of faith. The one collected, and the other wrote ; and this alter- nately. I went up to one of the cells, and stood in the door, and asked, " What are you collecting and writing ? " They said, " Concerning the act of justification, or, Concerning Faith in act ; which is faith itself justifying, vivifying, and saving, and is the chief doctrine in the Christian world." And I then said to him, " Tell me some sign of the act, when that faith is brought into the heart and into the soul of a man." He answered, " The sign of the act is in the moment when the man, overcome with distress that he is condemned, thinks of Christ, that He took away the con- Chap. X.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 5 1 I demnation of the law, and takes hold of this His merit with confidence ; and with this in his thought, goes to God the Father, and prays." Then I said, " Thus is the act done, and this is the moment." And I asked, "How shall I comprehend what is said of this act, that not any thing of the man contributes to it, any more than it would if he were a stock or a stone ; and that the man, as to that act, cannot begin, will, understand, think, operate, co-operate, apply, and accommodate himself in any respect. Tell me how this agrees with your saying, that the act takes place at the time when the man thinks of the rightful power of the law, of his condemnation as taken away by Christ, of the confidence by which he takes hold of that merit of His ; and when in thought concerning this he goes to God the Father, and prays : and all those things are done by the the man as of himself." But he said, " they are not done actively by the man, but passively." And I replied, " How can one thinkr, have confidence, and pray, passively ? Take away action or reaction from the man at that time, do you not take away receptiveness also, and thus the whole, and with it the act itself? What then becomes of your act, un- less it be a mere ideal, which is called a thing of the imagi- nation ? I know that you do not believe, with some, that such an act is given only with the predestinated, who know nothing whatever of the infusion of faith with themselves. These may play at dice, to find out whether it is so. For which reason, my friend, believe that in the things of faith man operates and co-operates as of himself ; and that with- out that co-operation the act of faith, which you have called the chief of doctrine and of religion, is nothing but the statue of Lot's wife, tinkling as mere salt when scratched by the scribe's pen, or finger-nail (Luke xvii. 32). I have said this, because, as to that act, you make yourselves like statues." When I said this, he rose, and seized the candle stick with the full force of his hand to cast it in my face : but the candle being then suddenly extinguished, in the 5 1 2 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. X. darkness he threw it against the forehead of his companion ; and I went away smiling. The Third Relation. In the northern quarter of the spiritual world I heard as it were the roar of waters ; and I therefore went up thither : and when I was near, the roar ceased, and I heard a sound like that from a multitude. And then a house was seen full of holes, surrounded by a rough wall, from which that sound proceeded. I approached the door-keeper and asked him who were there. He said that they were the wisest of the wise, who decide among themselves concerning supernatural things. He spoke thus from his simple belief. And I asked whether it was per- mitted to enter. He said that it was, " provided you say nothing. I may admit you, because I have leave to admit gentiles, who stand with me at the door." I therefore entered ; and behold, it was a circus, and in the midst of it a pulpit ; and an assembly of the wise, as they were called, were discussing the arcana of faith. And the mat- ter or proposition then submitted for discussion was, whether the good which a man does in the state of j testification by faith, or in the progress of it after the act, is the good of religion, or not. They said unanimously, that by the good of religion was meant the good which contributes to salva- tion. The discussion was sharp : but those prevailed, who said that the good which a man does in the state or the progress of faith, is only moral, civil, and political good, which contributes nothing to salvation ; but that faith only can do this. And they proved it thus. " How can any work of man be conjoined with free-grace? Is not salva- tion of free-grace ? How can any good of man be conjoined with Christ's merit ? Is not salvation by that alone ? And how can man's operation be conjoined with the operation of the Holy Spirit ? Does not this do all, without the man's help ? Are not these three things alone saving in the act of faith ? and these three things also remain as alone sav- ing in the state or progress of faith. For which reason ac- Chap. X.] THE AFOCALYPSE REVEALED. 5 1 3 cessory good from the man can by no means be called the good of religion, which, as was said, contributes to salva- tion. But if one does this for the sake of salvation, it is rather to be called the evil of religion." Two Gentiles were standing in the entry near the door-keeper ; and they heard these things, and said to each other, " These people have not any religion. Who does not see that to do good to the neighbor for the sake of God, and thus with God, and from God, is what is called religion ? " And the other said, " Their faith has infatuated them." And they then asked the door-keeper, " Who are these ?" The door-keeper said, "They are wise Christians." And they answered, " Non- sense, you are deceiving us : they are play-actors ; they speak like them." And I went away. And when I looked, after a time, to the place where that house was, behold it was a marsh. These things which I saw and heard, I saw and heard in the wakefulness of my body and at the same time of my spirit ; for the Lord has so united my spirit to my body, that I may be in both at the same time. It was of the Divine auspices of the Lord, that I came to those houses, and that they then deliberated concernii g these matters ; and that it took place as it is described. 5H THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap- XI CHAPTER ELEVENTH. 1. And there was given to me a reed like unto a staff ; and the angel stood, saying, Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship in it. 2. And the court which is without the temple cast out, and measure it not ; for it is given to the Gentiles : and the holy city shall they trample down forty-two months. 3. And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. 4. These are the two olive-trees, and the two candle- sticks, which are standing before the God of the earth. 5. And if any one will hurt them, fire shall go forth out of their mouth, and shall devour their enemies ; and if any one will hurt them, thus must he be killed. 6. These have power to shut heaven, that the rain fall not in the days of their prophecy : and they have power over the waters, to turn them into blood ; and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they will. 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. & And their bodies shall lie upon the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9. And they of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations shall see their bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their bodies to be put into sepulchres. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and shall be glad, and shall send gifts one to Chap. XI.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 515 another, because those two prophets tormented them that dwell upon the earth. 11. And after the three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet ; and great fear fell upon them that saw them. 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying 'into them, Come up hither: and they ascended up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. 13. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth part of the city fell ; and there were slain in the earthquake names of men seven thousand : and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe com- eth quickly. 15. And the seventh angel sounded : and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. 16. And the twenty-four elders, who sat before God upon their thrones, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God ; 17. Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art to come, that thou hast taken thy great power, and hast entered upon thy kingdom. 18. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time to judge the dead, and to give the reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, both small and great j and to destroy them that destroy the earth. 19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven ; and there was seen in His temple the ark of His cove- nant ; and there were lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and great hail. 5i6 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. The state of the church with the Reformed is still treated of, of what quality they who are interiorly in faith alone, are in their opposition to the two essentials of the New Church ; which are, that the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine ; and that men ought to live according to the precepts of the Decalogue. That these two things were proclaimed before them (vers. 3-6). But they were altogether rejected (vers. 7-10). That they were resuscitated by the Lord (vers. 11-12). That those who rejected them perished (vers. 13). That the state of the New Church was made manifest from the New Heaven (vers. 15-19). The Contents of each Verse. " And there was given to me a reed like unto a staff," signifies that there was given the faculty and the power of knowing and see- ing the state of the church in heaven and in the world. "And the angel stood, saying, Arise and measure the tem- ple of God and the altar and them that worship in it," signifies the Lord's presence and His command, that he should see and know the state of the church in the New Heaven. " And the court which is without the temple cast out, and measure it not," signifies that the state of the church on the earth, such as it is as yet, is to be removed, and not to be known. " For it is given to the Gentiles," signifies because the state of that church is destroyed and desolated by evils of life. " And the holy city shall they trample down forty-two months," signifies that it had dis- persed all the truth of the Word until not any remains. " And I will give unto my two witnesses," signifies those who confess and acknowledge from the heart that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, and who are conjoined to Him by a life accord- Chap. XL] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 5 1 7 ing to the precepts of the Decalogue. " And they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days," sigjiifies that these two things, the acknowledgment of the Lord, and a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue, which are the two essentials of the New Church, are to be taught until the end and the beginning. " Clothed in sack- cloth," signifies mourning meantime on account of the non- eception of the truth. "These are the two olive-trees and the two candlesticks which are standing before the God of the earth," signifies love and intelligence, or charity and faith, from the Lord with them. " And if any one will hurt them, fire shall go forth out of their mouth and shall devour their enemies," signifies that he who would destroy these two essentials of the New Church perishes from infernal love. " And if any one will hurt them, thus must he be killed," signifies that he who condemns them shall in like manner be condemned. " These have power to shut heaven that the rain fall not in the days of their prophecy," signifies that they who turn themselves away from those two essentials cannot receive any truth from heaven. " And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood," signifies that they who turn themselves away from them falsify the truths of the Word. " And to smite the earth with every plague as often as they will," signifies that they who would destroy them cast themselves into evils and falsities of every kind, as often and as far as they do it. " And when they shall have finished their testimony," signifies that after the Lord has taught these two essentials of the New Church. " The beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and shall overcome them, and shall kill them," signifies that those who are in the internals of the doctrine concerning faith alone will reject those two essentials. " Their bodies shall lie upon the street of the great city," signifies that they are alto- gether rejected. " Which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt" signifies that the two infernal loves, which are the 5>8 THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. love of ruling from the love of self, and the love of govern- ing from the pride of one's own intelligence, which are in the church where God is not One, and the Lord is not worshipped, and where they do not live according to the precepts of the Decalogue. "Where also our Lord was crucified," signifies the non-acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human, and thus a state of rejection. " And they of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations shall see their bodies three days and a half," sig?iifies when all who have been and shall be in falsities of doctrine and in evils of life from faith alone at the end of the Church which still is, until the beginning of the New, have heard and shall hear concerning these two essentials. " And shall not suffer their bodies to be put into sepulchres," signifies that they have condemned and will condemn them. " And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and be glad," signifies the delight of the aifec- tion of the heart and soul in the Church among those who were in faith alone. " And shall send gifts one to another," signifies consociation by love and friendship. " Because those two prophets tormented them that dwell upon the earth," signifies that those two essentials of the New Church, from their contrariety with the two essentials received in the church of the Reformed, are looked upon with contempt, dislike, and aversion. " And after the three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet," signifies that the two essentials, while the New Church is beginning and advancing, are vivified by the Lord with those who receive them. " And great fear fell upon those that saw them," signifies commotion of mind and consternation on account of Divine truths. "And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither," signifies the two essentials of the New Church taken up by the Lord into heaven, whence they are and where they are, and their protection. " And they ascended up into heaven in Chap. XI.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 519 a cloud," signifies the being taken up into heaven, and con- junction with the Lord there through the Divine Truth of the Word in its literal sense. " And their enemies beheld them," signifies that they who are in faith separate from charity heard them, but remained in their falsities. " And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth part of the city fell," signifies that a marked change of state then took place with them, and that they were torn away from heaven and cast down into hell. " And there were slain in the earthquake names of men seven thousand," signifies that all those who professed faith alone, and therefore made the works of charity of no account, perished. " And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven," signifies that they who saw their destruction, acknowledged the Lord, and were separated. "The second woe is past \ behold, the third woe cometh quickly," signifies lamentation over the perverted state of the church, and then a last lamentation to be described presently. "And the seventh angel sounded," signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church after its con- summation, when the coming of the Lord and of His king- dom takes place. " And there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ever and ever," signifies celebrations by the angels, that heaven and the church have become the Lord's, as they were from the be- ginning, and that now also they have become the kingdom of His Divine Human ; and thus that the Lord as to both will now reign over heaven and the church for ever. "And the twenty-four elders, who sat before God upon their thrones, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God," signi- fies the acknowledgment by all the angels of heaven, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and the highest adoration. " Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art and who wast and who art to come," signifies confession and glorification by the angels of 520 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. heaven, that the Lord is He who is, who lives, and has power of Himself, and governs all things, because He alone is Eternal and Infinite. " That thou hast taken thy great power and hast entered upon thy kingdom," signifies the New Heaven and the New Church, where they will acknowledge Him as the only God. " And the nations were angry," signifies those who are in faith alone and thence in evils of life, that they became enraged and in- fested those who are against their faith. " And thy wrath is come, and the time to judge the dead," signifies their destruction, and the last judgment upon those who have not any spiritual life. " And to give reward to His ser- vants the prophets and to the saints," signifies the happi- ness of eternal life to those who are in truths of doctrine from the Word, and in a life according to them. "And to them that fear thy name, both small and great," signifies who love the things which are the Lord's in a greater or less degree. " And to destroy them that destroy the earth," signifies the casting into hell of those who have destroyed the church. " And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His covenant," signifies the New Heaven, in which the Lord is worshipped in His Divine Human, and they live accord- ing to the commandments of the Decalogue ; which are the two essentials of the New Church, by which there is con- junction. " And there were lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and great hail," signifies that then below there were reasonings, commotions, and falsifi- cations of good and truth. THE EXPLANATION. 485. And there was given to me a reed like unto a staffs signifies that there was given to him by the Lord the faculty and power of knowing and seeing the state of the church No. 485.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 52 1 in heaven and in the world. By " a reed " is signified feeble power such as man has of himself : and by a staff great power is signified, such as man has from the Lord : and therefore, by there being given a reed like unto a staff is signified power from the Lord. That it is the faculty and power of knowing and seeing the state of the church in heaven and in the world, is manifest from the things that follow in this chapter even to the end. That feeble power, such as man has of himself, is signi- fied by a reed or cane, is manifest from these passages : Behold, thou hast trusted upon a staff of bruised reed, upon Egypt, upon which when a man leaneth, it entereth into his hand, and pieireth it (Isa. xxxvi. 6). That the diuelhrs in Egypt may know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel ; when they held thee by the hand, thou wast broken, and didst pierce every shoulder for them (Ez. xxix. 6, 7). By Egypt is signified the natural man who trusts to his own powers, on which account it is called "a staff of bruised reed." Feeble power is signified by a reed in Isaiah i A bruised reed shall He not break, the smoking fax shall He not quench (Isa. xlii. 3). But by a staff is signified great power, which is from the Lord, here that of knowing the state of the church, because the temple and the altar were measured by the staff ; and by measur- ing is signified to know, and by the temple and the altai the church is signified, spoken of in what follows. Power ;s signified by a staff, because wood, of which staves were made among the ancients in the church, signifies good ; and because it is in place of the right hand, and supports it ; and by the right hand power is signified. Hence it is that a sceptre is a short staff, and by a sceptre is signified the power of a king. Sceptre and staff are also the same word in the Hebrew language. That a staff signifies power is manifest from these passages : Say ye, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful staff; descend from glory, and sit in thirst Qer. xlviii. 17, 18). Jehovah will send the staff 522 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. of thy strength out of Zion (Ps. ex. 2). Thou didst strike through with staves the head of the unbelieving (Hab. iii. 14). Israel the staff of Jehovah's inheritance (Jer. x. 16 ; li. 19). 2Viy rod and thy staff shall comfort me (Ps. xxiii. 4). Jeho- vah hath broken the staff of the ungodly (Isa. ix. 4 ; xiv. 5 ; (Ps. exxv. 3). My people inquire of a stock ; and their staff answers them (Hos. iv. 12). Jehovah that removeth from Jerusalem the whole staff of h'ead and the whole staff of water (Isa. iii. 1, 2 \ Ez. iv. 16 ; v. 16 ; xiv. 13 ; Ps. cv. 16 ; Lev. xxvi. 26). By the staff of bread and of water the power of good and truth is signified, and by Jerusalem the church. By the staff of Levi, upon which Aaron's ?iame was written, which blossomed with almonds in the tent (Num. xvii. 2-8), nothing else is signified in the spiritual sense but the power of truth and good, because by Levi and Aaron the truth and good of the church were signified. That power is signified by a staff is manifest from the power of Moses' staff [or rod] : That by the stretching out of the staff the waters were turned into blood (Ex. vii. 20). That frogs came up upon the land of Egypt (Ex. viii. 1, &c). That there were made lice (Ex. viii. 16, &c). That there we7-e thunders and hail (Ex, ix. 23, &c.) That the locusts went forth (Ex. x. 12, &c). That the Red Sea was divided and turned back (Ex. xiv. 16, 21, 26). That the waters flowed forth from the rock of Horeb (Ex. xvii. 5, &c. ; Num. xx. 7-13). That by it Joshua with Moses prevailed over the Amalekites (Ex. xvii. 9-12). That fire was made to issue out of the rock by the staff of the angel (Judg. vi. 21). From these passages it is manifest that by a staff power is signified : and also elsewhere, as Isa. x. 5, 24, 26 ; xi. 4 ; xiv. 5 ; xxx. 31, 32 ; Ez. xix. 10-14; Lam. iii. 1, 2 ; Mic. vii. 14; Zech. x. 11 ; Num. xxi. 18. 486. And the angel stood, saying, Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar and them that worship in it, signifies the Lord's presence, and His command that he should see and know the state of the church in the New No. 486.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 523 Heaven. By the angel is meant the Lord, here as n. 5. 415, and elsewhere; since an angel does nothing from himself, but from the Lord : on which account He said, I will give to my two witnesses (vers. 3) \ and they were the Lord's witnesses. By his standing the Lord's presence is signified ; and by his saying is signified His command. By arising and measuring is signified to see and know. That to measure signifies to know and to search out the quality of the state, will be seen below. By the temple, the altar, and them that worship in it, the state of the church in the New Heaven is signified : by the temple the church as to truth of doctrine (n. 191) ; by the altar the church as. to good of love (n. 392) ; and by "them that worship " is signified the church as to worship from these two. By them that worship is here signified adoration, which is worship ; since the spiritual sense is abstracted from persons (n. 78, 79, 96) ; which is here manifest also from this, that he is said to measure them that wor- ship. Those three are also the things which make the church, the truth of doctrine, the good of love, and wor- ship from them. That it is the church in the New Heaven which is meant, is manifest from the last verse of this chapter, where it is said that the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of the covenant was seen in the te?nple (vers. 19). The measuring of the temple is spoken of in the beginning of this chapter, that the state of the church in heaven might be seen and known before it should be conjoined to the church in the world. The church in the world is meant by the court without the temple, which he should not measure because it was given to the gentiles (vers. 2) ; and it is afterwards described by the great city which is called Sodom and Egypt (vers. 7, 8) J but after that great city fell (vers. 13), it follows that the church became the Lord's (vers. 15, &c). It is to be known that there is a church in the heavens equally as on earth, and that they make one like the internal and the external with VOL. IL c; 524 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. men ; for which reason the church in the heavens is first provided by the Lord, and from it or through it the church on earth : hence it is said that the New Jerusalem came down from God out of the New Heaven (Apoc. xxi. i, 2). By the New Heaven is meant a new heaven from Chris- tians, which is treated of many times in what follows. To measure signifies to know and search out the quality, because by a measure is signified the quality of a thing or a state. This is signified by all the measures of the New Jerusalem in chapter xxi., and by these things there : that the angel that had the golden reed measured the city and its gates ; a?id that he measured the wall a hundred and forty- four cubits, the measure of a man which is of an angel (vers. 15, 17). And as the New Church is signified by the New Jerusalem, it is manifest that by measuring it and the things which are of it, is signified to know the quality. The same is signified by measuring in Ezekiel, where it is said that the angel measured the house of God, the temple, the altar, the court, the chambers (xl. 3-17 j xli. 1-5, 13, 14, 22 ; xlii. and xliii.) ; and that he ?neasured the waters (xlvii. 3-5, 9) : and therefore it is said, Show the pattern to the house of Israel, and let them be ashamed of their iniquities : and they shall measure the pattern and the going out of it and the entering in of it and all the forms of it, that they may gua?'d all the pattern (Ez. xliii. 10, 11). The same is signified by measuring in these places : / lifted up my eyes, and behold, a ma?i, in whose hand was a measuring line; and I said, Whither goest thou? and he said, To measure Jerusalem (Zech. ii. 1, 2). He stood and measured the earth (Hab. iii. 6). The Lord Jehovah measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out the heavens with the span, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in the balance (Isa. xl. 12). Where wast thou when I founded the ea?'th ? who set the measures of it? and who stretched out the line upon it (Job xxxviii. 4-6). 487. And the court which is without the temple cast out, No. 487.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 525 a?id measure it not, signifies that the state of the church on earth, such as it is as yet, is to be removed, and not to be known. By " the court without the temple " the church on earth is signified, because this is without heaven, which is the temple (n. 486). By casting out is signified to re- move, here from heaven, because its state is such : and by not measuring is signified not to search out and know its quality (n. 486). The reason follows : because it is given to the gentiles, and they shall trample down the holy city forty- two months. That by the court without the temple the church on earth is here signified, such as it is as yet, is manifest from the things that follow in this chapter, where it is described by the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, in which the Lord's two witnesses lay slain, and which soon after fell in the great earthquake ; and in this there were slain names of men seven thousand : besides other things. Elsewhere by a court in the Word the external of the church is signified ; for there were two courts, which were passed through in entering the temple itself at Jerusalem : and because the church as to its internal was signified by the temple, by the courts there- fore the church as to its external was signified ; for which reason foreigners who were from the gentiles were admit- ted into the courts, but not into the temple itself. And as the external of the church is signified by the court, there- fore also the church on earth and also heaven in the ulti- mates are signified by it, because the church on earth is the entrance into heaven, and in like manner heaven in ultimates. This is signified by the court in these passages: Blessed is he whom thou ehoosest, he shall dwell in thy courts . We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, with the holiness of thy temple (Ps. lxv. 4). Praise ye the nai?ie of Jehovah, ye who staiid in His huuse, in the courts of the house of our God (Ps. exxxv. 1, 2). How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Jehovah ; yea, my soul faintcth for the courts of Jehovah (Ps. lxxxiv. 1, 2). Enter into His gates wtih 526 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI thanksgiving, into His courts with praise (Ps. c. 4). The just shall flourish like the palm-tree ; they that be planted in the house of Jehovah shall flourish i?i the courts of our God (Ps. xcii. 12. 13). A day in thy courts is better than a thou- sand; I have chosen to sta7id at the door in the house of my God (Ps. lxxxiv. 10). Besides other places, as Ps. xcvi. 8 ; cxvi. 19 ; Isa. i. 12 ; lxii. 9 ; Zech. iii. 7 ; Ez. x. 3-5. Con- cerning the courts of the temple at Jerusalem, 1 Kings vi. 3, 36. Concerning the courts of the new temple, Ez. xl. 17-31-44; xlii. 1-14; xliii. 4-7. And the court without the tabernacle, Ex. xxvii. 9-18. 488. For it is give?i to the gentiles. That it signifies because the state of that church is destroyed and deso- lated by evils of life, is evident from the signification of gentiles, as being those who are in evils of life, and ab- stractly evils of the life (n. 147, 483). 489. And the holy city shall they trample down forty-two months, signifies that it had dispersed all the truth of the Word until not any remains. By " the holy city," or walled-town, the Holy Jerusalem is meant ; and by the Holy Jerusalem is meant the New Church which is in truths of doctrine: for holy is predicated of the Divine Truth (n. 173) ; and a walled town signifies doctrine (n. 194): on which account by trampling down that city or walled-town is signified to disperse the truths of its doctrine. By " forty-two months " is signified even to the end when not any thing remains. By truths of doctrine are meant truths out of the Word, because from that is the doctrine of the church and every thing of it. That they who are in the internals of the church at this day have in this manner dispersed the truths of the Word, and hence of the doctrine of the church, and every thing of it, is described in this chapter by the beast coming up out of the abyss, and by his killing the two witnesses (vers. 7) \ and it may also be seen from the Relations from the spirit- ual world, which are annexed to each ot the chapters. No 490.J THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. 527 That by forty-two months is signified even to the end when not any truth and good of the church remains, is because the like is signified by forty-two as by six weeks ; for six times seven are forty-two : and by six weeks, complete even to the end is signified. For the number six signifies this ; and a week signifies state, and the seventh week a holy state, which is the new state of the church when the Lord begins His reign. The same is signified by this number in the following passage : There was gvuin to the beast that came up out of the sea a mouth speaking eat things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to do it forty-two months (Apoc. xiii. 5, n. 583). Six signifies complete to the end, because three has that meaning (n. 505) ; and six is twice three : and in numbers the double and the single have the same signification. Be- sides, the like is signified by this number as by three and a half, because forty-two months make three and a half years. They are called months, because by a month a full state is signified ; as in Isa. lxvi. 23 ; Apoc. xxii. 1, 2 ; Gen. xxix. 14; Num. xi. 18-20; Deut. xxi. n, 13. 490. And I will give unto my two witnesses, signifies those who confess and acknowledge from the heart that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, and who are conjoined to Him by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue. These are they who are here meant by the two witnesses, because those two things are the two essentials of the New Church. That the First Essential, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is a testimony, and hence that they who in heart confess and acknowledge it are witnesses, may be seen n. 6, 846, and also from these passages : / am the fellow-servant of thy bnthren that have the testimony of Jesus ; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Apoc. xix. 10). The angels of Michael overcame the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of His testimony : and the dragon went away to make war with the 528 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. rest of her seed, who kept the co?nma?idments of God, and had the testi?nony of Jesus Christ (Apoc. xii. 11, 17). The souls of them that were smitten with the axe for the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God (Apoc. xx. 4). These are they who acknowledged the Lord. This is called the tes- timony of Jesus, because the Lord testifies it from His Word, and thus from Himself ; on which account He is called the Faithful and True ' Witness (Apoc. i. 5 ; iii. 14): and He says, / testify of myself and my testimony is true , because I know whence I come, and whither I go (John viii. 14): also, When the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is come, He shall testify of me (John xv. 26). That the Com- forter, the Spirit of truth, which is also the Holy Spirit, is the proceeding Divine, and that this is the Lord Himself, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Lord " (n. 46-54). Now because the Lord Himself is the Witness, therefore those also are meant by witnesses who testify this from the Lord as John did : Jesus said, Ye sent unto John, and he was a witness to the truth ; yet I receive not testimony from man (John v. 33, 34). John catne for testimony, that he might testify concerning the light : he was not the Light, but that he might testify of the Light. The Word, which was with God, and which was God, was the true Light (John i. 1-14, 34). That the Second Essential of the New Church, which is conjunction with the Lord by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue, is a Testimony, is manifest from the fact that the Decalogue is called the Testimony ; as in these places : Thou shall put into the ark the Testimony which L will give thee (Ex. xxv. 16). Moses put the Testimony i?ito the ark (Ex. xl. 20). The ?nercy-seat which is over the Testimony (Lev. xvi. 13). Leave the staves of the tribes before the Testimony (Num. xvii. 4. Besides other places, as Ex. xxv. 22 ; xxxi. 7, 18 xxxii. 15 ; Ps. lxxii. 5 ; Ps. exxxii. 12). Something shall here be said concerning conjunction with the Lord by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue. No. 491.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 5^9 There are two tables upon which those precepts are written, — the one for the Lord, the other for man. The First Table teaches that many Gods are not to be worshipped, but One : the Second Table, that evils are not to be done. When therefore one God is worshipped, and man does not do evils, conjunction takes place j for as far as a man desists from evils, that is, repents, so far he is accepted of God, and does good from Him. But who now is the One God ? A trinal God or a triune God is not One God, when the trinal and triune is in three persons ; but He in whom the trine or triune is in one person, He is the One God ; and that God is the Lord. Perplex the ideas as far as you can, yet you still will not bring it out clear that God is One, unless He is also One in person. The whole Word, as well the Old Prophetic as the New Apostolic, teaches that it is so ; as may manifestly be seen from the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord." 491. And they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, signifies that those two things, the acknowledg- ment of the Lord, and a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue, which are the two Essentials of the New Church, are to be taught until the end and the beginning. That these two things, the acknowledgment of the Lord and a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue, are the two essentials of the New Church, and are meant by the two witnesses, may be seen just above (n. 490) : and that by prophesying is signified to teach (n. 8, 133). By the thousand two hundred and sixty days is signified to the end and the beginning ; that is, to the end of the former church and thus to the beginning of the New. The reason that this is signified by that number is because the same is signified by that number as by three and a half : for the number a thousand two hundred and sixty, reduced to \vars, makes three years and a half; and by three and a half a.i end and a beginning are signified (n. 505). In the following chapter the same is signified by this number as 530 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XT. here : 4nd the Woman fled into the desert, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they may nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days (Apoc. xii. 6). 492. Clothed i?i sackcloth, signifies mourning meantime on account of the non-reception of the truth. By being clothed in sackcloth is signified mourning on account of the vastated truth in the church ; for garments signify truths (n. 166, 2. 2, 32S, 378, 379) 1 and therefore, to be clothed in sackcloth, which is not a gannent, signifies mourning that there is no truth j and where there is no truth, there there is no church. The children of Israel represented mourning by various things, which were significative from correspondences ; as by putting ashes upon the head, by rolling themselves in the dust, by sitting upon the earth in silence for a long time, by shaving themselves, by wailing and howling, by rending their clothes, and also by putting on sackcloths ; besides other things : and each of them signified some evil of the church within them, on account of which they were punished. And when they were punished, they by such things represented repentance ; and on account of the representation of repentance, and that of humiliation at the same time, they were heard. That mourning on account of vastated truth in the church was represented by putting on sackcloth, may be seen from these passages : The lion hath come up from the thicket, he hath gone forth out of his place to lay waste the earth ; for this gird ye on sackcloth, wail, howl (jer. iv. 7, 8). Daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and roll thee in ashes, because the waster shall come suddenly upon you (Jer. vi. 26). Woe unto thee, Chorazin, and Bethsaida ; for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Si don which have been done in you, they ivould have repented in sackcloth and ashes (Matt. xi. 21 ; Luke x. 13). The king of Nineveh, after he heard the words of Jonah, laid aside his robe from him, and put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes and proclai?ned a fast, and that man and beast should be covered with sackcloth (Jonah iii. 5, 6, 8. Besides other places,.. No. 493-] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 53 1 as Isa. iii. 24 ; xv. 2, 3 ; xxii. 12 ; xxxvii. 1, 2 ; 1. 3 ; Jer. xlviii. 37, 38 ; xlix. 3 ; Lam. ii. 10; Ez. vii. 17, 18 ; xxvii. 31 ; Dan. ix. 3; Joel i. 8, 13; Amos viii. 10 5 Job xvi. 15, 16; Ps. xxx. 11 ; xxxv. 13 \ lxix. 11 ; 2 Sam. iii. 31 j 1 Kings xxi. 27 ; 2 Kings vi. 30 ; xix. 1, 2). 493. These are the two olive-trees and the two candlesticks, which are standing before the God of the earth, signifies love and intelligence, or charity and faith, both from the Lord, with them. By an olive-tree love and charity are signified, as will be seen presently : and by a candlestick is signified enlightenment in truths (n. 43), and thence intelligence and faith ; because intelligence is from enlightenment in truths, and faith is from that. By standing before God is signi fied to hear and do what He directs (n. 366) ; here there- fore that those two with them are from the Lord, who is the God of the earth ; that is, with those who are in the two essentials of the New Church, spoken of above. It is hence manifest that by the two witnesses being the two olive-trees and the two candlesticks is signified that they were love and intelligence, or charity and faith. For these two constitute the church, — love and charity its life, and intelligence and faith its doctrine. An olive signifies love and charity, because the olive-tree signifies the heav- enly (celestial) church ; and thence the olive, which is its fruit, signifies heavenly love, which love is love to the Lord. Therefore this love is signified by the oil with which all the holy things of the church were anointed. The oil which was called the oil of holiness was from olives and spices mixed (Ex. xxx. 23, 24) : and fro?n olive oil the lamps of the candlestick in the Tabernacle were also lighted every evening (Ex. xxvii. 20 ; Lev. xxiv. 2). Simi- lar things are signified by the olive-tree and the olives in Zechariah : Two olive-trees were by the candlestick, the one at the right of the bowl, the other at the left of it, and two olive berries ; these are the two sons of the olive-tree standing before the Lord of the whole earth (iv. 3, 11, 12, 14). In David: 5* 532 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI / am like a gree?i olive-tree in the house of God (Ps. Hi. 8)» And in Jeremiah : Jehovah hath called thy ?iamc a green olive-tree, fair, with beautiful fruit (xi. 16, 17). Besides elsewhere. Since the church was signified by Jerusalem, therefore also such things as are of the church were signi- fied by many things which were in it and around it. Near it also was the Mount of Olives, and by this the Divine Love was signified ; on which account Jesus was teaching in the Temple during the days, and at night He went out a?ul abode in the Mount of Olives (Luke xxi. 37 ; xxii. 39 ; John viii. 1). And upon that mountain Jesus spake with the dis- ciples of the consummation of the age, and of His coming at that time (Matt. xxiv. 3, &c. ; Mark xiii. 3, &c.). And from that mountain also He went to Jerusalem and suffered (Matt. xxi. i ; xxvi. 30 ; Mark xi. 1 \ xiv. 26 ; Luke xix. 29, 37) : and this according to the prediction in Zechariah : His feet shall stand in that day tipon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east (xiv. 4). Because the olive-tree signifies the heavenly of the church, therefore the cherubs in the midst of the Temple of Jerusalem were mad<' of olive-wood : in like manner the doors of the oracle and the posts (1 Kings vi. 23-33). 49 u And if any one will hurt them, fire shall go forth out of their mouth, and shall devour their enemies, signifies that he who would destroy these two essentials of the New Church, perishes from infernal love. To wish to hurt the two witnesses signifies to wish to destroy those two essentials of the New Church, which are, the acknowl- edgment of the Lord as the God of heaven and earth even as to His Human, and a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue. That they are the witnesses may be seen above (n. 490). " Fire shall proceed out of their mouth," signifies infernal love : " and shall devour their enemies " signifies that they who harm them will perish from it. But it is not to be understood here that the fire will proceed out oi the mouth of the witnesses, but from those who wish to No. 496.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 533 destroy the two essentials of the New Church, which are meant by the witnesses (n. 490). The fire is infernal love ; for he who does not live according to the precepts of the Decalogue, and does not go to God the Saviour and Re- deemer, cannot do otherwise than be in infernal love, and perish. This is the same as in other places in the Word, where it is said that there is a fire from Jehovah which consumes the wicked ; and that Jehovah acts from the fire of wrath, of anger, and of fury; besides other similar things : by which it is not meant that it is from Jehovah, but from the infernal love of the wicked. Such things are said in the Word because they are appearances, and the Word in the sense of the letter is written by appearances and correspondences. Since it is said that the fire should go forth out of their mouth, and by this is meant that it is from those who are in infernal love, a few places shall be adduced where fire is said to be from Jehovah : The breath of Jehovah like a river of brimstone shall consume it (Is a. xxx. 33). A smoke went up fro7n His nose, and fire out of His mouth ; coals were kindled by it (Ps. xviii. 8). I will pour upon the?n the wrath of mine anger, since in the fire of my zeal the whole earth shall be devoured (Zeph. iii. 8). Be- ll old, Jehovah will come in fire, to recompense with the wrath of His anger, and His rebuke with flames of fire (Isa. lxvi. 15). Thou shall be visited by Jehovah with a fame of devouring fire (Isa. xxix. 6 ; xxx. 30. Besides many other places). 495. And if any one will hurt them, thus must he be killed, signifies that he who condemns them shall in like manner be condemned. By hurting is here signified to condemn, because it follows, "thus must he be killed;" and by being killed in the Word is signified to be killed spiritually, which is to be condemned : for the Lord says, With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged (Matt * ii. 1). 496. These have power to shut heaven, that the rain fall "■'/ in the days of their prophecy, signifies that they who 534 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XL turn themselves away from the two essentials of the New Church cannot receive any truth from heaven. By " heaven " is here meant the angelic heaven ; hence by " rain " the truth of the church therefrom is signified : and therefore by shutting heaven that rain should not fall is signified that they cannot receive any truth of the church from heaven. The truth of the church from heaven is the truth of doctrine from the Word. It is said that the wit- nesses have this power ; but it is meant here as above (n. 494), that they have not the power of shutting heaven, but that those who turn themselves away from the +wo essentials of the New Church shut it against themselves, because they remain in their falsities. That rain signifies the Divine Truth from heaven, is evident from these pas- sages : My doct?'ine shall flow down as the rain, my word shall distil as the dew (Deut. xxxii. 2). If ye serve other gods, jfehovah will shut up the heaven, that there be no rain (Deut. xi. 11, 14, 16, 17). I will lay waste my vitie, and I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isa. v. 6). The showers have been withholde?i, and there hath been no latter rain ; but yet thou hadst the forehead of a harlot (Jer. iii. 3). As the rain cometh down from heaven, so shall my Word be which goeth forth out of my mouth (Isa. lv. 10, 11). Ye children of Zion, rejoice atid be glad in jfehovah, because He shall give you the former raifi in justice (Joel ii. 23). Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain (Ps. Ixviii. 9). He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass in His days shall the righteous flourish (Ps. lxxii. 6, 7). yehovah shall come imto us as the rai?i, as the latter rain watereth the earth (Hos. vi. 3). My word shall drop upon the?n, a?id they shall wait for me as for the rain, a?id he shall open his mouth to the latter rain (Job xxix. 22, 23). Son of man, say, thou art the land that is not cleansed, which has no rain in the day of anger, there is a conspiracy of the prophets in the midst of it (Ez. xxii. 24, 25. Besides other places, Isa. xxx. 23 ; Jer. v. 24 ; x. 12, 13 ; xiv. 3, 4 ; No 498.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 535 li. 16; Ez. xxxiv. 26, 27; Amos iv. 7, 8; Zech. x. 1; Ps. lxv. 9, 10; cxxxv. 7 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4). An inundating rain stands for the devastation of truth, Ez. xiii. 11, 13, 14 ; xxxviii. 22 ; and for temptation, Matt. vii. 24-27. 497. And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, signifies that they who turn themselves away from those two essentials falsify the truths of the Word. By "waters" truths are signified (n. 50); and by "blood" the falsification of the truth of the Word (n. 379) ; hence by turning the waters into blood is signified to falsify the truths of the Word. This is understood in like manner as before, namely, that they who turn themselves away from the two essentials of the New Church can see nothing but the falsities in which they are ; and if they confirm these by the Word, they falsify its truths. 498. And to s?nite the earth with every plague as often as they will, signifies that they who would destroy the two essentials of the New Church cast themselves into evils and falsities of every kind, as often and as far as they do it. By " the earth " is signified the church (n. 285) ; and by " plague," evil and falsity (n. 456) : hence by smiting the earth with every plague is signified to bring ruin upon the church by evils and falsities of every kind. But this is to be understood in the same manner as the foregoing passages ; namely, that they who wish to smite with a plague, that is, to destroy, the two essentials of the New Church, which is done from evil by falsities, cast themselves into evils and falsities of even' kind : and as the natural sense is thus inverted when it becomes spiritual, this therefore, " as often as they will," is also inverted in like manner into this, as often and as far as they do this. The reason is, that as far as any one destroys these two essentials, he so far destroys the truths of the Word ; and as far as he destroys the truths of the Word, he so far casts himself into evils and falsities. For these two essentials are the truths of the Word, as may be manifestly evident from two of the " Doctrines of the 536 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XL New Jerusalem," one "concerning the Lord," and the other which is called the " Doctrine of Life from the Precepts of the Decalogue." This, that the Witnesses have power to smite the earth with every plague as often as they will, is similar to many things in the Word which are attributed to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord ; that He smites men with plagues, and that this is of His will ; when yet it is to be understood that He does not smite, and that it is not of His will j as in Zechariah : This shall be the plague with which Jehovah shall smite all peoples who shall fight against Jerusalem (xiv. 12, &c). And in Jeremiah : With the plague of an enemy have I smitten thee, with the chastisement of a tyrant, for the greatness of thy iniquity (xxx. 14 : and so in many other places). See also above (n. 494). 499. And when they shall have finished their testimony, signifies that after the Lord has taught that He is the God of heaven and earth, and that there is conjunction with Him by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue. When they shall have finished signifies after the Lord has taught. The two witnesses taught indeed, yet not from themselves, but from the Lord. That the testimony signifies these two essentials, see above (n. 490). 500. The beast that co?neth up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and shall overcome them, and shall kill them, signifies that they who are in the internals of the doctrine of faith alone will oppose, and fight against those two essentials of the New Church, and will themselves reject rhem, and, as far as they have influence, will cause others to reject them. By the beast that cometh up out of the abyss are meant those who come up out of the abyss and were seen as locusts (chap. ix. 1-12) ; and that these were they who are in the internals of the doctrine of faith alone, may be seen in the explanation there. By making war is signified to set themselves in opposition, and to fight against the two jessentials of the church, as described in what follows. By overcoming and killing them is signified to reject and No. 500.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 537 extirpate them in themselves, and, as far as they have in- fluence, in others. The reason that they who are in the internals of the doctrine of faith alone will fight against and reject the two essentials, is that they have confirmed in themselves the two things that ai-e antagonistic to them : First, that not the Lord, but God the Father, is to be approached \ and Second, that a life according to the Commandments of the Decalogue is not spiritual life, but only moral and civil life : and this they confirm, that no one may believe that he can be saved by works, but only by their faith. All they who have impressed thes^ dogmas deeply upon their minds in schools and academies do not afterwards recede from them. For this there are three causes, hitherto unknown : First, that they have introduced themselves, as to their spirit, into society with their like in the spiritual world, where the greater part are satans, who are delighted solely with falsities, from whom they can (n no way be separated, unless they reject those falsities : and neither can this be done, unless they go immediately to God the Saviour, and commence a Christian life according to the Commandments of the Decalogue. The Second Cause is, that they believe that the remission of sins, and thus salvation, is given in a moment in the act of faith, and afterwards in its state or progress by the same act contin- ued, preserved, and retained by the Holy Spirit, separately from the exercises of charity ; and they who have once imbibed these things, afterwards make sins of no account before God, and thus live in their uncleannesses. And because they know how to confirm such things subtly amc ng the unlearned by falsifications of the Word, and among the learned by sophistry, it is here said that the beast out of the abyss overcame and killed those two witnesses. But this takes place with no others but those who love to follow their inclinations and are carried away by the enjoyments of their lusts. These, when they are thinking concerning salvation, favor those things in heart, and embrace the 538 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. belief of them with both hands ; because they can thus be saved by a few words uttered with a tone of confidence, and need not attend to any thing of their life for the sake of God, but only for the sake of the world. The Third Cause is, that they who had in youth drunk deeply of the internals of that faith, which are called the mysteries of justification, being afterwards promoted to an honored ministry, do not think in themselves concerning God and heaven, but concerning themselves and the world ; only re- taining the mysteries of their faith for the sake of reputation, that they may be honored as wise, and on account of their wisdom be esteemed worthy to be remunerated with wealth. That this is the effect of that faith, is because there is nothing of religion in it. That it is so, see the Third Relation above (n. 484). That by wars in the Word spiritual wars are signified, which are fightings against the truth, and are carried on by reasonings from falsities, is evident from these passages : Spirits of demons go forth to gather them together to the battle in the great day of God Almighty ( Apoc. xvi. 1 4). The dragon was wroth with the Woman, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of jfesus Chrht (Apoc. xii. 17). // was given to the beast of the dragon to ?nake war with the saints (Apoc. xiii. 7). Consecrate the battle against the daughter of Zion, and let us go up at noon (Jer. vi. 3-5). Ye have ?iot go?ie up into the breaches to stand in the battle in the day of Jehovah (Ez. xiii. 5). In Salem is the tabernacle of God, and His dwcllitig-place in Zion ; where He brake the fiery darts, the bow, and the battle (Ps. lxxvi. 2, 3). jfehovah shall go forth as a Mighty man, He shall stir up zeal as a man of war (Isa. xiii. 13 • Ps. xxiv. 8). Li that day jfehcvah shall be for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle from the gate (Isa. xxviii. 6). Deliver me from the evil man, and from the man of violence preserve me ; the whole day they gather together for war, they sharpen their tongue as serpents No. 501.] THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. 539 (Ps. cxl. 1-3). Many shall come in my name, saying, I a?n Christ, a?id shall deceive many ; and ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars ; see that ye be not troubled (Matt. xxiv. 5-S; Mark xiii. 6-9; Luke xxi. 8-1 1). The wars of the kings of the north and of the south, and the other wars, in Daniel, chap, x., xi., xii., signify no other than spiritual wars : besides the wars in other places, as Isa. ii. 3-5 j xiii. 4; xxi. 14, 15; xxxi. 4; Jer. xlix. 25, 26; Hos. ii. 18; Zech. x. 5; xiv. 3; Ps. xxvii. 3; xlvi. 8, 9. Since spiritual wars are signified by the wars in the Word, the ministry of the Levites was therefore called military ser- vice; as is manifest from these passages : // was commanded that the Levites should be numbered, to perform military ser- vice, to do the work in the tent of the congregation (Num. iv. 23, 35, 39, 43, 47). This is the office of the Levites, to perform military service in the ministry of the tent of the congregation ; but from the age of fifty years he shall withdraw from the military service of the ministry, nor shall he minister any longer (Num. viii. 24, 25). See also above (n. 447), where it is proved from the Word that armies signify the goods and truths of the church, and in the opposite sense its evils and falsities. 501. And their bodies shall lie upon the street of the great city, signifies that the two essentials of the New Church are altogether rejected by those who are interiorly in the fal- sities of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. By the bodies of the two witnesses the two essentials of the New Church are signified, which are, the acknowledgment of the Lord, that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that conjunction with Him is through a life according to the commandments of the Decalogue (n. 490, &c). By "the street of the great city " is signified the falsities of the doctrine of justification by faith alone : by a street is signified falsity, as may be seen presently ; and by a city is signified doctrine (n. 194). It is called "the great city," because it is the reigning doctrine among the clergy in the 54° THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. whole Reformed Christian world, but not in like manner among the laity. By streets in the Word almost the same is signified as by ways, because streets are the ways in a city. But still the truths or falsities of doctrine are signified by streets, because a city signifies doctrine (n. 194) ; and by ways the truths or falsities of the church are signified, because the earth signifies the Church (n. 285). That streets signify the truths or falsities of doctrine, may be seen from the following passages : Judgment is rejected, and justice hath stood afar off; for truth hath fallen in the street, and equity cannot e7iter (Isa. lix. 14). The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall run to and fro in the broadways (Nah. ii. 4). In the days of Jael the ways ceased, the streets ceased in Israel (Judg. v. 6, 7). How is the city of glory left? therefore her young men shall fall in the streets (Jer. xlix. 25, 26 ; 1. 30). They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets. The form of the Nazarites is darker than blackness • they are ?iot known i?i the streets. They wandered as blind men i7i the streets. They hunted our steps that we ca?inot go in the streets (Lam. iv. 5, 8, 14, 18). I will cut off the nations, their corners shall be laid waste, I will desolate their streets (Zeph. iii. 6). After sixty-two weeks the street of Jerusalem shall be built, but in troublous times (Dan. ix. 25). The street of the city New Jerusalem was pure gold, as clear glass (Apoc. xxi. 21). /// the midst of the street of it on this side and on that was the free bearing twelve fruits (Apoc. xxii. 1, 2. Besides other places, as Isa. xv. 3; xxiv. 10, 11 ; li. 20; Jer. v. 1 \ vi. 16 ; vii. 17 ; ix. 21 ; xi. 13 ; Ez. xvi. 24, 25, 31 ; Jer. xliv. 9, 17 ; Lam. ii. n, 19 ; Ez. xi. 6 ; xxvi. n, 12; Amos v. 16; Zech. viii. 3-5 ; Ps. cxliv. 13; Jobxviii. 17). Since streets signify the truths of the doctrine of the church, therefore they taught in the streets (2 Sam. i. 20) ; and it is said, We have eaten before thee and drunk before thee, and thou hast taught in our streets (Luke xiii. 26) : and on this account the hypocrites prayed at the co?'ners of the streets (Matt. vi. 2, 5) : and therefore the householder commanded No. 502.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. his servants to go into the streets and ways, and call t/iem in (Luke xiv. 21). For this reason falsity and what is falsified is called the mud, the dirt, and the dang of the streets (Isa. v. 25 ; x. 6 ; Mic. vii. 10; Ps. xviii. 42). The prophets that prophesied falsity were cast out into the streets of Jerusalem, and the>re was none to bury them (Jer. xiv. 1 6). 502. Which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, signi- fies the two infernal loves, which are the love of ruling from the love of self, and the love of governing from the pride of one's own intelligence, which are in the church where God is not one and the Lord is not worshipped, and where they do not live according to the commandments of the Decalogue. By Sodom in the spiritual sense the love of ruling from the love of self is signified, treated of in what follows ; and by Egypt is signified in the spiritual sense the love of governing from the pride of one's own intelligence, which also will be spoken of presently : and as these two loves are signified, it is therefore said " Sodom and Egypt spiritually." The reason that these loves are in the church where God is not one and the Lord is not worshipped, and where they do not live accord- ing to the precepts of the Decalogue, is because man is born into these two loves, and comes into them while he is growing up : and these loves cannot be removed except by God the Saviour, and by a life according to His commandments. And they cannot by God the Saviour, unless He is approached ; nor can a life according to His commandments be given, unless the man is led by Him. It may indeed be given, but not a life in which there is any thing of heaven and thence of the church. This life is given only by Him who is life. That the Lord is that life may be seen in John i. 1, 4 ; v. 26 J vi. 33, &c. \ xi. 25, 26 ; xiv. 6, 19 ; and in many other places. That the love of ruling from the love of self and the love of governing from the pride of one's own intelli- gence are the heads of all the loves in hell, and thus of all the evils and thence the falsities in the church, is not at this day known. The enjoyments of those loves, which 5-P THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XL exceed the enjoyments of all the pleasures of the natural mind, cause it not to be known, when yet they are spiritually Sodom and Egypt. That Sodom is the love of ruling from the love of self may be evident from the description of Sodom in Moses, that they wished to do violence to the angels that came thither into the house of Lot, and that fire and brimstone rained down out of heaven upon them (Gen. xix.). By the fire and brimstone is signified that love with its lusts. I saw similar things, when the cities and societies of such were overturned at the day of the last judgment, and themselves were cast down into hell. Those loves and their evils are signified by Sodom and Gomorrah in these passages: Isa. i. 10; iii. 8, 9; xiii. 19; Jer. xxiii. 14; xlix. 18; i. 37, 40; Lam. iv. 6; Ez. xvi. 46-50; Amos iv. 11; Zeph. ii. 9, 10; Deut. xxix. 23; xxxii. 32; Matt. x. 14, 15 ; xi. 23 ; Mark vi. 11 ; Luke x. 10, 1 1, 12 ; xvii. 28, 29. It is not known in the world that that love is signified by Sodom ; but retain this, and recollect it when you come into the spiritual world, — which takes place after death, — and you will be fully confirmed. But it is to be known that there is the love of ruling from the love of self, and the love of ruling from the love of uses : this love is heavenly, but the former infernal. On which account, when the one makes the head, the other makes the feet; that is, when the love of ruling from the love of self makes the head, then the love of ruling from the love of uses, which also is the love of. being serviceable to the neighbor from the Lord, makes at first the feet, afterwards the soles of the feet, and at length is trampled upon. But yet, when the love of ruling from the love of uses, which, as was said, is a heavenly love, makes the head, then the love of ruling from the love of self, which is, as was said, an infernal love, at first makes the feet, afterwards the soles of the feet, and is at length trampled upon. But in the world these two loves can with difficulty be distinguished by man, — because their external forms are alike. Yet they are known from each other by No. 503.] THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. this, that the heavenly love is with those who go to the Lord, and live according to the commandments of the Decalogue ; and that the infernal love is with those who do not go to the Lord, and do not live according to the commandments of the Decalogue. 503. What Egypt signifies in the Word shall be told. Egypt signifies the natural man conjoined to the spiritual, and then the affection for truth, and knowledge and intel- ligence therefrom ; and in the opposite sense it signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, and then the pride of one's own intelligence, and thence insanity in spiritual things. Egypt signifies the natural man con- joined to the spiritual, and affection for truth and knowl- edge and intelligence thence, in the following passages : In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt swearing to Jehovah Zebaoth. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt ; then shall Jehovah be made known unto Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know Jehovah in that day (Is a. xix. 18-21). I11 that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt into Assyria ; that A s syria may come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria ; and that the Egyptians may serve with Assyria: in that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land ; whom Jehovah Zebaoth shall bless, saying, Blessed be my people Egypt, and Assy?'ia the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance (Isa. xix. 23-25). Egypt here is the natural, Assyria is the rational, and Israel is the spiritual : these three make the man of the church. Hence the king of Egypt was called the son of the wise, the son of the kings of a?itiquity ; and Egypt was called the corner-stone of the tribes (Isa. xix. 11, 13): and it is said of Solomon, that his wisdom excelled the wisdom of the Egyptians (1 Kings iv. 30) : and that he took the daughter of Pharaoh to wife, and brought her into the city of David (1 Kings iii. 1) : and that he built for the daugh- ter of Pharaoh a house beside the porch (1 Kings vii. S\ 544 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI For this reason also Joseph was brought down into Egypt, and beca?ne the ruler of the whole land the?-e (Gen. xli.). Since Egypt signified the natural man as to affection for truth, and thence knowledge and intelligence, therefore Joseph, the husband of Mary, at the angel's monition, went with the infant Lord down into Egypt (Matt. ii. 14, 15), according to the prediction, When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my Son (Hos. xi. 1). Tlwn hast brought a vine out of Egypt ; thou hast planted it, and hast caused it to take deep root (Ps. lxxx. 8, 9). For man is born natural, becomes rational, and afterwards spiritual ; and thus the vine out of Egypt is planted and takes root. For the sake of that representation Abraham also sojourned in Egypt (Gen. xii. 10, &c). And Jacob with his sons was commanded to go down into Egypt, and also tarried there (Gen. xlvi.). Hence also the land of Canaan, by which the church is signified, is described as extending even to the river of Egypt (Gen. xv. 18 ; 1 Kings iv. 21 ; Mic. vii. 12) ; and Egypt is likened to the garden of Eden, the garden of God (Ez. xxxi. 2, 8, 9 ; Gen. xiii. 10) : and the knowledges of the natural man are called the desirable things of Egypt (Dan. xi. 43 ) ; and the fine linen in needlework from Egypt is mentioned (Ez. xxvii. 7. Be- sides other places where Egypt is spoken well of, as Isa. xxvii. 12, 13; Ez. xxix. 13-16; xxxi. 1-8; Hos. xi. 11; Zech. x. 10, 11 ; xiv. 16-18 ; Ps. lxviii. 31, 32 ; 2 Kings xix. 23, 24). But in the opposite sense Egypt signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, and then the pride of one's own intelligence, and thence insanity in spiritual things, in the following passages : Because the heart of Pharaoh is lifted up in his height, and he hath shot tip his top among the thick boughs, stra?igers shall cut him off" and cast him forth. In the day that thou s halt go down into hell, I will cover the deep over him, and thou shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised (Ez. xxxi. 10-18). The founda- tions of Egypt shall be overturned ; the pride of his strength Xo. 503.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 545 shall come drum; and his cities shall be laid waste in the midst of the desolate cities : I will send Jire into Egypt, and I will disperse Egypt among the nations, and scatter them in the lands (Ez. xxx. 1, to the end). Woe to them that go down into Egypt for help, and look not to the Holy One of Israel; for Egypt is ?nan, and not God ; and its horses are flesh and not spirit (Isa. xxxi. 1, 3). Egypt riseth up as a flood ; it iiiirh, I will go up, I will cover the earth, and I will destroy : ccme up, ye horses ; rage, ye chariots ; the sword shall devour you, anjl shall be made drunk with blood ; there is ?w heel- ing to thee (Jer. xlvi. 2, 8-1 1). How say ye to Pharaoh, 1 am the son of the wise, the son of the kings of antiquity] where now are thy wise men 1 let them know : the princes of Zoar have become foolish ; they have seduced Egypt, the corner-stone of the tribes : there shall be 110 work for Egypt, that it may make the head or the tail (Jsa. xix. 1-17). Prophesy against Egypt : O great sea-beast, that licst in the midst of thy rivers : because he hath said, The river is mine, and I ?nade ?ne ; therefore I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will make the flsh of thy rivers to stick to thy scales, and I will leave thee in the desert : and therefore shall the land of Egypt become a wilderness and a waste (Ez. xxix. 1-12. Besides other places, as Isa. xxx. 2, 7 ; Jer. ii. 17, 18, 36; xlii. 13-18 ; Ez. xvi. 26, 28, 29; xxiii. 2-33; Hos. vii. 11, 13, 16; ix. i, 3, 6 ; xi. 5 ; xii. 1 ; Joel iii. 19 ; Lam. v. 2, 4, 6, 8 ; Deut. xvii. 16 ; 1 Kings xiv. 25, 26; 2 Kings xviii. 21). Since the Egyptians became such, they were therefore vas- tated as to all the goods and truths of the church. Their vastations are described by the miracles done there, which were plagues, and signified so many lusts of the natural man separated from the spiritual, which acts solely from its own intelligence and the pride of it. The plagues sig- nificative of its lusts were, that the waters in the river were turned into blood, so that the fish died, and the river stank (Ex. vii.). That out of the rivers and lakes were brought forth frogs over the land of Egypt. That the dust of the 546 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XL earth was turned ifito lice. That a swarm of noxious winged things was sent (Ex. viii.) That a sore inflamed with pus. tides broke out upon man and beast. That it rained hail mingled with fire (Ex. ix.). That the locust was sent. rThat there was thick-darkness i?i all the land of Egypt (Ex. x. | l^hat all the first bom in the land of Egypt died (Ex. xii). And at length that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea (Ex. xiv.), by which hell is signified. What is signi fied in particular by all these things may be seen in the " Heavenly Arcana " published at London, where they are explained. It is hence manifest, what is signified by the plagues and diseases of Egypt (Deut. vii. 15; xxviii. 60): what by being drowned i?i the flood of Egypt (Amos viii. 8 ; ix. 5) : and whence it is that Egypt is called the land of bondage (Mic. vi. 4); the land of Ha77i (Ps. cvi. 22): also the furnace of iron (Deut. iv. 20; 1 Kings viii. 51). The reason that Egypt signifies both intelligence and insanity in spiritual things, is that the Ancient Churchi which had spread into many kingdoms of Asia, was also in Egypt ; and the Egyptians more than others then cultivated a knowledge of the Correspondences between spiritual and natural things, as is manifest from the hieroglyphics there. But when that knowledge with them was turned into magic, and became idolatrous, then their intelligence in spiritual things became insanity : hence Egypt, in the oppo- site sense, signifies the latter. It may be seen from this, what is meant by the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. 504. Where also our Lord was crucified, signifies the non- acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human, and thus a state of rejection. It is said in the church, that those cru- cify the Lord who blaspheme Him ; as also those who, like the Jews, deny Him to be the Son of God. They who deny His Human to be Divine are like the Jews, because every one regards the Lord as a Man ; and he who regards His Human as the equal of the human of another man cannot No. 505.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 547 then think of His Divine, howsoever this is said to be the Son of God, born from eternity, equal to the Divine of the Father. When this is said and read, it is heard indeed ; but still it is not at the same time believed, when it is thought that the Lord is a material man like another man. retaining similar properties of the flesh. And as the hearer (hen removes His Divine, and does not regard it, he in that state is therefore as if he denied it ; for he denies that His Human is the Son of God, as the Jews also did, and on that account crucified Him. Yet it is plainly said that the Lord's Human is the Son of God (Luke i. 32, 35 ; Matt, iii. 16, 17 j and elsewhere). It is manifest from these things why the men of the church go immediately to God the Father, and many also immediately to the Holy Spirit, and rarely any one immediately to the Lord. Since the Jews, from the denial that the Lord was the Messiah, the Son of God, crucified Him, therefore their Jerusalem is also called Sodom (Isa. iii. 9; Jer. xxiii. 14; Ez. xvi. 46, 48) ; and the Lord says, In the day that Lot wc7it out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all; even thus shall it be in the day that the Son of Man shall be rrcealed (Luke xvii. 29, 30). What fire and brimstone signify, may be seen n. 452, 494. 505. And they of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations shall see their bodies three days and a half signifies when all who have been and shall be in falsities of doc- trine and thence in evils of life from faith alone, at the end of the church which still is, until the beginning of the New, have heard and shall hear of the two essentials, which are the acknowledgment of the Lord ana of works according to the Decalogue. By the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations are meant all of the Reformed who have been and will be in falsities of doctrine and thence in evils of life from faith alone. By peoples those are signified who are in falsities of doctrine (n. 483) ; by tribes the falsities and evils of the church (n. 349) ; by tongues the confession vol. II. 6 54» THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI and reception of them (n. 483) ; and by nations they who are in evils of life (n. 483) : hence by these four are meant all and each who have been and who will be such ; and thus all who have been in the great city, and who will be in it, from those of similar character who are still to come out of the world. By their bodies, or those of the two wit- nesses, are signified the two essentials of the New Church, spoken of above (n. 501). By their seeing is signified when they have heard and shall hear of them • since to see is said in regard to their bodies, and to hear in regard to the two essentials. By three days and a half is signified unto the end and the beginning • that is, to the end of the church which as yet is, and to the beginning of the New. From these things now gathered into one sense, it is mani- fest that by " they of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations shall see their bodies three days and a half," the things said above are signified in the spiritual sense. Three days and a half signify to the end and a beginning, because day signifies state, the number three what is com- plete to the end, and a half, a beginning. For the same is signified by three days and a half as by a week, six days of which signify what is complete even to the end, and the seventh day signifies what is holy : for the number three and a half is half of the number seven, which makes a week ; and a doubled number and the divided number from which it is, signify the same. That three signifies complete, thus to the end, may be seen from these passages in the Word : That Isaiah went naked a?id barefoot three years (xx. 3). That Jehovah called Samuel three times, and Samuel ra?i to Eli three times ; and that the third time Eli tmderstood (1 Sam. iii. 1-8). That Elijah stretched himself upon the widow *s son three times (1 Kings xvii. 21). That Elijah co?nmanded that they should pour water upon the bur?it-ojfer- ing th?-ee times (1 Kings xviii. 34). That Jesus said, that the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a wo??ian took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was No. 506.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 549 leavened (Matt. xiii. 33). That Jesus said to Peter that he would deny Hi?n thrice (Matt. xxvi. 34). That the Lord thrice asked Peter, Loves t thou Mel (John xxi. 15-17). That Jonah was in the whalers belly three days and three nights (Jonah i. 17). That Jesus said that He would destroy the Temple, and would Himself build it in three days (Matt. xxvi. 61). That Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane (Matt, xxvi. 39-44). That Jesus rose again on the third day (Matt, xxviii. 1. Besides many other places, as Isa. xvi. 14; Hos. vi. 2 ; Ex. iii. 18 ; x. 22, 23 ; xix. 1, 11, 15. 16, 18 ; Lev. xix. 23-25 ; Num. xix. 11 to the end ; xxxi. 19-25 ; Deut. xix. 2, 3; xxvi. 12 ; Josh. i. 11; iii. 2 ; 1 Sam. xx. 5, 12, 19, 20, 35, 36, 41 ; 2 Sam. xxiv. 11-13 j Dan. x. 1-3 ; Mark xii. 2, 4-6 ; Luke xx. *i2 ; xiii. 32, 33). Seven signi- fies full and complete equally as three ; but seven is said of holy things, and three of things not holy. 506. And shall not suffer their bodies to be put into sepul- chres, signifies that they have condemned and will con- demn them. By the bodies are here signified the two essentials of the New Church, spoken of n. 505 and above : and by not suffering them to be put into sepulchres is signified to reject them as condemned. This is signi- fied, because by putting into sepulchres or burying, resur- rection and continuation of life is signified ; for then the things are committed to the earth, which are from the earth, thus which are earthly and thence unclean. Therefore by not being put into sepulchres, or not being buried, is signi- fied to remain in things earthly and unclean, and on that account to be rejected as condemned. Hence it was, that in the church among the children of Israel, which was a representative church, it was established that they who were regarded as condemned should be cast forth and not buried ; as is manifest from these passages : Jehovah said ■■Oficerning them, they shall die grievous deaths, they shall not be mourned nor buried ; they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth, and their carcasses shall be for food to the birds 550 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. of the heavens and to the beast of the earth (Jer xvi. 3, 4). The prophets that prophesy a lie shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, and shall have none to bury the7n (Jer. xiv. 16). In that day they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, out of their sepulchres ; they shall not be collected nor buried ; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth (Jer. viii. 1, 2). That the dogs devoured Jezebel in the field, and there was none to bury her (2 Kings ix. 10). Thou wast cast out of thy sepulchre as an abominable branch, as a carcass trodden under foot (Isa. xiv. 19, 20. Besides other places, as Jer. xxv. 32, 33 ; xxii. 19 ; vii. 32, 33 ; xix. 11, 12 ; 2 Kings xxiii. 16). 507. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and be glad, signifies the delight of the affection of the heart and the soul in the church on that account with those who were in faith alone as to doctrine and life. By "them that dwell on the earth " are meant they who are in the church, here those that are in the church where is faith alone : the earth signifies the church in which they are (n. 285). To rejoice and to be glad signifies to have delight of the affection of the heart and the soul. Delight of the affection of the heart is of the will, and delight of the affection of the soul is of the understanding ; for by heart and soul in the Word, man's will and understanding are meant. Hence it is said, "to rejoice and be glad," although joy and gladness appear as one thing : but in these two is the marriage of the will and the understanding, which is also the marriage of good and truth, which is in each and every thing of the Word : see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 80-90). Hence it is that both, to rejoice and to be glad, or joy and gladness, are spoken of in many other places in the Word ; as in these : Behold joy and gladness (Isa. xxii. 13). They shall obtain joy and gladness (Isa. xxxv. 10 ; li. 11). Joy and gladness are cut off from the No. 509.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 551 house of our God (Joel i. 16). The voice of joy and the voice of gladness shall cease (Jer. vii 34; xxv. 10). The fast of the tenth shall be for joy and gladness (Zech. viii. 19). Be glad with jferusalem, and rejoice with her (Isa. lxvi. 10). Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edotn (Lam. iv. 21) Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice (Ps. xcvi. 1 1). Make me to hear joy and gladness (Ps. li. 8). jfoy and gladness shall be fowid in Zion (Isa. li. 3). Thou shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth (Luk<» i. 14). / will cause to cease the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jer. vii. 34; xvi. 9 ; xxv. 10 j xxxiii. 10, 11). Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad (Ps. xl. 16; lxx. 4). Let the just be glad, let them rejoice with gladness (Ps. lxviii. 3). Be glad in Jerusalem, rejoice for joy with her (Isa. lxvi. 10). 508. And shall send gifts one to another, signifies consoci- ation by love and friendship. To send gifts signifies to be consociated by love and friendship, because a gift consoci- ates j for it produces love, and causes friendship. " To one another " signifies mutually. 509. Because those two prophets tormented them that dwell upon the earth, signifies that those two essentials, the one concerning the Lord and the Divine Human, and the other concerning a life according to the commandments of the Decalogue, are in opposition to the two essentials received in the Reformed Church, of which the one relates to a Trinity of Persons, and the other to salvation by faith alone without the works of the law; and that owing to that opposition the two essentials of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, are looked upon with contempt, dislike, and aversion. That these things are signified, when by the two prophets, or witnesses, the two essentials of the New Church are meant, and when by them that dwell upon the earth are meant those who are in the two essentials of the church of the Reformed, follows as a necessary conclusion. By tormenting is signified to be a matter of contempt, dislike, and aversion. 3 5 2 THE APOCALYTSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. 510. v^z// the three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered i?ito them, a?id they stood upon their feet, signifies that the two essentials of the New Church, at the end of the former, when the New Church is beginning and advancing, are vivified by the Lord with those who receive them. By " the three days and a half " is signified to the end and a beginning (n. 505) ; and thus from the end of the church which as yet is, to the beginning of the New ; here with those among whom the New Church commences and is progressing : because it is now said of the witnesses, that " the spirit ot life entered into them, and they stood upon their feet." By the spirit of life from God spiritual life is signified j and by standing upon the feet is signified natural life agreeing with the spiritual life, and thus to be vivified by the Lord. This is signified because by the spirit of life the internal of man is meant, which is called the internal man, which viewed in itself is spiritual : for the spirit of man thinks and wills \ and to think and will is in itself spiritual. By standing upon the feet the external of man is signified, which is also called the external man, which in itself is natural ; for the body speaks and does what its spirit thinks and wills, and to speak and do is natural. That the feet signify things natural, may be seen n. 49, 468. It shall be told what in particular is meant by this. Every man who is reformed, is reformed first as to his internal man, and afterwards as to the external. The internal man is not reformed by only knowing and understanding the truths and goods by which man is saved, but by willing and loving them \ but the external man by speaking and doing the things which the internal man wills and loves: and as far as it does this, so far the man is regenerated. He is not regenerated before, because his internal is not before in effect, but only in the cause ; and the cause, unless it is in effect, is dissipated. It is like a house built upon the ice, which falls to the bottom when the ice is melted by the sun. In a word, it is like a man without feet tr stand and No. 513.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 553 walk upon. It is the same with the internal or spiritua. man, unless it is founded on the external or natural. This then is what is signified by the two witnesses standing upon their feet, after the spirit of life from God entered into them : and also by similar things in Ezekiel : Jehovah said u?ito me, Prophesy u?ito the wind ; a?id when I prophesied, the vftii'it entered into them, and they stood upon their feet (xxxvii. 9, 10). Again: The voice speaking to me said, Son of man, stand upon thy feet: then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet (ii. 1, 2). And again : I fell upon my face ; then the spirit came into me, and set me up upon my feet (iii. 23, 24). This is also what is meant by the Lord's words to Peter: Peter said, Thou shall not wash my feet only, but also my hands and my head: Jesus said unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, and is clean every whit (John xiii. 8, 9). 511. And great fear fell upon them that saw them, signifies commotion of mind and consternation on account of the Divine truths. Fear signifies various things, according to the thing which causes it. The great fear here signifies a commotion of mind and consternation on account of Divine truths : for Divine truths have those effects with the evil ; for they terrify when hell and eternal damnation are heard of at the same time. But that terror is shortly dissipated, together with the belief that there is any life after death. 512. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Co?ne up hither, signifies those two essentials of the New Church taken up by the Lord into heaven, whence they are and where they are, and their protection. By "a great voice out of heaven " is signified from the Lord ; for a voice out of heaven is from no one else. By " come up hither " is signified their being taken up into heaven, whence they are and where they are, and the protection of them. 513. And they ascended up into heaven in a cloud, signifies the being taken up into heaven, and conjunction with the 554 THE AFOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI, Lord there through the Divine Truth of the Word in its literal sense. By going up into heaven is signified being taken up by the Lord into heaven, as just above (n. 512) : here also conjunction with the Lord there, because they went up in a cloud ; for by a cloud the sense of the letter of the Word is signified (n. 24) ; and through this there is conjunction with the Lord, and consociation with the angels ; see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concern- ing the Sacred Scripture" (n. 62-69). 514. And their enemies beheld them, signifies that they who are in faith separate from charity heard them, but remained fixed in their falsities. By beholding the two witnesses is signified to hear the two essentials of the New Church, and also to see confirming things from the Word ; because they saw them ascending in a cloud ; and by a cloud the literal sense of the Word is signified (n. 24, 513). Yet that they did not receive, but remained fixed in their falsities, is manifest from this, that nothing more is said than that they beheld ; and it follows that there was a great earthquake, and that they perished in it. By their enemies are meant those who were in the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt ; and that these are they who are in faith separated from charity may be seen above (n. 501, 502, &c). 515. And in that hour there was a great earthquake ; and a tenth part of the city fell, signifies that a remarkable change of state then took place with them, and that they were torn away from heaven and cast down into hell. "In that hour" signifies the time when they beheld the two wit- nesses go up into heaven, and yet remained fixed in their falsities, as just above (n. 514); for the two witnesses prophesied, that is, taught them (vers. 3). And after they were slain, and came to life again, and they also saw them ascend into heaven, and still did not recede from their falsities, then that great earthquake took place. That the same took place with " the two Doctrines of the New Jeru- No. 516.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 555 salem, one concerning the Lord, and the other concerning a Life according to the Commandments of the Decalogue/'* may be seen in some degree from the Relations after the chapters. These two Doctrines are the two Witnesses which ai-e here treated of. By an earthquake a change of state is signified (n. 331) ; here their destruction, because in it a tenth part of the city fell. By a tenth part is there signi- fied all of them; for ten signifies many and all (n. 101); in like manner the tenth part or a tenth : as the fourth part or a fourth signifies the same as four (n. 322) ; and the third part or a third the same as three (n. 400). By falling is signified to sink down into hell, which takes place when they are torn away from heaven. For the cities in the world of spirits which are in evils and falsities, — after they who are there have been visited, informed, and ad- monished, and still persist in their evils and falsities, — are shaken by an earthquake ; and thereby a gulf is opened, into which they sink down : and the inhabitants then appear to themselves to be at the bottom, as it were in a desert ; out of which they are sent away one by one to their places in hell. That it was so done with this city, will be seen below (n. 531). 516. And there were slain in the earthquake names of men seven thousand, signifies that in that state all those who professed faith alone, and therefore made the works of charity of no account, perished. By being slain is signi- fied here as before to be spiritually slain, which is to perish as to the soul. By the earthquake is signified a change of state with them, and their destruction, as just above. By " the names of men seven thousand " are signified all who professed faith alone, and for that reason made no account of the works of charity, and therefore condemned the two holy essentials of the New Church. By names are signi- fied they who are of such a quality, for the name signifies the quality of the man (n. 81, 122, 165): and by seven thousand are signified all who are such ; for the same is 6* 556 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI signified by seven thousand as by seven, just as by twelve thousand the same as twelve (n. 348). That seven signi- fies all, and is predicated of the holy things of heaven and the church, and in the opposite sense of profane thingSj may be seen (n. 10, 391). 517. And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven, signifies that they who joined any goods of charity to their faith, when they saw the destruction of those, acknowledged the Lord, and were separated. By '* the remnant " are here meant those who adjoined to faith any goods of charity. Their being affrighted signifies through fear when they saw the destruction of the others. By giving glory to the God of heaven is signified to ac- knowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth : by giving glory is signified to acknowledge and to worship ; and by the God of heaven and earth the Lord is meant, because He is the God of heaven and earth (Matt, xxviii. 18). Because these, through fear, acknowledged the Lord, they were separated, that they might be explored as to the origin from which they did good, — whether from themselves or from the Lord. All those do goods from themselves, who do not shun evils as sins, that is, who do not live the commandments of the Decalogue ; but they who so shun and live, do goods from the Lord. 518. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe cometh quickly, signifies a lamentation over the perverted state of the church, and then a last lamentation, to be described presently. That "woe" signifies a lamentation over the perverted state of the church, may be seen above (n. 416). By the third woe the last lamentation is signified, when there is a completion and end ; for three and the third signify these (n. 505). To come quickly signifies here- after ; and the hereafter is described in the twelfth tc the seventeenth chapters following, and finally in chapter twentieth, where the last judgment upon them is treated of. 519. And the seventh angel sounded, signifies the explora' No. 520.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 557 tion and manifestation of the state of the church after its consummation, when the coming of the *Lord and of His kingdom takes place. By sounding the trumpet is signi- fied to explore and make manifest the state of the church after its consummation, when the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom takes place. The reason is, because this is signified by the seventh angel sounding ; for by the six angels and their trumpets sounding, the explorations and manifestations of the consummated church have been sig- nified, as is manifest from the preceding chapter, where only its consummation is described. But that its state after consummation is now treated of, which is the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom, is manifest from these things that follow in this verse and afterwards : in this verse, And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ever and ever, &c. The reason that this manifestation was made by the sounding of the seventh angel, is because seven signifies the same as a week ; and six days of it are clays of labor and of what belongs to man, and the seventh is holy and the Lord's. That the devastation of the church, when there is no longer any truth of doctrine and good of life therein, and thus when its end has come, is meant by consummation, may be seen n. 658, 750 • and because then is the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom, therefore both, the consummation of the age and the com- ing of the Lord, are spoken of in Matt. xxiv. 3 ; and both are also foretold in that chapter. 520. And there were great voices i?i heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world a?-e beco?ne our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ever and ever, signifies cele- brations by the angels, that heaven and the church have become the Lord's, as they were from the beginning ; and that now also they have become the kingdom of His Divine Human ; and thus that the Lord as to both will now reign 553 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI over heaven and the church for ever. " There were great voices," signifies celebrations by the angels : " saying, the kingdoms of the world have become our Lord's and His Christ's," signifies that heaven and the church have become the Lord's as they were from the beginning, and now also the kingdom of His Divine Human : " and He shall reign for ever and ever," signifies that the Lord is to reign over them as to both. That great voices in heaven signify celebrations of the Lord, because He has now taken His great power, is manifest from verse seventeenth following, where those great voices appear in full. By the Lord here is meant the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah j and by Christ His Divine Human is meant, which is the Son of God (Luke i. 32, 35). That the Lord will reign as to His Divine Human also, is plainly manifest from these passages : The Father hath given all things into the hand of the Son (John iii. 35). The Father hath given to the Son power over all flesh (John xvii. 2). Father, all mine are thine, and thine are mine (John xvii. 10). All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matt, xxviii. 18). Concerning His Divine Human He also says that the Father and He are one. And that He is in the Father and the Father in Him (John x. 30, 38 ; xiv. 5-12). Add to this, that unless the Lord's Human is acknowledged to be Divine, the church perishes ; since the Lord cannot then be in man and man in the Lord, as He teaches (John xiv. 20 ; xv. 4-6; xvii. 21): and this conjunc- tion makes the man of the church, and thus the church. That the Lord's Divine Human is meant by Christ, is because Christ is the Messiah, and the Messiah is the Son of God whom they expected to come into the world. That Christ is the Messiah is manifest from these passages : We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted^ the Christ (John i. 41). The woman said, L know that the Messiah cometh, ivho is called the CJi7'ist (John iv. 25). For " Messiah " in the Hebrew language is Anointed, as "Christ" is in the Greek language. That the Messiah is No. 522.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 559 the Son of God appears from these passages : The high priest asked Him, whether He was the Christ (Messiah) the Son of God (Matt. xxvi. 63 ; Mark xiv. 61 ; John xx. 31). Thou art the Christ the Son of God, who should come i?ito the world (John xi. 27). Peter said, We believe and acknowledge that thou art the Christ the Son of the living God (John vi. 69). That the Lord as to His Divine Human is the Son of God is manifest from this : The angel said to Mary, Thou shall conceive in thy womb, and shall bring forth a Son ; He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee ; therefore, also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke i. 30-35 : and from many other places). From these things it is manifest what is signified by The kingdoms have become our Lord's and His Christ's. 521. And the twenty four elders, who sat before God upon their thrones, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, signifies the acknowledgment by all the angels of heaven, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and the highest adoration. By the twenty-four elders sitting upon the thrones are signified all in heaven, in particular in the spiritual heaven (n. 233, 251): and by falling upon their faces and worshipping God, is signified the highest adora- tion, and the acknowledgment that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth. 522. Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art and who wast and who art to come, signifies con- fession and glorification by the angels of heaven, that the Lord is He who is, who lives and has power of Himself, and governs all things, because He alone is Eternal and Infinite. By giving thanks, the acknowledgment and glo rification of the Lord is signified. That the Son of Man, who is the Lord as to the Divine Human, is Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, also He who is and who was and who 560 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. is to come, may be seen above in the Apocalypse, chap. i. 8, 1 1, 17 ; ii. 8 ; iv. 8. And that they signify that it is He who is, lives and has power of Himself, governs all things, and is alone Eternal and Infinite, and God, may be seen above (n. 13, 29-31, 38, 57, 92). 523. That thou hast taken thy great power ; and hast entered upon thy kingdom, signifies the New Heaven and the New Church, where they will acknowledge Him as the Only God, as He is and as He was. " Thou hast taken thy great power/' signifies the Divine Omnipotence, which is His, and which was His from eternity. " Thou hast entered upon thy kingdom," signifies that heaven and the church are now His, as before. By His kingdom is here meant the New Heaven and New Church, spoken of in the Apoc- alypse (xxi., xxii.). In the Apocalypse, from the beginning to the end, the state of the former heaven and church, and their abolishment, is alone treated of ; and afterwards the New Heaven and the New Church, and their establishment; in which One God is acknowledged in whom is a trinity, and that that God is the Lord. This the Apocalypse teaches from beginning to end : for it teaches that the Son of Man, who is the Lord as to the Divine Human, is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last ) who is, was, and is to come ; and is Almighty (n. 522) : and at length that a New Church which is the New Jerusa- lem, will be the Church of the Lamb, that is, of His Divine Human, and thus at the same time of the Divine from Which are all things ; as is plainly manifest from these passages : Let us rejoice and exult, for the time of the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His Wife hath made herself ready ' (Apoc. xix. 7). There came one of the seven angels, and said unto me, Come hither, T will show thee the Bride the Lamb's Wife ; and he showed me the Holy City Jerusalem (Apoc. xxi. 9, 10). / Jesus am the root and the offsp7'ing of David, the bright and morning star : the Spirit and the Bride say, Come ; and let him that heareth say, Come (Apoc. xxii No. 525.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 561 16, 17). There was give?i to the Son of Man dominion, and glory, and the kingdom ; His dominion is an everlasti?ig dominion, and His kingdom shall not perish (Dan. vii. 14). 524. And the nations were angry, signifies those who are in faith alone, and thence in evils of life, that they became enraged and infested those who are against their faith. By "the nations" those are meant who are in evils of life, and abstractly evils of life (n. 147, 483) ; but here those who are in faith alone, because these are here treated of : and these are in evils of life, because their religion is, that the law does not condemn them, provided they have faith that Christ took away its condemnation. Their being angry also signifies not only that they became enraged, but also that they infested those who are against their faith ; as may be evident from the things that follow concerning the Dragon (chap. xii. 17), and afterwards. 525. And thy wrath is come, and the time to judge the dead, signifies their destruction and the last judgment upon those who have not any spiritual life. By " thy wrath " the last judgment is signified (n. 340), and thus their destruc- tion. This is signified by the Lord's wrath, because it appears to them as if the Lord from anger cast them down into hell ; when yet the evil casts himself down. For it is as if a malefactor should attribute it to the law, that he is punished ; or to the fire that he is burnt, if he puts his hand in it • or to a drawn sword in the hand of one who is defending himself, if he is stabbed when he runs upon its point : so it happens with every one who is against the Lord, and from anger rushes against those whom the Lord protects. By the dead that are to be judged are meant in the universal sense those who have died out of the world ; but in the proper sense those are meant who have not any spiritual life : of these the judgment is predicated in John iii. 18 ; v. 24, 29. The reason is, because those are said to be alive, who have spiritual life. Spiritual life is solely with those who go to the Lord, and at the same time shun 562 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XL evils as sins. Those who have no spiritual life are meant in these passages : They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and eat the sacrifices of the dead (Ps. cvi. 28). The e?ieniy persecuteth my soul, he hath made me to sit in darhness as the dead of the world (Ps. cxliii. 3). To hear the groaning of the priso?ier, and to loose the sons of death (Ps. cii. 20). / know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livesi, but art dead: be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain Which are ready to die (Apoc. iii. 1, 2). That these are meant by the dead, is because spiritual death is meant: on which account those also who are destroyed by that death are signified by the slain (n. 321, 325, and else- where). But they who have died out of the world are meant by the dead in these passages : The dead were judged according to the things that were written in the books (Apoc. xx. 12). The rest of the dead lived not again (Apoc. xx. 5). The reason is because by the first death is there meant natural death, which is to die out of the world ; and by the second death spiritual death, which is damnation. 526. And to give reward to His servants the prophets, and to the saints, signifies the happiness of eternal life to those who are in truths of doctrine from the Word, and in a life according to them. By " reward " is signified the happiness of eternal life, as will be shown presently : by " the prophets " those are signified who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word (n. 8, 133) : and by " the saints" they who are in a life according to them (n. 173). By reward is here meant the happiness of eternal life arising from the enjoyment and pleasantness of the love and affec- tion for good and truth. For every affection of love has in itself its enjoyment and pleasantness, and the affection of the love of good and truth enjoyment and pleasantness such as the angels of heaven have j and every affection remains with man after death. The reason is, because affection is of love, and love is the life of man \ on which account every one has such life after death as his reigning No. 527.] THE ArOCALVrSE REVEALED. 563 love was in the world : and the reigning love of those who have loved the truths of the Word, and have lived accord- ing to them, is the love of good and truth. Xcth:r.~ c!se but the delight of good and the pleasantness of truth is meant by reward in the following passages : Behold, the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength ; behold, His reward is with Him (Isa. xl. 10; lxii. 11). Behold, I eome quickly; and my reward is with me (Apoc. xxii. 12). My judgment is with Jehovah) and the reward of my work is with my God (Isa. xlix. 4). / Jehovah love judgment, I will give the reward of their work (Isa. lxi. 8). Do good, hoping for noth- ing again ; and your reward shall be great, a fid ye shall be the children of the Highest (Luke vi. 35. Besides other places, as Jer. xxxi. 15-17 : Matt. v. 12; vi. 4, 6, iS: x. 41, 42 ; Mark ix. 41 ; Luke vi. 22, 23 ; adv. 12-14 ; John iv. 527. And to them that fear thy name, both small and great, signifies who love the things which are the Lord's in a greater or less degree. By fearing the Lord's name is signified to love the things which are the Lord's. By fear- ing is signified to love ; and by the Lord's name all things by which He is worshipped are signified (n. 81): by the small and the Great are signified those who fear the Lord in a less or a greater degree. That '* to fear " here signi- fies to love, is because every one who loves, fears also to do evil to him whom he loves. Genuine love is not given without that fear. Consequently, he who loves the Lord, fears to do evil, because evils are contrary to Him ; for they are contrary to His Divine laws in the Word, which is from Him, and thus Himself ; yea, they are contrary to His Divine essence, which is that He wishes to save all ; for He is the Saviour ; and He cannot save a man, unless he lives according to His laws and commandments. And what is more, he who loves evils, loves also to do evil to the Lord ; yea, to crucify Him. This lies inmostly hid in ever)- evil, even with those who confess Him with the moutb 564 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI in the world. That it is so is unknown to men, but well known to the angels. That to fear God signifies to love the things that are God's, by doing them, and not being willing to do the things that are contrary to Him, is mani- fest from these passages : What doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him (Deut. x. 12). Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear Him, and keep His com- mandments (Deut. xiii. 4). Jehovah thy God shall thou fear, Him shall thou serve, and to Hi?n shall thou cleave (Deut. x. 20 ; vi. 2, 13, 14, 24 ; viii. 6 ; xvii. 19 ; xxviii. 58 ; xxxi. 12). O that there were in them a heart to fear Me, and to keep my commandme?its (Deut. v. 29). Teach me, O Jehovah, thy way ; unite my heart to the fear of thy name (Ps. lxxxvi. 11). Blessed is he that feareth Jehovah, that walketh i?i His ways (Ps. cxxviii. 1 ; cxii. 1 ; Jer. xliv. 10). If I am a father, where is ?ny honor 1 if I am a lord, where is my fear? (Mai. i. 6 ; ii. 5 ; Isa. xi. 2, 3). / will give them one heart and one way to fear Me ; and I will put my fear in their heart, that they may not depart from Me (Jer. xxxii. 39, 40). The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. cxi. 10. Besides other places, as Isa. viii. 13; xxv. 3 ; xxix. 13 ; 1. 10; Jer. xxxiii. 9 ; Ps. xxii. 23 ; xxxiii. 8, 18 ; xxxiv, 7, 9 ; lv. 19 ; cxv. ii, 13 ; cxlvii. 11 ; Apoc. xiv. 7 ; Luke i. 50). But the fear of God with the evil is not love, but a fear of hell. 528. And to destroy them that destroy the earth, signifies the casting into hell of those who have destroyed the church. By destroying them that destroy the earth, is signified the casting into hell of those who 'have destroyed the church, because the church is signified by the earth (n. 285) ; and because it follows after these words, the ti?ne to judge the dead is come ; by which the last judgment upon those who have no spiritual life is signified (n. 525). Thus by "the time is come to destroy them that destroy the earth," is here signified the casting into hell of those who have destroyed No. 529.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 565 the church. The like is said of Lucifer, by whom Babylon is meant, in Isaiah : Thou hast destroyed thine earth, and hast slain thy people (xiv. 20). 529. And the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His eovenant, signifies the New Heaven, in which the Lord is worshipped in His Divine Human, and they live according to the command- ments of His Decalogue ; which are the two essentials of the New Church, by which there is conjunction. By " the Temple of God " the Lord's Divine Human is signified, also heaven where the angels are, and the church on earth. That these three are signified by the temple of God, and that they cannot be separated, may be seen n. 191. But here by the temple of God is signified the Lord in His Divine Human in heaven where the angels are, because it is said, "the temple of God in heaven." By the ark in the temple the Decalogue is meant ; for in the ark were only the two tables, on which the Decalogue was inscribed. By its being open is signified that these two, the Divine Human and the Decalogue, which are the two Essentials of the New Church, were now seen, and were seen after the evil were cast down into hell (n. 528). It is said, "the ark of His covenant in His temple," because a covenant signifies con- junction ; of which below. But something shall first be said concerning the Decalogue. What nation in the entire world does not know that it is evil to kill, to commit adul- ter}', to steal, and to testify falsely? Unless they knew these things, and guarded by laws against such crimes, they must perish ; for society, a commonwealth, and a kingdom, without those laws, would fall. Who can suppose that the Israelitish nation was so stupid above all other nations, as not to know that those were evils ? On which account one may wonder why those laws, known universally in the whole world, were promulgated with so great a miracle from mount Sinai by Jehovah Himself, and written also by His ringer. But hear : They were promulgated by Jehovah 566 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap XL with such a miracle, and written by His finger, that it might be known that those laws were not only civil and moral laws, but also spiritual laws ; and that to do contrary to them was not only to do evil against a fellow-citizen and against society, but also to sin against God. Wherefore, those laws, by promulgation from mount Sinai by Jehovah, were made laws of religion. For it is evident that whatever Jehovah God commands, He commands it that it may be a thing of religion ; and that it is to be done for His sake ; and for man's sake, that he may be saved. Those laws — because they were the first-fruits of the church about to be established by the Lord with the Israelitish nation, and because they were in a brief summary the aggregate of all things of religion, by which there is conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord — were on that account so holy, that nothing is more holy. That they were most holy may be evident from this : that Jehovah Himself, that is, the Lord, descended in fire ; a?id that the mountain then smoked a?id trembled, and that there were thunders % lightnings, a thick cloud, and the voice of a trwnpet (Ex. xix. 16, 18 ; Deut. v. 19-23). That the people, before the descent of Jehovah, prepared and sanctified themselves for three days (Ex. xix. 10, 11, 15). That the mountain was enclosed by bounds, that no one might approach to its base, lest he should die (Ex. xix. 12, 13, 20-23 ; xxiv. 1, 2). That that law was written on two tables of stone, and that it was written by the finger of God (Ex. xxxi. 18 ; xxxii. 15, 16; Deut. ix. 10). That the face of Moses shone, when he brought the Tables down from the mountain the second time (Ex. xxxi v. 29-35). That the Tables were laid up in the Ark (Ex. xxv. 16; xh 20 j Deut. x. 5 ; 1 Kings viii. 9). That the place in the Tabernacle where the Ark was, was called the Holy of Holies (Ex. xxvi. 33, and elsewhere). That the Ark, on account of the Law in it, was called Jehovah There (Num. x. 35, 36 ; 2 Sam. vi. 2 ; Ps. cxxxii. 8). That Jehovah spake with Moses above the Ark (Ex. xxv. 22 ; Num. vii. 89). That on account of the holiness N . 530.] THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. 567 of that Law, it was not lawful for Aaron to enter within the Vail where the Ark was, except with sacrifices and incense, lest he should die (Lev. xvi. 2-14, &c). That owing to the. presence and power of the Lord i?i the Law which was in the Ark, the ?. aters of the Jordan were divided, and as long as it rested in the middle, the people passed over on dry land (Josh. iii. 1-17 ; iv. 5-20). That by carrying the Ark around, the walls of Jericho fell down (Josh. vi. 1-20). That Dagon the god of the- Philistines fell down to the earth before the Ark, and afterwards lay upon the threshold of the temple with his head broken off (1 Sam. v. 3, 4). That the Ekronitcs ana Bcthshemites were smitten on account of the Ark to the number of many thousands (1 Sam. v. and vi). That the Ark was introduced into Zion by David with sacrifices and rejoicing (2 Sam. vi. 1-19). That Uzzah died at that time, because he touched it (2 Sam. vi. 6, 7). That the Ark was the inmost recess in the te??iple of Jerusalem (1 Kings vi. 19, &c. ; viii. 3-9). That the Tables on which the Law was written were called the Tables of the Covenant, and from them the ark was called the ark of the cove?iant, and the Law itself the Covenant (Num. x. 33 5 Deut. iv. 13, 23 ; v. 2, 3 ; ix. 9 ; Josh. iii. 11 , 1 Kings viii. 19, 21 ; and elsewhere). That that law being called the covenant, signifies conjunction, is because covenants are made for the sake of love, of friendship, of consociation, and thus of conjunction. Therefore it is said of the Lord, that He shall be for a covenant to the people (Isa. xlii. 6 ; xlix. 8). And He is called the Angel of the covenant (Mai. iii. 1): and His blood, the blood of the covenafit (Matt. xxvi. 28 j Zech. ix. 11 \ Ex. xxiv. 4-10). And for that reason the Word is called the Old Covenant and the New Covena?it. 530. And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, ami an earthquake, and great hail, signifies that then, below, there were reasonings, commotions, and falsifications of good and truth. By the lightnings, voices, and thunders, reasonings are signified (n. 396). By the earthquake are 568 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI. signified changes of the state of the church (n. 331) ; here commotions. By the great hail, the falsifications of truth and good are signified (n. 399). These things took place in the lower parts, where the evil still tarried, before the last judgment was executed upon them \ for it is said in the eighteenth verse preceding, The time to judge the dead is come, and to destroy them that destroy the earth. Such things take place in the world of spirits, from the presence and influx of heaven, which is above them. , 531. To this I will add this Relation. I was suddenly seized with a disease almost deadly : my whole head was weighed down heavily : a pestilential smoke ascended from the Jerusalem which is called Sodom and Egypt : I was half-dead with severe pain : I expected the end. I lay thus in my bed for three days and a half : my spirit was affected thus, and from it my body. And then I heard around me the voices of them that said, "Lo, he who preached repentance for the remission of sins, and the Man Christ alone, lies dead in the street of our city." And they asked some of the clergy whether he was worthy of burial ; and they said that he was not : " let him lie ; let him be looked at." They passed to and fro and mocked. In truth this happened to me, when this chapter of the Apocalypse was being explained. Harsh speeches of the scoffers were then heard, especially these : " How can repentance be performed without faith ? How can Christ the Man be adored as God ? When we are saved of free grace without any merit of our own, what need we then but the faith alone, that God the Father sent the Son, to take away the condemnation of the law, impute to us His merit, and thus justify us before Him, and absolve us from our sins by His herald the priest, and then give the Holy Spirit to operate all good in us ? Is not this according to NTo. 531.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 5^9 the Scripture, and also according to reason ? " These things the crowd that stood by applauded. I heard these things ; but could not answer, because I lay almost dead. But after three days and a half my spirit recovered ; and 1 went forth in the spirit from the broad way into the city, and said again, " Repent, and believe in Christ ; and your sins will be remitted, and ye will be saved : if not, ye will perish. Did not the Lord Himself preach repentance for the remission of sins, and that they should believe in Him ? Did He not command the disciples to preach the same ? Does not entire security of life follow the dogma of your faith ? " But they said, " What nonsense ! Has not the Son made satisfaction ? Has not the Father im- puted it? Has He not justified us, who have believed this ? We are thus led by the spirit of grace. What sin is there then in us ? What power has death over us ? Do you comprehend this gospel, preacher of sin and repent- ance ? " But then a voice came -forth out of heaven, say- ing, "What is the faith of the impenitent but a dead faith? The end is come : the end has come upon you secure ones ; blameless in your own eyes ; justified in your faith ; devils." And suddenly an abyss was then opened in the midst of that city ; and it widened ; and house fell upon house ; and they were swallowed up ; and soon the water boiled up out of a broad whirlpool, and overflowed the waste. When they were thus engulfed, and seemed inundated, I desired to know their lot in the deep j and it was said to me from heaven, " Thou shalt see and hear." And thep the waters in which they seemed to be inundated, disap- peared before my eyes j because waters in the spiritual World are correspondences, and hence appear around those who are in falsities. And then they were seen by me in a sandy bottom, where heaps of stones were piled up j among which they were running about, and lamenting that they were cast out of their great city. And they cried out and exclaimed, " Why has this come upon us ? Are 5 70 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI we not, through our faith, clean, pure, just, and holy ? " And others cried, "Are we not, through our faith, cleansed, purified, justified, and sanctified ? " And others, " Are we not, through our faith, made such that we may appear, be seen, and be reputed, before God the Father, and be de clared before the angels, as clean, pure, just, and holy? Are not we reconciled, propitiated, expiated, and so ab- solved, washed, and cleansed from sins ? Has not the condemnation of the law been taken away by Christ? Why then are we cast together here as condemned ? We have heard, from an audacious preacher of sin in our great city, ' Believe in Christ, and repent.' Did we not believe in Christ, when we believed in His merit ? Have we not repented, when we have confessed that we are sinners? Why, then, has this befallen us ? " But a voice was then heard speaking to them from one side, " Do you know any sin in which you are ? Have you in any wise examined yourselves ? Have you oh that account shunned any evil as a sin against God ? And he that does not shun it, is in it. Is not sin the devil ? Wherefore you are they of whom the Lord says, ' Then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten and drunk before Thee, and Thou hast taught in our streets : but He shall say, I say unto you, I know you not whence ye are \ depart from Me, all workers of iniquity,' (Luke xiii. 26, 27): of whom He also speaks in Matt. vii. 22, 23. Depart, therefore, each to his place. You see openings into caverns : enter in thither, and to each of you will be given there his work to do, and there food in proportion to the work. If you do not, hunger will compel you to enter." A voice afterwards came from heaven to certain ones upon the earth, who were without that great city, and who are spoken of in vers. 13, saying loudly, "Take heed to yourselves, beware of consociation with such. Can you not understand that the evils which are called sins and iniquities render a man unclean and impure ? How can No 531.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 571 the man be cleansed and purified from them, but by actual repentance, and by faith in Jesus Christ? Actual repent- ance is to examine one's self, to know and acknowledge his sins, to hold himself guilty, to confess them before the Lord, to implore help and power to resist them, and so to desist from them, and to lead a new life ; and to do all '.his as of himself. Do so once or twice in a year, when you come to the Holy Communion ; and afterwards, when the sins of which you have found yourselves guilty recur, then say to yourselves, 'We do not will these, because they are sins against God.' This is actual repentance. Who cannot understand, that he who does not examine and see his sins, remains in them ? For all evil is delight- ful to man from birth. For it is delightful to him to revenge, to commit adultery, to defraud, to blaspheme, and especially to rule from the love of self. Does not the delight prevent you from seeing them ? And if perchance it is said that they are sins, do you not from the enjoyment of them excuse them ? yea, persuade yourselves, and con- firm it by falsities, that they are not sins ? and so remain in them, and do them afterwards more than before ? and this even until you do not know what sin is ; yea, whether there is such a thing. It is otherwise with every one who ac- tually repents. The evils which he knows and acknowl- edges, he calls sins, and therefore begins to shun and turn away from them, and to feel the delight of them as unde- lightful. And as far as he does this, he so far sees and loves goods, and at length feels the delight of them, which is the delight of heaven. In a word, as far as one rejects the devil, he is adopted by the Lord ; and is taught, led, withheld from evils, and kept in good, by Him. This is the way, and there is no other, from hell to heaven." It is matter of wonder that the Protestants have a certain deep- rooted opposition, repugnance, and aversion, to actual repentance, which is so great that they cannot compel themselves to examine themselves, and see their sins, and VOL. II. 7 572 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI confess them before God. It is as if a horror invades them, when they think of it. I asked many concerning it in the spiritual world, and they all said that it was beyond their power. When they heard that still the Papists do it, that is, that they examine themselves, and openly confess their sins before a monk, they greatly wondered ; and still more that the Protestants cannot do it in secret before God j although it is equally enjoined upon them before they come to the Holy Supper. And some there inquired why this was so ; and they found that faith alone induced such a state of impenitence and such a heart. And it was then given them to see, that those of the Papists who worship Christ, and do not invoke saints, and thus do not adore His vicar so called, and any key-bearer of His, are saved. After this there was heard as it were thunder, and a voice speaking from heaven, saying, "We are astonished! Say to the congregation of the Protestants, 1 Believe in Christ, and repent ; and ye shall be saved.' " And I said so : and I added moreover, " Is not Baptism a sacrament of repentance, and thence an introduction into the Church ? What else do the sponsors promise for the one that is to be baptized, but that he shall renounce the devil and his works ? Is not the Holy Supper a sacrament of repent- ance, and thence introduction into heaven ? Is it not said to the communicants, that they should by all means repent before coming? Is not the Catechism — the universal Doctrine of the Christian church — a teacher of repent- ance? Is it not there said, in the six precepts of the second table, This and that evil thou shalt not do ? and not this and that good thou shalt do ? You may hence know, that as far as one shuns evil, he loves good ; and that before this, he does not know what good is ; yea, nor what evil is." Chap. XII.J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 573 CHAPTER TWELFTH. 1. And a great sign was seen in heaven, a Woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. 2. And she being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to bring forth. 3. And another sign was seen in heaven ; and behold, a great red Dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them unto the earth. And the Dragon stood before the Woman who was ready to bring forth ; that when she brought forth, he might devour her child. 5. And she brought forth a male child, who was to feed * all nations with a rod of iron ; and her child was caught up unto God and His throne. 6. And the Woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, that they may nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7. And there was war in heaven : Michael and his angels fought with the Dragon ; and the Dragon fought and his angels : 8. And prevailed not ; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9. And the great Dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, that seduceth the whole world he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10. And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now * As a shepherd. 574 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. is come the salvation and the strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, that accused them before our God day and night. 11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony • and they loved not their life even unto death. 12. For this rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them : woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea ; for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. 13. And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the Woman who brought forth the son. 14. And there were given to the Woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place ; where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15. And the serpent cast out after the Woman out of his mouth water as a flood, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the flood. 16. And the earth helped the Woman : and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth. 17. And the Dragon was wroth with the Woman, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 18. And I stood upon the sand of the sea. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. The New Church and its Doctrine are here treated of. By the Woman the New Church is meant ; and by the child which Chap. XII.l THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 575 she brought forth, its doctrine. And those in the Church of the present day are also treated of, who from doctrine believe in a Trinity of Persons, and in the Duality of the person of Christ, and in justification by faith alone : these are meant by the Dragon. The persecution of the New Church by these on account of its doctrine, and its protec- tion by the Lord until from a few it spreads among many, are then treated of. The Contents of each Verse. "And a great sign was seen in heaven," signifies a revelation from the Lord concerning His New Church in the heavens and on the earth, and concerning the difficult reception of and assault upon its doctrine. "A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet," signifies the Lord's New Church in the heavens, which is the New Heaven, and the Lord's New Church about to be on the earth, which is the New Jerusalem. " And upon her head a crown of twelve stars," signifies its wisdom and intelligence from the knowledges of Divine Good and Divine Truth from the Word. " And she, being with child, cried, travail- ing in birth, and pained to bring forth," signifies the nas- cent doctrine of the New Church, and its difficult reception on account of resistance from those that are meant by the dragon. " And another sign was seen in heaven," signifies a revelation from the Lord concerning those who are against the New Church and its doctrine. " And behold, a great red dragon," signifies those in the church of the Reformed, who make God three and the Lord two, and who separate charity from faith, and make the latter, and not at the same time the former, saving. " Having seven heads," signifies insanity from the truths of the Word falsi- fied and profaned. " And ten horns," signifies much power. u And upon his heads seven diadems," signifies all the truths of the Word falsified and profaned. " And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them unto the earth," signifies that by falsifications of the truths 57^ THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. of the Word they have discarded from the Church all spiritual knowledges of good and truth, and have utterly de- stroyed them by applications to falsities. "And the dragon stood before the Woman who was ready to bring forth, that when she brought forth he might devour her child," signifies that they who are meant by the dragon are eager to extinguish the doctrine of the New Church at its birth. " And she brought forth a male child," signifies the Doc- trine of the New Church. " Who was to feed all nations [as a shepherd] with a rod of iron," signifies which by truths from the literal sense of the Word and at the same time by rational arguments from natural light {lumen) will convince all who are in dead worship from faith separated from charity, who are willing to be convinced. " And her child was caught up unto God and to His throne," signifies the protection of the doctrine by the Lord, and the watch- ful care of it by the angels of heaven. " And the Woman fled into the wilderness," signifies the church at first among a few. " Where she hath a place prepared by God, that they may nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days," signifies the state of the church at that time, that, meanwhile, preparation may be made for it among many, until it grows to its appointed state. " And there was war in heaven : Michael and his angels fought with the dragon ; and the dragon fought and his angels," signi- fies the falsities of the former church fighting against the truths of the New. " And prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven," signifies that they were convicted of being in falsities and evils, and still remained in them, and that on that account they were torn away from conjunction with heaven, and cast down. " And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and satan," signifies that they were turned away from the Lord to themselves and from heaven to the world, and thence were in the evils of lusts and in falsities. " That seduceth the whole world," signifies that they pervert all things of Chap. XIL] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 577 the church. " He was cast out into the earth, and his angels with him," signifies that they were cast out into the world of spirits which is in the midst between heaven and hell, from which there is immediate conjunction with men on earth. " And I heard a great voice in heaven saying, Now is come the salvation and the strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ," signifies the joy of the angels of heaven, that the Lord alone now ieigns in heaven and in the church, and that they who believe in Him are saved. " For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, that accuseth them before our God day and night," sigjiifies that those who opposed the doctrine of the New Church were removed by the last judg- ment. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony," signifies victory by the Divine Truth of the Word and by the acknowledg- ment of the Lord. "And they loved not their life even unto death," signifies who did not love themselves more than the Lord " For this rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them," signifies a new state of heaven, that they are in the Lord and the Lord in them. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath," signifies lamentation over those in the church who are in falsities of faith and thence in evils of life, because they are in conjunction with the dragonists. " Knowing that he hath but a short time," signifies because he knows that the New Heaven is formed, and that thus the New Church on the earth is at hand, and that he with his like will then be cast into hell. "When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the Woman who brought forth the son," signi- fies that the dragonists in the world of spirits, after being cast down, immediately began to infest the New Church on account of its doctrine. " And there were given to the Woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place," signifies the Divine circum- 578 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII spection for that church, and protection while it is yet among a few. " Where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent," sig- nifies that on account of the craftiness of them that seduce, preparation is made cautiously that it may come among more, until it grows to its appointed state. " And the ser- pent cast out after the Woman out of his mouth watei as a flood, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the flood," signifies reasonings from falsities in abundance to destroy the Church. " And the earth helped the Woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth," signifies that those reasonings in abundance fall to nothing before the spiritual truths rationally understood, which the Michaels, of whom the New Church consists, bring forward. " And the dragon was wroth with the Woman, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ," signifies the hatred kindled with those who believe themselves to be wise on account of confirmations in favor of the mystic union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord, and in favor of justification by faith alone, agains* those who acknowledge the Lord alone as the God dt heaven and earth, and that the Decalogue is the law o* life, accosting novitiates with the design of seducing them, " And I stood upon the sand of the sea," signifies his state now spiritual-natural. THE EXPLANATION. 532. And a great sign was seen in heaven, signifies a revelation from the Lord concerning His New Church in the heavens and on the earth, and concerning the diffi- cult reception of and assault upon its Doctrine. By a sigw from heaven is here meant a revelation of things to come, No- 533-] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 579 and by " the great sign seen in heaven " a revelation con- cerning the New Church is meant ; for the Woman clothed with the sun, who is treated of in this chapter, signifies that Church. The male child which she brought forth signifies its doctrine. Her being pained to bring forth, signifies its difficult reception. The dragon's wishing to devour the male child, and his persecuting the Woman afterwards, signifies assault upon it. These are the things which are meant by the great sign seen in heaven. A sign in the Word relates to future things, and then it is a revelation j or it relates to the truth, and then it is a testification ; or to the quality of a state or a thing, and then it is a mani- festation. A sign relates to future things, and is then a revelation, in the following passages. Let them declare to us what shall happen, that we may k?iow the latter end of them ; or make us to hear things to come ; show us the signs for the future (Isa. xli. 22, 23). The disciples said to jfesus, What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the consicmmation of the age (Matt. xxiv. 3 ; Mark xiii. 4 ; Luke xxi. 7). There shall be signs from heaven, and signs i?i the sun, the moon, and the stars (Luke xxi. n, 25). And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man (Matt. xxiv. 30). was said to king Hezekiah, This shall be a sign to thee, that jfehovah will do this thing ; the shadow shall be brought back in the degrees of Ahaz. Afterwards Hezekiah said, What is the sign thai I shall go tip into the house of jfehovah (Isa. xxxviii. 7, 8, 22 : and elsewhere). That a sign relates to the truth, and that it is then a testification, and likewise to the quality of a state, and that it then is a manifestation, is plain from other places in the Word. 533. A Woman clothed with the sun, and the moon wider bcr feet, signifies the Lord's New Church in the heavens, which is the New Heaven, and the Lord's New Church about to be on the earth, which is the New Jerusalem That the Lord's New Church is signified by this Woman, is evident from every thing in this chapter when understood 7* 580 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. in the spiritual sense. That the church is also signified by a woman elsewhere in the Word, may be seen (n. 434) : and the church is signified, because the church is called the Bride and Wife of the Lord. She was seen clothed with the sun, because it is in love to the Lord : for it acknowledges Him, and does His precepts ; and this is to love Him (John xiv. 21-24). That the sun signifies love see n. 53. The moon was seen under the Woman's feet, because the church on the earth is meant, which was not yet conjoined to the church in the heavens. By the moon is signified intelligence in the natural man, and faith (n. 413) ; and by being seen under the feet is meant that it is to be on the earth. Generally the church itself, when * it is conjoined, is signified by the feet. It is to be known, that there is a church in the heavens equally as on the earth ; for the Word is there, there are temples there, and preachings in them : there are ministers and priesthoods there. For all the angels there have been men, and their departure out of the world has been to them there only the continuation of life ; on which account they are being perfected in love and wisdom also, each according to the degree of affection for truth and good which they brought with them from the world. The church with them is meant here by the Woman encompassed with the sun, and upon whose head was a crown of twelve stars. But because the church in the heavens does not subsist, unless there is also a church on the earth, which is in concordant love and wisdom, and this is yet to come, therefore the moon was seen under the Woman's feet, by which specifically faith is here signified ; through which, such as it is at this day, conjunction is not given. The reason that the church in the heavens does not subsist, unless there is a church conjoined to it on the earth, is because heaven where the angels are, and the church where men are, act as one, like the internal and the external with man \ and the internal with man does not subsist in its state, unless the external is No- 535-] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. conjoined to it : for the internal without the external is like a house without a foundation, or like seed upon the ground, and not in the ground, and thus like any thing without a root : in a word, like a cause without an effect in which it may be. It may be seen from this, that there is an abso- lute necessity that there should be a church somewhere in the world, where the Word is, and the Lord is known U trough it. 534. And upon her head a crown of twelve stars, signifies iis wisdom and intelligence from the knowledges of the Divine Good and the Divine Truth from the Word. By a "crown upon the head" wisdom and intelligence are signi- fied (n. 189, 235, 252). By stars are signified knowledges of Divine Good and Divine Truth from the Word (n. 51, 420). By twelve all things of the church are signified which have reference to its good and truth (n. 348). Hence then by the crown of twelve stars upon the head of the Woman, the wisdom and intelligence of the New Church is signified, from the knowledges of Divine Good and Divine Truth from the Word. 535. And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to bring forth, signifies the nascent doctrine of the New Church, and its difficult reception on account of resistance from those who are meant by the dragon. To be with child signifies the nascent doctrine, because by the offspring which she bore in the womb, whose birth is treated of in verse 5, the doctrine of the New Church is signified, for in the spiritual sense of the Word nothing else is signified by being with child, travailing, and bringing forth, but con- ceiving and bringing forth the things which are of spiritual life, spoken of in what follows. By crying out, travailing, and being pained to bring forth, the difficult reception of lhat doctrine, on account of resistance from those that are meant by the dragon, is signified. This is manifest from the things that follow in this chapter ; as that the dragon stood before the Woman who was about to bring forth, 5*2 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII that he might devour her offspring ; and that he afterwards pursued her into the wilderness. That by being with child, travailing, and bringing forth, nothing else is signified in the Word, is manifest from the following passages : Jesus said, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God : that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John iii. 3-6). Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear ; cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child ; for more are the children of the desolate tha?i the children of the married wife (Isa. liv. 1). They have ceased until the barre?i hath borne seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble (1 Sam. ii. 5). By "the barren" are signified the gentiles who had not genuine truths, because they had not the Word : by " the married wife " and " she that hath many children," the Jews are signified, who had the Word. She that hath borne seven shall languish, she shall breathe out her soul (Jer. xv. 9) : this also is concerning the Jews. We have conceived, we have travailed, we have as it were brought forth wind, we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth (Isa. xxvi. 18). Before she travailed, she brought forth ; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child : hath the earth borne in one day ? shall a nation be born at once ? Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth 1 shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb ? (Isa. lxvi. 7-10). Thou travailest, O earth, at the presefice of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob (Ps. cxiv. 7). Alas for this day ; the children have come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth (Isa. xxx ii. 3). Sin shall travail, and No shall be rent asunder (Ez. xxx. 15, 16). I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, as of her that bringeth forth her first-born ; the voice of the daughter of Zion ; she bewaileth herself, she spreadeth out her hands ; Woe is me, my soul is wearied because of murderers (Jer. iv. 31). Pangs and sorrows take hold of them, they travail like one that bringeth forth (Isa. xiii. 8). The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up ; the sorrows of a trav- No. 537.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 5S3 ailing woman shall conie upo?i him ; he is an unwise son, for he should not stay long in the breaking forth of children (Hos. xiii. 12, 13). O Ephraim, thy glory shall fly away like a bird ; f?V7?i the birth, and from the womb, and from conception: give them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying womb and dry breasts ; even when they have conceived, I will slay the beloved of their wcinb (Hos. ix. 11-16). In these places also the difficulty of receiving the truths of doctrine from the Word is described by many things which relate to the pain in travailing : in like manner frequently elsewhere. Besides, Jehovah, that is, the Lord, is called the Former from the womb (Isa. xliv. 2, 24; xlix. 1, 5); and by the Former from the womb is meant the Reformer. 536. And another sign was seen in heaven, signifies a revelation from the Lord concerning those who are against the New Church and its Doctrine. By " a sign " revelation from the Lord is signified, as above (n. 532). It is called "another sign." because it is a revelation concerning those who will be against the New Church. 537. Arid, behold, a great red Dragon, signifies those in the church of the Reformed who make God three and the Lord two, and who separate charity from faith, and make the latter, and not at the same time the former, saving. These are meant by the Dragon here and in what follows • for they are against the two essentials of the New Church, which are that God is one in essence and person, in whom is a trinity ; and that that God is the Lord ; also that charity and faith are one, like essence and its form : and that no others have charity and faith but they who live according to the commandments of the Decalogue, which are, that evils are not to be done, and that as far as any one does not do evils, shunning them as sins against God, so far he does the goods which are of charity, and believes the truths which are of faith. That they who make God three, and the Lord two, and who separate charity from faith, and make the latter and not at the same time the 584 I'HE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII former saving, are against these two essentials of the New Church, may be seen by every one who considers. It is here said, those who make God three, and the Lord two ; and they are meant who think of three persons as three Gods, and separate the Lord's Human from His Divine : and who thinks otherwise, and can think otherwise, who prays according to the form of the belief, " That God the Father, for the sake of the Son, would send the Holy Spirit ? " Does he not pray to God the Father as to one God, and for the sake of the Son as another, and in regard to the Holy Spirit as a third? From which it is manifest that although he makes the three Persons one God in his thought, he still divides them, that is, his idea of them, into three Gods, when he so prays. The same formula of faith also makes the Lord two, as the Lord's Human only, and not at the same time His Divine, is then thought of : since " for the sake of the Son " is for the sake of His Human which suffered the cross. It may now be evident from these things, who they are who are meant by the Dragon, that wished to devour the Woman's child, and afterwards persecuted the Woman on account of her child even into the wilderness. The Dragon is called great, because all the churches of the Reformed distinguish God into three persons, and make faith alone saving ; except some here and there, who do not so believe concerning the trinity and concerning faith. They who distinguish God into three persons, and stick fast in these words of the Athanasian Doctrine, " There is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit;" also in these, "The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Hoi)' Spirit is God;" these, I say, cannot make one God out of three. They can indeed say that they are one God, but they cannot think it. So too those who think of the Lord's Divine from eternity as of a second person oi the Divinity, and of His Human in time as of the human of another man, — neither can these do otherwise than make No. 537.] THE APOCALYPSE KEVEALED. 585 the Lord two, notwithstanding it is said in the Athanasian Doctrine, that His Divine and Human are one person, united like the soul and the body. The Dragon is said to be red, because red signifies falsity from the evils of lusts, which is infernal falsity. Now as these two essentials of doctrine in the churches of the Reformed are false, and falsities devastate the church, for they take away its truths and goods, they are therefore represented by a Dragon. The reason is, because the devastation of the church is signified in the Word by a Dragon ; as may be evident from these passages following : / will make Jerusalem heaps, a habitation of Dragons ; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate (Jer. ix. 11). Behold, a great tumult cometh out of the land of the north, to make the cities of Judah desolate, a habitation of Dragons (Jer. x. 22). Hazor shall be a habitation of Dragons, a desolation for ever (Jer. xlix. 33). That it may be a habitation of Dragons, a comt for the daughters of the owl (Isa. xxxiv. 13). In the habi- tation of Dragons is his couch (Isa. xxxv. 7). I will go stripped and naked, I will make a wailing like the dragon, and a lamentation like the daughter of the owl (Mic. i. 8). I cried, I am a brother to dragons and a companion to the daughters of the screech-owl (Job xxx. 28, 29). The ijim shall answer in his palaces, and the dragons in his teniples (Isa. xiii. 22). Let Babylon become a heap, a habitation of dragons, a hissing and an astonishment (Jer. li. 37). Thou hast broken us in the place of dragons, and hast covered us with the shadow of death (Ps. xliv. 19, 20). / have laid the mountains of Esau, and his heritage waste for the d?-agons of the wilderness (Mai. i. 3 : besides other places, as Isa. xliii 20; Jer. xiv. 6; Ps. xci. 13, 14; Deut. xxxii. 33). That those are here meant by the dragon who are in faith alone, and reject the works of the law as not saving, has been several times attested to me by living experience in the spiritual world. I have seen many thousands of them gathered into a company, and they then appeared at a dis- 586 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIL tance like a dragon with a long tail, which appeared to be set with spines like a brier, which signified falsities. Once also a still larger Dragon was seen, which, raising his back, erected his tail even towards heaven, with the effort of drawing down the stars therefrom. It was thus made manifest before my eyes that no others are meant by the 1 )ragon. 538. Having seven heads, signifies insanity from the truths of the Word falsified and profaned. Wisdom and intelligence are signified by the head, and in the opposite sense insanity. But by the seven heads, because they were here the Dragon's, is properly signified insanity from falsified and profaned truths of the Word. For seven is predicated of holy things, and in the opposite sense of things profane (n. 10) ; and it therefore follows that seven diadems were seen upon his heads ; and by diadems are signified the truths of the Word, there falsified and pro- faned. That wisdom and intelligence are signified by the head, is manifest from these passages : I will give you wise men and intelligent, and I will set them for your heads (Deut. i. 13). Jehovah hath closed your eyes ; the prophets, and your heads, the seers, hath he covered (Isa. xxix. 10). By the head of the statue of Nebuchadnezzar of pure gold (Dan. ii. 32), nothing else is signified but the wisdom of the first age, which was with the men of the most ancient Church. In the opposite sense insanity and folly are signified by head : in David : God shall wound the head of his enemies, the hairy crown of him that goeth on in his trespasses (Ps. lxviii. 21). Nor is any thing else signified by the serpent's head wnich should be trodden clown (Gen. iii. 15): nor by smiting the head over many countries (Ps. ex. 5, 6). Also by putting dust upon the head, and by inducing baldness, and by put- ling the hand upon the head, when they were ashamed or lamented that they had acted insanely or contrary to wis- dom (Isa. vii. 20 ; xv. 2 j Ez. vii. 18 j xxvii. 30 j Jer. ii. 37 ; xiv. 3, 4 ; Lam. ii. 10; 2 Sam. xiii. 19). But by seven No. 540.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 587 heads is also signified insanity from truths falsified and profaned, in the following places in the Apocalypse : xiii. 1, 3; xvii. 3, 7, 9. 539. And ten horns, signifies much power. A horn sig- nifies power (n. 270) ; and ten signifies much (n. 101). It is said that the Dragon had much power, because the sal- vation of man by faith alone without the works of the law, which faith is meant by the Dragon, captivates the minds {animus) and then confirmations are convincing. For it captivates, because when a man hears that the damnation of the law is taken away, and that by mere faith in this, the Lord's merit is imputed to him, he can indulge in the pleasures of his mind {animus) and body, without fear of hell. From this is the power which is signified by the Dragon's ten horns. That he has had such power is evidently manifest from the reception of that faith in the whole Reformed Christian world. 540. And upon his heads seven diadems, signifies all the truths of the Word falsified and profaned. By diadems, or precious stones, the truths of the Word are signified, in particular the truths of the literal sense, but here the same falsified and profaned ; because they were seen upon the seven heads of the dragon, by which insanity from truths falsified and profaned is signified (n. 538). That the truths of the literal sense of the Word are signified by diadems or precious stones, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, n. 43-45 ; where it is shown that Divine Truths in ultimates, which are the truths of the literal sense of the Word, were sig- nified by the twelve precious stones in Aaron's breastplate, which was the Urim and Thummim (Ex. xxviii. 6, 15-21, 30) ; also by the precious stones in the garden of Eden, in wJiic/i the king of Tyre is said to have been (Ez. xxviii. 12, 13) ; as also by the twelve precious stones, of which the found- ations y the wall of the New Jerusalem consisted (Apoc. vxi. 17-20). The truths of the literal sense of the Word 588 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. are signified by the diadems or precious stones, because all things of the literal sense of the Word, before the eyes of angels, are transparent from its spiritual sense, and thus from the light of heaven, in which the spiritual truths of the Word are. For a stone, in the Word, signifies truth in ultimates, hence a precious stone that truth transparent, The truths of the Word falsified and profaned are also called diadems, because they shine of themselves, with whomsoever they may be ; as diadems on earth do, in whosoever hand they are. It has sometimes been given me to see adulterous women, when they first came from the earth into the world of spirits, ornamented with diadems ; and Jews also selling diadems, which they procured to themselves from heaven ; from which it was manifest that their evils and falsities do not change the light and splen- dor of the truths of the Word. Similar things are there- fore signified by the ten diadems upon the horns of the beast that ca7ne up out of the sea (Apoc. xiii. i) 5 and by the precious stones upon the woman that sat upon the scarlet beast (Apoc. xvii. 3, 4, 5). That it is the truths of the Word that are signified by diadems, is plainly manifest in the Apoc- alypse ; since many diadems were seen upon the head of Him that sat upon the white horse, Whose ?iame was the Word of God (xix. 12, 13). 541. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them unto the earth, signifies that by falsifi- cations of the truths of the Word, they have discarded from the Church all spiritual knowledges of good and truth, and have utterly destroyed them by applications to falsities. By the tail, where those are treated of who have confirmed heresies from the Word, the truths of the Word falsified are signified (n. 438). By stars the spiritual knowledges of good and truth are signified (n. 51, 420). By a third part is signified all (n. 400, 505) : and by drawing down from heaven and casting to the earth is signified to discard from the church and to destroy utterly. For when they are No. 541.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 589 drawn down from heaven they are drawn down from the church, since every truth of the Word is insinuated into the man of the church by the Lord through heaven. Nor can truths be drawn down by any other means than by the falsifications of them in the Word, since the truths of heaven and the church are there and thence. It cannot be believed by any one in the world, that all the truths of the Word have been destroyed by those who are meant by the Dragon, spoken of above (n. 537) ; and still they have been so destroyed, that not one doctrinal truth remains. This has been investigated in the spiritual world among the learned of the clergy, and found to be so. I know the causes, but I will here tell only one. They assert that whatever proceeds from man's will and judgment is not good ; and therefore that the goods of charity, or good works, because they are done by man, contribute nothing towards salvation ; but faith alone : whereas the only thing by which man is man, and by which he is conjoined to the Lord, is that he can do good and believe truth as of him- self ; that is, as from his will according to his judgment. If this one thing were taken away, all power of conjunction of man with the Lord and of the Lord with man would also be taken away at the same time : for this is the power of reciprocating love which the Lord gives to every one who is born a man ; which also He preserves in him to the end of his life, and for ever afterwards. If this were taken away from a man, every truth and good of the Word would also be taken away from him, to such a degree that the Word would be nothing but a dead letter and an empty volume. For the Word teaches nothing else but the con- junction of man with the Lord by charity and faith, both of them from the man as of himself. They who are meant by the Dragon, see above (n. 537), have broken this sole bond of conjunction, by asserting that the goods of charity, or good works, which proceed from man and his will and judgment, are nothing but the moral, civil, and political 590 THE APOCALYPSE REVEAEED. [Chap. Klh works, by which a man has conjunction with the world, and none at all with God and with heaven ; and when that bond has been so broken, not any doctrinal truth of the Word remains : and if the truths of the Word are applied to confirm faith alone as saving without the works of the law, they are then all falsified : and if the falsification pro- ceeds even to the assertion that the Lord has not com- manded good works in the Word for the sake of man's conjunction with Himself, but only for the sake of his co. i junction with the world, then the truths of the Word are profaned j for the Word thus becomes no longer the Holy Book, but a profane book. But these things may be seen from experience at the end of the chapter. Similar things are signified by this concerning the he-goat in Daniel : The he-goat cast down with his horn to the earth some of the host of heaven and of the stars, and trampled upon them; and he cast down the truth to the earth (viii. 10, 12). 542. And the Dragon stood before the Woman who was ready to bring forth, that when she brought forth, he might devour her child, signifies that they who are meant by the Dragon are eager to extinguish the doctrine of the New Church in its birth. Who are meant by the Dragon may be seen above (n. 537). That the New Church is signified by the Woman (n. 533) : that by bringing forth is signi- fied to receive the goods and truths of doctrine from the Word (n. 535) : that the doctrine of the New Church is signified by the offspring which she brought forth, will be seen in the following paragraph : " to devour " signifies to extinguish, because the doctrine is signified by the off- spring ; and as the offspring is said to be devoured, the doctrine is said to be extinguished. This was at its birth, because it is said that the Dragon stood before the Woman, to devour her offspring as soon as she brought forth. 543. And she brought forth a male child, signifies the Doctrine of the New Church. By a son in the Word is KO. 543.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 591 signified the truth of doctrine, and also the understanding and thence the thought of truth and good ; but by a daugh- ter the good of doctrine is signified, and also the will and thence the affection for truth and good : and by a male child is signified truth conceived in the spiritual man and born in the natural. The reason is, because by genera- tions and births in the Word spiritual generations and births are signified, which all in general relate to good and truth (n. 535) ; for nothing else is begotten and born of the Lord as a Husband and of the Church as a wife. Now, as the New Church is signified by the Woman who brought forth (n. 533), it is manifest that the Doctrine of that Church is signified by the male child. The doctrine which is here meant is the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem," published at London, 1758; as also the "Doctrine con- cerning the Lord," " concerning the Sacred Scripture," and " concerning a Life according to the Commandments of the Decalogue," published at Amsterdam. For by doc- trine all the truths of doctrine are meant, as doctrine is the aggregate of them. While those Doctrines were written, the dragonists stood around me, and combined with all iheir fury to devour, that is, to extinguish them. This news it is permitted to relate, because in truth it so hap- pened. The dragonists who stood about me were from all parts of the Reformed Christian world. Since no other offspring is born from spiritual marriage, and masculine offspring is truth and good in the understanding and thence in the thought, and feminine offspring is truth and good in the will and thence in the affection, therefore truth is signified in the Word by a son. For confirmation a few passages will be adduced, from which this can in a measure be seen : Behold, sons are an heritage of Jehovah, tke fruit of the womb is His reward : as arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are sons of the youth (Ps. cxxvii. 3, 4, 5). Make thee bald, a?id poll thee for the sons of thy de- lights, because they have gone from thee (Mic. i. 16). I saw 592 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII two olive-trees by the candlestick, and he said, These are the two so?is of the olive-tree that stand by the Lord of the whole earth (Zech. iv. n, 14). My taber?iacle is spoiled, my sons are gone from me, and they are not (Jer. x. 20). My sons are become desolate, because the eJiemy hath prevailed (Lam. i. 16). Thy sons, O Jerusalem, have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets (Isa. li. 17, 18, 20). The fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers ; and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter to all the wind*. (Ez. v. 10). The son shall be divided against the father, and the father against the son (Matt. x. 21 ; Mark xiii. 12 ; Luke xii. 53). Thou hast taken the jewels of thy ornament made of my gold, and hast made to thee images of a male, and didst commit whoredom with the?n (Ez. xvi. 1 7). Jesus said, The seed are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one (Matt. xiii. 38). That the Son of Man is the Divine Truth of the Word, and thus the Lord, may- be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concern- ing the Lord" (n. 19-28). In the passages adduced, they who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word, and ab- stractly the truths themselves, are meant by sons. The same elsewhere, as Isa. xiii. 17, 18; xiv. 21, 22 ; xliii. 5 ; xlix. 17, 22 ; li. 17, 18 ; lx. 9 ; Jer. iii. 24, 25 ; v. 17 j Ez. xiv. 16-18, 20; xvi. 20, 36, 45; xx. 26, 31; xxiii. 3/; Hos. xi. 9-1 1 ; Zech. ix. 13 ; Ps. cxliv. 11, 12 ; Deut. xxxii. 8. That affection for the truth of the church, and thus the church as to that affection, is signified by a daugh- ter, is evident from so many passages in the Word, that they would fill several pages, if they were adduced. Noth- ing else is meant by the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem, the daughter of Judah, the daughter of Israel; see some passages respecting the daughter of Zion, n. 612. Who cannot see that no daughter of Zion, of Jerusalem, of Judah, and of Israel, so often named in the Word, can be meant. 544. Who was to feed all nations [as a shepherd] imth a No. 546.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 593 rod of iron, signifies, which, by truths from the literal sense of the Word, and at the same time rational arguments from natural light {lumen), will convince all who are in dead worship from faith separated from charity, who are willing to be convinced. This is said of the Doctrine of the New Church, as it is said of the male child, by whom that doctrine is signified (n. 543). By feeding [as a shep- herd] is signified to teach and instruct (n. 383) ; here to convince those who are willing to be convinced. By nations those who are in evils of life are signified (n. 483) ; here they who are in dead worship from faith separated from charity, because these are here treated of : and these are in evils of life ; for when charity is separated, there is not any good of life : and where there is not good, there is evil. That to rule with a rod of iron signifies by the truths of the literal sense of the Word, and at the same time by rational arguments from natural light {lumen), may be seen above (n. 148). 545. And her child was caught up unto God, and to His thro7ie, signifies the protection of the Doctrine by the Lord because it is for the New Church, and the watchful care of it by the angels of heaven. The protection of the doc- trine by the Lord is signified by these words, because it is said that the Dragon stood before the Woman that was ready to bring forth, that when she brought forth, he might devour her child ; and by the child and the male child the doctrine for the New Church is signified (n. 542, 543J. Watchful care by the angels also is signified, because it is said that it was caught up unto God and to His throne ; and by the throne the angelic heaven is signified (n. 14, 221, 222). 546. And the PVoman fled into the wilderness, signifies the church, which is the New Jerusalem, at first among a few. By the Woman the New Church is signified (n. 533) ■ and by the wilderness is signified where there are no longet any truths. That the Church is at first among a few )9 594 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. meant, because this follows, "Where she hath a place prepared by God, that they may nourish her there a thou- sand two hundred and sixty days ; " by which is signified its state at that time, that, meanwhile, preparation may be made for it among many, until it grows to its appointed state (n. 547). By a wilderness in the Word is signified, I. The church vastated, or in which all the truths of the Word are falsified, as it was with the Jews at the time of the Lord's coming. II. The church, in which there are no truths, because it has not the Word ; as it was with the upright Gentiles at the time of the Lord. III. A state of temptation, in which a man is as it were without truths, because he is surrounded by evil spirits, who bring tempta- tions, and then as it were take away truths from him. That a vastated church, or one in which all the truths of the Word are falsified, such as it was with the Jews at the time of the Lord's coming, is signified by a wilderness, is mani- fest from these passages : Is this the man that shaketh the earth, that maketh the kingdoms to tremble, that made the world a wilderness (Isa. xiv. 16, 17). This is concerning Babylon. Upon the land of my people have come up thorns and briers ; the palace will be a wilderness (Isa. xxxii. 13, 14). I saw, when, behold, Carmel was a wilderness ; shall the whole earth be a waste (Jer. iv. 26, 27). The earth is the church (n. 285). The shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have made the field of my desire a solitary wilderness : the wasters are come in the wilderness (Jer. xii. 10, 12). A vine was planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst (Ez. xix. 13). A fire shall consume the habitations of the wilderness (Joel i. 19, 20). The day of Jehovah cometh ; as the garden of Eden is the earth before Him, but behind Him a desolate wilderness (Joel ii. 3). See ye the Word of Jehovah: have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkiiess ? (Jer. ii. 3 1). The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make smooth in the desert a highway for our God (Is. xl. 3. Besides other places, as Is. xxxiii. No. 547.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 595 9 ; Jer. iii. 2 ; xxiii. 10 ; Lam. v. 9 ; Hos. ii. 2, 3 ; xiii. 15 ; Joel iii. 19 ; Mai. i. 3 j Ps. cvii. 33, 34; Matt. xxiv. 26 j Luke xiii. 35). That the church is such also at this day, may be seen below (n. 566). II. That by a wilderness is signified a church in which there are no truths, because there is not the Word, as with the upright Gentiles at the time of the Lord, is manifest from these passages : The Spirit shall be poured upon us from 011 high ; then the wilder- ness shall be a fruitful-field, and judgi?ient shall dwell in the wilderness (Isa. xxxii. 15, 26). I will open fountains in the midst of the valleys, a?id make the wilderness a lake of waters ; I will pla?it in the wilderness the cedar, the shittim-tree, and the oil-t?-ee (Isa. xli. 18, 19). He shall turn the wilderness into a lake of waters, and the dry land into water-springs (Ps. cvii. 35, 36). / will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen (Isa. xliii. 19, 20). Jehovah will make her wilderness like Edefi, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah ; gladness and joy shall be fowid therein (Isa. li. 3). The habitations of the wilderness drop (Ps. lxv. 12, 13). Let the wilderness lift up the voice, let the inhabitants of the rock sing (Isa. xiii. 11). III. That by a wilderness a state of temptation is signified, in which a man is as it were without truths, because he is surrounded by evil spirits, who bring temptation, and then as it were take away truths from him, is manifest from Matt. iv. 1-3 ; Mark i. 12, 13 \ Luke iv. 1-3 ; Ez. xx. 34-37 ; Jer. ii. 2, 6, 7 ; Hos. ii. 13-16 ; Ps. cvii. 4-7 ; Deut. i. 31, 33 j viii. 2-4, 15, 16 ; xxxii. 10. 547. Where she hath a place prepared by God, that they may nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days, signifies the state of the church at that time, that, meanwhile, preparation may be made for it among many, until it grows to its appointed state. State is signified by place (n. 947) ; and by nourishing is signified to provide for it to grow ; for so the church is nourished. Hence by having a place prepared by God that they may nourish her, vol. 11. 8 596 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. is signified the state of the church, that, meanwhile, prep- aration may be made for it among many. By a thousand two hundred and sixty days, is signified to the end and a beginning (n. 491) \ that is, to the end of the former church, and the beginning of the New ; the same as by a time, times, and half a time (vers. 14, n. 562) j thus also to the appointed state ; that is, until it exists, as has been provided. It is of the Lord's Divine Providence, that the church should at first be among a few, and should increase gradually among many, because the falsities of the former church must first be removed, as truths cannot before be received \ for the truths which are received and implanted before falsities are removed, do not remain, and are also dissipated by the dragonists. The case was the same with the Christian Church, that it increased gradually from a few to many. Another reason is, that a New Heaven must first be formed, which will make one with the church on the earth : on which account we read, that he saw a New Heaven, and the Holy Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaveti (Apoc. xxi. 1, 2). It is certain that a New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, will exist ; because it is foretold in the Apoca- lypse, chap, xxi., xxii. : and it is also certain that the falsities of the former church must first be removed ; for these are treated of in the Apocalypse, as far as to the twentieth chapter. 548. And there was war iti heaven; Michael and his angels fought with the Dragon, and the Dragon fought and his angels, signifies the falsities of the former church fight- ing against the truths of the New Church. By war is signified spiritual war, which is that of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (n. 500) : for no other war can take place in heaven, where it is said to have arisen ; nor can it in heaven, when once formed of angels: but it was in the fonner heaven, which passed away, spoken of Apoc. xxi. 1 ; concerning which heaven see the expla- nation there. For that heaven passed away in consequence No. 549.] THE AFOCALYPSE REVEALED. 597 of the last judgment upon the dragon and his angels ; which is also signified by the dragon being cast down, and his place no longer found in heaven ; as will be seen presently. What falsities are meant by the Dragon, which are to fight against the truths of the New Church, may be seen above (n. 537). By Michael is not meant any arch- angel, nor by Gabriel and Raphael ; but ministries in heaven are meant. The ministry there which is Michael, is of those who prove from the Word that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that God the Father and He are one, as the soul and the body are one ; also that man must live according to the commandments of the Decalogue, and that he then has charity and faith. Michael is also mentioned in Daniel -(x. 13, 21; xii. 1) ; and by him a similar ministry is meant, as is manifest from chap. ix. x. xi., and from the last verses of chap. xii. But by Gabriel is meant the ministry of those who teach from the Word that Jehovah came into the world, and that the Human which He there begot is the Son of God, and Divine ; on which account the angel who announced it to Mary, is called Gabriel (Luke i. 19, 26-35). Those who are in these ministries are named Michaels and Gabriels in heaven. By an angel in the highest sense the Lord is meant, and in a relative sense the heaven of angels, as also an angelic society ; as may be seen above (n. 5, 65, 258, 342, 344, 415, 465) : but here a ministry, because they are called by name ; and in Daniel Michael is called a prince ; and by a prince in the Word a principal truth is signified, and by a king truth itself (n. 20). 549. And prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven, signifies that they were convicted of being in evils and falsities, and still remained in them ; and that on that account they were torn away from conjunction with heaven, and cast down. That these things may be under- stood, something must first be said of the state of those who come into the other life after death. All these are 598 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. first instructed by angels, and led from one society to another, and explored as to whether they are willing to receive the truths of heaven, and to live according to them. But still all those who have confirmed themselves in fal- sities in the world, do not receive : on which account they are sent into societies where are those who are in similar falsities ; and those societies do not have any conjunction with heaven, but with hell : for which reason, after a cer- tain time in the world of spirits, they sink down into hell, and are consigned to their places, each according to his evil and the falsity thence. This is what is meant by their being convicted of being in falsities and evils, and still remaining in them, and by their being therefore torn away from conjunction with heaven, and cast down. What their lot is there, may be seen above (n. 153, 531). 550. A?id the great Dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, signifies that those who are meant by the dragon were turned away from the Lord to themselves and from heaven to the world, and thence from corporeal became sensual ; who cannot do otherwise than be in the evils of their lusts, and thence in falsities, and by separation from the Lord and heaven become devils and satans. Who are meant by the dragon may be seen, n. 537 ; who, because they make God three and the Lord two, and because they place the commandments of the Decalogue among the works by which there is no salvation, are called the old serpent, the devil and satan ; and by the serpent is signified a man who from corporeal allurement has become sensual (n. 424), and who has turned away from the Lord to himself and from heaven to the world ; and by the devil those are signified who are in the evils of their lusts ; and by satan they who are in the falsities from them (n. 97, 153, 856, 857). Such also was the serpent that seduced Eve and Adam, as is manifest from his a scription and curse (Gen. iii. 1-5, 14, 15). The dragon is here called the devil and satan as one : but it is so said, No. 552.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 599 because all in hell are devils and satans ; and hence hell in the aggregate is so called. 551. That seduceth the whole world, signifies that they pervert all things of the church. By seducing is signified to pervert 5 and by the world the church is signified, in like manner as by the earth (n. 285). By the world is not signified the world of lands, but the church in it, in the following passages : The earth shall mourn and be co?ifounded, the world shall languish and be confounded (Is. xxiv. 4). The lands shall learn thy judgments, and the inhabitants of the world thy justice (Is. xxvi. 9). Who maketh the earth by thy power, who prepareth the world by thy wisdom (Jer. x. 12 ; li. 15). The foundations of the world were revealed by the blast of thy breath (Ps. xviii. 15). The earth is Jeho- Td/is and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein : He hath founded it upo?i the seas, and established it upofi the floods (Ps. xxiv. 1, 2). The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine ; the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded (Ps. lxxxix. 11). He will make them to inherit the throne of glory ; for the pillars of the earth are Jehovatis, and He hath set the world upon them (1 Sam. ii. 8). O Babylon, thou hast made the world a wilderness ; thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people (Is. xiv. 17, 20). Besides other places, as Is. xviii. 3 ; xxvi. 18 j xxvii. 6 ; xxxiv. 1 ; Nah. i. 5 ; Ps. ix. 8 ; Ps. lxxvii. 18 ; Ps. xcviii. 9; Lam. iv. 12 ; Job xviii. 18; Matt. xxiv. 14; Luke xxi. 26 ; Apoc. xvi. 14. But it is to be known, that when die world and the earth are named together, the church as to good is signified by the world, and the church as to truth by the earth. 552. He was cast out ifito the earth, and his a?igels were cast out with him, signifies that he was cast out into the world of spirits, which is in the midst between heaven and hell, and from which there is immediate conjunction with men on earth. The world of spirits is meant by the earth into which the dragon is said to have been cast, because 6oo THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. that world lies immediately under the heavens ; and when any one is cast down from heaven, he does not fall directly into hell, but upon the earth of that world which lies immediately beneath : for that world is intermediate be- tween heaven and hell, beneath the heavens and above the hells. Many things concerning that world may be seen in the work on " Heaven and Hell," published at London in the year 1758 (n. 421-535). All those who are in that world communicate immediately with men on earth ; con- sequently the dragon and his angels, with those who are in falsities and thence in evils from the received heresy of faith alone : on which account it is said in what follows, For this rejoice, O heavens ; woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil is co77ie down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time (vers. 1 2 of this chapter). Also that he persecuted the Woman into the wilderness, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed (vers. 13-17). It is to be known that every man, as to his affections and thence his thoughts, is in society with those who are in the world of spirits, and mediately through them with those who are either in heaven or in hell. Every man's life depends on that con- junction. 553. And I heard a great voice in heaven saying, Now is come the salvation and the strength and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ, signifies the joy of the angels of heaven, that the Lord alone now reigns in heaven and in the church, and that they who believe in Him are saved. The joy of the angels of heaven is signi- fied by the great voice, for which reason it follows, For this rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them (vers. 12). The voice also becomes great, because it is lifted up from joy of heart. " Salvation and strength is come," signifies that they are now saved by the Divine power of the Lord ; "and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ,' signifies because the Lord alone reigns in heaven and in No. 553.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 60I the church. That by God the Divine itself is meant from Which [the Lord came] Which is called Jehovah the Father, and by Christ His Divine Human, Which is called the Son of God, may be seen above (n. 520). And as the Divine Itself from which [He came forth], and the Lord's Divine Human are one, as the soul and the body, it follows that the Lord alone reigns. This is meant by the Gospel of the Kingdom , and by the Kingdom of God (Matt. iii. 2 ; iv. 17, 23 ; vii. 21, 22 ; ix. 35 ; xi. 11 ; xii. 28 ; Mark i. 14, 15 ; ix. 1 ; xv. 43 ; Luke iv. 43 ; viii. 1 ; ix. 60 ; x. 8-1 1 ; xi. 17, 18, 20 ; xvi. 16 ; xxi. 30, 31 ; xxii. 18 ; xxiii. 50, 51). That the Lord has all power in heaven and on earth, is plainly manifest in Matthew xxviii. 18 • John iii. 35 ; xvii. 2, 10. That they who are in the Lord and the Lord in them are saved, and that it is the Divine Human in which they are, see John xiv. xv. xvii. ; and that no others are saved but they who believe in Him, is evident from these passages : As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, to them that believe in His name (John i. 12). That every one that believeth in the Son should not perish, but have everlasting life (John iii. 15). God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that every one that believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlast- ing life (John iii. 16). He that believeth in the So?i is not condemned ; but he that believeth 7iot is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God (John iii. 18). He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; but he that believeth not the Sou shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him (John iii. 36). He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst. Verily I say unto you, He that believeth in Me hath everlasting life (John vi. 33, 35, 47). Except ye shall believe that I am He, ye shall die in your sins (John viii. 24). yesus said, I am the resurrection and the life ; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: whosoever liveth, and believeth in Me, shall never die 602 THE APOCALYPSE REVEalED. [Chap. XII. (John xi. 25, 26. Besides other places, as John vi. 38, 39, 40 ; vii. 37, 38 ; viii. 12 ; xii. 36, 46). To believe hi the Lord is to go immediately to Him, and to have trust that He saves. And as no one can have trust but he who lives well, this therefore is also meant by believing in Him ; see above (n. 67). 554. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, that atcused them before our God day and night, signifies that those who opposed the doctrine of the New Church were removed by the last judgment. That the dragon was cast down, signifies that they who are meant by the dragon were removed. It has been said before, that they were removed by being cast down out of heaven into the world of spirits, and then into hell ; which is their last judgment. By brethren are meant those who are in the doctrine of the New Church, and in a life according to it. By accusing is signified to oppose that doctrine, to denounce it as false, and to cry out against it ; and because they do this contin- ually as if before God, the dragon is called the accuser of the brethren, that accuses them before God day and night. The devil -also does this, when he tempts : for he draws forth various things from man, which he calls falsities, and condemns. 555. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, signifies victory by the Divine Truth of the Word, and by the acknowledgment therefrom that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that the precepts of the Decalogue are precepts of life according to which men must live. That " the blood of the Lamb " is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, which is the Divine Truth of the Word, may be seen above ("« 379)- That "testimony" is Divine Truth, see above (n, 6, 16) ; and that in particular it is these two things, — that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that the precepts of the Decalogue are precepts of life (n. 490, 509) : on which account the Decalogue is also called the No. 556.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 603 Testimony (Ex. xxv. 22 ; xxxi. 7, 18 ; xxxii. 15 ; Lev. xvi. 13; Num. xvii. 4; Ps. lxxviii. 5 ; cxxxii. 12). It is be- lieved by those at the present day who are in faith alone, that the Lord's passion of the cross is here meant by the blood of the Lamb ; for the reason, especially, that they make the Lord's passion of the cross the principal thing of their dogma ; saying that He thus took upon Himself the condemnation of the law, satisfied the Father, and reconciled the human race to Him ; and more besides. Yet that it is not so, but that "the Lord came into the world that He might subdue the hells and glorify His Human, and that the passion of the cross was the last combat, by which He fully conquered the hells, and fully glorified His Human," may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord " (n. 12-14). It may hence be seen, that the passion of the cross is not here meant .by the blood of the Lamb, according to the dogma of the present day. That the Divine Truth pro- ceeding from the Lord, which is the Divine Truth of the Word, is meant by the blood of the Lamb, may be seen from the fact that the Lord is the Word ; and because He is the Word, that the Divine Truth therein is His Blood, and the Divine Good therein His Body. This may be made evident thus: Is not every man his good and his truth? And as good is of the will and truth is of the understanding, every man is his will and his understand- ing. What else makes the man ? Is not man, as to essence, these two things? But the Lord is Good itself and Truth itself ; that is, the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, which two are also the Word. 556. And they loved not their life even unto death, signifies who did not love themselves more than the Lord. By loving their life is signified to love themselves and the world ; for by the life man's own life is signified, which every one has from birth ; which is to love himself and the world above all things : for which reason, by not loving 8* 604 l'HE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII their life is signified not to love themselves and the world more than the Lord and the things which are the Lord's : " even unto death " signifies to wish rather to die ; conse- quently it is to love the Lord above all things, and the neighbor as one's self (Matt. xxii. 35-39) ; and to wish to die rather than to recede from these two loves. The same is signified by these words of the Lord : He that would fi?id his life, shall lose it ; and he that will lose his life for yesur' iake, shall find it (Matt. x. 39 ; Luke xvii. 33). He that loveth his life shall lose it; but he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John xii. 25). jfesus said, If any man will come after Me, let him deny hitnself; for whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it: what doth it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, but lose his own soul ? or what shall a ma7i give in exchange far his soul (Matt. xvi. 24-26 ; Mark viii. 35-37 ; Luke ix. 24, 25). By loving the Lord is meant to love to do His commandments (John xiv. 20-24). The reason is because He is His own command- ments ; for they are from Him, consequently He is in them, and thus in the man in whose life they are inscribed : and they are inscribed upon man by willing and doing them. 557. For this rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them, signifies a new state of heaven, that they are in the Lord, and the Lord in them. By " the heavens " is meant a heaven of Christians, in which the Lord alone is acknowl- edged as the God of heaven and earth. By "rejoice" is signified its new state, full of joy. By " them that dwell " those who are in good are signified (n. 380) : and as all good is from the Lord, it is signified that they are in the Lord, and the Lord in them. 558. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil is com: dow?i unto you having great wrath, signifies lamentation over them that are in the internals and the externals of the doctrine of faith alone, and thence in evils of life, since their like have been cast down from heaven No. 558.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 605 irto the world of spirits, and are thence in conjunction with men on earth, whom, from hatred against the New Church, they excite to persevere in their falsities and the evils from them. By " woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea" lamentation is signified over those in the church who are in the doctrine of faith alone. By " woe " lamentation is signified (n. 416). By "inhabiters" are signified those that are in the church whose doctrine is faith alone. By " the earth " are meant they who are in its internals, and by " the sea " they that are in its exter- nals (n. 470). By "great wrath" is signified hatred against the New Church, because it is against the Woman (n. 525). By coming down to them, is signified to those who are in the world of spirits ; and as these are in con- junction with men upon earth, to such on the earth is also signified. That the dragon was cast down out of heaven into the world of spirits, and that they who are there are in conjunction with men on the earth, may be seen above (n. 552). The dragon is here called the devil, because they are meant who from that heresy are in evils of life ; and those are in evils of life from it, who live according to these things of their faith, — that they have no sins who pray to God the Father in confidence ; and if they have, that they are remitted : these, as they do not examine them- selves, do not know any sin in themselves, and at length do not know what sin is ; see above (n. 531). By the dragon called the devil those are meant who are in the evils of their lusts (n. 550). That every man is in conjunction with those who are in the world of spirits, is because man is a spirit as to the affections of his mind and the thoughts thence3; on which account he is as to them continually in conjunction with spirits who are in similar affection and thoughts from it. The conjunction is such, that if that tie were broken for a single moment, the man would fall down dead. Of this the church has before known nothing ; nor that a man after death is his own affection and thought thence, and thus 6o6 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XJ1 his own charity anil faith therefrom ; and that no one can be faith separate from charity. 559. Knowing that he hath but a short time, signifies because he knows that the New Heaven is formed, and that thus the New Church on the earth is at hand, and that he with his like will then be cast into hell. This is signified, because the dragon knows that a New Heaven has been formed, for he was cast down from it (vers. 8, 9). He also knows that a New Church on the earth is at hand, from the prediction in the Apocalypse (chap, xxi.) ; and he knows likewise that he and his are then to be cast into hell, from the prediction (Apoc. xx. 1, 2, 10). 560. When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the Woman who brought forth the son, signifies that the dragonists in the world of spirits, after being cast down, immediately began to infest the New Church on account of its doctrine. " When the dragon saw that he was cast out unto the earth," signifies when the dragonists saw that they were separated from heaven, and in conjunction with men on earth (n. 552, 558). " He persecuted the Woman," signifies that they immediately began to infest the Lord's church. That the Woman whom he persecuted is that Church, may be seen, n. 533. Who brought forth the son, signifies on account of its doctrine. That the offspring or male child, which the Woman brought forth, is the doctrine of the New Church, n. 535, 542, 543, 545. 561. And there were given to the Woman two wings of a great eagle, that she ??iight fly into the wilderness into her place, signifies the Divine circumspection for that church, and protection while it is yet among a few. By the Woman the New Church is signified (n. 533). Power and protection are signified by the wings (n. 245). By the eagle is signified intellectual sight and thought from it (n. 245). By flying is signified perception and circumspection (n. 245). By the wilderness is signified the church deserted, and thus among few (n. 546). By place the state "here is signified. From No. 562.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 60J these things it follows, that by " the two wings of a great eagle being given to the Woman for her to fly into the wilderness unto her place," is signified the Divine circum- spection for the New Church, and protection while it is yet among a few. 562. Where she is nourished for a time, and times and half a time from the face of the serpent, signifies that on account of the craftiness of them that seduce, preparation is made cautiously that it may come among more, until it grows to its appointed state. By being nourished, when the New Church is spoken of, is signified to provide that it may come among more, as above (n. 547). By " a time and times and half of a time," is signified to the end and a begin- ning, and thus while it is growing from a few to more and even to its appointed state, as also above (n. 547). The craftiness of them that seduce is sign^ed by " the face of the serpent;" by the face craftiness, and by the serpent those that seduce. That they that seduce are signified by the serpent, is manifest from these words in this chapter. The great dragon was east out, that old serpent, that seduceth the whole world (vers. 9) \ and in another place, He laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent, and cast him into the abyss, that he should seduce the nations no more (Apoc. xx. 2, 3). The same is here understood as by the serpent which seduced Eve and Adam, of which it is said, And the serpent was ??w?'e subtle than any wild-beast of the field ; and the woman said to Jehovah, The serpent seduced ?ne (Gen. iii. 1, 13). By the face in the Word is signified that which is interior in man ; because the face is the type of his mind ('Viimus) formed in correspondence : hence by the face of the serpent, anger, hatred, and craftiness are signified. By a time, times, and half of a time, the same is signified here as by the thousand two hundred and sixty days (vers. 6), w here are these words : The Woman fied into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, where they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixy days ; which 6o8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIL may be seen explained above (n. 547). The same also as by the three days and a half (Apoc. xi. 9, 10) ; also by the three years and six months, when there was a famine (Luke iv. 25). The same also as by this in Daniel, by a stated time, stated times a?id a half, when they shall finish dispersing the power of the holy people (xii. 7). 563. And the serpent cast out after the Woman, out of his mouth, water as a flood, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the flood, signifies reasonings from falsities in abundance to destroy the church. Here, as above, the seducing dragon is signified by the serpent ; the New Church by the Woman (n. 533). By water truths are sig- nified, and in the opposite sense falsities (n. 50, 409). By a flood are signified truths in abundance, and in the opposite sense falsities in abundance (n. 409). Out of the mouth of the serpent, signifies reasonings. Therefore by casting out water as a river are signified reasonings from falsities in abundance. The reasonings of those who are meant by the dragon are all from fallacies and appearances j which, if they are confirmed, appear outwardly as truths, but in- wardly conceal falsities in abundance. This I can declare that those in the church who hereafter confirm themselves in faith alone, cannot recede from it except by serious repentance, because they conjoin themselves with the dragonists who are now in the world of spirits, and are greatly excited, and from hatred against the New Church are infesting all there whom they meet : and because they are conjoined with men on the earth, as was said above, they do not suffer those to recede from them, who have once been caught by their reasonings ; for they hold them as bound with chains, and then shut their eyes, so that they can no longer see any truth in the light. 564. And the earth helped the Woman ; and the earth opefied her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth, signifies that the reasonings from falsities in abundance put forth by the dragonists. No. 564.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 609 fall to nothing before the spiritual truths rationally under stood, which the Michaels, of whom the New Church con- sists, bring forward. The church as to doctrine is signified by the earth which helped the Woman (n. 285) ; and be- cause the reasonings from falsities which the dragonists put forth are treated of, it is truths from the Word by which the earth, that is, the church, helps the Woman. By opening her mouth is signified to adduce those truths. By the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth are signified reasonings from falsities in abundance (n. 563). By swallowing up is signified to cause them to fall to noth- ing. By the Michaels the men of the New Church are meant ; by Michael the wise therein, and by his angels the rest. Since this dogma is rejected in the New Church, that the understanding is to be kept in obedience to faith, and this is received in place of it, that the truth of the church mus': be seen to be believed (n. 224) ; and as the truth cannot be seen otherwise than rationally, it is there- fore said "before the truths rationally understood." How can any man be led by the Lord and conjoined to heaven, who has closed up his understanding in regard to such things as relate to salvation and eternal life? Is it not the understanding which must be enlightened and taught ? And what is the understanding when closed up by religion, but thick-darkness ? and such thick-darkness as rejects from itself the illustrating light ? Who also can acknowl- edge any truth and retain it, unless he sees it? What is a truth not seen but an expression not understood, which with sensual-corporeal men is wont to be retained in the memory, but cannot with the wise ? Yea, the wise cast out of their memory empty words, that is, words which have not entered by the understanding ; as, that the one God is three as to persons ; also, that the Lord born from eternity is not one and the same with the Lord born in time ; that is, that one Lord is God, and not the other: as also, that a life of charity, which consists in good works, 6lO THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII and also in repentance from evil works, contributes noth- ing to salvation. A wise man does not understand this ; on which account he says from his rationality, Does religion then contribute nothing ? Is not religion to shun evil and to do good ? Must not the doctrine of the church teach thj? as also what a man should believe, that he may do the good works of religion from God ? 565. And the dragon was wroth with the Woman, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, signifies the hatred kindled with those that believe themselves wise on account of confirmations in favor of the mystic union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord, and in favor of justification by faith alone, against those who acknowledge the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth, and that the Decalogue is the law of life : accosting novitiates with the design of seducing them. In these few words all these things are contained, because they follow in a series from what has been said before, that the earth helped the Woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth \ by which is signified that their reasonings from falsities fell to nothing (n. 564) • consequently, that they endeavored in vain to destroy the New Church. Where- fore by the dragon's being wroth with the Woman is signi- fied hatred kindled and breathing vengeance against the Church. By the dragon's wrath hatred is signified (n. 558). By making war is signified to attack and fight against by reasonings from falsities (n. 500). By "the remnant of her seed, that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ," are meant novitiates, who receive the doctrine concerning the Lord and concei .ling the Decalogue. What the testimony of Jesus Christ is, may be seen above (n. 6, 490). That those who believe themselves to be wise from confirmations in favor of the mystic union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord. No. 565.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 6 1 I and in favor of justification by faith alone, are here meant by the dragon, is because these are in the pride of wisdom, and know how to ratiocinate ; and from pride proceeds hatred, and from hatred anger and revenge against those who do not believe the same. By the mystic union, which is also called the hypostatic union, are meant their fig- ments concerning the influx and operation of the Divinity into the Humanity of the Lord, as into another ; not know- ing that God and Man, or the Divine and the Human, in the Lord, are not two, but one person, united like the soul and the body, according to the doctrine received in the whole Christian world, which has its name from Athana- sius. But to adduce their figments about the mystic union is not worth the time, as they are absurd. That those who are of the New Church and in the truths of its doctrine are here meant by the seed of the Woman, may be evident from the signification of seed in the following passages : Their seed shall be known among the gentiles, and their off- spring among the people ; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Jehovah hath blessed (Isa. lxi. 9). They are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah (Isa. lxv. 23). As the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, so shall your seed remain (Isa. lxvi 22). A seed which shall serve Him ; it shall be counted to the Lord for a generation (Ps. xxii. 30). I iviil put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and the woman 's seed (Gen. iii. 15). Does one seek a seed of God (Mai. ii. 15). Behold, the days shall come, in which 1 will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah wit/i the seed of man (Jer. xxxi. 27). If thou shall make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see seed (Isa. liii. i o). Fear not. for I am with thee ; I will bring thy seed from the cast (Isa. xliii. 5, 6). Thou shall break forth on the right hen J and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the gentiles (Isa. Uv. 3). I had planted thee a noble vine, a seed of truth ; how art thou turned to me into branches of a strange vine i 6l2 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. (Jer. ii. 21). Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earthy and their seed from amo7ig the children of men (Ps. xxi. 10). The seed are the children of the kingdo77i (Matt. xiii. 38). The same is signified by the seed of Israel, because Israel is the church (Isa. xli. 8, 9 ; xliv. 3 ; Jer. xxiii. 8 ; xxxi. 35, 36). The same also by the seed of David, because David is the Lord (Jer. xxx. 10 ; xxxiii. 22, 25, 26 ; Ps. lxxxix. 4, 5, 29). The same likewise by the seed of the field, because a field signifies the church, in many places. But the opposite is signified by the seed of the wicked (Isa. i. 4 ; xiv. 20 ; lvii. 3, 4) : and by the seed of the serpent (Gen. Hi, 15). 565^-. And I stood up07i the sand of the sea, signifies his state now spiritual-natural, as of those who are in the first or ultimate heaven. By the sand of the sea that state is signified, because by the sea is signified the external of the church. This state is called spiritual-natural, such as is with those who are in the first or ultimate heaven. Pre- viously he was above in heaven, where he saw the Dragon ; his combat with Michael, his downfall and his persecuting the Woman. But now, when the Dragon has been cast down, and yet continues to be treated of in what follows, John was let down in the spirit, to the end that he might see more things concerning the dragon below the heavens, and describe them : in which state he saw the two beasts, the one coming up out of the sea, and the other out of the earth j which he could not see from heaven, since it is not granted to any angel to look from heaven into things below ; but if he chooses, he may go down. It is to be known, that in the spiritual world place corresponds to state ; for no one can be anywhere else but where the state of his life is : and because John now stood upon the sand of the sea, it follows that his state was now spiritual- ly ?tural. No. 566.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 613 566. To this I will add this Relation. There arose a question among some spirits, whether any one can see any doctrinal theological truth in the Word, except from the Lord. They all agreed in this, that no one can, except from God, because a ?na?i can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven (John iii. 27): for which reason the dispute was, whether it is possible to any one unless he goes immediately to the Lord. They said on the one hand, that the Lord is to be approached directly, because He is the Word ; and on the other, that doctrinal truth may also be seen when God the Father is immediately approached. On which account the dispute centred upon this point, Whether it is lawful for any Christian to go immediately to God the Father, and so to climb above the Lord ■ and whether this is not insolence and audacity both indecent and rash ; because the Lord says that 110 one cometh to the Father but through Him (John xiv. 6). But they left this, and said that a man can see a doctrinal truth in the Word from his own natural light {lumen) ; but this was rejected ; wherefore they insisted that it might be seen by those who pray to God the Father. Upon which some- thing was read to them from the Word j and then they prayed upon their knees, that God the Father would en- lighten them : and as to the passage which was read to them from the Word, they said that this and that was the truth therein ; but it was false : and this repeatedly even to tediousness. At length they confessed that it was not possible. But on the other side, they who went imme- diately to the Lord, saw truths, and informed the others. After this dispute was thus decided, there came up some out of the abyss, who appeared at first like locusts, but afterwards as men. They were those who in the world prayed to the Father, and confirmed themselves in justifi- cation by faith alone j and they said that they saw the tenet that man is justified by faith alone without the works 6 14 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Ckap. XII. of the law, in clear light, and also from the Word. They were asked, " By what faith ? " they answered, " In God the Father." But after they were examined, it was told them from heaven, that they did not know even one doc- trinal truth from the Word. But they replied that still they saw this in the light. It was then said to them that they saw it in fatuous light. They asked, "What is fatuous light ? " They were informed that fatuous light is the light of the confirmation of falsity ; and that this light corresponds to the light in which owls and bats are, to whom darkness is light, and light is darkness. This was confirmed by the fact, that when they looked upwards to heaven, where light itself is, they saw darkness ; but when they looked downwards to the abyss whence they came, they saw light. Being indignant at this confirmation, they said that thus light and darkness are not any thing, but only the state of the eye, according to which light is called light, and darkness, darkness. But it was shown that their light was fatuous light, which is the light of the confirma- tion of falsity ; and that it was only the activity of their minds arising from the fire of lusts, not unlike the light of cats, whose eyes, owing to their burning appetite for mice in cellars in the night-time, appear like candles. On hear- ing these things, they angrily replied that they were not cats, nor like cats ; because they could see, if they would. But because they feared being asked why they would not, they retired, and let themselves down into their abyss and into their light. They who are there, and such as resemble them, are called owls and bats. When they came to their companions in the abyss, and related what the angels said, that "we do not know any doctrinal truth, not even one ; " and that " they therefore called us bats and owls," they were greatly excited and said, " Let us pray to the Lord for permission to ascend, and we will show clearly that we have many doctrinal truths, which the archangels themselves will acknowledge.' No. 566.] THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. 615 And because they prayed to the Lord, leave was given , and they ascended to the number of three hundred. And when they appeared above the earth, they said, "We were celebrated and famed in the world, because we knew and taught the arcana of justification by faith alone ; and from confirmations we not only saw the light, but also as it were a flashing radiance j as we still do in our cells. And yet we have heard from our companions who were with you, that that light is not light, but darkness ; for the reason that we have not, as you said, any doctrinal truth from the Word. We know that every truth of the Word shines ; and we believe that our radiance is thence, when we profoundly meditate upon our arcana. We will, therefore, demonstrate that we have truths from the Word in great abundance." And they said, " Have we not this truth, that there is a Trinity, — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit j and that the Trinity must be believed in ? Have we not this truth, that Christ is our Redeemer and Saviour ? Have we not this truth, that Christ alone is justice, and that He alone has merit ? and that he is unjust and impious, who wishes to claim to himself any thing of His justice and merit? Have we not this truth, that no mortal can do any spiritual good of himself, but that all good which is good in itself is from God ? Have we not this truth, that there is given meritorious and also hypo- critical good, and that these goods are evil ? Have we not this truth, that man of his own powers can contribute nothing to his salvation ? Have we not this truth, that the works of charity are still to be done ? Have we not this truth, that there is faith, and that one must believe, and that every one has life according to his belief ? Besides many other things from the Word ? Who of you can deny any one of these ? And yet you said that we have not any truth in our schools, not even one. Have you not asserted such things against us through prejudice? But they then received the answer : " All the things which you have 6i6 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. advanced are in themselves true ; but you have falsified them, by applying them to confirm a false principle ; and hence with you and in you they are falsified truths, which are made false by the false principle. That it is so, we will demonstrate even to the sight. Not far from here is a place into which light flows immediately from heaven. In the midst of it there is a table. When any paper on which a truth from the Word is written is placed upon it, that paper, from the truth written on it, shines like a star. Write your truths, therefore, on a paper, and let it be put upon that table ; and you will see." They did so, and gave it to the keeper, who put it upon the table ; who then said to them, " Withdraw a little and look at the table/' And they withdrew and looked ; and behold, the paper shone like a star. And then the keeper said, " You see that the things which you have written upon the paper are truths. But come nearer, and look intently at the paper." And they did so ; and then the light suddenly disappeared, and the paper became black, as if covered with the soot of a furnace. Anal the keeper said further, " Touch the paper with your hands, but be careful not to touch the writing." And when they did so, a flame burst forth, and consumed it. Seeing this, they fled away ; and it was said to them, " If you had touched the writing, you would have heard an explosion, and would have burned your fingers." And it was then said by them that stood by, " You have now seen that the truths which you have abused to confirm the arcana of your justification, are truths in themselves ; but that in you they are truths falsified." They then looked up, and heaven appeared to them as blood, and afterwards as thick-darkness ; and they seemed before the eyes of angelic spirits, some like bats, some like owls, some like moles, and some like horned-owls ; and they fled away into their darkness, which to their eyes shone fatuously. The angelic spirits who were present wondered that they No. ^66.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 617 had not before known any thing of that place, and of the table there. And a voice then came to them from the southern quarter, saying, " Come hither, and you will see something still more wonderful." And they came, and entered into a chamber, whose walls shone as if golden ; and they saw there also a table, upon which lay the Word, set around with precious stones in heavenly forms. And the angel keeper said, " When the Word is opened, a light beams forth thence of ineffable brightness • and at the same time there appears from the precious stones a rainbow above and around the Word. When any angel from the third heaven comes thither, and looks at the open Word, there appears above and around the Word a rainbow of various colors on a red ground. When an angel comes thither from the second heaven, and looks, there appears a rainbow on a blue ground. When an angel from the ultimate heaven comes and looks, there appears a rainbow on a white ground. When any good spirit comes and looks, there appears a variegation of light, as of marble." That it was so, was also shown them visibly. The angel keeper further said, " If any one comes up, who has falsified the Word, the splendor is then first dissipated ; and if he approaches, and fixes his eyes on the Word, there is an appearance of blood around ; and he is then admonished to depart, because there is danger." But a certain one, who had in the world been a prominent author on the doctrine of faith alone, boldly came up, and said, "When I was in the world, I did not falsify the Word ; I also exalted charity together with faith; and I taught that man in the state of faith, in which he does charity and its works, is renewed, regenerated, and sancti- fied: also that faith is then not solitary, that is, without good works ; as a tree is not without fruit, the sun without light, and fire without heat : and I also blamed those who said that good works were not necessary, and moreover I magnified the precepts of the Decalogue, and also repent- ance ; and I thus applied all things of the Word in an bl8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII. admirable manner to the one article of faith, which I set forth and demonstrated to be still alone saving." In the confidence of his assertion that he had not falsified the Word, he came up to the table, and, contrary to the warning of the angel, touched the Word. But then suddenly fire with smoke issued from the Word, and an explosion took place with a great crash, by which he was thrown to a corner of the room, and lay there as dead for half an hour. This the angelic spirits wondered at : but it was said to them, that that prelate had exalted the goods of charity as proceeding from faith more than others ; but that still he meant no other than political works, which are also called moral and civil, and which are to be done for the sake of the world and of prosperity therein ; but not any works which are to be done for the sake of God and salvation : and also that he included the unseen works of the Holy Spirit, of which the man knows nothing ; which are im- planted in the act of faith during its state. The angelic spirits then conversed among themselves concerning the falsification of the Word : and they agreed upon this, that to falsify the Word is to take truths from it, and apply them to confirm falsities ; which is to drag them forth from the Word outside of it, and slay them. As for example : he who takes therefrom this truth, that the neighbor is to be loved, and that good is to be done to him from love for the sake of God and eternal life ; if any one then confirms this, that it is to be done, but not for the sake of salvation, because all good from man is not good, he drags that truth from the Word outside of the Word, and destroys it j since the Lord in His Word enjoins it upon every man who wishes to be saved, to do good to his neighbor as of himself, and yet to believe that it is of the Lord. Chap. XIII.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 619 CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. 1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten dia- dems, and upon his heads a name of blasphemy. 2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet like a bear's, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion : and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded unto death, and his deadly wound was healed ; and the whole earth wondered after the beast. 4. And they worshipped the dragon, who gave authority to the beast ; and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast ? who can make war with him. 5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies ; and there was given to him authority to work forty-two months. 6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them ; and authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation. 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9. If any one have an ear, let him hear. 10. If any one leadeth into captivity, he shall go into captivity ; if any one killeth with the sword, he must be killed with the sword: here is the patience and the faitb of the saints. VOL. II. 9 620 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII 11. And I saw another beast coming up out ot the earth ; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as ? dragon. 12. And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast before him ; and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13. And he doeth great signs, so that he maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men ; 14. And seduceth them that dwell on the earth, by the signs which it was given him to do before the beast, say- ing to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, which hath the wound by a sword, and did live. 15. And it was given him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16. And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that he should give them a mark upon their right hand and upon their foreheads : 17. And that no one might buy or sell, save he that hath the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18. Here is wisdom : he that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast ; for it is the number of a man : and his number is six hundred sixty-six. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. In this chap- ter the Dragon continues to be treated of, and the doctrine and the faith which are meant by him are described : of what kind it is among the laity, and afterwards of what Chap. XIII.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 621 quality among the clergy. That doctrine and faith among the laity is described by the beast that came up out of the sea, from verse 1-10; and the same among the ckrgy by the beast out of the earth, verse 11-17. Also, the falsifi- cation of the truth of the Word by them is treated of, verse 18. The Contents of each Verse. "And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea," signifies the laity in the churches of the Reformed, who are in the doctrine and faith of the dragon concerning God and concerning salvation. " Hav- ing seven heads," signifies insanity from mere falsities. " And ten horns," signifies great power. " And upon his horns ten diadems," signifies the power of falsifying many truths of the Word. " And upon his heads a name of blasphemy," signifies the denial of the Lord's Divine Human, and a doctrine of the church not from the Word, but evolved from their own intelligence. " And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard," signifies heresy destructive of the church, because from the truths of the Word falsified. " And his feet like a bear's," signifies full of falsities from the literal sense of the Word, read but not understood. " And his mouth as the mouth of a lion," signifies reasonings from falsities as from truths. " And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority," signifies that that heresy prevails and reigns through its reception by the laity. " And I saw one of his heads, as it were wounded unto death," signifies that the doctrine of faith alone does not agree with the Word, wherein works are so often commanded. " And his deadly wound was healed," signifies the cure of it here explained. " And the whole earth wondered after the beast," signifies that then that doctrine and faith were received with joy. " And they worshipped the Dragon who gave authority to the beast," signifies acknowledgment that it is as deliv- ered by the leaders and teachers, who have made it pre- vail through its reception by the general body. u And they 622 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIIL worshipped the beast," signifies the acknowledgment by the general body, that it is holy truth. " Saying, Who is like unto the beast ? who can make war with him ? " signi- fies the superiority of that doctrine, because it can be con- tradicted by no one. "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies," signifies that it teaches evils and falsities. " And there was given to him authority to work forty-two months," signifies the opportunity to teach and do the evils and falsities of that doctrine even to the end of that Church, and till the be- ginning of the New. " And he opened his mouth in blas- phemy against God, to blaspheme His name," signifies their utterances, which are scandals against the Divine Itself and the Divine Human of the Lord, and at the same time against every thing of the church from the Word, by which the Lord is worshipped. " And His tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven," signifies scandals against the Lord's heavenly (celestial) church and against heaven. " And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them," signifies that they assailed the Divine Truths of the Word, and overthrew them. " And authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation," signifies dominion thus over all things of the church, both those of its doctrine and those of its life. " And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb," signifies that all acknowledged that heresy as a holy thing of the church, except those who believed in the Lord. " Slain from the foundation of the world," signifies the Lord's Divine Human not acknowledged from the first establishment of the church. " If any one have an ear, let him hear," sig- nifies that they who wish to be wise should attend to these things. " If any one leadeth into captivity he shall go into captivity," signifies that he who by that heresy leads others away from believing well and living well, shall be led away into hell by his own falsities and evils. " If any Chap. XIII.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 623 one killeth with the sword he must be killed with the sword," signifies that he who destroys the soul of another by falsities shall be destroyed and perish by falsities. " Here is the patience and the faith of the saints," signifies that the man of the Lord's New Church is explored by temptations from them, as to the quality of his life and faith. " And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth" signifies the clergy who are in the doctrine and faith of the dragon concerning God and salvation. -And he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon," signifies that they speak, teach, and write from the Word, as if it were the Lord's Divine Truth, and yet it is truth falsified. " And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast before him," signifies that they confirmed the dogmas, and that thereby they prevail. " And he causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed," signifies that it was firmly established by confirmations that what is received by the general body should be acknowledged as a holy thing of the church. ' u And he doeth great signs," signifies testifications that what they teach are truths, although they are falsities. " So that he maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men," signifies proofs that their falsities are truths. " And seduceth them that dwell on the earth by the signs which it was given him to do before the beast," signifies that by testifications and proofs they lead the men of the church into errors. " Saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which hath the wound by a sword and did live," signifies that they induce the men of the church to receive for doctrine, that faith is the only medium of salvation, for the reason here explained. " And it was given him to give breath to the image of the beast, that ihe image of the beast should both speak," signifies that it was permitted them to confirm that doctrine by the Word, by which it is as it were vivified as it is taught. " And 624 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. causs that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed," signifies that they pronounce dam- nation upon those who do not acknowledge the doctrine of their faith as a holy doctrine of the church. " And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond," signifies all in that church, of whatever condition, learning, or intelligence they are. " That he should give them a mark upon their right hand and upon their foreheads," signifies that no one should be acknowledged as a Reformed Christian, but he who re- ceives that doctrine in faith and love. " And that no one might buy or sell, save he that hath the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name," signifies that no one is permitted to teach from the Word but he who acknowledges that doctrine, and swears to the belief and the love of it, or to such as is in conformity with it. " Here is wisdom," signifies that it is the part of the wise to see and understand, from the things that are said and explained in this chapter, the quality of the doctrine and faith con- cerning God and concerning salvation, among the clergy. " He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast," signifies that he who is in enlightenment from the Lord may know the quality of the confirmations of that doctrine and faith from the Word among them. " For it is the number of a man," signifies the quality of the Word and thence of the church. " And his number is six hundred sixty-six," signifies that the quality is this, that every truth of the Word is falsified by them. THE EXPLANATION. 567. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, signifies the laity in the churches of the Reformed, who are in the doctrine and faith of the dragon concerning God and con- cerning salvation. What and of what quality the faith of No. 567.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 625 the dragon is, may be seen n. 537. The same faith con- tinues to be treated of in this chapter ; and by this beast, which was seen to come up out of the sea, is meant that faith among the laity ; but by the beast out of the earth (vers. 11), that faith among the clergy is meant. That the dragon continues to be treated of here, is manifest from these words in this chapter : That the Dragon gave to the beast that came up out of the sea his power, and throne, and great authority (vers. 2) : and that they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast (vers. 4) : and concerning the beast out of the earth, that he spake as the dragon (vers. 1 1) : and that he exercised all the authority of the first beast befo?'e the Dragon (vers. 12). That the laity are meant by the beast out of the sea, and the clergy by the beast out of the earth, is because the external of the church is signified by the sea, and the internal by the earth (n/398, and elsewhere) ; and the laity are in the externals of the doctrine of the church, and the clergy are in its internals : on which account the beast out of the earth is also called in what follows, the false prophet. That they are in the churches of the Reformed, is because the Reformed are treated of as far as to chap. xvi. inclusive ; and the Roman Catholics in chap. xvii. and xviii. : and afterwards the last judgment, and at length the New Church. They were seen as beasts because a dragon is a beast, and because a beast in the Word signifies man as to his affections, — harmless and useful beasts man as to the good affections, and noxious and useless beasts man as to the evil affections. On which account the men of the church are in general called sheep, and a congregation of them a flock, and he that teaches is called a pastor. It is hence also that Ihe Word, as to its power, affection, understanding, and wisdom, is described above by four animals, which were a lion, a calf, an eagle, and a man (chap, iv.) j and the understanding of the Word, by horses (chap. vi.). The reason is, that in the spiritual world a man's affections ' ppear at a distance like beosts, as has often been said 626 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. before ; and beasts, viewed in themselves, are nothing but forms of natural affections ; but men are not only forms of natural affections, but also of spiritual at the same time. That men as to their affections are meant by beasts, may be evident from these passages : Thou didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thi?ie inheritance when it was "•eary ; the beast thy congregation shall dwell in it (Ps. lxviii. j i o). Every wild-beast of the forest is mine, the beasts on a thousand hills ; I /mow every bird of the mountains ; the beast of my fields is with Me (Ps. 1. 10, n). Ashur is a cedar in Lebanon, his stature is high, all the birds of the heavens made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches all the beasts of the field brought forth, and in his shadow dwelt all great nations (Ez. xxxi. 3-6, 10, 13 j Dan. iv. 7-13). I will make a covenant for them in that day with the beast of the field and with the bird of the iieavens, and I will betroth thee unto Me for ever (Hos. ii. 18, 19). Rejoice and be glad ; be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields, for the habitations of the wilderness do spring (Joel ii. 2 1 , 22). In that day there shall be great tumult, Judah shall fight against Jerusalem, and there shall be a plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of every beast ; then shall every one that is left go up to Jerusalem (Zech. xiv. 13-16). The birds shall abominate him, and every beast of the earth shall despise him (Isa. xviii. 6). Thou, son of man, say to the bird of every wing, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves to my sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel ; so will I set my glory among the nations (Ez. xxxix.- 1 7-2 1). Jehovah gathereth the outcasts of Israel; every beast of my fields, come ye (Isa. lvi. 8, 9). Jehovah will destroy Ashur, every wild-beast of the nations shall rest in the midst of her, as well the spoonbill as the wild-duck in her pomeg?-anates (Zeph. ii. 13, 14). The sheep were scattered without a shepherd, and were for food to every wild-beast of the field (Ez. xxxiv. 5,8). / will cast thee forth upon the face of the field, and will make every bird of the heavens to live upon thee, a?id will satisfy every wild-beast of the earth from thee (Ez. xxxii. 4 ; also No. 570.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. chap. v. 17 ; xxix. 5 ; xxxiii. 27 ; xxxix. 4 ; Jer. xv. 3 , xvi. 4; xix. 7; xxvii. 5, 6). The enemy reproacheth Jehovah; deliver not the soul of thy turtledove to the beast (Ps. lxxiv. 18, 19). I saw in vision four beasts coming up out of the sea; the first was like a lion which had eagle's wings, the second like a bear, the third like a leopard, and the fourth was terrible 1 Dan. vii. 2-7). The Spirit driveth Jesus into the wilderness, and He was with the beasts, and angels ministered u?:to Him (Mark i. 12, 13). He was not with the beasts, but with devils, who are here meant by the beasts. Besides other places, where beasts and wild-beasts are named, as Isa. xxxv. 9 ; xliii. 20; Jer. xii. 4, 8-10; Ez. viii. 10; xxxiv. 23, 25, 28; xxxviii. 18-20; Hos. iv. 2,3; xiii. 8; Joel i. 16, 18, 20; Hab. ii. 17 ; Dan. ii. 37, 38 ; Ps. viii. 6-8 ; lxxx. 13 ; civ. 11, 12, 14, 20, 25; cxlviii. 7, 10; Ex. xxiii. 28-30; Lev. xxvi. 6 ; Deut. vii. 22 ; xxxii. 24. In these places men as to their affections are signified by beasts. By man and beast together is signified man as to spiritual and natural affection, in the following passages : Jer. vii. 20 ; xxi. 6 ; xxvii. 5 ; xxxi. 27 ; xxxii. 43 ; xxxiii. 10-12 ; xxxvi. 29 ; 1. 3; Ez. xiv. 13, 17, 19; xxv. 13; xxxii. 13 ; xxxvi. 11; Zeph. i. 2, 3 ; Zech. ii. 4, 5; viii. 9, 10; Jonah iii. 7, 8; Ps. xxxvi. 6 ; Num. xviii. 15. By all the beasts which were sacrificed good affections were signified, and the same by the beasts which were eaten ; and the contrary by the beasts which were not to be eaten (Lev. xx. 25, 26). 568. Having seven heads, signifies insanity from mere falsities, the same as by the seven heads of the dragon (»• 533). 569. And ten horns, signifies great power ; the same as by the horns of the dragon, which also were ten (n. 539). 570. A?id upon his horns ten diadems, signifies the power of falsifying many truths of the Word. Power is signified by horns (n. 539) ; by ten is signified much (n. 101) ; and the truths of the Word falsified are signified by the diadems (n. 540). Hence, by "upon his horns ten diadems," is 9* 628 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIIL signified to have it in his power to falsify many truths of the Word. It is said of the dragon, that he had upon his heads seven diadems j but of this beast of his, that he had ten diadems upon his horns. The reason is, because the power of falsifying many truths of the Word is here sig- nified, but there the falsification of them all : for the laity can do it, but do not. For they who are in falsities and in their faith, are opposed to truths ; for which reason, when they see truths in the Word, they falsify them. 571. And upon his heads a name of blasphemy, signifies denial of the Lord's Divine Human, and a doctrine of the church not from the Word, but from their own intelligence. By the seven heads insanity from mere falsities is signified, as above (n. 568) * and this insanity speaks blasphemy, when it denies the Lord's Divine in His Human ; and also when it does not take the doctrine of the church from the Word, but hatches it from its own intelligence. As regards th^ First, that it is blasphemy to deny the Lord's Divine in His Human, it is because he who denies this is against the faith received in the entire Christian world, which is called the Athanasian ; where it is said plainly, that in Jesus Christ God and Man, that is, the Divine and the Human, are not two, but one ; and that they are one per- son, united like the soul and the body. Wherefore they who deny the Divine in His Human are not far from the Socinians and Arians ;. indisputably so, when they think of the Lord's Human alone as of the human of another man, and at the same time not at all of His Divine from eternity. In regard to the Second point, that it is blasphemy not to take the doctrine of the church from the Word, but to evolve it from their own intelligence ; this is so. because the church is from the Word, and is such as its understanding of the Word is ; see the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 76- 79) : and the doctrine that faith alone, that is, faith without the works of the law, justifies and saves, is not from the No. 572.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 629 Word, but from a single saying of Paul (Rom. iii. 28), falsely understood , see n. 417 ; and all the falsity of the doctrine derives its origin from no other source than their own intelligence. For what is more universally taught in the Word than to shun evil and to do good? and what is more fully set forth there than that God is to be loved, and (he neighbor also? and who does not see that no one can love the neighbor, unless he lives according to the works of the law ? and he that does not love the neighbor, does not love God : for in love to the neighbor the Lord con- joins Himself with man, and man conjoins himself with the Lord ; that is, the Lord and man are together in that love. And what is it to love the neighbor but not to do evil to him, according to the precepts of the Decalogue ? (Rom. xiii. 8-1 1). And as far as a man is not willing to do evil to his neighbor, so far he wills to do him good. It is manifest from these things, that it is blasphemy to exclude the works of this law from salvation, as they do who make faith alone, which is faith separate from good works, solely saving. By blasphemy (Matt. xii. 31, 32 ; Apoc. xvii. 3 ; Is. xxxvii. 6, 7, 23, 24), is meant to deny the Lord's Divine, as the Socinians do, and to deny the Word. For they who thus deny the Divine of the Lord, cannot enter heaven ; for the Lord's Divine is the all in all of heaven : and he who denies the Word, denies all things of religion. 572. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, signifies heresy destructive of the church, because from the truths of the Word falsified. By beasts in general are sig- nified men as to their affections (n. 567) j and by a leopard the affection or lust of falsifying the truths of the Word is signified. And because it is a ferocious beast, and slaugh- ters harmless animals, it signifies also a heresy destructive of the church. That the truths of the Word falsified are signified by a leopard, is from his black and white spots \ and by the black spots falsities are signified, and by the 630 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. white among them truth is signified. Hence, as it is a ferocious and cruel beast, by it are signified the truths of the Word falsified, and so destroyed. The same things are signified by a leopard in the following passages : Can the Ethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots ? Then may ye also be able to do good, who have been taught to do evil (Jer. xiii. 23). A lion out of the forest hath smitten the nobles, a wolf of the plains shall spoil them, the leopard is watching against their cities ; every one who goeth out shall be torn i?i pieces, because their backslidings are increased (Jer. v. 6). " A leopard watching against their cities " means against the truths of doctrine : a city is doctrine (n. 194). Because they have forgotten Me, I will therefore be to them as a lion, and as a leopard by the way will I observe them (Hos. xiii. 5-7); a way also signifies truth (n. 176). The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid (Isa. xi. 6). Here the Lord's kingdom which is coming is treated of : " the kid " is the genuine truth of the church ; " the leopard " is the same falsified. The third beast coming up out of the sea was like a leopard, which had fom wings upon his back (Dan. vii. 6). Concerning the four beasts seen by Daniel, see below (n. 574). 573. And his feet like a bear's, signifies that it was full of fallacies from the literal sense of the Word read but not understood. By the feet is signified the natural, which is the ultimate, upon which that heresy which is meant by the leopard, takes its stand, and as it were walks ; and this is the literal sense of the Word : and they are signified by a bear, who read the Word, and do not understand it ; whence they have fallacies. That these are signified by bears, was made manifest to me from the bears seen in the spiritual world, and from certain ones there clothed in bearskin ; all of whom were those that read the Word, and did not see any doctrinal truth there \ as also those who confirmed the appearances of truth therein, whence are fallacies. There appear, there hurtful bears, and harmless No. 574.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 63 1 bears, and also white ones j but they are distinguished by their heads : those that are harmless have heads like the heads of calves or sheep. Such persons or things are signified by bears in the following passages : As a bear, lying in wait for me, he hath overturned my paths ; the Hon in the coverts hath turned aside my ways ; he hath made me desolate (Lam. iii. 8-1 1). I will meet Jmn like a hear be- n aved, and I will consume him there like a huge lio?i ; the wild-beast of the field shall tear them (Hos. xiii. 7, 8). The calf a?id the young lion shall lie down, and the cow and the bear shall feed (Isa. xi. 6, 7). The second beast coming up out of the sea was like unto a bear, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth (Dan. vii. 5). The same is signified by the lion and bear which David smote, taking it by the beard (1 Sam. xvii. 34-37 ; likewise 2 Sam. xvii. 8). The lion and the bear are mentioned in these places, because falsity destroying the truth of the Word is signified by the lion j and by the bear are signified falla- cies, which also destroy, but not to such a degree ; where- fore it is said in Amos, The day of Jehovah, a day of darkness and not of light, is as he who flees from a lion and falls upon a bear (v. 18, 19). We read in the second book of Kings, that Elisha was mocked by children, and called bald ; and that 011 that account forty-two children were torn in pieces by two she-bears out of the forest (ii. 23, 24). This was done because Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word (n. 298) ; and because baldness signified the Word without the sense of the letter, and thus not any thing (n. 47) ; the number forty-two signified blasphemy (n- 583) ; and the she-bears signified the literal sense of the Word, read indeed, but not understood. 574. And his mouth as the mouth of a lion, signifies reasonings from falsities as from truths. By the mouth is Signified teaching, preaching, and discourse (n. 452) • here reasoning from falsities of doctrine, because the head, where the mouth is, signifies insanity from mere falsities 632 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XII L (n. 568). By a lion Divine Truth m its power is signified (n. 241, 471) ; but here falsity in power appearing as truth by means of reasonings (n. 573). Hence by "his mouth as the mouth of a lion," are signified reasonings from falsi- ties as if from truths. That the leopard, the bear, and the lion signify such things, may be evident from similar beasts seen by Daniel, thus spoken of : Four great beasts came up out of the sea: the first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings : I beheld until his wings were torn off, and he was lifted up from the earth, a?id set up upon his feet as a man, and a man's heart given to him. The second beast was like unto a bear, and raised himself up on one side ; three ribs were in his mouth betwee?i his teeth ; and it was said, Arise, devour much flesh. The third beast was like a leopard, which had four wings upon his back, as of birds ; the beast had also four heads, and dominion was given to /iim* The fourth beast was terrible a7id formidable and powerful, and it had great iron teeth ; he devoured and brake in pieces and tram- pled the residue with his feet (Dan. vii. 3-7). By these four beasts the successive states of the church are de- scribed, from its first unto its last, until it is altogether vastated as to every good and truth of the Word \ after which is the coming of the Lord. By the lion is signified the Divine Truth of the Word in its first state, and the establishment of the church by it ; which is meant by his being lifted up from the earth, and set up upon his feet as a man, and a man's heart given to him. By the bear the second state of the church is described, which is, that the Word is read indeed, but is not understood : by the three ribs between his teeth are signified appearances and fallacies ; and by " much flesh " the literal sense of the Word as a whole is signified. The third state of the church is described by the leopard^ by which the Word falsified as to its truths is signified : by the four wings upon its back, as of birds, confirmations of falsity are signified. The fourth or last state of the church is described by No.575-J TIIE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 633 the beast which was terrible and formidable, by which the destruction of all truth and good is signified ; on which account it is said that it broke in pieces and devoured, and trampled the residue with its feet. At length the Lord's coming is described, and then the destruction of that church, and the establishment of a New, from verse 9 to the end. By Daniel those four beasts were seen coming up out of the sea one after another ; but by John the first three beasts were seen united in one body, and also com- ing up out of the sea. The reason is because the succes- sive states of the church are described by them in Daniel, but here in the Apocalypse the last state is described, in which are all the former at once ; and as this beast was seen to be like a leopard as to its body and like a bear as to its feet, and like a lion as to its mouth, similar things are signified in both cases by the leopard and the bear : but by the mouth like a lion's, reasonings from falsities are signified, because it follows that the beast spake blas- phemies out of his mouth (vers. 5,6): and by his heads, insanity from mere- falsities is signified. 575. And the dragou gave hi??i his power and his throne \ and great authority, signifies that that heresy prevails and reigns through its reception by the laity. By the dragon that heresy is signified, spoken of n. 537. The laity are signified by this beast (n. 567) j who do not speak from themselves, but from their teachers ; and as they are the people themselves, it is manifest that that heresy prevails and reigns from reception by them. This therefore it is, which is signified by the power, throne, and great authority, which the dragon gave to this beast, and by these words following (vers. 5), And they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. The dragon prevails and reigns through them, especially through this dogma of their relig- ion : That the understanding is to be kept under obedience to faith ; and that that is a faith which is not understood ; and that, in spiritual things, faith in a thing which is under- 634 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI1L stood is intellectual faith, which is not justifying. When these prevail with the laity, the clergy have authority, veneration, and a species of adoration, on account of the divine things which they believe they know, and which are to be received from their mouths. By " power " is signi- fied prevalence ; by throne, government ; and by great authority, dominion. 576. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded unto duith. signifies that this point of doctrine, which is the head of the rest, that man is justified and saved by faith alone without the works of the law, does not agree with the Word, where works are so often commanded. By " one of his heads " is signified the chief and fundamental article of the whole doctrine of the church of the Reformed. For the beast had seven heads, by which is signified insan- ity from mere falsities (n. 568) ; and thus also all falsities in the aggregate : for by seven in the Word is signified all (n. 10, 391). And as all the falsities of their doctrine con- cerning salvation depend on this one, that man is justified and saved by faith alone without the -works of the law, it is this which is signified by " one of the heads " of the beast. By its being as it were wounded unto death, is sig- nified that it does not agree with the Word, where works are so often commanded. For every point of the doc'rine of the church, which does not agree with the Word, is not sound, but is sick with a deadly disease : for the doctrine of the church must be from the Word, and from no other source. 577. And his deadly wound was healed, signifies the cue of that head of the doctrine by this reasoning, that no one can do a good work of himself, and fulfil the law, and that there is on that account provided another means of salva- tion instead, which is faith in the righteousness and ment of Christ, who suffered for man, and thereby took away the condemnation of the law. That this is the cure for the wounded head, and is also applied, is known, when No. 57S.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 635 by the wounded head is meant that which precedes (n. 576); and therefore there is no need to explain it further. 578. And the whole earth wondered after the beast, signi fies that that faith was then received with joy, and became the doctrine of the whole church, because they thus would not be servants under the law, but free under faith. And they wondered, signifies admiration that the deadly wound was healed, and thence reception with joy. By the whole earth the whole church of the Reformed is signified, for the earth is the church (n. 285). Wherefore by "the whole earth wondered after the beast," is signified that that faith was received with joy, and became the doctrine of the whole church. The joy. with which it was received was because thus they would not be servants under the law, but free under faith j not knowing that the fact was alto- gether the contrary ; namely, that they who believe them- selves to be free under faith, or from that faith, or by means of that faith, are servants under sin, that is, under the devil ; for sin and the devil are one and the same. For they believe that thus the law does not condemn ; and thus they believe that to sin without the condemnation of the law is freedom, provided they have faith ; when yet this is servitude itself. But when a man shuns sin, that is, the devil, he from a servant becomes free. — To this I will add this Relation : I spoke with certain doctors of the church in the world of spirits, as to what they mean by the works of the law, and what by the law, under whose yoke, servitude, and condemnation they say they are not, They said that they were the works of the law of the Deca- logue. And I then said, " What does the Decalogue re- quire ? is it not this ? Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not tes- tify falsely? Are these the works of the law which you separate from faith, saying that faith alone without the works of the law justifies and saves ? and a 'e these 636 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIIL the things for which Christ made satisfaction ? " And they answered that they were. And then a voice was heard from heaven, saying, " Who can be so insane ? *' And instantly their faces were turned towards the diabol- ical spirits, among whom was Machiavelli, and many of the order of the Jesuits, who permitted all those things, presided only that men would besvare of the laws of the r/orld : and they would have conjoined themselves with them, had not a society been interposed, which separated them. It is said that " the whole earth wondered after the beast." That " after him " means to follow him and to obey him, is manifest from these passages : David kept my precepts, and walked after Me with all His heart (i Kings xiv. 8). The children of Jesse went after Saul i?ito the battle (i Sam. xvii. 13). Thou shall not go after a multi- tude to do evil ; thou shall not speak in a cause to turn away after many to pervei't judgment (Ex. xxiii. 2). Thou shall not go after other gods whom thou hast not known (Jer. vii. 9). They went after other gods to serve them (Jer. xi. 10 ; Deut. viii. 19). The man who went after Baalpeor will Jehovah destroy (Deut. iv. 3). 579. And they worshipped the Dragon who gave authority unto the beast, signifies acknowledgment of the doctrine of justification by faith without the works of the law by the leaders and teachers, who made it prevail through its reception by the general body. By worshipping is signified to acknowledge as a holy thing of the church. By the Dragv^n the doctrine of justification and salvation by faith alone without the works of the law is signified (n. 537). The general body is signified by this beast, because it is the laity (n. 567). By giving authority is signified to cause it to prevail through its reception by them (n. 575). 580. And they worshipped the beast, signifies the acknowl- edgment by the general body that it is a holy truth, that no one can do a good work, nor fulfil the law, of himself. By worshipping is signified to acknowledge as a holy thing of No. 5S2.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 637 the church, as just above (n. 579) ; here that it is a holy truth that no one can of himself do a good work, and fulfil the law : and because these two are holy truths, it follows that the works of the law are to be removed from faith, as not saving. But that those truths, together with many others, are falsified, may be seen above (n. 566). The same is here signified by the beast as by the dragon, because of reception and acknowledgment ; on which account it is said that they worshipped the dragon, and worshipped the beast. 581. Saying, Who is like unto the beast 7 who can make war with him 1 signifies the superiority of that doctrine above every other, because it can be contradicted by no one. " Who is like unto the beast ? " signifies the opinion respecting the superiority of that church above every other, by reason of its doctrine. By the beast is signified the general body, and thus the church, and abstractly its doc- trine. " Who can make war with him ? " signifies who can deny that a man cannot do any spiritual good of himself, besides more things, as above (n. 566). And because this cannot be contradicted, are we not thus saved by faith without the works of the law ? But that this conclusion is absurd, yea, in itself insane, may be seen by every one who knows any thing of the Word, and is wise from it. " Who can make war with him ? " also signifies that that doctrine has been so ingeniously and subtly confirmed and thus fortified by arguments, by its leaders and those that teach it after them, that it cannot be impugned. 502. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, signifies that it teaches evils and falsities. By " a mouth speaking " is signified teaching, preaching, and discourse (n. 452). By "speaking great things and blasphemies" is signified to teach evils and fal- sities : foi great is predicated of good, and in the opposite sense, of evil (n. 656, 663, 896, 898) ; and by blasphemies truths falsified, and thus falsities, are signified. What is here signified in particular by blasphemies, may be seen 638 THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. above (n. 571). It teaches evils, because it removes from salvation the works of the law, and thus things that are to be done ; and he who does this is in spiritual evils, which are sins. 583. And there was given to him authority to work forty-two months, signifies the opportunity to teach and to do the evils and falsities of that doctrine even to the end of that church, and till the beginning of the New. By authority to work being given unto him the authority to speak great things and blas- phemies is signified, that is, to teach and do the evils and falsi-ties spoken of just above (n. 582). By forty-two months is signified to the end of the former church and till the beginning of the New, as above (n. 496) ; the same as by the three days and a half (n. 505) ; and by a time, times, and half a time (n. 562) ; also the same as by the thousand two hundred and sixty days (n. 491); because forty-two months make three years and a half. 584. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God and His name, signifies their utterances, which are scandals, against the Divine Itself and the Divine Human of the Lord, and at the same time against every thing of the church from the Word, by which the Lord is worshipped. " He opened his mouth in blasphemies," signifies utterances which are false statements. By the mouth is signified teaching, preaching, and discourse (n. 452) ; hence by opening the mouth is signified to utter these things : and blasphemies signify falsifications of the Word, and many more things mentioned above (n. 571, 582); here also scandals, because the words " against God and His name * immediately follow. By " God " the Lord's Divinity is here signified, as very frequently elsewhere in the Apoca- lypse : and by " His name " every thing is signified by which the Lord is worshipped ; including the Word, because worship is according to it (n. 81). That by the name of Jehovah or God the Lord's Divine Human is signified, and at the same time the Word, also every thing by which He No. 5S5.] THE APOCALYFSE REVEALED. 639 is worshipped, may be further evident from these passages: Jesus said, Father, glorify thy Name; and there came a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again (John xii. 28). Jesus said, I have manifested thy Name to men, and I have made known to them thy Name (Tohn xvii. 6, 26). Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name, that will I do ; that the Father may be glorified in the Son : if ye shall ask anything in my Name, I will do it (John xiv. 13, 14). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God : as many as received Him, to them gave He power to beco??ie the sons of God, to them that believe on His Name: and the Word was made flesh (John i. 1, 12, 14). Jesus said, He that believeth not on Him hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the Only begotten Son of God (John iii. 18). Nothing else is meant by the Name of Jehovah God, which must not be profaned, in the second commandment of the Decalogue, and by the Name of the Father, which must be hallowed, in the Lord's Prayer. 585. And His Tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, signifies scandals against the Lord's heavenly (celestial) church and against heaven. Nearly the same is signified by the Tabernacle as by the Temple, namely, in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human, and in a relative sense, heaven and the church (n. 191, 529). But by the Taberna- cle in this sense the heavenly (celestial) church is signified, which is in the good of love to the Lord from the Lord ; and by the Temple the spiritual church, which is in the truths of wisdom from the Lord. By " them that dwell in heaven" is signified Heaven. The reason that the heavenly (celestial) church is signified by the Tabernacle, is because the most ancient church, which was heavenly (celestial) because it was in love to the Lord, had holy worship in tabernacles ; and the ancient church, which was a spiritual church, had holy worship in temples. The Tabernacles were of wood, and the Temples of stone ; and wood signifies 640 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XITT. good, and stone truth. That the Lord's Divine Human as to the Divine Love, and also the heaven and church which are in love to the Lord, are signified by the Tabernacle, may be evident from the following passages : O Jehovah, who shall abide in thy Tabej-nacle ? who shall dwell in thy holy mountai?i ? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth (Ps. xv. 1, 2). Jehovah shall hide me in His Tent, He shall hide me in the secret of His Tabernacle, He shall lift me up (Ps. xxvii. 5). / will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever (Ps. lxi. 4). Look upon Zion; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle which shall not be taken down (Isa. xxxiii. 20) ; Jehovah who spreadeth out the heavens as a Tabernacle to dwell in (Isa xl. 22). Thou hast made Jehovah Most High thy habitation, no plague shall come nigh thy Tabernacle (Ps. xci. 9, 10). Jehovah hath set a Tabernacle among them, He will walk among them (Lev. xxvi. 11, 12). Jehovah forsook the Tent of Shiloh, the Tabernacle in which He dwelt among men (Ps. lxxviii. 60). / heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them (Apoc. xxi. 3). My Tabernacle is laid waste (Jer. iv. 20 ; x. 20). He will pluck thee out of the Tabernacle, and He will root thee out of the land of the living (Ps. lii. 5. Besides other places, as Isa. xvi. 5 ; liv. 2 ; Jer. xxx. 18 ; Lam. ii. 4 ; Hos. ix. 6 ; xii. 9 ; Zech. xii. 7). Since the most ancient church, which was a heavenly (celestial) church, be- cause it was in love to the Lord, and thence in conjunction with Him, had holy worship in Tabernacles, therefore by the command of the Lord a Tabernacle was erected by Moses, in which all the things of heaven and the church were represented ; which was so holy that no one was permitted to enter into it but Moses, Aaron, and his sons ; and if any one of the people entered, he should die (Num. xvii. 12, 13 ; xviii. 1, 22, 23 ; xix. 14-19). In the inmost part of it was the Ark, in which were the two Tables which were the Decalogue, over which was the Mercy-seat and the No 586.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 64 1 Chembs ; and without the veil there the Table upon which was the Showbread, the Altar of Incense, and the Candle- stick with the seven lamps ; all of which were representatives of heaven and the church. It is described in Ex. xxvi. 7-16 ; xxxvi. 8-37 ; and we read that the form of it was shown to Moses upon Mount Sinai (Ex. xxv. 9 j xxvi. 30) ; and that which is given to be seen from heaven is representative of heaven and thence of the church. In memory of the holy worship of the Lord in tabernacles by the most ancient people, and of the conjunction with Him by love, the Feast of Tabernacles was commanded, spoken of in Lev. xxiii. 39— 4-j. ; Deut. xvi. 13, 14; Zech. xiv. 16, 18, 19. 586. And it was given u?ito him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them, signifies that they assailed the Divine Truths of the Word, and overthrew them. By war is signified spiritual war, which is that of falsity against truth, and of truth against falsity (n. 500): hence "to make war " is to assail. By the saints are meant those who are in Divine truths from the Lord through the Word, and hence, abstractly from persons, the Divine truths (n. 173); therefore, by overcoming them is signified to cause the truths not to prevail, and thus to overthrow them. Similar things are signified by these words in Daniel : The fourth least, coming up out of the sea, which had a mouth speaking great things, made war with the saints, and prevailed (vii. 20, 21) : al^o by these in the same : The he- goat ran against the ram, cast him to the earth, trampled <>n hinu and lifted himself up against the prince of the host, and the habitation of His sanctuary was cast down ; and /;■: cast amen the truth to the earth (viii. 5-7, 11, 12). That by the he-goat faith separated from charity is meant, may be seen in the "Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning Faith" (61-68). Similar things are meant by these words: A king shall arise, of a fierce countenance, understanding subtle things; he shall destroy the mighty, and the people of the saints ; and he shall rise up against the prince of princes, 642 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. and fraud shall succeed prosperously in his hand (Dan. viii. 23-25). That this king is the he-goat is said there, ver. 21. The same is also signified by the beast that came up out of the abyss making war with the two witnesses, and overcoming them, and killing them (Apoc. xi. 7, n. 500). They overcome, because the laity do not see their subtle- ties, which they call mysteries ; for they conceal them with appearances and fallacies : on which account they said, Who is like unto the beast ? who can make war with hi?n ? (vers. 4, n. 579-581). That they who are in truths from the Lord through the Word are meant by the saints may be evident from the passages adduced above (n. 173) ; and still further, from these : Jesus said, Father, sanctify them through thy Truth, thy Word is Truth t I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified through the Truth : I in them, and Thou in Me (John xvii. 17, 19, 23). Jehovah came from Sinai, He came from the myriads of holiness, from His right hand went the fire of the law unto them, all His saints are in thy hand, he shall receive of thy words (Deut. xxxiii. 2, 3). From which it is manifest that those are called saints who are in Divine truths from the Lord through the Word. Also, that they who live according to the commandments, that is, the truths of the Word, were the saints of Jehovah (Lev. xix. 2 ; Deut. xxvi. 18, 19). And if they would keep the covenant, they would be a holy nation (xix. 5, 6). The Decalogue is the covenant which they should keep (n. 529). Hence it was, that the place in the Tabernacle where the Ark was, in which was the Deca- logue, was called the Holy of holies (Ex. xxvi. 33, 34). Those are called saints who live according to the truths of the Word ; not that they are holy, but that the truths in them are holy ; and these are holy when they are from the Lord in them, and the Lord is in them when the truths of His Word are in them (John xv. 7). By virtue of truths from the Lord the angels are called holy (Matt. xxv. 31 ; Luke ix. 26) : and the prophets likewise (Luke i. 70 ; Apoc. xso. 5SS.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 643 xviii. 20 ; xxii. 6) : and also the apostles (Apoc. xviii. 20). Hence it is, that the Temple is called the Temple of holiness (Ps. v. 7 ; lxv. 4) : that Zion was called the mountain of holiness (Isa. lxv. 1 1 ; Jer. xxxi. 23 ; Ez. xx. 40 ; Ps. ii. 6 ; hi. 4 ; xv. 1) : that Jerusalem is called the holy city (Isa. xlviii. 2; Ixiv. 10; Apoc. xxi. 2, 10; Matt, xxvii. 53): that the church is called a people of saints (Isa. lxii. 12 ; lxiii. 18 ; Ps. cxlix. 1) : and also a ki?igdom of saints (Dan. vii. 18, 22, 27). They are called saints because the angels, in the abstract sense, signify Divine Truths from the Lord j the Prophets, truths of doctrine ; the Apostles, the truths of the church j the Temple, heaven and the church as to Divine truth ; and likewise Zion, Jerusalem, and the people and kingdom of God. That no one is holy of himself, not even the angels, may be seen Job xv. 14, 15 ; but from the Lord, because the Lord alone is Holy, Apoc. xv. 4, n. 173. 587. And authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation, signifies dominion thus over all things of the church, both those of its doctrine and those of its life. By authority is signified dominion, as above (n. 575). By tribe the church as to its truths and goods is signified, and in the opposite sense, as to its falsities and evils (n. 27, 349). By tongue is signified its doctrine (n. 282, 483) ; and by nation life according to it (n. 483). 588. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Zamb, signifies that all belonging to the church of the Reformed acknowledged that heresy which is meant by the dragon and the beast, as a holy thing of the church, except those who believed in the Lord. By worshipping is signified to acknowledge as a holy thing of the church, as above (u. 579, 580). By " all that dwell upon the earth," all that are of the church of the Reformed are signified, as n. 558. By the names not written in the Lamb's book of life, are signified all except those who believe in the Lord. By names are signified those as to quality (n. Si, 122, 165): VOL. II. IO 644 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIIL by the Book of life is signified the Word of the Lord, and all doctrine concerning Him (n. 256, 257, 259, 469). And as all the doctrine of the church from the Word, has refer- ence to this, that they should believe in the Lord, therefore this is here meant by a name written in the book of life of the Lamb. Respecting faith in the Lord, see above (n. 67 2nd 553). 589. Slain from the foundation of the World, signifies the Lord's Divine Human not acknowledged from the first establishment of the church. That by " the Lamb slain is signified that the Lord's Divine Human has not been acknowledged, may be seen above (n. 59, 269), where these words are explained : I am the First and the Last, and am He that liveth, and was Dead ; and behold, I am alive for ever and ever (chap. i. 17, 18) : also these : And I saw, a?id behold, in the midst of the throne a Lamb standing as if slain : and they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book ; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God (chap. v. 6, 9). " From the foundation of the world " signifies the first establishment of the church, as well the Jewish as the Christian. It is known that the Jews did not acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human. That the Roman Catholics do not, is also known : and that neither do the Reformed, see above (n. 294). The creation of the world is not meant here by the foundation of the world, but the establishment of the church : for by the world, in the widest sense, the whole world is meant, and as well the good as the evil in it, and sometimes the evil only; but in a sense not the widest, the same is meant by the world as by the globe and by the earth, that is, the church. That the church is signified by the globe, may be seen n. 551 ; and by the earth n. 285. That by founding the globe and the earth is signified to establish the church, and that by the founding and the foundation of them is signified establishment may be evident from Isa. xxiv. 18 ; xl. 21 ■ xlviii. 12, 13; li. 16, 17; lviii. 12; No. 591.] THE AFOCALYFSE REVEALED. 645 Jer. xxxi. 37 ; Mic. vi. 1, 2 j Zech. xii. 1 ; Ps. xviii. 7, 15 ; xxiv. 1, 2 ; lxxxii. 5 ; lxxxix. 11. That " the world" also signifies the church (Matt. xiii. 37-39 ; Joel i. 9, 10). And that the Lord is called the Saviour of the world, from faith in Him (John iii. 16-19 ; iv. 42 ; vi. 33, 51 ; viii. 12 ; ix. 4, 5 ; xii. 46, 47 ), That the world also means the peo- ple of the church (John xii. 19 ; xviii. 20). It may be seen from this what is signified by the foundation of the world, also. Matt. xxv. 34 ; Luke xi. 50 ; John xvii. 24 ; Apoc. xvii. 8. 590. If any one have an ear, let him hear, signifies that they who wish to be wise should attend to these things. That by having an ear to hear is signified to perceive and obey, and likewise to attend, may be seen above (n. 87). That it means also they who would be wise, is a conse- quence. It is said, "Tf anyone have an ear, let him hear," that they may attend to the foregoing things ; and that else they are not wise. 591. If any one leadeth into captivity, he shall go ifito captivity, signifies that he who by that heresy leads others away from believing well and living well, shall be led away into hell by his own falsities and evils. By leading into captivity is signified to persuade others and draw them over so that they may consent and adhere to that heresy which is meant by the dragon and the beast, and thus to lead them away from believing well and living well, By going into captivity is signified to be led away by their own falsities and evils into hell. By captivity spiritual captivity is here meant, which is to be seduced, and so led away from truths and goods, and to be led on into falsities and evils. That this spiritual captivity is meant by cap- tivity in the Word, may be evident from the following pas- sages : Hear, all people, and behold my sorrow ; my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity (Lam. i. 18). G od forsook His habitation and tent, where He dwelt among men, and hath delivered His strength into captivity (Ps. 646 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. lxxviii. 60, 61). The wind shall lead away all thy shep- herds, and thy lovers shall go away into captivity ; then shall thou be asha?ned for all thy wickedness (Jer. xxii. 22). / will make mine arrows drtmk with the blood of the pierced, and of the captivity (Deut. xxxii. 42). They are bent and bowed down, and their soul shall go into captivity (Isa. xhi. I, 2). Jehovah hath sent Me to bind up the brokefi-hmrted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to the bound (Isa. lxi. 1 ; Luke iv. 18, 19). I will raise him up in justice; he shall let go my captivity, not for price nor reward (Isa. xlv. 13). Thou hast gone up on high, thou hast led captivity cap- tive (Vs. lxviii. 18). Shall the captivity of the just be deliv- ered 1 even the captivity of the mighty shall be take?i away, and the prey shall be delivered from the violent (Isa. xlix. 24, 25). Shake thyself from the dust, sit down, O Jeru- salem, loose thyself fro?n the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion (Isa. Hi. 2. Besides other places, as Jer. xlviii. 46, 47 ; 1. 33, 34; Ez. vi. 1-10; xii. 1-12 ; Ob. i. 1 1 ; Ps. xiv. 7 ; liii. 6). By the captivities of the chil- dren of Israel by their enemies, spoken of in the book of Judges, and 2 Kings xix., and in the Prophets, spiritual captivities were represented and thence signified, which are treated of elsewhere. The same as by captives is also signified by " the bound " in the following passages : By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth the bound out of the pit (Zech. ix. 11). The sighing of the bound shall come unto Thee (Ps. lxxix. 11). They shall be gathered as the bound irt the pit, and they shall be shut up as in the prisvi (Isa. xxiv. 22). He hath made the world a wilderness, he hath not opened the house of his bound ones (Isa. xiv. 1 7). Tfie king said, I was in prison, and ye did not come unto Me (Matt. xxv. 43). Jesus said, Must not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, be loosed from this band on the Sabbath day (Luke xiii. 16). 592. If any one killeth with the sword he must be killed with the sword, signifies that he who destroys the soul of No. 594.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 647 another by falsities, shall be destroyed and perish by falsi- ties. By a sword,* truth is signified, and in the opposite sense, falsity, both fighting (n. 52, 836). Hence by kill- ing and being killed is signified to destroy and to be destroyed, or to ruin and to perish, which is effected by falsities. 593. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints , sig- nifies that the man of the Lord's New Church is explored by temptations from them, as to the quality of his life and faith. By patience is here signified patience in tempta- tions and then exploration of what a man is as to a life according to the Lord's commandments, and as to faith in the Lord : it is therefore said, " here is the patience and the faith." By the saints are signified those who are of the Lord's New Church, in particular those therein who are in Divine Truths (n. 586). Elsewhere in the Apoc- alypse also patience is predicated of temptations, by which a man is explored as to his quality, as chap. i. 9 j ii. 2, 3, 19 ; iii. 10. That it is as to a life according to the Lord's precepts, and as to faith in Him, is manifest from these words in the same : They have ?io rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image : here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the conwiandments of God, and the faith of Jesus (Apoc. xiv. 11, 12). • 594. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, signifies the clergy in the churches of the Reformed, who are in the doctrine and faith of the dragon concerning God and salvation. What and of what quality the faith of the dragon is, may be seen above (n. 537). That it is the laity who are meant by the beast that came up out of the sea, and that it is the clergy who are meant by the beast out of the earth, is because the external of the church is sig] lined by the sea, and the internal of it by the earth (n. 398, 567); and the laity are in the externals of the * Gladius, machaera, romphaea. 648 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIIL doctrine of the church, and the clergy are in its internals. That the clergy are now described, is evident from the particulars which follow, when understood in the spiritual sense • and manifestly from this, that this beast is called "the false-prophet" (Apoc. xvi. 13; xix. 20; xx. 10): especially from these words there : The beast was taken, and with him the false-prophet, who did signs before him, ^y which he seduced them that received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image (xix. 20). That this beast did signs before the other, by which he seduced them, is said in this chapter in these words : And he doeth great signs, so that he sednceth them that dwell upon the earth, by the sig?is which it was given him to do before the beast, telling them to make an image of the beast, and to wor- ship it (vers. 13-15). 595. A fid he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon, signifies that they speak, teach, and write from the Word, as if it were the Lord's Divine Truth, and yet it is truth falsified. By horns is signified power (n. 270, 443) ; here power in speaking, teaching, and writing, and thus in reasoning and arguing. The horns seeming like a lamb, signifies that they set forth these things of theirs, as if they were the Lord's Divine Truths, because from the Word : for by a lamb is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and likewise as to the Word, which is the Divine Truth from the Divine Good. Hence it is, that upon this beast, which is also the false-prophet, there appeared two horns like a lamb. But that they were Divine truths falsi- fied, is signified by his speaking as a dragon. That all the truths of the Word are falsified by those who are in the faith of the dragon respecting God and salvation, may be seen above (n. 566). That these things are signified by this beast's having two horns like a lamb, and speaking as a dragon, is plainly manifest from these words of the Lord in Matthew : If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe not ; there shall arise false Christs No. 597.J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 649 and false-prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, the eleet, Behold, I have foretold it to you (xxiv. 23-25). The same is signified by Christ as here by the Lamb, namely, the Lord as to the Divine Truth of the Word ; therefore their saying, " Lo, here is Christ," signifies that they would say that this is the Divine Truth of the Word. But that it is falsified is signified by these words : " If any man shall say to you, Here is Christ, or there, believe it not ; for there shall arise false Christs and false-prophets." That these are they of whom the Lord foretold, is manifest from its being said that they should show great signs and wonders, and should lead into error, if possible, the elect ; the same as concerning this beast, which is the false-prophet (vers. 13 and 14 of this chapter). The things which the Lord foretold in that chapter of Matthew were concerning the last period or state of the Church, which is there meant by the consum- mation of the age. 596. A?id he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast before him, signifies that they confirmed the dogmas which are signified by the dragon and have been received by the laity, and that by that means the dogmas prevail. That this is signified may be seen from the explanations above concerning the authority given by the dragon to the beast that came up out of the sea (n. 575, 579); and as this beast, which is the false prophet, exercised that authority before the dragon, nothing else is signified but that they made those dogmas prevail by confirmations. 597. And he causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast,- whose deadly wound 7aas healed. signifies that it was thus firmly established by confirma- tions, that it should be acknowledged as a holy thing of the church, that as no one can do a good work of himself, and fulfil the law, the only means of salvation is faith in the righteousness and merit of Christ, who suffered for man, and thereby took away the condemnation of the law. 650 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. It is superfluous to explain this, as it follows from what is explained above (n. 566, 577-582). By the earth and them that dwell in it, the churches of the Reformed are signified, as above. By worshipping is signified to . ac- knowledge as a holy thing of the church, as also above; here that which is meant by the beast out of the sea, after his deadly wound was healed 3 and this is what has been explained above. 598. And he doeth great signs, signifies testifications that the things they teach are true, although they are false. By signs are signified testifications that they are true, be- cause signs were formerly done to testify to the truth. But after signs and miracles ceased, their signification still remains, which is, the testification of the truth. But by the signs here are signified testifications by the beast or false prophet, that his falsities were true, for the reason that after the confirmations they do not appear otherwise. That testifications that a thing is true are signified by signs, may be evident from the following passages : /// the consummation of the age, there shall arise false Christs and false pi'ophets, and shall show great signs and zvonders, and shall mislead, if possible, the very elect (Matt. xxiv. 24 ; Mark xiii. 22). And great signs shall there be from heaven ; there shall be sign? in the sun, the moon, and the stars ; the sea and the waves roaring (Luke xxi. 11, 25). Jehovah frustratsth the signs of liars, He maketh the diviners mad, that turneth wise men backward, atid maketh their knoivledge foolish (Isa. xliv. 25). Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens (Jer. x. 2, 3). They are spirits of demons doing signs, to gather them together to the battle of that great day (Apoc. xvi. 14). The beast was taken, and with him the false p?-ophet, who did signs before him, and seduced (Apoc. xix. 20). That signs were testifications of the truth is further manifest from these passages : The disciples said to Jesus, What sign showest thou, that we may believe thee ? what dost thou work ? (John No. 59S.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 65 1 vi. 30-33). The Jews, scribe* and Pharisees asked a sigii from the Lord, that they might know that he was the Christ (Matt. xii. 38-40; xvi. 1-4; Mark vfil 11, 12; Luke xi. 16, 29, 30 j John ii. 16, 18, 19). The disciples said to Jesus, What is the sign of thy coming a?id of the consummation of the age ? (Matt. xxiv. 3 ; Mark xiii. 4). If they will not believe thee, nor hear the voice of the first sign, yet they will beliei'e the voice of the latter sign (Ex. iv. 8, 9). The voice of a sign is testification. They showed among them the words of His signs (Ps. cv. 27). He said to Ahaz, Ask thee a sign from Jehovah (Isa. vii. 11, 14). This is the sign to thee fro?n Jehovah : behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which hath gone down in the sun-dial of Ahaz (Isa. xxxviii. 7, 8). Hezekiah said, What is the sign that I shall go up into the house of Jehovah ? (Isa. xxxviii. 22). This is a sign to you, that I will visit upon you in this place, that ye ?nay know that my words stand (Jer. xliv. 29). O Jehovah, show ?ne a sign for good ; that my haters may sec, and be ashamed (Ps. lxxxvi. 17). Let them declare unto us the tilings which shall happen ^ that we may consider them : show a sign of what is to come, that we may kno7V that ye are gods (Isa. xli. 22, 23). Thine enemies roared in the midst of thy festival, they have set up their signs for signs (Ps. lxxiv. 3, 4, 9). Besides other places (as Isa. xlv. 11, 13 j Jer. xxxi. 20, 21 ; Ez. iv. 3 j Ps. lxv. 7, 8 ; lxxviii. 42, 43 ; Ex. vii. 3 ; Num. xiv. it, 22 ; Deut. iv. 34; xiii. 1-3 ; Judg. vi. 17, 21 ; 1 Sam. ii. 34; xiv. 10; Mark xvi. 17, iS, 20; Luke ii. 11, 12, 16). Similar things are signified by the signs of the cove?ia?it (Gen. ix. 13 ; xvii. 11 j Ez. xx. 12, 20). From these things it may clearly be seen, that by the great signs which this beast of the dragon works are not meant signs, but testifications by them that the things which they teach are true. For every heretic who has confirmed himself in falsities, after the confirmation brings proofs that his falsities are truths : for he then no longer sees truths ; since the confirmation of falsity is the denial 10* 652 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. of the truth, and truth denied loses its light. And as far as falsities shine from the light of confirmation, which is fatuous light, so far the light of truth becomes thick- darkness ; see above (n. 566). 599. So that he maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men, signifies proofs that their falsities are the truths of heaven, and that they who receive them are saved, and that they who do not receive perish. That this is signified by these words, is because the greatest signs were done by fire from heaven ; whence the common expression of confirmation among the ancients, when the attestation of truth was in question, was, that they could make fire come down out of heaven, and attest it ; by which was signified that they could prove it to that degree. That the truth was also attested by fire from heaven, is manifest from these passages : That the burnt-offering made by Aaron was consumed by fire from heaven (Lev. ix. 24). In like manner the burnt-offering made by Elijah (1 Kings xviii. 38). In the opposite sense fire from heaven was a sign testifying that they were in evils and thence in fal- sities, and that they would perish ; but that fire was a consuming fire : as the fire from heaven which consumed the two sons of Aaro?i (Lev. x. 1-6). That which consumed two hundred and fifty men (Num. xxvi. 10). That which con- sinned the utter??iost parts of the camp (Num. xi. 1-4). That which twice consumed the fifty men sent by the king to Elijah (2 Kings i. 10, 12). The fire and brimstone from heaven upon Sodom (Gen. xix. 24, 25). The fire from heaven which consumed them that surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, spoken of Apoc. xx. 9. The disciples, angry against the impenitent, said to Jesus, Wilt thou that we com- mand fire to come down from heaven, and consume them ? (Luke ix. 54). These are adduced, that it may be known that fire from heaven signifies testification, yea, proof that the truth is the truth, and in the opposite sense, that falsity is the truth, as here. Moreover, fire signifies heavenly love. No. 601.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 653 and thence zeal for the truth, and in the opposite sense, infernal love, and thence zeal for falsity (n. 468, 494). 600. And seduceth them that dwell upon the earth by the signs which it was given him to do before the beast, signifies that by testifications and proofs they lead the men of the church into errors. By seducing is signified to lead into errors. By " them that dwell upon the earth," the men of the church of the Reformed are signified, as above (n. 578, 588, 597). By "the signs which it was given him to do before the beast," are signified testifications and proofs (n. 598, 599). By the beast out of the sea, before which the signs were done, the faith of the dragon among the laity is signified (n. 567) ; and by the beast coming up out of the earth, who did the signs, and is elsewhere called the false prophet, is signified the faith of the dragon among the clergy (n. 594). The like is said by the Lord in Matt, xxiv. 24-26. 601. Saying to them that dwell o?i the earth that they should make an image to the beast that hath the wound by a sword and did live, signifies that they induce the men of the church to receive for doctrine, that faith is the only means of salvation, because no one can do good of him- self except it be meritorious, and because no one can fulfil the law, and so be saved. By " them that dwell upon the earth " are meant the men of the church of the Reformed, as above (n. 600). By the image, the doctrine of that church is signified, spoken of below : and by the " image to the beast which hath the wound by a sword and did live," this point of the doctrine is signified, that faith is the only means of salvation, because no one can do good of himself except it be meritorious, and because no one can fulfil the law, and so be saved ; see above (n. 576, 6o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [ Chap. XIII church itself also appears as a man before the Lord. Hence the man of the church as to his spirit appears in heaven as a man according to the quality of the church from the Word in him. It is this, therefore, which is here signified by " the number of a man," because it follows after this, " He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast ; " by which is signified that he who is in enlightenment from the Lord can know what the quality of the confirmations of the doctrine and faith respecting God and salvation is among the clergy. The quality of the church from the Word is also signified by a man (n. 920, and also elsewhere). 610. And his numbe?- is six hundred sixty-six, signifies that the quality is this, that every truth of the Word is fal- sified by them. By the number of the beast the quality of their confirmations of doctrine and faith from the Word is signified (n. 608, 609). By six hundred sixty-six is sig- nified every truth of good ; and because this is said of the Word, every truth of good in the Word is signified • here that truth falsified, because it is the number of the beast. This is signified, because six signifies the same as three multiplied by two ; and three signifies full and all, and is predicated of truths (n. 505) ; and two signifies the mar- riage of good and truth. And as six is composed of these two numbers multiplied into each other it therefore signi- fies every truth of good in the WTord j here that truth falsi- fied. That it is falsified also by them, may be seen above (n. 566). The reason that the number 666 is mentioned, is because six is tripled in that number ; and triplica- tion completes. The multiplication by a hundred, whence comes the six hundred, and by ten, whence is the sixty, makes no change \ as may be seen above (n. 348). That six signifies full and all, and is mentioned where the truths of good are treated of, may be evident from the passages in the Word where that number occurs. But this significa- tion of that number does not clearly appear except to those No. 611.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. who see the things which are treated of in the spiritual sense, as that the Lord said that the seeds which fell into the good ground bore fruit to thirty, sixty, and to a hundred fold (Mark iv. 8, 20 ; Matt. xiii. 8, 25). That the house- holder went out and hired laborers into his vineyard at the third hour and the sixth hour (Matt. xx. 3, 5). That upon the table in the Tabernacle the loaves we?'e arranged in turn rows, six in each (Lew xxiv. 6). That six water-pots wc^e set. after the manner of the purifying of the Jews (John ii. 6). That there were six cities of refuge or asylum (Num. xxxv. 6, 7 • Deut. xix. 1-9). That the measuring reed with which the angel measured all the things of the new teniple and new city was six cubits (Ez. xl. 5). That the prophet drank water by measure, the sixth of a hin (Ez. iv. 11). That they should take for an oblation the sixth part of an ephah of a homer of wheat (Ez. xlv. 13). Since six signifies full, therefore the word to sextate arose, by which is signified in the spiritual sense that which is complete, and also, entirely : as that they should sextate an ephah out of a homer of barley (Ez. xlv. 13). And of Gog, / will 7?iake thee to return, and will sextate thee (Ez. xxxix. 2) ; by which is signified, that with him every truth of good in the Word was entirely destroyed. Who are meant by Gog, may be seen (n. 859). 611. I will here add this Relation. All who are pre- pared for heaven, which is done in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, after a certain time, desire heaven with a kind of longing ; and soon their eyes are opened, and they see a way which leads to some society in heaven. This way they enter, and ascend ; and in the ascent is a gate, and a keeper there. He opens the gate, and through it they enter. Then an Examiner meets them, who tells them from the Ruler to enter in further, and to inquire whether there are houses anywhere 662 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII which they can recognize as theirs ; for there is a new house for every novitiate angel. And if they find one, they give notice of it, and remain there. But if they do not find any, they return, and say that they saw none. And then they are examined by a certain wise one, to see whether the light that is in them agrees with the light which is in that society, and especially whether the heat does. For the light of heaven is in its essence Divine Truth, and the heat of heaven in its essence is Divine Good, both proceeding from the Lord as the Sun there. If there is in them a different light and a different heat from the light and heat of that society, that is, a different truth and a different good, they are not received. Where- fore they depart thence, and pass on through ways that are open among the societies in heaven : and this until they find at length a society altogether agreeing with their affections ; and there is their home for ever. For there they are among their own as among relatives and friends, whom, as they are in similar affection, they love from the heart ; and they are there in the full enjoyment of their life, and in joy of their whole heart from peace of soul : for there is in the heat and light of heaven ineffable delight, which is communicated. Thus it is with those who become angels. Those who are in evils and falsities may ascend into heaven by leave : but when they enter, they begin to gasp for breath or to breathe with great efort; and soon their sight is obscured, their understanding is darkened, thought ceases, and death floats before their eyes, and thus they stand like stocks, and then the heart begins to throb, the breast to be straitened, and the mind to be seized with anguish, and to be tortured more and more ; and in that state they writhe like a serpent brought near the fire : on which account they roll themselves away, and cast themselves down a precipice which then appears to them ; nor do they rest until they are in hell with those like themselves, where they can breathe, and where thn? No.6ll.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 663 heart beats freely. They afterwards hate heaven, reject the truth, and blaspheme the Lord in heart, believing that their tortures and torments in heaven were from Him. From these few things it can be seen what the lot of those is who care nothing for truths, which yet make the light m which the angels of heaven are ; and who care nothing for goods, which yet make the heat in which the angels of heaven are. It can also be seen from this, how much they err, who believe that every one can share the blessedness of heaven, provided he be admitted into heaven. For the belief of the present day is, that to be received into heaven is of mercy alone ; and that reception into heaven is like coming into a house at a wedding in the world, and at the same time into the joy and gladness there. But let them know that in the spiritual world there is a communication of affections, since man is then a spirit ; and the life of a spirit is affection ; and the thought is from it, and accord- ing to it : and that homogeneous affection conjoins, and heterogeneous affection disjoins ; and that what is hetero- geneous torments a devil in heaven, and an angel in hell. For which reason they are separated exactly according to the diversities, varieties, and differences of the affections of their love. It was given to see more than three hundred of the clergy of the Reformed Church, all learned men, because they knew how to confirm faith alone even to justification, and some of them further. And because they likewise had this belief, that heaven is only admission through giace, permission was given them to ascend into a society of heaven, which however was not one of the higher ones. And when they ascended together, they then were seen at a distance as calves ; and when they entered heaven, they were received civilly by the angels. But when they were conversing, a tremor seized them, afterwards a shuddering, and at length a torture as of death : and they then cast themselves down headlong ; and in their fall they seemed 664 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII like dead horses. They appeared like calves in their ascent, because the natural affection of seeing and know- ing, from correspondence, appears gambolling like a calf : and they appeared like dead horses in their fall, because the understanding of truth from the Word appears from correspondence like a horse, and no understanding of truth in the Word like a dead horse. There were boys below, who saw them descending, and in the descent seeming like dead horses. And they then turned away their faces, and said to their master who was with them, " What dreadful thing is this ? we saw men, and now instead of them dead horses : and because we could not look at them we turned away our faces. Master, let us not stay in this place, but let us go away : " and they went away. And then the master instructed them in the way, what a dead horse is ; saying, " A horse signifies the understanding of the Word. All the horses which you have seen signified that : for when a man goes along medi- tating upon the Word, his meditation then appears at a distance like a horse ; noble and lively as he meditates spiritually on the Word, and poor and dead as he medi- tates materially." The boys then asked, " What is it to meditate spiritually and materially upon the Word?" And the master replied, " I will illustrate this by an example : Who, when he is reading the Word, does not think of God, of the neighbor, and of heaven ? Every one who thinks of God from person only, and not from essence, thinks materially. He also who thinks of his neighbor only from form, and not from quality, thinks materially. And he that thinks of heaven only from place, and not from the love and wisdom from which heaven is, he likewise thinks materially." But the boys said, "We have thought of God from person, of the neighbor from his form as being a man, and of heaven as a place : have we, then, when we have been reading the Word, appeared to any one like dead horses." The master said, " No : you are yet boys, No. 6u.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. and cannot do othenvise j but I have perceived an affec- tion of knowing and understanding in you ; and as this is spiritual, you have also thought spiritually. But I will return to the things which I said before, that he who thinks materially when he is reading the Word, or medi- tating on the Word, appears at a distance like a dead horse ; but he who thinks spiritually, like a living horse: and that he thinks materially of God, and of the trinity in God, who thinks only according to person, and not accord- ing to essence. For the attributes of the Divine essence are many; as omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, mercy, grace, eternity, and others. And there are attri- butes that proceed from the Divine essence j which are creation and preservation, salvation and redemption, en- lightenment and instruction. Every one who thinks of God from person only, makes three Gods ; saying that One God is the Creator and Preserver, Another the Saviour and Redeemer, and a Third the Enlightener and Instructor. Yet every one who thinks of God from es- sence, makes God One ; saying, God created and preserved us, redeemed and saves us, and enlightens and instructs us. This is the reason that they who think of the trinity in God according to person, and thus materially, cannot, from the ideas of their thought, which is material, do other- wise than from one God make three. But still, contrary to their thought, they are obliged to say, that there is in each a communion of all the attributes ; and this solely for the reason that they have also thought of God ob- scurely from essence. Wherefore, my pupils, think of God from His essence, and from that of His person ; and not from His person, and from this of His essence : for to think of His essence from His person is to think materially of His essence also ; but to think of His person from His essence is also to think spiritually of His person. The ancient gentiles, because they thought materially of God, and likewise of God's attributes, imagined not three gods ^666 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIII. only, but as many as a hundred. You must know that the material does not flow into the spiritual, but the spiritual into the material. It is the same with thought concerning the neighbor from his form and not from his quality ; as also with thought about heaven from place, and not from the love and wisdom which constitute heaven. It is the same with each and every thing that is in the Word ; on which account he that cherishes a material idea of God, and likewise of the neighbor and of heaven, cannot under- stand any thing in it. The Word is to him a dead letter ; and when he is reading it, or is meditating upon it, he himself appears at a distance like a dead horse. Those whom you saw falling from heaven, having become to your eyes like dead horses, were those who have closed up the rational sight in themselves and others by their peculiar dogma, that the understanding is to be held captive under obedience to their faith ; not thinking that the understand- ing, when shut up by religion, is as blind as a mole, with nothing but thick-darkness in it, and such thick-darkness as rejects from itself all spiritual light, prevents the influx of it from the Lord and from heaven, and establishes a barrier against it in the corporeal-sensual, far below the rational, in matters of faith ; that is, puts it close to the nose, and fixes it in the cartilage of it, owing to which it cannot afterwards even have the scent of spiritual things ; whence some have become such that when they perceive the scent of spiritual things, they fall into a swoon : by scent I mean perception. These are they who make God three. They say indeed, from essence, that God is one ; but still, when they pray according to their faith, which is that God the Father would have mercy for the sake of the Son, and send the Holy Spirit, they manifestly make three Gods. They cannot do otherwise ; for they pray to one, to have mercy for the sake of another, and to send a third." And then their master taught them concerning the Lord, that He is the One God, in whom there is a Divine trinity. Chat. XIV.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 667 CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. 1. And I saw, and behold a Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written upon their foreheads. 2. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder ; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. 3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four animals, and the elders ; and no one could learn the song but the hundred forty-four thousand bought from the earth. 4. These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins ; these are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth : these were bought from among men, first-fruits to God and the Lamb. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without spot before the throne of God. 6. And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people ; 7. Saying with a great voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come ; and wor- ship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9. And a third angel followed them, saying with a great voice, if any one worship the beast, and his image, and receive his mark upon his forehead or upon his hand, 10. He also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God VOL. II. II 668 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. which is poured out unmixed in the cup of His fury, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever ; and they shall have no rest day and night that worship the beast and his image, and whosoever re- ceiveth the mark of his name. 12. Here is the patience of the saints ; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth : yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors ; for their works follow with them. 14. And I saw, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15. And another angel went out of the temple, crying with a great voice to Him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle, and reap ; for the hour for thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16. And He that sat upon the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17. And another angel went out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18. And another angel went out from the altar, having authority over fire ; and he cried with a great cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth ; for hei grapes are ripened. 19. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20. And the winepress was trodden without the city ; and blood came out of the winepress even unto the bridles of the horses, for a thousand six hundred furlongs. Chap. XIV.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 669 THE SPIRITUAL SENSE, The Contents of the whole Chapter. Concern- ing the New Christian Heaven : it is described (vers. 1-5). The preaching of the Lord's coming, and then the New Church (vers. 6, 7, 13). An exhortation to recede from faith separated from charity, in which is the church of the present day (vers. 9-12). The exploration of these, and the manifestation that their works are evil (vers. 14-20). The Contents of each Verse. "And I saw, and behold a Lamb standing upon the mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousand," signifies the Lord now in the New Heaven from Christians, who acknowl- edged Him as the God of heaven and earth, and were in truths of doctrine from Him through the Word. " Having His Father's name in their foreheads," signifies their ac- knowledgment of the Lord's Divine and Divine Human. " And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters," signifies the Lord speaking through the New Heaven from Divine Truths. " And as the voice of a great thunder," signifies and from the Divine Love " And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps," signifies confession of the Lord from gladness of heart by the spiritual angels in the lower heavens. " And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four animals and before the elders," signifies celebration and glorification of the Lord before Him and before the angels of the higher heavens. " And no one could learn the song but the hundred forty-four thousand," signifies that no others from among Christians could understand, and thus from love and faith acknowledge, that the. Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, but they who were received by the Lord into this New Heaven. " Bought from the earth," signifies that they are those who could be regener- 670 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XI\. ated by the Lord and thus be redeemed in the world. "These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins," signifies that they did not adulterate the truths of the church, and defile them with falsities of faith, but that they loved truths because they are truths. "These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth," signifies that they are conjoined to the Lord by love and faith in Him, because they have lived according to His commandments. " And were bought from among men," signifies here as before. " First-fruits unto God and the Lamb," signifies the first beginning of the Christian heaven, that acknowledges one God in whom is a Trinity, and that the Lord is He. " And in their mouth was found no guile," signifies that they do not from cunning and design speak and persuade to evil and falsity. " For they are without spot before the throne of God," signifies because they are in truths from good from the Lord. "And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth," sig- nifies the annunciation of the Lord's coming, and of the New Church that is to come down out of heaven from Him. " And to every nation and tribe and tongue and people," signifies to all who are in goods from religion, and in truths from doctrine. " Saying with a great voice, Fear God," signifies admonition not to do evils, because this is against the Lord. " And give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come," signifies acknowledgment and confession that all the truth of the Word is from the Lord, according to which every man will be judged. "And worship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters," signifies that the Lord alone is to be worshipped, because He alone is the Creator, Saviour, and Redeemer, and from Him alone are the angelic heaven and the church and all things of them. "And another p.ngel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city," signifies that the Roman Catholic religion, Chap. XIV.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 67I as to its dogmas and doctrinal tenets is now dispersed. "Because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication/ signifies because by profana- tions of the Word and adulterations of the good and truth of the church, she has seduced all whom she could subject to her dominion. " And a third angel followed them, say- ing with a great voice," signifies further revelation from the Lord concerning those who are in faith separated from charity. " If any one worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark upon his forehead and upon his hand," signifies whoever acknowledges and receives the doctrine concerning justification and salvation by faith alone, confirms it, and lives according to it. " He also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God poured out unmixed in the cup of His fury," signifies that they falsify the goods and truths of the Word, and imbue their life with them so falsified. " And shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever," signifies the love of self and the world and the lusts there- from, and from these the pride of their own intelligence, and thence torment in hell. " And they shall have no rest day and night that worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name," signifies a perpetual state in undelightful things with those who acknowledge and receive that faith, confirm it, and live according to it. " Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the laith of Jesus," signifies that the man of the Lord's church is explored by temptations from them, as to the quality of his life according to the commandments of the Word and of his faith in the Lord. "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth," signifies a prediction from the Lord concerning the state of those after death who will be of His New Church, that they will have eternal life 672 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. and happiness. " Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors," signifies that the Divine Truth of the Word teaches that they who afflict their soul and crucify their flesh for the sake of those things, will have peace in the Lord. " For their works follow with them," signifies according as they have loved and believed, and thence have done and spoken. " And I saw, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of Man," signifies the Lord as to the Word. " Having upon His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle," signifies the Divine Wisdom from His Divine Love, and the Divine Truth of the Word. " And another angel went out of the temple," signifies the angelic heaven. " Crying with a great voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap, for the hour for thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe," signifies the supplica- tion of the angels of heaven to the Lord, that He would make an end and execute judgment, because now is the last state of the church. " And He that sat upon the cloud thrust in His sickle, and the earth was reaped," signifies the end of the church, because there is no longer any Divine Truth in it. " And another angel went out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle," signifies the heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the Divine Truth of the Word in them. "And another angel went out from the altar, having authority over fire," signifies the heavens of the Lord's heavenly (celestial) kingdom, which are in the good of love from the Lord. " And he cried with a great cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth," signifies the Lord's oper- ation from the good of His love by the Divine Truth of His Word into the works of charity and faith, among the men of the Christian church. " For her grapes are ripe," signifies because it is the last state of the Christian church. " And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and No. 6i2.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 673 gathered the vine of the earth," signifies the end of the present Christian church. " And cast it into the great winepress of the anger of God," signifies exploration of the quality of their works, that they were evil. " And the winepress was trodden without the city," signifies that ex- ploration was made from the Divine Truths of the Word as to the quality of the works which proceed from the doc- tr.ne of faith of the church. " And blood came out of the winepress even unto the bridles of the horses," signifies violence done to the Word by dreadful falsifications of the truth, and the understanding so closed up thereby, that man can scarce be taught any longer, and thus be led of the Lord by Divine Truths. " For a thousand six hundred furlongs," signifies mere falsities of evil. THE EXPLANATION. 612. And I saw, and behold, a Lamb standing upon the in 0 unt Zion, a fid with Him a hundred forty-four thousand, signifies the Lord now in the New Heaven collected from those in the Christian churches who acknowledged the Lord alone as the God of heaven andijearth, and were in truths of doctrine from the good of love from Him through the Word. By " I saw," these things are signified and those which follow in this chapter. By the Lamb is meant the Lord as to His Divine Human (n. 269, 271). By mount Zion is signified the heaven where are they who are in love t6 the Lord, which is treated of in what follows. By a hundred forty -four thousand are signified all those who acknowledge the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth, and are in truths of doctrine from the good of love from Him through the Word (n. 348, &c.). These have been treated of in i h mi^r vii. ; but there it is said that they were sealed upon J heir foreheads, and thus distinguished and separated from fee rest ; here, that they are collected together, and that a 674 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. heaven is formed from them. The heaven which is here treated of, is the heaven collected from the Christians from the time of the Lord in the world, and from those of them who approached the Lord alone, and lived according to His commandments in the Word, shunning evils as sins against God. This heaven is the New Heaven, from which the New Jerusalem, that is, a New Church on earth will come down (Apoc. xxi. 1, 2). But the heavens before the Lord's coming are above this, and are called the ancient heavens ; in which also all acknowledge the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth. These heavens communicate with this new heaven by influx. It is known, that by the land of Canaan the church is signified, because the Word was there, and through it the Lord was known : also that in the midst of it was the city of Zion and below it the city of Jerusalem, both upon a mountain. Hence by Zion and Jerusalem the inmost things of the church are signified. And because the church in heaven makes one with the church on earth, therefore by Zion and Jerusalem is meant the church in both : but by Zion the church as to love, and by Jerusalem the church as to doctrine from love. It is called mount Zion, because love is signified by a mountain (n. 336). That heaven and the church where the Lord alone is worshipped, are signified by mount Zion, may be evident from th& following passages : / have anointed my King upon Zion : / will declare concerning the statute, Thou art my Son, this ..'ay nave 1 begotten thee ; I will give the nations for tJwie inheritance : Kiss the Son, lest he be angry., and ye perish ; blessed are all that trust in Him (Ps. ii. 6-8, 12). O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain ; say, Behold, the Lord yehovih tvill come in strength (Isa. xl. 9, 10). Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion ; behold, thy King cometh imto thee Just and a Saviour (Zech. ix. 9 ; Matt. xxi. 2, 4, 5 ; John xii. 14, 15). Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion ; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee (Isa. xii. 6). The ransomed of No. 6i2.] THE APOCALYPSE RE\ EALED. 675 Jehovah shall return to Zion with songs (Isa. xxxv. 10). Shout and be glad, O daughter of Zion, behold I come that I may diuell in the midst of thee (Zech. ii. 10). Who will give the salvation of Israel in Zion (Ps. xiv. 7 j liii. 6). The Lord Jehovah will lay in Zion a tried stone, and then shall your covenant with death be abolished (Isa. xxviii. 16-18). My salvation shall not tarry, I will give salvation in Zion (Isa xlvi. 13). And the Redeemer shall come to Zion (Isa. lix. 20). Jehovah Zebaoth shall reign i?i mount Zion (Isa. xxiv. 23). Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob ; glorious things are to be proclaimed in thee, O city of God ; this one was born there; all my springs are in thee (Ps. lxxxvii. 2, 3. 5-7). Jehovah hath chosen Zion ; He hath desired it for His habitation ; this is my rest for ever, there will I dwell (Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14). Let the children of Zion rejoice in their King (Ps. cxlix. 2). O Jehovah, arise, and have mercy on Zioti, the set time is come ; the name of Jehovah shall be declared in Zion, when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah (Ps. cii. 12-16, 21, 22). Out of Zio?i God shall shine; our God cometh, and shall call to the heaven above, and to the earth, Gather my saints together unto Me (Ps. L 1-5. Besides other places, as Isa. i. 27 j iv. 3, 5 ; xxxi. 4, 9 ; xxxiii. 5, 20 ; xxxvii. 22 ; Hi. 1 ; lxiv. 10 ; Jer. vi. 2 ; Lam. iv. 2 ; Am. i. 2 \ Mic. iii. 10, 12 ; iv. 1-3, 7, 8 ; Zeph. iii. 14, 16; Joel iii. 16, 17, 21 ; Zech. viii. 3; Ps. xx. 2; xlviii. 2, 11-14 ; lxxvi. 2 j lxxviii. 68 ; ex. 1, 2 ; cxlix. 2, 4; exxv. 1; exxvi. 1; exxviii. 5, 6; exxxiv. 3; exxxv. 21; cxlvi. 10). In many places we read of the virgin and the daughter of Zio)i ; by whom is not meant any virgin or daughter there, but the church as to the affection of good and truth ; the same as by the Bride of the Lamb (Apoc. xxi. 2, 9 ; xxii. 17). The virgin and the daughter of Zion signifies the Lord's Church in these passages : Isa, i. 8 ; iii. 16-26 ; iv. 4 ; x. 32 j xvi. 1 ; xxxvii. 22 ; Iii. 2 ; ixii. 11 ; Jer. iv. 31 ; vi. 2, 23 ; Lam. i. 6 j ii. 1, 4, 8, 10, 13, 11* 676 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV 18 ; iv. 22 j Mic. i. 13 ; iv. 8, 10, 13 ; Zeph. iii. 14; Zech. ii. 10; ix. 9; Ps. ix. 14; and elsewhere. 613. Having His Father's na?ne written in their foreheads y signifies their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine and Divine Human from love and faith. By the name of the Father is meant the Lord as to the Divine from which [all things are], which is called the Father, and at the same time as to the Divine Human which is called the Son ; since they are one, and one person, united like the soul and the body. Therefore in heaven by God the Father no other is meant than the Lord ; and in the New Heaven the Lord is also called Father. The reason that the name of the Father is here said to be in their foreheads, is also, that the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love is meant by the Father ; which is everywhere meant by the Father in the Word of the Evangelists, when He is named by the Lord ; and the Divine Truth of His Divine Wisdom is meant by the Son : which two were united as the soul to the body and the body to the soul, when the Lord glorified His Human (see n. n, 170). And because they are one, it is therefore said in another place, the name of God and of the Lamb in their foreheads (chap. xxii. 4). In regard to these, therefore, who are here treated of, it is said that they had the Father's name written in their foreheads, because by the hundred forty-four thousand sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel, the angels of the higher heavens are meant, who all are in the good of heavenly (celestial) love ; and by the Father, as has been said, that good is meant. That the angels who are here treated of are the angels of the higher heavens, may be seen in the explanation of the seventt chapter; in particular, n. 363 there. By "written in their foreheads," is signified acknowledgment in them froni love and faith : by written or inscribed is signified the acknowledgment in them ; and by the forehead is signified love, and thence intelligence or faith (n. 347, 605). That the Divine which is called the Father, and the Divine No 613.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. Human which is called the Son, are one like the soul and the body, and consequently that the Lord as to the Divine Human is to be approached, and that in this way and no other the Divine which is called the Father is approached, may be evinced by so many passages in the Word, that they would fill pages if they were adduced. They are adduced with some fulness in the "Doctrine of "he New Jerusalem concerning the Lord" (n. 29-36, 38-45, &c.) ; from which only a few will be brought forward here for confirmation ; which are these : The angel said to Mary, Behold, thou sha/t conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and sha/t call His name Jesus . He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest : but Mary said, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man. The angel answered, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, a?id the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also, the Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke i. 30-35). The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Fear not to take Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived i?i her is from the Holy Spirit ; and Joseph knew her not, until she brought forth her first-born Son (Matt. i. 20, 25). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ; and the Word was made flesh, and we saw His glory, as the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father (John i. 1, 2, 14). The Jews sought to kill Jesus, because he had said that God was His Own Father, making Hi ?n self equal to God : Jesus answered, What things soever the Father docth, these also doeth the Son likewise; as the Father raiscth up the dead and quickencth than, even so tr.e Son quickencth whom He will : Verily I say unto you, that the hour will come, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live (John v. 18-26). As tfie Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself (John v. 26). / am the way, the truth, and the life ; no one cometh to the Father but by Me ; if ye have known Me, ye have known my 078 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. Father also ; ana1 fro?n henceforth ye have known Him and have seen Him. Philip saith imto Him, Show us the Father; yesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and thou hast not known Me, Philip ? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father ; how sayest thou then, show us the Father 1 Believes t thou not that I abide in the Father, a?id the Father in me ? Believe Me, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (John xiv. 6-1 1). I give unto my sheep eternal life; I and my Father are one. And when the Jews were indignant that He made Himself God : He said, I do the works of my Father ; believe the works ; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I i?i the Father (John x. 28-38). He that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me (John xii. 45). All things that the Father hath are 7nine (John xvi. 15). That the Father had given all things into His hands (John xiii. 3). Father, thou hast given Me power over all flesh : this is life eternal, that they should know Thee the only God, and yesus Christ whom thou hast sent: all mine are thine, and thine are mine (John xvii. 2, 3, 10). All pozver is given unto Me in heaven a?id on earth (Matt, xxviii. 18). Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, this I will do, and again, / will do it (John xiv. 13, 14). The Spirit of Truth shall not speak from himself, but he shall receive of mi?ie, and declare it unto you (John xvi. 13, 14). He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for without Me ye can do nothing (John xv. 5. Besides other places). There are still more in the Old Testament, from which also a few shall be adduced : Unto us a Child is bom, u?ito us a Soft is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder ; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God, the Mighty, Father of eternity, Prince of peace (Isa. ix. 6). A virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His name shall be called God with us (Isa. vii. 14). Behold, the days shall come, that I will raise up unto David a just branch, who shall reign a King ; and this is His name, which they shall call Him, yehovah our yustice (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6 ; xxxiii. 15, 16). Then shall it be said i?i that No. 614.] THE APOCALYPSE REYEALED. 679 day, Lo, this is our God whom we have waited for, that He may save us; this is Jehovah whom we have waited for; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation (Isa. xxv. 9). Only in thee is God, and there is no God besides ; verily thou art a God, that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour (Isa. xlv. 14, 15). Am not I Jehovah, and there is ?io God else besides Me, a just God and a Saviour, there is none besides Me (Isa. xlv. 21, 22). / am Jehovah, and besides Me there is no Saviour (Isa. xliii. 11). I Jehovah am thy God, and thou shall acknowledge no God besides Me, and there is no Saviour besides Me (Hos. xiii. 4). Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer, thy naine is from everlasting (Isa. Ixiii. 16). Thus said the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah Zcbaoth, I am the First and I am the Last, and besides Me there is no God (Isa. xliv. 6). Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, I am Jehovah that maketh all things, and alone of Myself (Isa. xliv. 24). Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy God (Isa. xlviii. 17). Jehovah, my Rock, and my Redeemer (Ps. xix. 14). Their Redee?ner is strong, Jehovah Zebaoth is His Name (Jer. 1. 34). Jehovah Zebaoth is His name, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall He be called (Isa. liv. 5). That all flesh may know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob (Isa. xlix. 26 ; lx. 16). As for our Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth is His nai?ie (Isa. xlvii. 4). Thus said thy Redeemer Jehovah (Isa. xliii. 14; xlix. 7. And elsewhere, as Luke i. 68 j Isa. lxii. 11, 12 ; lxiii, 1, 4, 9 ; Jer. xv. 20, 21 ; Hos. xiii. 4, 14; Ps. xxxi. 5 j xliv. 26 ; xlix. 15 j lv. 17, 18 ; lxix. 18 ; lxxi. 23 ; ciii. 4 j cvii. 2 ; exxx. 7, 8). And in Zechariah, In that day Jehovah shall be Ring over all the earth; in that day Jehovah shall be One, and His name one (xiv. 9). But these are few. 614. And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, signifies the Lord speaking through the New Heaven hum Divine Truths. By a voice from heaven is signified 1 68o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. voice or speech from the Lord through heaven : for where a voice is heard from heaven, it is from the Lord ; here, through the New Heaven from Christians, which is meant by the mount Zion upon which the Lamb was seen to stand, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousand (n. 612, 613). By "many waters" Divine Truths are signified (n. 50). The Lord speaking through heaven from Divine Truths is similarly spoken of in these passages following: The voice of the Son of Man was heard as the voice of many waters (Apoc. i. 15). And a voice out of the throne, as the voice of many waters (Apoc. xix. 6). And the voice of the God of Israel like the voice of many waters (Ez. xliii. 2). The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters, Jehovah is upon many waters (Ps. xxix. 3). The sound of the wings of the cherubs was as the sound of great waters (Ez. i. 24). By the cherubs the Word is signified (n. 239), and thus the Divine Truth, from which the Lord speaks. 615. And as the voice of a great thunder, signifies the Lord speaking through the New Heaven from the Divine Love. That lightnings, thunders, and voices signify en- lightenment, perception, and instruction, may be seen above (n. 236) ; and that the seven thunders speaking signify the Lord speaking through the universal heaven (n. 472). When the Lord speaks through heaven, He speaks from the third heaven through the second heaven, and thus from Love through the Divine Wisdom ; for the third heaven is in His Divine love, and the second heaven in His Divine wisdom. The Lord never speaks in any other way, when He speaks from the higher heavens ; and this is what is meant by a voice as of many waters and by a voice of great thunder. " Many waters " are the Divine Truths of the Divine Wisdom, and " a great thunder " is the Divine Good of the Divine Love. 616. And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps, signifies confession of the Lord from gladness of heart, by the spiritual angels in the lower heavens. That No. 618.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. to play on the harp signifies to confess the Lord from spiritual truths, may be seen above (n. 276); that it is from gladness of heart follows of course : hence the spiritual angels are signified by the harpers. These are the angels of the lower heavens, because the voice of the Lord through the higher heavens was heard as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of great thunder (n. 614, 615). That the sound of harpers playing on their harps was heard, is because sound or discourse flowing down from the lower heavens is sometimes heard as the sound of harps : not that they are playing on harps, but because the sound of confession of the Lord from joy of heart is so heard below. 617. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four animals and before the elders, signifies celebration and glorification of the Lord before Him, and before the angels of the higher heavens. It may be seen above (n. 279), that acknowledgment and glorification of the Lord, as the only Judge, Redeemer, and Saviour, and thus as the God of heaven and earth, is signified by their singing a new song. Before the throne is before the Lord, because He alone sits upon the throne. That before the four animals and before the elders means before the angels of the higher heavens, see n. 369. By " as it were a new song " is signified the celebration and glorification of the Lord in the New Christian Heaven ; here in particular, that He was acknowledged as the God of heaven and earth, as He is acknowledged in the ancient heavens. This is involved in the phrase " as it were ; " for " as it were a new song " means as if it were new, when yet it is not new. It has been said before that the New Heaven which is spoken of in the Apocalypse (chap. xxi. 1), is a New Heaven from Christians ; and that the former heavens are from the ancients and the most ancient ; also, that the Lord is acknowledged in the latter heavens as the God of heaven and earth. 618. And 110 one could learn that song but the hundred 682 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. forty four thousand, signifies that no others from among Christians could understand, and thus acknowledge from love and faith, that the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, but they who were received by the Lord into this New Heaven. By this song is signified the acknowl- edgment of the Lord, that He is the God of heaven and earth (n. 279, 617). By learning is signified to perceive interiorly in one's self that it is so ; which is to understand,, and thus to receive and acknowledge. He who learns in any other way, learns and does not learn, because he does not retain. By the hundred and forty-four thousand are meant they who acknowledge the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth (n. 612). That no other from among Christians could learn this song, that is, could acknowl- edge that the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, is because they have imbibed from infancy the idea that there were three persons in the Divinity, distinct from each other. For it is said in the doctrine of the Trinity, There is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit : also, The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And though it is there added that these three are one, still in their thought they divided the Divine Essence into three ; which, however, cannot be divided. And on that account they have approached the Father, because He is the first in order ; and the leader? in the church have taught, moreover, that they should pray to the Father, for the sake of the Son, to send the Holy Spirit. By this the idea of their thought concerning three has been confirmed ; and then they are not able to think of the Son as God, equal with the Father, and one with the Father ; but of the Son as equal with another man ; although He alone, as to His Human, is Justice, and is called Jehovah our Justice (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6; xxxiii. 15, 16). From this idea of their thought it came to pass that they could not comprehend that the Lord, as born in the world, can be the God of heaven and earth, and still less that He No. 618.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 683 alone is God ; notwithstanding they have heard and read all those passages which were adduced above (n. 613); and also these, All things that the Father hath are mine (John xvi. 15). The Father hath given all things i?ito the hand of the Son (John xiii. 3). Father, thou hast given me power over all flesh : all mine are thine and thine are i7iine (John xvii. 2, 3, 10). All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matt, xxviii. 18). Also that He was con- ceived of Jehovah the Father, and hence that His soul is from Him (Luke i. 34, 38) : hence the Divine Essence is His : besides many similar passages elsewhere. That they were said of the Lord who was born in the world, every one can see. As also, that He and the Father are one ; and that He is in the Father, and the Father in Him ; and that He that seeth Him, seeth the Father (John x. 28-^8 , xiv. 6-1 1). Although they have heard and read these things, still they could not recede from the idea conceived in childhood, and confirmed afterwards by their teachers ; which has so far closed up their rational, that they could not see, that is, understand, these words of the Lord : / am the Way, the Truth, and the Life : no one cometh unto the Father but by Me (John xiv. 6). He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but dimbeth up some other wayf the same is a thief and a robber : I am the door ; by Me if any one enter in, he shall be saved (John x. 1,9): also that the Lord glorified His Human, that is, united it to the Divine of the Father, that is, to the Divine which was in Him from conception, for the end that the human race might be united to God the Father in Him and through Him. That this was the cause of the Lord's coming into the world, and of the glorification of His Human, He teaches fully in John xiv., xv., and xvii. For He says, In that day ye shall k?ww that I am in my Father, and ye in Me, and I in you (John xiv. 20). He that abidcth in Me, and I in him, bringcth forth much fruit ; for without Me yt can do nothing: if a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth 684 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. as a di'ied branch into the fire (xv. 4-6). For them I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth; that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I i? 1 Thee ; I in them, and Thou in Me (John xvii. 19, 21, 23 ; also vi. 56, and elsewhere) : from which it is clearly mani- fest, that the Lord's coming into the world and the glorifi- cation of His Human had for their end the conjunction of men with God the Father in Him and through Him ; thus that men must come to Him. The Lord likewise confirms this by so often saying that they must believe in Him, that they may have eternal life; see above (n. 553). Who can- not see that all these things were said by the Lord con- cerning Himself in His Human ; and that He never would have said, nor could have said, that He was in men and men in Him, and that we must believe in Him in order to have eternal life, unless His Human was Divine ? By asking the Father in His name is not meant to go to God the Father immediately, nor to ask for His sake ; but to go to the Lord, and to the Father through Him, because the Father is in the Son, and they are one, as He teaches. This is what "in His name " signifies ; as may also be evi- dent from these passages : He that believeth not in the Son is judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John iii. 17, 18). These things are Written^ that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life in His name (John xx. 31). Jesus said, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth Me ; and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me (Luke ix. 48). Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do (John xiv. 13. Besides other places, where the expression in the name of the Lord occurs: Matt. vii. 22; xviii. 5, 20; xix. 29; xxiii. 39; Mark ix. 37; xvi. 17; Luke xiii. 35; xix. 38; xxiv. 47; John i. 12 ; ii. 23 ; v. 43 ; xii. 13 ; xv. 16 ; xvi. 23, 24, 26, 27 ; xvii. 6). What the name of God is, and that the name of the Father is the Lord as to the Divine Human, may be seen above (n. 81, 165, 584). No. 620.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 685 619. Bought from the earth, signifies that t'.iey are those who could be regenerated by the Lord, and thus be re- deemed, in the world. By the bought from the earth those redeemed in the world are signified. That redemption is liberation from hell, and salvation by conjunction with the Lord, may be seen, n. 281 ; and as this is effected by regeneration, by the bought, therefore, those that are re- generated and thus redeemed by the Lord are signified ; and as all can be regenerated and thus redeemed, if they will, and few will, therefore by the bought from the earth is signified that these are tbey who could be regenerated and thus redeemed by the Lord. What the quality of these is will now be described (vers 4 and 5). 620. These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins, signifies that they did not adulterate the truths of the church, and defile them with falsities of faith ; but that they loved truths because they are truths. That a woman signifies the church from affection for truth, and thence in the opposite sense the church from affection for falsity, may be seen above (n. 434, 533) ; here the church from affection for truth, because it is said " not defiled with women." To be defiled with women signifies the same as to commit adultery and fornication. That to commit adultery and fornication signifies to adulterate and falsify the Word, may be seen above (n. 134). " For they are virgins " signifies because they have loved truths be- cause they are truths, thus from spiritual affection. The reason that these are meant by virgins is that a virg n signif es the church as a bride, who wishes to be conjoined to the Lord, and to become a wife : and the church who wishes to be conjoined to the Lord, loves truths because they are truths ; for by truths, when the life is according to them, conjunction is effected. Hence it is, that Israel, Zion, and Jerusalem are called in the Word virgins and daughters ; for by Israel, Zion, and Jerusalem the church is signified. That all those who are such in the Lord's 686 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. church, whether they are virgins or young men, wives or husbands, boys or old men, girls or old women, are meant by the virgins, may be evident from the Word, where vir- gins are mentioned ; as, the virgin of Israel (Jer. xviii. 13 • xxxi. 4, 2 1 ; Am. v. 2 ; Joel i. 8) : the virgin daughter of Judah (Lam. i. 15): the virgin daughter of Zion (2 Kings xix. 21 ; Isa. xxxvii. 22 ; Lam. i. 4 ; ii. 13) : the virgins of Jerusalem (Lam. ii. 10) : the virgin of my people (Jer. xiv. 17). Wherefore the Lord likened the church to ten virgins (Matt. xxv. 1, &c.) : and it is said in Jeremiah, / will build thee, and thou shall be built, O virgin of Israel ; thou shall go forth anew into the dances of them that make merry (xxxi. 4, 13) : and in David, They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, i?i the sanctuary ; in the midst of the virgins playing with timbrels (Ps. Ixviii. 24, 25) : and again ; Kings' daughters were among thy honorable women ; upon thy right hand did stand the queen in purest gold of Ophir : hearken, O daughter, and consider; the king shall delight in thy beauty : the daughter of Tyre also shall offer a gift, the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor : the King's daughter is all glorious within ; her clothing is of wrought gold, she shall be brought to the King in raiment of needlework ; the virgins, her friends, that follow her, shall enter i?ito the King's palace (Ps. xlv. 9-15). By the King the Lord is here meant ; by the queen the church as a wife ; by the daughters and virgins affections for good and truth. Similar affections are signified by virgins in other places in the Word, where young men are mentioned at the same time ; because young men signify truths, and virgins the affections for them ; as in the following pas- sages : Behold the days come, in which I will send a famine in the land ; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for waters, ' but for hearing the words of Jehovah ; in that day shall the beautiful virgins and the young men faint with thi/st (Am. viii. 11, 13). Be ashamed, O Zidon, the sea hath said; I have not trai ailed, nor brought forth, and I have not nour- No. 623.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 687 ishcd up young men, I have brought up virgins (Tsa. xxiii. 4). The Lord hath trodden the winepress of the virgin daughter of Zion : behold my sorrow ; my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity (Lam. i. 4, 15, 18). How great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty ; com hath made the young men to grow up, and new wine the virgins (Zech. ix. 17). The streets of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets thereof (Zech. viii. 5). The vir- gins of Jei'iisalem sit upon the ground : to what shall I liken thee, O virgin daughter of Zion ; my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword (Lam. ii. 10, 13, 21. Besides othei places, as Jer. li. 20-23 ; Lam. v. 10-12 ; Ez. ix. 4, 6; Ps. lxxviii. 62-64; Deut. xxxii. 25). 621. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, signifies that they are conjoined to the Lord by love and faith in Him, because they have lived according to His commandments. That this is signified, is manifest from these words of the Lord : He that doeth my com7nandments , he it is that loveth Ale ; and L will love him, a?id will come unto him, and 7nake ??iy abode with him (John xiv. 20-23). And in another place : The Shepherd of the sheep, when he leadeth out His own sheep, goeth before them, and the sheep follow Hi?n, because they know His voice : my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John x. 4, 5). 622. These were bought from among men, signifies that they are those who could be regenerated by the Lord, and thus redeemed, in the world, as above (n. 619), where are similar words. 623. First-fruits unto God and the La?nb, signifies the first beginning of the Christian Heaven that acknowledges one God in whom is a Trinity, and that the Lord is He. By first-fruits is meant what is born first, also what is first gathered, and thus the first beginning, here of the New Heaven from the Christians. By God and the Lamb is meant here, as above, the Lord as to the Divine itself from Which [all things are], and as to the Divine Human, and 688 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. also as to the proceeding Divine ; and thus the one God, in whom there is a Trinity. Something will here be said respecting the first-fruits. It was commanded in the Israelitish church, that the first-fruits of the produce of the fields, of all the coi-n, oil, and wine, the fruits of the trees, also of the fleece, should be given to Jehovah as holy, and were given by Jehovah to Aaro?i, and after him to the High Priest (Ex. xxii. 29 • xxiii. 10; Num. xiii. 20; xv. 17-21 ; xviii. 8-20 ; Deut. xviii. 4 ; xxvi. 1, &c). Also, That they should celebrate the feast of the first-fruits of the harvest and of bread (Ex. xxiii. 14-16, 19, 26 ; Lev. xxiii. 9-15, 20-25 5 Num. xxviii. 26, to the end). The reason was, because the First- fruits signified that which is born first, and afterwards grows up, as an infant into a man, and a shoot into a tree ; and they thence signified every thing that follows until it is complete ; for all that follows is in the first as the man in the infant, and the tree in the shoot ; and because this first exists before the successions, and the same in heaven and the church, therefore the first-fruits were holy to the Lord, and the feast of the first-fruits was celebrated. Similar things are signified by first-fruits in. Jer. xxiv. 1, 2 ; Ez. xx. 40; Mic. vii. 1 ; Deut. xxxiii. 15, 21. 624. And in their mouth was found no guile, signifies that they do not from cunning and design speak and persuade to falsity and evil. By the mouth is signified speech, preaching, and teaching (n. 452) : and by guile, persuasion to evil by means of falsity, properly from cunning and design, is sig- nified. For he who persuades to any thing from cunning or deceit, persuades from design also : for cunning or deceit proposes to itself, conceals its purpose, and performs it, when opportunity offers. By a lie in the Word falsity and false-speaking are signified, and by deceit is signified each from design ; these are signified in the following passages : Jesus said of Nathaniel, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile (John i. 47). The rem?iant of Israel shall not speak a lie. neither shall a deceitful tongue No. 625.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. be fnmd in their mouth (Zeph. iii. 13). He did no violence, neither was deceit found in His mouth (Isa. liii. 9). The rich are filled with violence, and the inhabitants speak a lie ; and their tongue is deceitful i?i their mouth (Mic. vi. 12). Thou wilt destroy them that speak a lie ; Jehovah will abhor a man of blood and deceit (Ps. v. 6). O Jehovah, deliver my soul from lying, from a deceitful tongue (Ps. cxx. 2, 3). They have taught their tongue to speak a lie ; thine habitation is in the midst of deceit ; through deceit they refuse to know Me (Jer. ix. 5, 6). JSphrai?n hath compassed Me with a lie, and the house of Israel with deceit (Hos. xi. 12). If any one had a design to kill his companion by deceit, thou shall take him from mine altar, and he shall die (Ex. xxi. 14). Cursed is he that doeth the work of Jehovah by deceit (Jer. xlviii. 10. Besides other places, as Jer. v. 26, 27 ; viii. 5 ; xiv. 14; xxiii. 26; Hos. vii. 16; Zeph. i. 9 ; Ps. xvii. 1; xxiv. 4; xxxv. 20, 21 ; xxxvi. 3 ; 1. 19 ; lii. 2, 4; lxxii. 14 • cix. 2 j cxix. 118 ; Job xiii. 7 ; xxvii. 4). The deceitful are signified in the Word by poisonous serpents, and by crocodiles and vipers j and deceit is signified by their poison. 625. For they are without spot before the throne of God, signifies because they are in truths from good from the Lord. By the spotless those who are not in falsity are signified, consequently those who are in truths : for spots signify falsities, properly falsities from evil. By the throne of God is signified the Lord and heaven (n. 14, 233). And as all who are in good from the Lord appear as if they were in truths, therefore by their being without spot before the throne of God is signified that they are in truths from good from the Lord. For all who are led by the Lord are kept in good by Him, and from that good nothing proceeds but truth ; and if falsity, it is apparent falsity ; and this is viewed by the Lord as similar to truth ; only by a modifi- cation of the light of heaven it is in another color : for the good which is in it within so qualifies it. For there is given falsity from evil, and likewise falsity from gocd. Both may 690 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. appear alike in the external form, but still they are altogether unlike ; because that which is within makes the essence, and produces its quality. Since falsities are signified by spots, it was therefore forbidden that any one of the seed of Aaron, in whom there was a spot, should approach the altar, and enter within the vail (Lev. xxi. 17-23) : by which was signified that they should be blameless : and it was likewise forbidden that any sacrifice should be offered, of oxen, calves, sheep, goats, or lambs, in which there was a spot (Lev. xxii. 19-25). The spots also are there recounted. 626. And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven t having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, signifies the annunciation of the Lord's coming, and of the New Church that is to come down out of heaven from Him. By an angel in the highest sense is meant the Lord, and thence heaven likewise (n. 5, 344, 465). By another angel a new thing now from the Lord is signified. By flying in the midst of heaven, is signified to look down upon, to observe, and to provide for (n. 415) ; here for the new thing from the Lord out of heaven in the church. By the everlasting gospel is signified the annunciation of the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom (n. 478, 553). By " them that dwell on the earth " the men of the church are signified, to whom the annunciation will be made. That it is also to announce that a New Church is now to come down out of heaven from Him, is because the Lord's coming involves two things, — the last judgment, and after that the New Church. The last judgment is treated of in chap, xix., xx., and the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, in chap, xxi., xxii. That the annun- ciation of the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom is signified by the gospel and preaching the gospel, is mani- festly evident from the passages adduced n. 478 ; which may there be seen. 627. And to every nation and tribe and tongue a?id people, signifies to all who are in goods from religion and in truths No. 629.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 69I trom doctrine. By nation is signified those who are in goods, and abstractly goods (n. 4S3) j by tribe is signified the church as to religion (n. 349) j by tongue, doctrine (n. 282) : and by people are signified those who are in truths, and abstractly truths (n. 483) : and therefore by preaching the gospel to every nation and tribe and tongue and people is signified to announce to all who are in goods from religion and in truths from doctrine; for these receive the gospel, and no others. These tilings are signified by diose words in the spiritual sense. 628. Saying with a great voice, Fear God, signifies admo- nition not to do evils, because this is against the Lord. By the great voice is signified admonition ; and by fearing God is signified not to do evils because this is against the Lord. That to fear God is to love Him, fearing to do evil because this is opposed to Him ; and that every love has in it this fear; may be seen above (n. 527). These things are now said to those who will be of the New Church on earth, because the first thing of reformation is to live according to the commandments of the Decalogue, where the evils which are not to be done are enumerated. For he who does them does not fear God ; but he who does not do them, shunning them because they are opposed tc the Lord, fears and also loves the Lord ; as He teaches in John xiv. 20-24. 629. And give glory to Hhn,for the hour of His judgment is come, signifies acknowledgment and confession that all the truth of the Word, from which the Church is a church, is from the Lord, according to which every man will be judged. That to give glory to Him signifies to acknowl- edge and confess that all truth is from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 249). And because all the truth from which the church is a church is from the Word, the truth of the Word is therefore meant. " For the hour of His judgment is come," signifies because every man will be judged according to the truth of the Word. This is signi vol. 11. 12 692 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. fied, because by giving glory to Him is signified to acknowl- edge and confess that all the truth of the Word is from the Lord : and it is now said, " for the hour of His judgment is come : " and " for " involves this as the cause. That the truth of the Word is to judge every one, may be seen above (n. 233, 273) : and that the church is from the Word, and that it is such as is its understanding of the Word, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scripture n (n. 76-79). It is manifest from these things, that such is the spiritual sense of those words. That it is such, is because the angels of heaven perceive nothing else by glory but the Divine Truth ; and because all Divine Truth is from the Lord, by giving glory to Him they understand acknowledgment and confession that all truth is from Him. For all the glory in the heavens is from no other source ; and as far as a society of heaven is in Divine Truth, so far all things shine in it, and so far the angels are in the splendor of glory. That the Divine Truth is meant by glory, may be evident from these pas- sages : The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah; the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, a?id all flesh shall see it (Isa. xl. 3, 5). Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee; Jehovah shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee (Isa. xl. 1 to the end). / will give thee for a cove- nant to the people, for a light of the nations, and my glory will I not give to another (Isa. xlii. 6, 8). For mine own xake, for mine own sake tvill I do it, a?id I will not give my glory to another (Isa. xlviii. 1 1). They shall fear His glory from the rising of the sun ; the Redeemer shall come to Zion (Isa. lix. 19, 20). Thy light shall break forth as the morn- ifig, the glory of Jehovah shall gather thee (Isa. lviii. 8). He shall come to gather together all nations and tongues, that they way see i?iy glory (Isa. lxvi. 18). Jehovah said, I live, and the whole earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah (Num. xiv. 2i\ The fulness of all the earth is His glory No. 630.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 693 (Isa. vi. 1-3). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God; in Him was life, and the life was the light of men. That was the true light. And the Word was ?nade flesh, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Only-begot- ten of the Father (John i. 1, 4, 9). These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory (John xii. 41). And they shall see the Son of Man coming i?i the clouds of heaven with glory (Matt. xxiv. 30). The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps. xix. 1). A?id all 7iations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and the kings of the earth thy glory ; for He hath built up Zion, and hath appeared in His glory (Ps. cii. 15, 16). The glory of God shall enlighten the Holy Jerusalem, and her lamp is the Lamb, and the nations which are saved shall walk in the light of it (Apoc. xxi. 23-25). The Son of Man shall come in His glory, and sit upon the throfie of His glory (Matt. xxv. 31 ; Mark viii. 38). That the glory of Jehovah filled and covered the tabernacle (Ex. xl. 34, 35 ; Lev. ix. 23, 24; Num. xiv. 10-12 ; xvi. 19, 42). That it filled the house of Jehovah (1 Kings viii. 10, 11. Besides other places, as Isa. xxiv. 23 ; Ez. i. 28 ; viii. 4 ; ix. 3 ; x. 4, 18, 19 ; xi. 22, 23 ; Luke ii. 32 ; ix. 26 ; John ii. 11 ; vii. 18 ; xvii. 24). 630. And worship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters, signifies that the Lord alone is to be worshipped, because He alone is the Cre- ator, Saviour, and Redeemer, and from Him alone are the angelic heaven and the church and all things of them. That to acknowledge as holy is signified by worshipping, may be seen above (n. 579, 580, 588, 603) ; and therefore by worshipping, in speaking of the Lord, is signified to acknowledge Him as the God of heaven and earth, and to worship Him. By making heaven and earth and the sea and fountains of waters, is meant in the natural sense to create those things, but in the spiritual sense it signifies to make the angelic heaven and the church and all things of them : for by heaven in the spiritual sense the angelic 694 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. heaven is signified ; and by the earth and the sea in that sense the church, internal and external, is signified (n. 403, 404, 420, 470) ; and by the fountains of waters are signi- fied all the truths of the Word that are serviceable to the church for doctrine and life (n. 409). That Jehcvah the Creator is the Lord from eternity, and that the Lord the Saviour and Redeemer is the Lord born in time, and thus the Lord as to His Divine Human, may be evident from the *' Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord," from the beginning to the end. Who cannot understand that there is one God the Creator of the universe, and not three creators ? also that creation had for its end a heaven and a church from the human race ? on which subject see the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence " (n. 27-45). Hence it is, that by making heaven and earth is signified in the spiritual sense to make the angelic heaven and the church. These things are said for the same reason as above (n. 613); where it is explained what is signified by their having the name of the Father written upon their foreheads : and because that was said, it is therefore said here, " worship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters." 631. And another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, signifies that the Roman Catholic religion, as to its dogmas and doctrinal tenets, is now dis- persed. By " another angel " now a new thing from the Lord is signified, as above (n. 626). By the great city Babylon the Roman Catholic religion as to its dogmas and doctrinal tenets is signified. By falling is signified to be dispersed ; for to fall is said of the city, but to be dis- persed of the religion and its doctrine, which is signified by the city Babylon. That by a city doctrine is signi- fied, may be seen above (n. 194). That these things are now said of Babylon, is because, after the New Christian Heaven was formed by the Lord, at the same time a new thing came to pass with those who had been of the No. 633.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 695 Roman Catholic religion. The reason is, that the Chns- tian Heaven which was gathered from the Reformed makes the centre, and the Papists are around it ; wherefore, when the centre is new, there is at the same time something new produced in the circumferences : for the Divine Light, which is the Divine Truth, propagates itself from the middle or centre round about to the circumferences, and reduces the things which are there also into order. For this cause these few things are now related concerning Babylon ; but it is treated of in particular in chapters xvii. and xviii. That the Reformed Christians constitute the centre, and that the Papists make a broad border around it, and that the spiritual light, which is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, propagates itself as from its centre into all the surrounding regions, even to the farthest, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scripture" (n. 104-113); and in the little work on the " Last Judgment " (n. 48). It may be seen from this, that these words concerning Babylon follow in order, after the New Christian Heaven and the preach- ing of the gospel had been treated of. This is also signi- fied by " followed." 632. Because she niade all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, signifies because by profanations of the Word and adulterations of the good and truth of the church, she has seduced all whom she could subject to her dominion. By Babylon the Roman Catholic religion is signified, as above. Wine signifies truth from good, and in the opposite sense, falsity from evil (n. 316) : and forni- cation signifies the falsification of truth, and the wrath of fornication signifies adulteration and profanation (n. 134). To make all nations to drink signifies to seduce all whom they could subject to their dominion. By making to drink of that wine is signified to seduce, and by nations those are signified who are under their rule. 633. And a third angel followed them, saying with a great 696 THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV voice, signifies further revelation from the Lord concerning those who are in faith separated from charity. By the third angel following them is signified further revelation from the Lord, which follows in order ; for by an angel in the highest sense the Lord is meant (n. 626). The reason is, because an angel, when he speaks the Word, as here; does not speak from himself but from the Lord. By saying with a great voice is signified that which follows, which is re- specting the damnation of those who in life and doctrine confirm themselves in faith separated from charity. From the first to the fifth verse of this chapter the New Christian Heaven is treated of, and in the sixth and seventh verses the preaching of the gospel, that is, of the Lord's coming to establish a New Church. And because they who are in faith separate from charity stand in the way, there now fol- lows a threatening and denunciation of damnation against those who still persevere in that faith. 634. If any one worship the beast and his image, and re- ceive his mark upon his forehead and upoti his hand, signifies whoever acknowledges and receives the doctrine concern- ing justification and salvation by faith alone, confirms it, and lives according to it. By worshipping the beast is sig- nified to acknowledge that faith (n. 580) : by worshipping his image is signified to acknowledge and receive that doc- trine (n. 603) : by receiving his mark upon the forehead and upon the hand, is signified to receive it with love and faith, and to confirm one's self in it (n. 605, 606) : and be cause they who confirm themselves in it by love and fa;th do also live according to it, this likewise is meant. There are three degrees of the reception of that doctrine, which are described by these words. The First degree is to ac- knowledge that doctrine ; the Second degree is to confirm it in one's self ; and the Third degree is to live according to it. To acknowledge it is done by the thought, to confirm it is done by the understanding, and to live according to it Is done by the will. There are those who are in the first No. 635.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 697 degree, and yet not in the second and third ; and there are those who are in the first and second, and yet not in the third : but they who are in the third, which degree is to live according to it, are those of whom the things that follow in the tenth and eleventh verses are said. To live accord- ing to it is to make nothing of evil, by thinking that evil does not condemn, because the works of the law do not save, but faith alone \ also, to make nothing of good, by thinking in one's self that no one can do good of himself, unless it is meritorious. Thus they who only shun evils on account of civil and moral laws, and not on account of the Divine laws, these are they who do goods only for the sake of themselves and the world, consequently from the love of self, and not for the Lord's sake, consequently not from love for the neighbor. The reason that the things which now follow in the tenth and eleventh verses are said con- cerning these, is that nothing which enters only into the thought and into the understanding condemns ; but that which enters into the will does condemn : for this enters into the life and becomes permanent. For nothing can "nter into the will, unless it is also of the love ; and the love is the life of man. These also are they who do not examine themselves, know their sins, and repent ; and therefore they are condemned. For they say in the heart, "What need is there of examination, recognition, and ac- knowledgment of sins, and of repentance, while faith alone involves all those things." I have seen many such in the spiritual world, who shunned evils and did goods only on account of the civil and moral, and not at the same time the spiritual law ; and they were cast into hell. 635. He shall also drink of the wine of the anger of God poured out unmixed in the cup of His wrath, signifies that (hey falsify the goods and truths of the Word, and imbue their life with them so falsified. This is signified by these words, because by " the wine of the anger of God poured out unmixed " the falsified truth of the Word is signified ; 698 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV and by the cup of His fury is signified truth through which comes good in like manner : and by drinking is signified to appropriate them, or to imbue the life with them. That the truth of the Word is signified by wine, may be seen (n. 316) : by the wine of the anger of God, the truth of the Word adulterated and falsified (n. 632): by "poured out un- mixed " is signified wholly falsified. The same is also sig- nified by a cup as by wine, as the cup is the container. To drink signifies to imbue the life with them, because this was said to those who live according to the doctrine of justification by faith alone ; see just above (n. 634). By mixing wine and by being poured out the falsification of truth is also signified in David : In the hand of Jehovah there is a cup, a?id He hath mixed the wine, filled it with the mixture, and hath poured out; and all the wicked of the earth shall drink (Ps. lxxv. 8). In many places in the Word, anger and fury are mentioned together ; and anger [ira] there is predicated of evil, and fury [excandescentia] of falsity ; because they who are in evil become angry, and they that are in falsity become furious : and in the Word, each is attributed to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord ; but it is meant that it is the feeling of man against the Lord ; see above (n. 525). That anger and fury are mentioned to- gether in the Word, is manifest from these passages there- in : Jehovah cometh in fury and anger; the earth shall be removed out of its place in the day of the fury of His anger (Isa. xiii. 9, 13). Ashur is the rod of mine anger, against the people of my fury will I command him (Isa. x. 5, 6). I will fight against you in anger and in fury (Jer. xxi. 5). The anger of Jehovah is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies (Isa. xxxiv. 2). Jehovah will recompense in His fury and a?iger (Isa. lxvi. 15). I have trodden the people in mine anger, and made them drunk in my fury (Isa. lxiii. 6). Mine anger and fury are poured out upon this place (Jer. vii. 20. Besides other places, as Jer. xxxiii. 5 ; Ez. v. 13 ; Deut. xxix. 27). And the fury of anger (Isa. xiii. 13 ; Ps No. 637.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 699 lxxviii. 49, 50 ; Deut. vi. 14, 15). But in Isaiah, Only in Jehovah is there justice and strength, and all that have been wroth against Him shall be ashamed (xlv. 24). 636. And shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and the Zamb, and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, signifies the love of self and the world, and the lusts therefrom, and from these the pride of their own intelligence, and thence torment in hell. By fire the love of self and of the world is signified (n. 494) ; by brimstone are signified the lusts from these two loves (n. 452) : and because all the torment in hell is from these three, it is therefore said, " He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, and the smoke of their torment shall as- cend up for ever and ever." It is said, "before the angels and the Lamb," because these loves are against Divine Truths and against the Lord who is the Word : for by the angels Divine Truths are signified, because they are the recipients of them (n. 170); and by the Lamb is signi- fied the Lord as to His Divine Human and at the same time as to the Word (n. 595). That the torments in hell are from the above-mentioned loves, and that those who are in faith separated from charity are in them, may be seen above (n. 421, 502, 591). 637. And they shall have no rest day and night, that wor- ship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name, signifies a perpetual state in undelightful things with those who acknowledge that faith and receive its doc- trine, confirm it and live according to it. By having no rest day and night, is signified their perpetual state in undelight- ful things after death, because their torment has just before been spoken of. By day and night is signified all time, and in the spiritual sense, in every state, and thus perpetually ; for in that sense day and night signify states of life (n. 101, 476). That by worshipping the beast and his image, and receiving the mark of his name, is signified to acknowledge that faith, receive its doctrine, confirm it in one's self, and 12* 700 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. Jive according to it, may be seen above (n. 634) ; where similar things are said. 638. Here is the patience of the saints ; here are they that keep the command?nents of God and the faith of Jesus, signifies that the man of the Lord's church will be explored by lemptations from them, with regard to his quality as to a life accordirg to the precepts of the Word and as to faith in the Lord. That this is signified by these words may be seen above (n. 593). By keeping the commandments is signified to live according to the precepts which are con- tained in a summary in the Decalogue ; and by the faith of Jesus is signified faith in Him ■ for these have faith from the Lord, which faith is the faith of Jesus. 639. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto mey Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth, signifies a prediction from the Lord concerning the state of those after death, who will be of His New Church, which is, that they who suffer temptations on account of faith in the Lord and a life according to His precepts, have eternal life and happiness. By " I heard a voice from heaven, saying," a prediction from the Lord is signified. That it is concerning the state of those after death who will be of His New Church, is because that state is treated of in this verse. By them " that die henceforth " their state after death is signified. " Write " signifies that it may be for a remembrance to posterity (n. 39, 63). By the blessed are signified they who have eternal life and happiness ; since these are blessed. By " the dead " are signified those who have afflicted their soul, crucified their flesh, and suffered temptations. That these are here meant by the dead, will be seen below. That they have eternal life and happiness who have suffered temptations on account of faith in the Lord and on account of a life according to His precepts, is manifest from what just precedes, where it is said, Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the command- ments of God a?id the faith of Jesus ; by which is signified No. 640.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 70I that the man of the New Church will be explored by temp- tations in regard to his quality as to a life according to the commandments, and as to faith in the Lord ; see just above (n. 638), and what follows, and they shall rest from their labors ; by which is signified that they who have been tempted will have peace in the Lord ; of whom just below (n. 640). By the temptations here are meant spiritual temptations, which they suffer who have faith in the Lord and live according to His precepts, while they are driving away the evil spirits that are with them, who act as one with their lusts. These temptations are signified by the cross in these passages : Whosoever taketh not his cross, and followeth after Afe, is not worthy of Me (Matt. x. 38). Jesus said, If any one zvill come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me (Matt. xvi. 24 ; Luke ix. 23-25 ; xiv. 26, 27). Also by crucifying the flesh in Paul: They who are Christ's crucify the flesh with the passions and lusts (Gal. v. 24). That they who have afflicted their soul, crucified their flesh, and suffered temptations, are signified by the dead, is because by these means they have mortified their former life, and thence have become as dead before the world. For the Lord said, Except a grain of wheat, falling into the ground, die, it abideth alone ; but if it die, it beareth much fruit (John xii. 24). Nor are any others meant by the dead in John : Jesus said, As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickoicth whom He will (v. 21). In the same: Jesus said, The hour cometh, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall live (v. 25). And also by the resur- rection of the dead (Luke xiv. 14 ; Apoc. xx. 5, 12, 13 ; and elsewhere): see above (n. 106). And in David: Precious in the eyes of Jehovah is the death of His saints (Ps. cxvi. 15). Jesus said also, Whoever shall lose his life for My sake, shall find it (Matt. x. 39 ; xvi. 25 ; Luke ix. 24, 25 ; xvii. 33 ; John xii. 2^). 640. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their 702 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV labors, signifies that the Divine Truth of the Word teaches, that they who afflict their soul and crucify their flesh for the sake of those things, will have peace in the Lord. " Yea, saith the Spirit," signifies that the Divine Truth teaches (n. 87, 104). "That they may rest," signifies that they will have peace in the Lord. By peace is meant rest of the soul when no longer infested as before by evils and falsities, and thus by hell. By labors are meant labors of the soul, which are to afflict and crucify the flesh, and to be tempted. Hence by their resting from their labors is signified that they who afflict their soul and crucify their flesh in the world for the sake of the Lord and eternal life, will have peace in the Lord. For the Lord says, In Me ye shall have peace; in the world ye have affliction (John xvi. 33). Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give u?ito you ; not as the world giveth give I unto you (John xiv. 27). Such affliction is meant by labor in these passages : By the labor of His soul shall He see, and shall be satisfied, and shall justify many (Isa. liii. 11). yehovah saw our affliction, and our labor, a?id our oppression (Deut. xxvi. 7). They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble (Isa. Ixv. 23). / know thy labor and thy patience, but thou hast borne, a?id hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored (Apoc. ii. 2, 3). 641. For their works follow with them, signifies according as they have loved and believed and thence have done and spoken. By the works which follow with them are signified all the things that remain with a man after death. It is known that the externals which appear before men derive their essence, soul, and life from the internals, which do not appear before men, but which do appear before the Lord and before the angels. The latter and the former, or the externals and the internals, taken together, are works ; good works, if the internals are in love and faith, and the externals act and speak from them ; but evil works, if the internals are not in love and faith, and the externals act and speak from them. If the externals act and speak as No. 641.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 703 if from love and faith, those works are either hypocritical 01 meritorious. Ten persons may do works which are similar in externals, but still they are dissimilar, because the internals from which the externals proceed are dissim- ilar. Who does not see that there is an internal and an external, and that these two make one ? For who does not see that the understanding and the will are man's internal, and speech and action his external ? For who can speak and act without understanding and will ? And as every one sees this, he can also see that works are the external and the internal together. And because the external derives its essence, soul, and life from its internal, as was said above, it follows that the external is such as is its internal : consequently that the works which follow with them are according as they have loved and believed, and thence have acted and spoken. That good works are charity and faith, may be seen above (n. 73, 76, 94, 141): and that a man's internal, or internal man, is not to understand without willing, but is to will and thence to understand ; consequently, that it is not to believe without loving; but that it is to love and thence to believe : and that to do these things is man's external, or the external man, may also be seen above (n. 510). It may be evident from these things, that by the works which follow with them is signified according as they have loved and believed, and thence have acted and spoken. Similar things are signified by works in the following passages : the day of judgment God zuill render to every one according to his works (Rom, ii. 6). We must all be presented before the tribunal of Christy that each one may give account of the things which he hath done, whether good or evil (2 Cor. v. 1 o). The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father, and then He will render to every one according to his works (Matt. xvi. 27). They shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, but they that have done evil unto the rcsurrcctio7i of judgment (John v. 29). They were judged according to tin 7°4 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV things which were written in the book, all according to their works (Apoc. xx. 12, 13). Behold, I come quickly, and my 7-eward is with me, to give to every one accordi?ig to his work (Apoc. xxii. 12). I will give to every one of you according to his works (Apoc. ii. 23). I know thy works (Apoc. ii. 1, 2, 4, 9, 13, 16, 26 ; iii. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 14, 15, 19). / will recom- pense them according to their work, and accordifig to the deed of their hands (Jer. xxv. 14). Jehovah doeth with us according to our ways and according to our works (Zech. i. 6. And in many other places). 642. And I saw, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of Man, signifies the Lord as to the Word. By a cloud the Word in the sense of the letter is signified, and by a white cloud the Word in the literal sense as it is interiorly ; and by the Son of Man is meant the Lord as to the Word : on which account it is said, "one sitting upon the cloud like unto the Son of Man." That the Word as to the literal sense is signified by a cloud, may be seen above (n. 24, 513). By a white cloud the literal sense as it is interiorly is signified, be- cause white is predicated of truths in the light (n. 167, 367) ; and there are spiritual truths interiorly in the literal sense, which are in the light of heaven. That the Lord as to the Word is meant by the Son of Man, may be seen above (n. 44) ; and it is amply confirmed in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord" (n. 19-28). The Lord often said that they should see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. He says this in Matt, xvii. 5 ; xxiv. 30; xxvi. 64; Mark xiv. 61, 62; Luke ix. 34, 35 ; xxi. 27 : and no one knows that any thing else is signified by it, but that when He comes to judgment, Pie will appear in the clouds of heaven. Yet this is not meant ; but the meaning is, that when He comes to judgment, He will appear in the literal sense of the Word : and as He has now come, Pie has therefore appeared in the Word by revealing that there is a spiritual sense in every particular No. 643.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 705 of the literal sense of the Word, and that in it He alone is treated of, and that He alone is the God of heaven and earth. These things are what are meant by His coming in the clouds of heaven. That there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the literal sense of the Word, and that the Lord alone is treated of, and that He alone is the God cf heaven and earth, has been shown in two of the " Doc- trines of the New Jerusalem," one " concerning the Lord," and the other " concerning the Sacred Scripture." Since by the Lord's coming in the clouds of heaven is meant His coming in His Word, and at .the time when He is to execute judgment, and the Apocalypse treats of this, it is therefore said there, Behold, He cometh with the doads (Apoc. i. 7) ; and here, / saw, and behold, a white cloud, and o?ie sitting upon the cloud like unto the Son of Man. And in the Acts of the Apostles, While they were looking on, Jesus was taken up into heaven, and a cloud received him out of their sight ; and two men in white raiment said, This Jesus, who is taken up into heaven, will so come as ye have seen Him go into heaven (i. 9, 1 1). By a cloud the literal sense of the Word is signified, because that sense is natural ; and the Divine Truth in natural light appears before the eyes of the angels who are in spiritual light as a cloud ; as a white cloud with those who are in genuine truths from the literal sense of. the Word, as a dark cloud with those that are not in genuine truths, as a black cloud with those that are in falsities, and as a black cloud mingled with fire with those that are in faith separate from charity, because in evils of life. I have seen it. 643. Having upon his head a- golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle, signifies the Divine Wisdom from His Divine Love, and the Divine Truth of the Word. That wisdom is signified by a crown upon the head, may be seen above (n. 189, 252) ; and by a golden crown, wisdom from love (n. 235) : and as it was seen upon the head of the Son of Man, or the Lord, by the golden crown is signified the 706 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV Divine Wisdom from His Divine Love. By a sickle is sig- nified the Divine Truth of the Word, because by a harvest the state of the church as to Divine Truth is signified, here its last state ; and hence by reaping, which is done with a sickle, is here signified to put an end to the state of the church, and to execute judgment : and as these things are done by the Divine Truth of the Word, this therefore is signified by the sickle ; and by the sharp sickle, to do it exactly and exquisitely. The like is signified by a sickle as by a sword ; but a sickle is mentioned when a harvest is treated of, and a sword in speaking of war. That the Divine Truth fighting against falsities, and the contrary, is signified by a sword, may be seen above (n. 52, 108, .17). 644. And another angel went out of the temple, signifies the angelic heaven. What is signified by an angel and angels, may be seen above (n. 5, 65, 170, 258, 342, 343, 344, 415, 465) ; here the angelic heaven, because it is said that he went out of the temple ; and by the temple is signified heaven as to the church (n. 191, 529, 585) : for there is a church in the heavens equally as on earth. 645. Crying with a great voice to Him that sat 011 the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap, for the hour for thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe, signifies the supplication of the angels of heaven to the Lord, that He would make an end, and execute judgment, because now is the last state of the church. By crying with a great voice to Him that sat upon the cloud, is signified the supplication of the angels of heaven to the Lord, because there was not any thing corresponding on the earth : for the church on earth is to the angelic heaven like the foundation upon which a house rests, or like the feet upon which a man stands, and by which he walks ; on which account, when the church on earth is destroyed, the angels lament, and make supplication to the Lord. They supplicate that He would make an end of the church, and raise up a new No. 645.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 707 church. Hence it is that by the angel's crying with a great voice to Him that was sitting upon the cloud, the supplica- tion of the angels of heaven to the Lord is signified. That the Lord as to the Word is signified by Him that sat upon the cloud, may be seen just above (n. 643). That by thrust- ing in the sickle and reaping is signified to make an end and to execute judgment, may also be seen above (n. 642, 643). By " for the hour is come to reap " is signified that it is the end of the church. By "for the harvest is ripe," is signified that it is the last state of the church. By a har- vest the state of the church as to Divine Truth is signified. This is because from the harvest comes the grain of which bread is made ; and by grain and bread the good of the church is signified, and this is procured by truths. That these things are signified by the above words, maybe more clearly seen from the passages in the Word where harvest, reaping, and a sickle are mentioned ; as in the following : I will sit to judge all the nations ; put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe ; for their wickedness is great (Joel iii. 12, 13) . Cut ye off the sower, and him that taketh the sickle in the time of harvest (Jer. 1. 16). The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor ; yet a little while, aiid the time of harvest will come (Jer. li. 33). // shall come to pass when the standing corn of the harvest is gathered, and his arm reapeth the ears : in the morning thy seed flourishcth, the harvest shall be a heap in the day of possession, and desperate sorrow (Isa. xvii. 5, 1 1). The husbandmen were ashamed, because the harvest of the field perished (Joel i. 11). Jesus said to the disciples, Say not ye there are yet four months, and then Cometh harvest \ lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already to harvest I sent you to reap (John iv. 35-38). Jesus said to the disciples, The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few ; pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He Will soul forth laborers into His harvest (Matt. ix. 37, 38 ; Luke x. 2). In these places, and also in Isa. xvi. 9 j Jer, v. 17 ; viii. 20, the church as to Divine Truth is signified fOS THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. by harvest But all the things which are contained in these verses in this chapter, and also in the two chapters which follow, were foretold by the Lord in the parable concerning the sower and the gathering of the harvest ; which, because it teaches and illustrates what they signify, shall be adduced Jesus said. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field, but an enemy came and sowed tares : and when the blade was sprung up, then appeared the tares also : His servants said, Wilt thou that we gather them up ? but He said, JVayy lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them ; let both grow together tmtil the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers y Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them-; but gather the wheat into my barn. And the desciples came to Jesus, saying, Declare u?ito us the parable : Jesus said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man (or the Lord) ; the field is the world (the Church) ; the seed are the children of the kingdom (the truths of the Church) ; the tares are the children of the wicked 07ie (falsities from hell) ; the enemy that sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the conswnmation of the age (the end of the Church) ; Ithe reapers are the angels (the Divine Truths) : as therefore the tares are gathered and burned i?i the fire, so shall it be in the consummation of the age (at the end of the Church) (Matt. xiii. 24-30, 36-43). 646. And He that sat upon the cloud thrust in His sickle, and the earth was reaped, signifies the end of the church, because there is no longer any Divine Truth in it. This is signified, because the Lord as to the Word is signified by Him that sat upon the cloud (n. 642). By thrusting in the sickle and reaping, is signified to make an end and to exe- cute judgment (n. 643). By the harvest the state of the church is signified, here its last state (n. 643, 645) ; and by the earth is signified the church (n. 285). From these joined into one sense, it is manifest that by Him that sat upon the cloud thrusting in His sickle and the earth being No. 647.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 709 harvested, the end of the church is signified, because there is no longer any Divine Truth in it. 647. And another angel went out of the te7nple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle, signifies the heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the Divine Truth of the Word in them. By an angel in the highest sense the Lord is signified, also the angelic heaven, and likewise the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord \ see above (n. 5. 65, 170, 258, 342, 343, 344, 415, 465). But by the angel here the heavens of the spiritual kingdom are signified, and hence the Divine Truths there \ because it follows thaf another angel went out from the altar, by whom the heav- ens of the Lord's heavenly (celestial) kingdom are signified, and thus the Divine Goods there j which things are treated of in the following paragraph. There are two kingdoms into which all the heavens are distinguished, the spiritual kingdom and the heavenly kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's Wisdom, because the angels there are in wisdom from Divine Truths from the Lord ; and the heavenly kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's Lo*e, because the angels there are in love from the Lord, and thence in all good. That there are two king doms into which all the heavens are distinguished, may be seen in the work concerning " Heaven and Hell," published at London, 1758 (n. 20-28), and in the "Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom," published 1763 (10 1, 381). By the temple the universal heaven is signified, as above (n. 644). But as it is here said, " the temple which is in heaven," and afterwards " the altar," the heaven of the Lord's spiritual kingdom is signified by the temple, as was said just above ; and by the sharp sickle the Divine Truth of the Word is signified as above (n. 643, 645). It is said above that He who sat upon the cloud thrust in His sickle and the earth was reaped, and now that an angel went forth out of the temple in heaven, he also having a sickle, and thrust it into the earth, and 7IO THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. gathered the vine of the earth, is because by the earth which was reaped by Him that sat upon the cloud, or the Lord, is signified the church in the whole of the earth, but by the vine of the earth the church in the Christian world is signified. This involves similar things to those that were foretold by the Lord in the parable concerning the sower and the gathering in of the harvest (Matt, xiii.), which were adduced above at the end of n. 645 ; where it is said that the harvest is the consummation of the age, that is, the end of the church ; and that the reapers are the angels, by whom the Divine Truths are signified. For the angels are not sent to reap, that is, to do those things ; but the Lord does them by the Divine Truths of His Word : for the Lord says, The Word which I have spoken shall judge in the last day (John xii. 48) : see above (n. 233, 273). 648. And another angel went out from the altar, having authority over fire, signifies the heavens of the Lord's heavenly kingdom, which are in the good of love from the Lord. The heavens of the Lord's heavenly kingdom are here signified by the ether angel, because he appeared to go out from the altar ; for by the altar the worship of ^he Lord from love is signified ; see above (n. 392) : and by fire is signified love (n. 468) ; and by the fire upon the altar the Divine Love is signified (n. 395). It is said that he had authority over fire, because the angels watch over that love in themselves. 649. And he cried with a great cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, signifies the Lord's operation from the Good of His Love by the Divine Truth of His Word into the works of charity and faith among the men of the Christian church. This is the spiritual sense of these words, since the heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom and heavenly kingdom are signified by these two angels (n. 647, 648) ; and the heavens do nothing from themselves, but from the Lord ; for the angels in the •No. 649.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 711 heavens are only recipients. Wherefore nothing else is signified in the spiritual sense but the Lord's operation, here into the church in the Christian world, and into the works of charity and faith of the men there. For by the vine that church is signified, which is treated of in para- graph 651 following; and by its clusters and grapes are signified the works of charity. These are signified by clus- ters and grapes, because they are the fruits of the vine in the vineyard ; and in the Word good works are signified by fruits. That the angel who went out from the altar said to the angel who went out of the temple, that he should thrust in his sickle and gather the grapes, is because the heavens of the heavenly kingdom, or the heavens which are in the goods of love, are signified by the angel that came out from the altar ; and the heavens of the spiritual kingdom, or the heavens which are in the truths of wisdom, are signified by the angel that came out of the temple, as was said above : and the good of love does not operate any thing of itself, but by the truth of wisdom j nor does the truth of wisdom operate any thing of itself, but from the good of love. That it is so, has been shown by many proofs in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom." This is the reason that the angel who went out from the altar said to the angel who went out of the temple, that he should thrust in his sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth. Hence then it is, that by these things the Lord's operation from the good of His love by the Divine Truth of His Word is signified. That grapes and clusters signify the goods and works of charity, may be evident from the following passages : Woe unto ??ie, I have become as the gatherings of the stimmer, as the grape-gleanings of the vintage ; there is no cluster to eat ; my soul desires the first-ripe ; the holy one has perished from the earth, and the upright among men (Mic. vii. 1, 2). Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter (Deut. xxxii. 32). My beloved had a vineyard ; he looked thai it 712 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild-grapes (Isa. v. i, 2, 4). These look to strange gods, and love fagons of grapes (Hos. iii. 1). Every tree is known by its own fruits ; for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bram- ble-bush gather they grapes (Luke vi. 44). There shall be in the midst of the land as it were grape-gleanings, when the vintage is done (Isa. xxiv. 12, 13). If grape-gatherers come to thee, would they ?iot leave grape-gleanings (Jer. xlix. 9 ; Ob. vers. 4, 5). The spoiler is falle?i ttpon thy vintage (Jer. xlviii. 32, 33). Ye shall be troubled, ye confident ones, for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come (Isa. xxxii. 9, 10). Besides other places, where the fruit of the vine- yard and of the vine is spoken of. There are the goods of heavenly (celestial) love, and there are goods of spiritual love. The goods of heavenly love are those of love to the Lord, and the goods of spiritual love are those of love to- wards the neighbor. The latter goods are called the goods of charity, and are meant by the fruits of the vineyard, which are grapes and clusters : but the goods of love to the Lord are meant in the Word by the fruits of trees, especially by olives. 649^. For her grapes are ripe, signifies because it is the last state of the Christian church. The same is signified by the grapes of the vineyard being ripe, as above by the harvest being ripe ; but the harvest relates to the church in general, and the vine to the church in particular. That the harvest being ripe signifies the last state of the church, may be seen above (n. 645) ; the ripening of the grapes of the vine therefore signifies the same. A vine signifies the church where the Divine Truth of the Word is, and the Lord is known by it ; since wine signifies the interior truth which is from the Lord through the Word: consequently the Vine here signifies the Christian Church. That wine signifies truth from the good of love, thus from the L >rd, may be seen above (n. 316). 650. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth u*J No. 651.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 713 gathered the vine of the earth, signifies the end of the present Christian church. By thrusting in his sickle and gathering, the like is signified as by putting in his sickle and reaping ; but the latter is said of the harvest, and the former of the vine. That to gather the vine is to take down the vine and gather the grapes, and that to reap is to cut down the harvest and gather the grain, is manifest. That the Vine signifies the church where the Word is and the Lord is known by it, and thus here the Christian church, may be evident from the following passages : Jesus said, T am the vine, ye are the branches : he that abideth in Me an J 1 in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for with- out Me ye can do notJiing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth, and as a dried branch into the fire (John xv. 5, 6). Jesus likened the kingdom of the heavens to a householder who hired laborers into his vineyard (Matt. xx. 1-8). Con- cerning the sons who should work in the vineyard (Matt, xxi. 28). Of the fig-tree planted in the vineyard, which did not bear fruit (Luke xiii. 6-9). Jesus spake a parable : A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and let it out to husbandmen, that he might receive of the fruit of it; but they killed the servants that were sent to them, and last of all his son (Matt. xxi. 33-39 ; Mark xii. 1-9 ; Luke xx. 9-16). I will sing a song of my friend concerning his vineyard ; my beloved had a vineyard, which he hedged about, and pla?ited with a noble vine (Isa. v. 1, 2, &c.) in that day sing ye unto her, a vineyard of pure wine ; I Jehovah do keep it, I will water it every moment (Isa. xxvii. 2, 3). Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have made it a wilderness (Jer. xii. 10, 11). Jehovah comcth unto judgment with the elders, for ye have burned up the vineyard (Isa. iii. 14). I?i all the vineyards shall be wailing (Amos v. 16, 17). In the vineyards there is no singing, neither is there shouting (Isa. xvi. 10). 651. A fid cast it into the great winepress of the anger of God, signifies exploration of the quality of their works, 714 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. that they were evil. By casting the clusters of the vine into the winepress is signified to explore their works, for these are signified by the clusters (see above, n. 649). But as it is called the winepress of the anger of God, the sig- nification is the exploration that the works were evil ; for the anger of God is spoken of in relation to evil (n. 635). The reason that exploration is signified by a winepress is that in winepresses the new wine is pressed out of the clus- ters, and the oil out of the olives ; and from the new wine and the oil pressed out it is perceived of what quality the clusters and the olives were. And as the Christian church is signified by the vine, and its works are signified by the clusters, therefore the exploration of these with the men of the Christian church is signified by casting them into the winepress. But as they have separated faith from charity, and made the former saving without the works of the law, and as from faith separated from charity none but evil works proceed, it is therefore called the great winepress of the anger of God. The exploration of works is also signi- fied bya winepress in the following passages : My beloved had a vineyard in the horn of a son of oil ; he planted it with a noble vine, he also hewed out a winepress in it, and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild-grapes (Isa. v. 1, 2). Put ye in the sickle ; for the har- vest is ripe : come down, for the winepress is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great (Joel iii. 13). The threslwig-floor and the wi?iepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her (Hos. ix. 1, 2). The spoiler is fallen upo?i thy vintage, I have caused the wine to fail from the winepress, none shall tread with shouting, the shouting, shall be no shouting (Jer. xlviii. 32, 33). A certai?i house- holder planted a vineyard, and digged a winepress in it, and let it out to husbandmen, but they killed the servants that were sent to them, and last of all the son (Matt. xxi. 33-39)- The press is also mentioned in Joel, speaking of the goods of charity from which are the truths of faith : Daughters of No. 652.] THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. 715 Zion, rejoice ; the threshing-floors are full of grain, and the presses overflow with new wine ana7 oil (ii. 23, 24). 652. And the winepress was trodden without the city, sig- nifies that exploration was made from the Divine Truths of the Word, as to the quality of the works which proceed from the doctrine of faith of the church. By the winepress being trodden is signified that exploration was made as to the quality of the works ; by treading the winepress is sig- nified to explore ; and by the clusters which are trodden works are signified j as above (n. 649) ; here the works that proceed from the doctrine of faith of the church, which are evil works. By " the city " is here meant the great city treated of above (chap. xi. 8), which " great city is spirit- ually called Sodom and Egypt." That the doctrine of faith separated from charity is meant by it, which is the doctrine of the church of the Reformed, may be seen above (n. 501, 502): and as all exploration of the doctrine of a church is made by the Divine Truth of the Word, and this is not in that doctrine, but out of it, this also is signified by the treading being done out of the city. It may be evident from this, that by the winepress being trodden without the city, is signified that exploration was made from the Divine Truths of the Word, as to the quality of the works which flow forth from the doctrine of faith of the Church. By treading the winepress is signified not only to explore evil works, but also to bear with them in others, also to remove them and cast them into hell, in the follow- ing passages : I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save: wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadcth in the winepress ? I have trodden the winepress alone (Isa. lxiii. 1-3). The Lord hath thrown down all my mighty men, the Lord hath trodden the wifie- press of the daughter of Judah (Lam. i. 15). He that sat upon the white horse feedeth the nations with a rod of iron, and he treadcth the winepress of the fury and anger of God (Apoc. xix. 15). vol. 11. 13 71 6 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV, 653. A711I blood came out of the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, signifies violence done to the Word by dreadful falsifications of truth, and the understanding so closed up thereby that man can scarce be taught any longer, and thus be led of the Lord by Divine Truths. By the blood is signified violence clone to the Word (n. 327), and the Divine Truth of the Word falsified and profaned (n. 379) : for by the blood out of the winepress is meant the grape-juice and wine from the trodden clusters ; and by grape-juice and wine similar things are signified (n. 316). By " the bridles of the horses " are signified the truths of the Word, by which the understanding is led ; for a horse signifies the understanding of the Word (n. 298) : hence the truth by which the understanding is led is signified by a bridle. " Even unto the bridles of the horses," is even into the mouth in which the bridle is inserted ; and a horse is watered and fed through the mouth ■ therefore it also signifies, that such violence was done to the Word by dread- ful falsifications, that man can scarce be taught any longer, and thus be led of the Lord by Divine Truths. That by which the understanding is led is also signified by a bridle (Isa. xxx. 27, 28 ; xxxvii. 29) : and the Divine Truth of the Word is signified by the blood of grapes (Gen. xlix. 11; Deut. xxxii. 14) ; but here in the opposite sense. 654. For a thousand six hundred furlongs, signifies mere falsities of evil. The same is signified by furlongs as by ways, since furlongs are ways measured ; and by ways are signified leading truths (n. 176) , and in the opposite sense falsities : and by a thousand six hundred are signified evils in their whole aggregate. For by 1600 the same is signified as by 16, and the same by 16 as by 4, as 16 arises from 4 multiplied into itself : and four relates to good, and the conjunction of good and .truth (n. 322) ; consequently, in the opposite sense, to evil and the conjunction of evil and falsity, as here. And as the multiplication of a number by 100 does not take away its signification, but exalts it. No. 655.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 717 hence by "for a thousand six hundred furlongs" mere falsity of evil is signified. That all the numbers in the Word signify things, may be seen above (n. 348) ; and that the number signifies the quality of the thing (n. 448, 608- 610). 655. To this I will add this Relation. I spoke with certain ones who are meant in the Apocalypse by the Dragon ; and one of them said to me, " Come with me, and I will show you the enjoyments of our eyes and hearts." And he led me through a shady forest, and upon a hill, from which I could behold the enjoyments of the dragons. And I saw an amphitheatre constructed in the form of a circus, with benches around one above another, upon which sat the spectators. They who sat upon the lowest benches appeared to me at a distance like satyrs and priapi, some with a slight covering, and some naked without it. On the benches above these sat whoremongers and harlots : such they appeared to me, from their gestures. And the dragon then said to me, " Nowt you will see our sport." And I saw let into the area of the circus as it were bullocks, rams, sheep, kids, and lambs : and after these were let in, a gate was opened, and there rushed in as it were young lions, panthers, leopards, and wrolves ; and they attacked the flock with fury, and tore and slaughtered them. But after that bloody carnage, the satyrs scattered sand over the place of the slaughter. Then said the dragon to me, " These are our sports, which delight our minds (animus)." And 1 answered, " Away, demon : after a little time you will see this amphitheatre converted into a lake of fire and brim- stone." He laughed, and went away. And afterwards I was thinking with myself why such things are permitted by the Lord ; and I received the answer in my heart, that they are permitted so long as they are in the world of spirits ; 7 1 8 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. but after their time in that world is expired, such theatrical scenes are turned into such as are direful and infernal. All those things which were seen, were induced by the dragon- ists by means of fantasies : so that they were not bullocks, rams, sheep, kids, and lambs ; but the genuine goods and truths of the church, which they hated, they made to appe-a so. The young lions, panthers, leopards, and wolves were appearances of the lusts of those who seemed like satyrs and priapi. Those without any covering at all, were they who believed that evils do not appear before God : and those with a covering were they that believed that they do appear, but do not condemn, provided they are in faith. The whoremongers and harlots were falsifiers of the truth of the Word ; for whoredom signifies the falsification of truth. In the spiritual world, at a distance, all things ap- pear according to correspondences ; which, when they ap- pear in forms, are called the representations of spiritual things in objects similar to those that are natural. I afterwards saw them going out of the forest, the dragon in the midst of the satyrs and priapi, and their servants and scullions, who were the whoremongers and harlots, after them. The company was increased on the way, and it was then given to hear what they were talking about among themselves. They said that they saw a flock of sheep with lambs in a meadow, and that this was a sign that one of the cities of Jerusalem was near, where charity is made the primary thing of religion. And they said, " Let us go and take that city, and cast out the inhabitants, and plunder their goods." And they drew near : but there was a wall around it, and angel guards upon the wall. And they then said, " Let us take it by deceit : let us send some speaker expert in mystification, who can make black white, and white black, and can give any color to any subject." And one was found skilled in metaphysical arts, who could turn the ideas of things into the ideas of terms, and conceal the things themselves under formulas, and so fly away like a No. 655.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 719 hawk with his prey under his wings. He was instructed how he should speak with the citizens, that they were in fellowship in religion, and that they should be admitted. Going up to the gate he knocked ; and when it was opened, he said that he wished to speak with the wisest person of the city. And he entered in, and was conducted to a certain one, whom he addressed, saying, "My brethren are without the city, and request to be received. They are in fellow- ship with you in religion. You and we make faith and charity the two essentials of religion. The only difference is, that you say that charity is the primary, and that faith is from it j and we say that faith is the primary, and that charity is from it. What matter is it whether the one or the other is called the primary, when both are believed in ? " The wise person of the city answered, " Let us not speak on this sub- ject alone, but in the presence of others, who may be arbi- trators and judges ; otherwise no decision is reached." And some were then sent for ; to whom the dragonist spoke the same words as before. And the wise man of the city then answered, " You have said that it is the same thing, whether charity is taken as the primary of the church, or faith, provided it is agreed that both make the church and its religion j and yet the difference is like that between the prior and the posterior, between the cause and the effect, between the principal and the instrumental, between the essential and the formal. I say this, because I have noticed that you are skilled in metaphysical art j which art we call mystification, and some incantation : but to leave those terms, the difference is as between that which is above and that which is below ; yea, if you are willing to believe it, the difference is as between heaven and hell: for that which is the primary makes the head and breast, and that which is from it makes the feet and their soles. But let us first agree what charity is, and what faith is : that charity is the affection of the love of doing good to the neighbor for the sake of God, salvation, and eternal life f 720 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XIV. and that faith is thought from confidence concerning God, salvation, and eternal life." But the emissary said, " I grant that this is faith, and I also grant that charity is that affec- tion for the sake of God, because for the sake of His com- mand 5 but not for the sake of salvation and eternal life." And the wise man of the city said, " Let it be this, that »t is only for the sake of God." After this agreement the wise man of the city said, " Is not affection the primary ? and is not thought from it ? V But he that was sent by the dragon said, "This I deny." But he received for answer, "You cannot deny it. Does not a man think from affection? Take away affection, and can you think any thing ? It is altogether as if you should take away sound from speech. If you take away sound, can you speak any thing ? Sound also is of the affection, and speech is of the thought ; for the affection sounds, and the thought speaks. And it is also like flame and light. If you take away the flame, does not the light perish ? It is the same with charity, because this is affection ; and with faith, because this is thought. Can you not thus comprehend that the primary is the all in the secondary, altogether as the sound is in speech ? From which you may see, that if you do not make that to be the primary which is the primary, you are not in the other. Wherefore, if you take faith, which is in the second place, and put it in the first, you will appear no otherwise in heaven than as a man inverted, whose feet stand upwards, and his head downwards j or like a mountebank, who, with his body upside down, walks upon the palms of his hands. When ye appear such in heaven, what then are your good works, which are charity, but such as that mountebank would do with his feet, because he cannot with his hands ? Hence it is that your charity, as ye also have seen, is natural, and not spiritual, because it is inverted." The emissary under- stood this : for every devil can understand truth, when he hears it; but he cannot retain it, because when the affec- tion of evil returns, it casts out the thought of truth. And No. 655.J THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 721 afterwards the wise man of the city described at length what the quality of faith is when it is taken as the primary, — that it is merely natural ; and that it is mere knowledge, without any spiritual life : consequently, that it is not faith. '* For your charity is nothing but natural affection ; and from natural affection no other than natural thought pro- ceeds, which is your faith. And I may almost say, that in merely natural faith there is scarce any more that is spirit- ual, than in a knowledge of the kingdom of the Mogul, of the diamond mine there, and of the treasure and court of the eniperor." Hearing this, the dragonist went away in a rage, and reported to his friends without the city : and when they heard that it had been said, that charity is the affec- tion of the love of doing good to the neighbor for the sake of God, of salvation, and of eternal life, they all cried out, " This is a lie : " and the dragon himself exclaimed, " O the wickedness ! are not all the good works which are charity, when done for the sake of salvation, meritorious ? " Then they said among themselves,*" Let us call together still more of our friends, and besiege this city : let us make ladders, scale the wall, and rush in by night, and cast out these charities." But when they attempted this, lo, there appeared as it were fire out of heaven, which consumed them. But the fire from heaven was an appearance of their anger from hatred against the others, because they cast down faith from the first place into the second. The reason that they ap- peared to be consumed as if by fire, was because hell was opened under their feet, and swallowed them up. Things similar to this happened in many places at the time of the last judgment, and this is what is meant by these words in the Apocalypse : The Dragon shall go out to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, to gather them to- gether to battle : and they went up on the plain of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved citv . but fire came down from God met of heaven, and consumed them (xx. 8, 9). 722 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvel- lous, seven angels having the seven last plagues ; for in them is consummated the anger of God. 2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3. And they were singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb ; saying, Great and mar- vellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, O King of saints. 4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord ; and glorify thy name, for thou alone art Holy : for all the nations shall come, and shall worship before thee ; because thy judgments are made manifest. 5. And after these things I saw, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6. And the seven angels that had the seven last plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen clean and shining, and girded about the breasts with golden girdles. 7. And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the anger of God who liveth for ever and ever. 8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power : and no one could enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels were consummated. Ciiap. XV.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 723 THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. The prepara- tion for disclosing the last state of the church, and for laying open the evils and falsities in which its members are (vers. 1, 5-8) : from whom those are separated who have confessed the Lord, and have lived according to His precepts (vers. 2-4). The Contents of each Verse. " And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous," signifies a revelation by the Lord concerning the state of the church on earth, what it is as to love and faith. " Seven angels having the seven last plagues," signifies the evils and falsities in the church, such as they are in its last state, disclosed univer- sally by the Lord. " For in them is consummated the anger of God," signifies the devastation of the church, and then its end. " And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire," signifies the farthest boundary of the spiritual world, where those were gathered together who had a religion, and worship from it, but not good of life. " And them that had the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name," signifies those who have rejected faith alone and the doctrine of it, and so have not acknowledged and imbibed its falsities, nor falsified the Word. " Standing by the sea of glass, having the harps of God," signifies the Christian Heaven in the boundaries, and the faith of charity :'n those who were there. " And they were singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb," signifies confession from charity, and thus from a life according to the precepts of the law, which is the Deca- logue, and from faith in the Divinity of the Lord's Human. m Saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty," signifies that all things of the world, of heaven, and of the church were created and made by the Lord from Divine Love by Divine Wisdom. " For just and true are 13* 724 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. thy ways, O King of saints," signifies that all things which proceed from Him are just and true, because He is Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself in heaven and in the church. " Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name," signifies that He alone is to be loved and worshipped. " For thou alone art Holy," signifies that He is the Word, the Truth, and Enlightenment. " Wherefore all the nations shall come and worship before thee," signifies that all who are in the good of love and charity acknowledge the Lord alone as God. " Because thy judgments are made manifest," signifies that the truths of the Word openly testify this. " After these things, I saw, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened," signifies that the inmost of heaven was seen, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the Law, which is the Decalogue. " And the seven angels that had the seven last plagues came out of the temple," signifies preparation by the Lord for influx from the inmost of heaven into the church, that its evils and falsities might be disclosed, and thus the evil be separated from the good. " Clothed in linen clean and shining, and girded about the breasts with golden girdles," signifies that this was from the pure and genuine truths and goods of the Word. " And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials," signifies those truths and goods, by which the evils and falsities of the church are disclosed, taken from the literal sense of the Word. " Full of the anger of God that liveth for ever and ever, signifies the evils and falsities that would appear and would be exposed by the pure and genuine truths and goods of the Word. " And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power," signifies the inmost of heaven full of Spiritual and Heavenly (Celestial) Divine Truth of the Lord. " And no one could enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels were consummated," signifies to such a degree there, that more could not be endured, and this until after devas tat ion the end of that church was seen. No. 657.] THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. 725 THE EXPLANATION. 656. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvel- Ions, signifies a revelation from the Lord concerning the state of the church on earth, what it is as to love and faith. These are the things which are treated of in this chapter and the following, and therefore these are signified by the great and marvellous sign in heaven. That revelation from the Lord concerning heaven and concerning the church, and concerning their state, is signified by a sign in heaven, may be seen above (n. 532, 536). It is concerning love and faith, because it is called great and marvellous ; and great in the Word relates to such things as are of affection and love, and marvellous to such as are of thought and faith. 657. Seven angels having the seven last plagues, signifies the evils and falsities in the church, such as they are in its last state, disclosed universally by the Lord. By the seven angels the universal heaven is signified. But as heaven is not heaven from the things belonging to the angels, but from the Lord, therefore by the seven angels the Lord is signified ; nor can any one else disclose the evils and falsi- ties that are in the church. That heaven is signified by angels, and in the highest sense the Lord, may be seen above (n. 5, 258, 344, 465, 644, 647, 648). By plagues are signified evils and falsities, — evils of love and falsities of faith : for these are the things which are described in the following chapter, and are signified by the evil and noxious sore, by the blood as it were of one dead from which every living soul died, and by the blood into which the waters of the rivers and fountains were turned ; by the heat of the fire that afflicted men ; by the unclean spirits like frogs that were demons ; also by the great hail. The evils and falsities which are signified by all these things are the plagues here; by the last plagues those in the last state of 726 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV the church are signified: by seven are signified all (n. 10, 390). But as those evils which are signified by the plagues in the following chapter are not all in particular, but all in general, by seven is here signified all universally : for the universal embraces all in particular. It is manifest from this, that by " I saw the seven angels that had the seven last plagues" is signified that the evils and falsities in the church, such as they are in its last state, were disclosed universally by the Lord. That plagues signify spiritual plagues, which affect men as to their souls, and destroy them, which are evils and falsities, may be evident from the following passages : From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness, a fresh plague not closed, nor bound up, nor mollified (Isa. i. 6). Jehovah smiteth the peo- ple in anger with an incurable plague (Isa. xiv. 6). O Jehovah, remove thy plague from me, I am consumed by the blow of thine hand (Ps. xxxix. 1 o). Thy wound is incura- ble, with the plague of an enemy have I smitten thee for the multitude of thine iniquity, thy sins have become very many; but I will heal thee of thy plagues (Jer. xxx. 12, 14, 17). If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of the law, Je- hovah will make thy plagues wonderful, plagues great and lasting, and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, even until thou art destroyed (Deut. xxviii. 58, 59, 61). There shall 110 evil befall thee, and neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling (Ps. xci. 10). Edom shall be a desolation, every one that passeth by shall hiss at all her plagues (Jer. xlix. 17). // shall be a desolation, every one that passeth by Babylon shall be astofiished, and shall hiss at all her plagues (Jer. 1. 13). In one day shall plagues come upon Babylon (Apoc. xviii. 8). The two witnesses shall smite the earth with every plague (Apoc. xi. 6). By the plagues of Egypt, which were in part similar to the plagues described in the following chapter, nothing else was signified but evils and falsities ; which plagues you may see enumerated above (n. 503) : they are also called No. 658.] THE ATOCALYPSE REVEALED. 727 plagues (Ex. ix. 14 \ xi. 1). From this it is manifest, that by plagues nothing else is signified but spiritual plagues, which affect men as to their souls, and destroy them j as also Isa. xxx. 26; Zech. xiv. 12, 15; Ps. xxxviii. 5, n; Apoc. ix. 20 ; xvi. 21 ; Ex. xii. 13 ; xxx. 12 \ Num. xi. 33 ; Luke vii. 21 j and elsewhere. 658. For in them is emsummated the anger of God, signi- fies the devastation of the church and then its end. By a consummation the devastation of the church is signified, and then its end ; which is treated of in what follows. By the anger of God is signified evil in men, which, because it is against God, is called God's anger : not that God is angry with man ; but that man, from his evil, is angry against God : and because it appears to the man, while he is punished and tormented therefor, which is done in hell after death, as if it were from God, therefore in the Word anger and fury, yea, evil, are attributed to God : but this in the literal sense, because that sense is written by appear- ances and correspondences : but not in the spiritual sense ; for in this there is not appearance and correspondence, but the truth in its light. Concerning this anger, see above, n. 525, 635. It is said that the anger of God is consum- mated in those plagues, and that by this the devastation of the church and then its end are signified : the reason shall be told. Every church declines in process of time, by receding from the good of love and from the truths of faith, until there is not any thing of them remaining ; and this is caused by successive increments of evil and falsity. And uhere there is no longer any good of love and faith, there is then nothing but evil and falsity : and when it is so, thf* end of the church is come. At this end a man knows no otherwise than that evil is good, and that falsity is truth ; for he loves them from the enjoyment of them, and there- fore confirms them. This is the end which is signified by consummation, and is called devastation in .he following passages : / have heard a onsummation and decree f/om 728 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV yehovah upon the whole earih (Isa. xxviii. 22). The con- summation being decreed, justice has overflowed, for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth maketh a consummation and decree iti the whole earth (Isa. x. 22, 23). In the fire of the zeal of Jehovah shall the whole earth be eaten up, for He shall make a speedy consui?imation of all the inhabitants of the earth (Zeph. i. 18). At length upon the bird of abominations there shall be desolation, and even to a consummation and decree shall it drop upon the devastation (Dan. ix. 27). The whole earth shall be a waste, yet will I not make a consummation (Jer. iv. 27). Jehovah said, I will go down, and will see whether they have made a co?isummatio?i according to the cry which is co??ie imto Me (Gen. xviii. 21) ; concerning Sodom. The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet consummated (Gen. xv. 16). The end of the church is also meant by the con- summation of the age spoken of by the Lord in these pas- sages : The disciples asked Jesus, What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the consummation of the age? (Matt, xxiv. 3). At the time of the harvest I will say to the ?-eap- ersK Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bun- dles to burn them ; but gather the wheat into my barn ; so shall it be in the consummation of the age (Matt. xiii. 30, 40). /;/ the consummation of the age, the angels shall go forth, and shall separate the wicked from among the just (Matt, xiii. 49). Jesus said to the disciples, Behold, I am with you until the consummation of the age (Matt, xxviii. 20). " Until the consummation of the age ': is until the end of the church, when there is a New Church, with which the Lord will then be. 659. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, signifies the farthest boundary of the spiritual world, where those were gathered together who had a religion and worship from it, but not good of life. By the sea of glass (chap. iv. 6), is' signified the newT heaven from Chris- tians who were in general truths from the literal sense of the Word (n. 238). They who are in general truths are No. 660.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 729 also in the boundaries of heaven ; wherefore at a distance they appear as in the sea (n. 398, 403, 404, 405). But by the sea of glass here is signified the farthest boundary of the spiritual world, where were gathered together those who had a religion and from it worship, but not good of life. As a collection of these is signified, it is therefore said, as it were 3. sea of glass ; and it likewise seemed mingled with fire : and by fire the love of evil is there sig- nified, and from it evil of life (n. 452, 468, 494, 766, 767, 787) : thus no good of life ; for where there is not good, there is evil. That a collection of them is here meant by " as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire," is likewise manifest from what now follows \ as that by this sea stood those who had the victory over the beast and over his image : by whom are signified they who by the rejection of faith separate from charity were in good of life, and thence in heaven (n. 660). This sea is also what is meant in chap, xxi. 1 by the sea which was no more (n. 878). What was the quality of this sea, and of those who were there, it has also been given me to see. They were those who had had a religion, had frequented temples, had heard preach- ings, had gone to the Holy Supper, and beyond these things had thought nothing concerning God, salvation, and eternal life ; not knowing what sin is : wherefore were they men as to form, and most of them also as to civil and moral life, but not at all as to spiritual life ; from which, however man is a man. 660. And them that had the victory over the beast, and ovet his image, and over his mark, and over the number of hi; name, signifies those who have rejected faith alone and the doctrine of it, and so have not acknowledged and imbibed its falsities, nor falsified the Word. By the beast the faith of the dragon among the laity is signified, tieated of chap, xiii. 1-10 ; because an image of him was made (vers. 14 there). By his image, the doctrine is signified (n. 602, ^34» 637). By his mark is signified the acknowledgment of 73Q THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV that faith (n. 605, 606, 634, 637, 679). By the number of his name the falsification of the Word is signified (n. 61c). From this it is manifest that by these words are signified, those who rejected faith alone and the doctrine of it, and thus did not acknowledge and imbibe its falsities, nor falsify the Word. 661. Standing by the sea of glass, having the harps of God, signifies the Christian Heaven in the boundaries, and the faith of charity in those who were there. Since by the sea of glass a collection of those who had indeed a religion and worship, but not good of life, is signified (n. 659), therefore by those who were seen to stand by that sea is signified the Christian Heaven in its boundaries, where they had religion, worship, and good of life ; because they had the victory over the beast and over his image. The higher Christian Heaven was treated of in the preceding chapter. They of whom that heaven consisted are meant by the hundred forty-four thousand, who were seen to stand with the Lamb upon mount Zion, who are treated of, n. 612-625. By harps the confession of the Lord from spiritual truths is signified (n. 276, 616). Spiritual truths are those of faith from charity. Their being seen to have harps, and their being heard to sing a song, as presently follows, was representative of confession from the faith of charity. The affections of the thoughts and thence the sounds of the discourse of the angels of heaven are heard variously below in the spiritual world ; either as the sound of waters, or as the sound of thunders, as above (chap. xiv. 2) ; or as the sound of trumpets, as above (chap. iv. 1) ; or as here, like the sound of harps, as also above (chap. v. 8, xiv. 2). But still it is not waters which sound, nor thunders which thunder, nor trumpets and harps which ring ; nor indeed are they songs ; but the discourses of the angels, and their confessions according to their affections and their thoughts from them, are heard thus below ; from which the quality of their love and wisdom is perceived. It is from the No. 662.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 731 correspondence of affection with sound, and of thought with speech, that such things are heard. 662. And they were singing the Song of Moses the servant of God and the Song of the Lamb, signifies confession from charity, and thus from a life according to the precepts of the Law which is the Decalogue, and from faith in the Divinity of the Lord's Human. That to sing a new song is to confess from joy of heart and from affection that the Lord alone is the Saviour, Redeemer, and the God of hea- ven and earth, may be seen above (n. 279, 617). But here it is not said a new song, but the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb : and by the song of Moses is signified confession from a life according to the precepts of the Law which is the Decalogue, and thus from charity ; and by the song of the Lamb, confession from faith in the Divinity of the Lord's Human : for the Lord as to His Divine Human is meant by the Lamb (n. 269, 291, 595) 1 and by Moses in a comprehensive sense is meant all the Law written in his five books, and in a restricted sense the Law which is called the Decalogue : and because this is serviceable to man in regard to life, it is said, " the song of Moses the servant of God ; " for by a servant in the Wed is meant he who is serviceable and that which is serviceable (n. 380) ; here in regard to life. The reason that the Law is meant by Moses in a comprehensive sense, is because his five books are called the Law. That all the precepts, judgments, and statutes given by him in his five books are called the Law, may be seen above (n. 417), That every thing written in those books is called the Law of Moses, and also Moses, may be evident from these pas- sages : Philip said. We have found jfesus, of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets, did write (John i. 45). /;/ the Lata Moses commanded that such should be stoned (John viii. 5). The days of their purification, according to the Law of Moses, were fulfilled (Luke ii. 22). All things must be ful- filled which are written in the Law of Moses and in the 73^ THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. Prophets concerning Me (Luke xxiv. 27, 44). Did not Moses give yon the Law ? Moses gave circumcision that the Law of Moses should not be broken (John vii. 19, 22, 23). Abra- ham said to the rich man in hell, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them ; if they hear not Moses and the P?ophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead (Luke xvi. 29, 31). Therefore the curse is poured upon us and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God : as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil hath come upon ^(Dan. ix. 11, 13). Pe??iember the Law of Moses the servant of God, which L commanded him (Mai. iv. 4). jfehovah said unto Moses, Behold, L will co?ne unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when L speak unto thee, and may also believe in thee for ever (Ex. xix. 9). It may be evident from these passages, that by Moses in the comprehensive sense is meant the Word that was writ- ten by Him, which is called the Law. It follows from this, that the Law which is the Decalogue is meant by Moses ; and the more so, because Moses hewed out the tables after he had broken the former ones (Ex. xxxiv. 1, 4) : and when he carried them down, his face shone (Ex. xxxiv. 29-35) : on which account Moses is represented in pictures holding these tables in his hand. It is also said in Mark, Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother (vii. 10). And Joshua wrote a copy of the Law of Moses upon the stones of the altar (Josh. viii. 32) : that Law was the Decalogue. From these things it may be seen, that noth- ing else is here meant by the song of Moses the servant of God, but confession from charity, and thus from a life according to the precepts of the Law, which is the Deca- logue. 663. Saying, Great a?id marvellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty, signifies that all things of the world, of heaven, and of the church, were created and made by the Lord from His Divine Love by His Divine Wisdom. By the Lord's works are signified all things that were created No. 664.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 733 and made by Him, which in general are all things of the world, all things of heaven, and all things of the church ; which it is not possible to enumerate in particular. They are called great and marvellous, because great has relation to love, and marvellous to wisdom, as above (n 656) ; and the Lord likewise in the Word is called Lord from the Divine Good of His Divine Love, and God from the Divine Truth of His Divine Wisdom. That the Lord is called Almighty, because He is, lives, and can do all things, from Himself, and likewise governs all things from Himself, may be seen above (n. 31). Hence it is, that by "great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty," is signi- fied in the universal sense, that all things of the world, of heaven, and of the church, were created and made by the Lord from His Divine Love by His Divine Wisdom. 664. For just and true are thy ways, O King of saints, signifies that all things which proceed from Him are just and true, because He is Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself in heaven and in the church. By ways are signified truths leading to good (n. 176) : and by King, when speaking of the Lord, the Divine Truth is signified ; and by King of saints the Divine Truth in heaven and the church from Him : for by saints those are signified who are in Divine truths from the Lord (n. 173, 586). Hence by " just and true are thy ways, O King of saints," is signified that all things which proceed from the Lord are just and true, because He is the Divine Truth itself in heaven and in the church. The Lord is called King in His Divine Human, because This is the Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ, the Son of God. That Messiah in the Hebrew language is Christ in the Greek language, and that the Messiah or the Christ is the Son of God, may be seen above (n. 520). That Messiah signifies both King and Anointed in the Hebrew language, is known. The Lord as King is the Divine Truth, because this is signified by a ting (n. 20, 483) : hence it is that by kings are signified 734 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. those who are in Divine truths from the Lord (Apoc. i. 6, v. 10). It is from this, that heaven and the church are called His kingdom, also that His coming into the world is called the Gospel of the kingdom. Heaven and the church are called His kingdom (Dan. ii. 44; vii. 13, 14, 27 j Matt, xii. 28 ; xvi. 28 ; Mark i. 14, 15 ; ix. 1 ; xv. 43 ; Luke i 33 ; iv. 43 j viii. 1, 10; ix. 2, 11, 27; x. 11 \ xvi. 16 ; xix. 1 1 : xxl 31 ; xxii. 18 ; xxiii. 51). And His coming is called the Gospel of the kingdom (Matt. iv. 23 ; ix. 35 ; xxiv. 14). But more may be seen on these subjects in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord." That the Lord is called King, is manifest from these passages : They shall make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings (Apoc. xvii. 14). He that sat upon the white horse is called the Word, and His name is Lord of lords and King of kings (Apoc. xix. 13, 16 ; Dan. ii. 47). Nathanael said, Thou art the Son of God, thou art the Ki?ig of Lsrael (John i. 49). When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, He shall sit upon the throfie of His glory, and the King shall say to them that are on His right hand and on His left (Matt. xxv. 31, 34, 41). They cried, Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Lsrael (John xii. 13). Pilate asked Jesus whether He was a king : Jesus answered, L am a King; to this end was L born, and for this came L into the world (John xviii. 37). Thi?ie eyes shall see the King in His beauty ; Jehovah is our King, He will save us (Isa. xxxiii. 17, 22). L Jehovah am your Holy One, the Creator of Lsrael, your King (Isa. xliii. 15). Thus said Jehovah the King of Lsrael, and His Redeemer Jehovah Zebaoth, L am the First a?id the Last, and besides Me there is no God (Isa. xliv. 6). Jehovah shall be King over the whole earth (Zech. xiv. 9 ; Ps. xlvil 2, 6-8). Lift up your heads, O ye gates, that the King of glory may co??ie in : Jehovah Zebaoth, He is the King of glory (Ps. xxiv. 7-10). Lwill raise up unto David a just Branch, who shall reign King, and shall execute judg No. 666.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 735 me/it 2nd justice in the earth (Jer. xxih. 5 ; xxxiii. 15. Be- sides other places, as Isa. vi. 5 j lii. 7 j Jer. x. 7, 10 ; xlvi. 18 ; Ez. xxxvii. 22, 24; Zeph. iii. 15 j Ps. xx. 9; xlv. 11, 13, 15 ; lxviii. 24; lxxiv. 12). 665. #7*0 .$•/*<*// ;*^*" fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, signifies that He alone is to be loved and worshipped. Sy fearing God is signified to love Him ; and by glorifying His name is signified to worship Him. That He alone is ?o be loved and worshipped is meant by " who shall not/' and by " thou alone art Holy." That to fear God is to love Him by fearing to do contrary to Him, and that this fear is in all love, may be seen above (n. 527, 628). To glorify His name is to worship Him, because by the name of Jehovah is signified every thing by which He is worshipped (n. 81) ; and by glorifying is signified to acknowledge and confess. 666. For thou alone art Holy, signifies that He is the Word, the Truth, and Enlightenment. That the Lord is the Only Holy One, may be seen above (n. 173) ; and that the Divine Truth is what is called holy (n. 173, 580) : and because the Word is the Divine Truth, and the Lord is the Word ; and as the Divine Truth enlightens spiritually, for it is the light in heaven, but from the Lord ; therefore by " thou alone art Holy," is signified that the Lord is the Word, the Truth, and Enlightenment. Since the Word is Divine Truth, and the Divine Truth enlightens spiritually, it is therefore said that the Word was dictated of Jehovah by the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit enlightens and teaches man. But who does not know that God is omni- present, and that what is Holy proceeds from Him, and that it enlightens where it is received. Who cannot con- clude from this, that the Holy Spirit is not a God by itself, distinct from Jehovah or the Lord, as a person fiom a per- son ; but that it is Jehovah Himself or the Lord ? He who acknowledges the Divine Omnipresence, must also ac- knowledge this. That by the Holy Spirit in the Word is 73^ THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV meant the Lord's Divine Life, and thus Himself, and in particular the life of His Wisdom, which is called the Divine Truth, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord" (n. 50-53); where this is demon- strated from the Word. That the Lord is the Word may be seen in John i. 1, 14. That He is the Truth (John xiv. 6). That He is the Light, and thence enlightenment (John xii. 34~36)- 667. Wherefore all the nations shall come and worship be- fore thee, signifies that all who are in the good of love and charity acknowledge the Lord alone as God. By all the nations are signified those who are in the good of love and charity. That these are meant by nations, in a good sense, may be seen above (n. 483). By coming and worshipping before Him, is signified to acknowledge the Lord as God ; and because there is one God, in whom is a Trinity, and the Lord is He, it signifies to acknowledge Him alone as God. 668. Because thy judgments are made manifest, signifies that the truths of the Word, when opened, testify this. By judgments are signified the Divine Truths according to which man is to live, from which it is known what his quality is, and according to which he will be judged : and as these Divine truths are in the Word, and the Word is now opened, and this testifies that the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, therefore by " because thy judgments are made manifest " is signified because the truths of the Word testify that. That the Word is now opened, and that it testifies that the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that we must live according to His precepts, and that the faith of the present day must be removed, may be evident from the four Doctrines now published, one " concerning the Lord," another " concerning the Sacred Scripture," a third " concerning a Life according to the Precepts of the Decalogue," and a fourth " concerning Faith." These are what are meant by " because thy judgments are made manifest." Since the Lord is the Divine Good and the No. 668.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 737 Divine Truth, and the Divine Truth is signified by judg- ment, and the Divine Good by justice, therefore in many places, where the Lord is spoken of, justice and judgment are mentioned : as in the following : Zion shall be 7-edcemcd with justice, and her restored one with judgment (Isa. i. 27). He shall sit upo?i the throne of David and upon his kingdom to establish it in judgment and justice (Isa. ix. 7). Jehovah thall be exalted, for He dwelleth on high, a?id hath filled the earth with judgment and justice (Isa. xxxiii. 5). Let him that glorieth glory in this, that Jehovah doeth judgment and justice in the earth (Jer. ix. 24). I will raise up unto David a just Branch, who shall reign King and execute judgment and justice in the earth (Jer. xxiii. 5 ; xxxiii. 15). I will betroth Me to thee in justice and in judgment (Hos. ii. 19). Judgment shall flow as water, and justice as a mighty stream (Am. v. 24). O Jehovah, thy jus flee is like the mountains of God, and thy judgments a great deep (Ps. xxxvi. 6). Je- hovah shall bring forth thy justice as the light, a?id thy judg- ment as the noonday (Ps. xxxvi i. 6). Jehovah will judge thy people with justice, and thy poor with judgment (Ps. lxxii. 2) Justice and judgment are the support of His throne (Ps. lxxxix. 14). When I shall have learned the judgments of thy justice : seven times in a day do I praise thee, because of the judgments of thy justice (Ps. cxix. 7, 164). And in other places, that men ought to do justice and judgment, as Isa. i. 21 ; v. 16 ; lvi. 1 ; lviii. 2 ; Jer. iv. 2 j xxii. 3, 13, 15 • Ez. xviii. 5 ; xxxiii. 14, 16, 19 ; Am. vL 12 ; Mic. vii. 9 ; Deut. xxxiii. 21 ; John xvi. 8, 10. In these passages jus- tice has relation to the good of truth, and judgment to the tiuth of good. Since judgment relates to truth, and justice to good, therefore we read in some places of truth and justice j as Isa. xi. 5 ; Ps. lxxxv. 11 : and in David, The judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are just altogether ; more to be desired than gold, sweeter than honey (Ps. xix. 9, 10). That the Lord's government in the heavenly (celestial) kingdom is called justice, and in the spiritual 733 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. kingdom judgment, may be seen in the work on " Heaven and Hell," published at London (n. 214-216). 669. After these things I saw, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened, signifies that the inmost of heaven was seen, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the Law which is the Deca- logue. By the temple in the highest sense is signified the Lord as to His Divine Human, and thence heaven and the church (n. 191, 529) ; here the Christian heaven. By the tabernacle of the testimony the inmost of that heaven is signified, where the Lord is in His holiness, in the Word, and in the Law which is the Decalogue, since heaven as well was signified by the tabernacle (n. 585) ; and the inmost of the tabernacle was where the ark was, in which were the two tables, upon which the Ten Words were written by the finger of God, which are the Ten Precepts of the Decalogue, which are meant by the Testimony, and likewise are called the Testimony : from which it is manifest, that by " I saw, and behold, the tem- ple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened," is signified that the inmost of heaven was seen where the Lord is in His holiness, in the Law, which is the Decalogue. That by the tabernacle is also signified where the Word is, is because "the Testimony " applies not only to the Law which is the Decalogue, but to the Word also, and to the Lord as the Word, because the Word testifies of Him (n. 490, 555). That the Word is in heaven, and laid up there in its inmost, which is called the Sacrarium, and that there is flamy and bright light exceeding every degree of the light elsewhere in heaven, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture " (n. 70-75) ; and concern ing that Sacrarium (n. 73 there). Concerning the holiness of the Law which is the Decalogue, see the " Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem from the Precepts of the Dec- alogue " (n. 53-60). That the Ark, i?i which were the two tables of the Decalogue, made the Adytum or inmost of the tem- ple of Jerusalem, and thus made the tabernacle there, may be No. 670.] THE ArOCALVPSE REVEALED. 739 seen (1 Kings vi. 19-2S ; viii. 3-9). That the Law which is the Decalogue was called the Testimony, is evident from these passages : Moses came down, and the two tables of the Testimony 7ucre in his hand ; the tables were the work of God ; the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables (Ex. xxxii. 15, 16). The two tables of the Testimony, tables of stone, written by the finger of God (Ex. xxxi. 18). Jeho- vah said, Thou shalt put into the Ark the Testimony which I shall give thee (Ex. xxv. 16, 21, 22). And Moses took and put the Testimony into the Ark (Ex. xL 20). That the cloud of incense may cover the mercy-seat which is upon the Testimony (Lev. xvl 13). Jehovah said unto Moses, Leave the rod be- fore the Testimony, and afterwards Aaron's rod before the Testimony (Num. xvii. 4, 9, 10). And Moses left the rods before Jehovah (Num. xvii. 7). The Ark is called the Ark of the Testimony ^Ex. xxxi. 7) ; and the Tabernacle is called the habitation of the Testimony (Ex. xxxviii. 21). 670. And the seven angels that had the seven plagues came out of the temple, signifies preparation by the Lord for influx from the inmost of heaven into the church, that its evils and falsities might be disclosed universally, and thus the evil be separated from the good. That the Lord is meant by the seven angels, may be seen above (n. 657) : that all evils and falsities, understood universally, are sig- nified by the seven plagues, may also be seen above (n. 657). By the temple here is meant the inmost of heaven, where are the Word and the Decalogue j as just above (n. 669). By their coming out of the temple is sig- nified preparation for influx, because they came out that they might afterwards receive the vials, and cast the plagues in the vials into the earth, the sea, the rivers and fountains, the sun, upon the throne of the beast, and into the air ; by which is signified influx into the church, that its evils and falsities may be disclosed. That this was for the sake of their separation from the good will be seen in the following chapter. vol. 11. 14 740 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. 671. ClotJied in linen clean and shifting, and girded about the. breasts with golden girdles, signifies that this was from the pure and genuine truths and goods of the Word. By the linen clean and shining, is signified truth, pure and genuine, as will be shown presently. By a golden girdle around the breast is signified the Divine proceeding and at the same time conjoining, which is the Divine good ; see above (n. 46). By being clothed and girded is signified to appear and be presented in them : for garments signify truths clothing good (n. 166); and girdles or belts signify truths and goods holding together in order and connection (n. 46). It is manifest from these statements, that by the angels " clothed in linen clean and shining, and girded about the breasts with golden girdles," are signified truths and goods pure and genuine, which, as they are from no other source than the Word, signify the truths and goods of the Word. That linen signifies Divine Truth may be evident from the following statements : as that Aaro?i had breeches of linen, when he entered into the Tent, and drew near to the altar (Ex. xxviii. 42, 43). That when Aaron entered into the holy- place, he put on the holy linen coat, breeches of li?ten were upon his flesh ; with a linen belt he girded himself, and put upon himself the linen mitre : these were the holy garments, and he put on the same garments, when he made atonement for the people (Lev. xvi. 4, 32). In like manner that the priests, the Levites, when they entered at the gates of the inner court, put on linen garments, liticn bonnets upon their heads, and linen breeches upon their loins (Ez. xliv. 17, 18). That the priests wore linen ephods (1 Sam. xxii. 18). That Samuel, when he ?ninistered while a boy before Jehovah, was clothed in a linen ephod (1 Sam. ii. 18). That David, when the A rk was tra?isferred into his city, was girded with a linen ephod (2 Sam. vi. 14). From these things it may be evi- dent, why the Lord, when He washed the disciples' feet, girded himself with a linen-cloth, and wiped their feet with the linen- cloth (John xiii. 4, 5). That angels also appeared clothed No. 672.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 741 with linen (Dan. x. 5 ; Ez. ix. 2-4, 1 1 ; x. 2-7). Also the angels seen in the Lord's sepulchre appeared clothed with bright and shining white (Matt, xxviii. 3). That the angel tli at measured the new temple had a li?ien line in his hand (Ez. xl. 3). That Jeremiah, that he might represent the state of the church as to truth, was commanded to buy a linen girdle, and hide it in a hole of a rock by the Euphrates, and afterwards found it spoiled (Jer. xiiL 1-7). It is also said in Isaiah, A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking fax shall He not quench, He shall bring forth judgment unto truth (xlii. 3). By linen in these places nothing else is meant than truth. 672. And one of the four animals gave to the seven angels seven golden vials, signifies those truths and goods by which the evils and falsities of the church are disclosed, taken from the literal sense of the Word. That the four animals, which are cherubs, signify the Word in ultimates, and guards lest its genuine truths and goods should be vio- lated, may be seen above (n. 239) : and as the interior truths and goods of the Word are guarded by its literal sense, that sense of the Word is therefore signified by one of the four animals. The same is signified by the seren vials as by the seven plagues, for they are the containers : and by the containers in the Word the same is signified as by the things contained ; as by a cup the same as by wine, and by a platter the same as by food. That by cups, gob- lets, vials, and plates, similar things are signified as by their contents, will be seen in what now follows. What is signified by the seven angels has been said above. That vials were given to them, is because the subject treated of is the influx of truth and good into the church, that evils and falsities may be disclosed : and naked goods and truths cannot flow in, for these are not received ; but truths clothed, such as are in the literal sense of the Word. And besides, the Lord always operates from inmosts through ultimates, or in fulness. This is the reason that THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. vials were given to the angels : by which are signified containing goods and truths, such as those of the literal sense of the Word, by which falsities and evils are de- tected. That the literal sense of the Word is a container, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jerusalem con- cerning the Sacred Scriptures" (n. 27-36, and 37-49). That by vials, plates, cups, and goblets, and by bottles, those things are signified which are contained in them, may be evident from the following passages : Jehovah said, Take the acp of anger from my hand, and make all the nations to d?'ink : and if they refuse to take the cups, thou shalt say, ye shall certainly drink (Jer. xxv. 15, 16, 28). Babylon hath been a golden cup i?i the ha?id of Jehovah, that made the whole earth drunken (Jer. li. 7). I will give the cup of thy sister into thine hand; thou shalt be filed with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria (Ez. xxiii. 31-34). The cup of Jehovah shall go around to thee, that there may be vomit upon thy glory (Hab. ii. 16). Even unto thee, O daughter of Edo?n, shall the cup pass over ; thou shalt be made drunken and shalt make thyself naked (Lam. iv. 21). Jehovah shall rain upon the wicked terrible winds ; this shall be the portion of their cup (Ps. xi. 6). In tfie hand of Jehovah there is a cup, and He hath mixed the wine, He hath filled it with the mixture, and hath poured out ; all the wicked of the earth shall drink (Ps. lxxv. 8). They who worship the beast shall drink of the wi?ie of the anger of God, poured out without mixture in the cup of His fury (Apoc. xiv. 10). Awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk from the hand of Jehovah the cup of His anger ; thou hast drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling (Isa. li. 17). The woman havi?ig a golden acp in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication (Apoc. xvii. 4). Double unto her double, in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double (Apoc. xviii. 6). / make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all people (Zech. xii. 2). Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the No. 673 ] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 743 cup, that the outside may be clean also (Matt, xxiii. 25, 26 ; Luke xi. 39). Jesus said to the sons of Zebedee, Can ye drink of the cup that I shall di'ifik of? (Matt. xx. 22, 23 ; M irk x. 38, 39). Jesus said to Peter, The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it? (John xviii. 11). Jesus said in Gethsemane, If possible, let this cup pass from Me (Matt. xxvi. 39, 42, 44). Jesus took the cup, saying, Drink all ye of it; this is My blood, of the New Covenant (Matt. xxvi. 27, 28; Mark xiv. 23, 24; Luke xxii. 17). Jehovah is my cup, thou maintainest my lot (Ps. xvi. 5). Thou preparest a table before me, my cup runneth over (Ps. xxiii. 5). What shall I re?ider unto Jehovah? I will take the cup of salvation (Ps. cxvi. 12, 13). To drink of the cup of consolation (Jer. xvi. 7). The same as by a goblet and a cup is also signified by a vial, likewise by a bottle (Matt, ix. 17 ; Luke v. 37, 38 ; Jer. xiii. 12 ; xlviii. 12 ; Hab. ii. 15). By vials, censers, and incense-boxes, containing incense, the same is signified as by incense : in general, by vessels of every kind the same is signified as by the things in them. 673. Full of the anger of God that liveth for ever and ever, signifies the evils and falsities that would appear and would be exposed by the pure and genuine truths and goods of the Word. It is said that the vials were full of the anger of God, because they were full of the plagues ; by which are signified the evils and falsities of the church (n. 657) but still they were not full of these, but full of pure and genuine goods and truths from the Word, by which the evils and falsities of the church would be disclosed : nor were they really vials, with truths and goods in them ; but representatives of influx from heaven into the church. It is according to the style of the Word in its literal sense that they are said to be full of the anger of the living God ; as may be evident from the passages adduced above, in Which anger and fury are ascribed to Jehovah j when yet Jehovah has no anger nor fury, but man has it against 744 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. Him. The reason that it is so said in the literal sense may be seen above (n. 525, 635, 658). From this it is manifest that by the vials full of the anger of God that livedi for ever and ever, are signified the dreadful evils and falsities of the church that would appear and would be exposed by the goods and truths of the Word. Evils and falsities are exposed in no other way than by truths and goods ; for these are in the light of heaven, but falsities and evils are in the darkness of hell : and in darkness nothing is exposed, because nothing but evil and falsity appears there. But by light from heaven all things are exposed, because in that all things appear : for light from heaven is the Divine Truth of the Lord's Divine Wisdom. 674. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory rf God and from His power, signifies the inmost of heaven full of spiritual and heavenly (celestial) Divine Truth from the Lord. By the temple, the inmost of heaven is signified, as shown above (n. 669). By the smoke is signified the Divine in the ultimates, as will be seen presently. By glory is signified spiritual Divine Truth (n. 249, 629) ; and by power heavenly Divine Truth (n. 373). Hence by the temple being filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, is signified the inmost heaven full of Divine Truth spiritual and heavenly. Smoke signifies the Divine Truth in ultimates, because fire, from which is smoke, signifies love ; the fire of the altar of burnt- offering, heavenly love (n. 395, 494) ; and the fire of the altar of incense, spiritual love (n. 277, 392, 394). That smoke signifies these things may be evident from these passages : Jehovah will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion a cloud by day, a?id smoke and. the brightness of fire by night ; upon all the glory shall be a covering (Isa. iv. 5). The posts of the threshold were moved at the voice oj the seraphim that cried, a?id the house was filled with smoke (Isa. vi. 4). The smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the angels out of the hand of the angel before God (Apoc. No 675.] THE ArOCALYPSE REVEALED. 745 viii. 4). The smoking flax shall He 7iot quench. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth (Isa. xlii. 3). That smoke in the opposite sense signifies the falsities of lusts, may be seen above (n. 422) ; and falsities originating in the pride of one's own intelligence (n. 452). Also, smoke in many places signifies the same as a cloud. 674-i-. And no one could oiter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels ivere consummated) signifies to such a degree there that more could not be endured, and this until, after devastation, the end of that church was seen. By no one being able to enter into the temple, is signified that the inmost of heaven was full of spiritual and heavenly Divine Truth to such a degree that more could not be endured. By the temple, here as above, the inmost of heaven is signified. By " until the seven plagues of the seven angels were consummated," is signified that this would continue until the end of the church, after devastations (n. 658). And by the seven plagues of the seven angels, the evils and falsities which devastate the church and make an end of it are signified (n. 657). 675. To this I will add this Relation. There was seen a certain paper sent down from the Lord through heaven to a society of the English, — to one of the smallest of their societies, where also there were two bishops. The paper contained an exhortation that they should acknowl- edge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth, as He taught (Matt, xxviii. 18) ; and that they should recede from the doctrine of justifying faith without the works of the law, because it is erroneous. This paper was read and copied by many ; and respecting the things that were in it they thought and spoke soundly from interior judgment, and were enlightened by the Lord; and the enlightenment was received in the light, which is present with the English 746 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV more than with others. Yet after they had received those things, they said among themselves, "Let us hear the bishops." And they were heard ; but they contradicted and disapproved. For those bishops who were there, were of those who had become in the world hard of heart as to the spiritual things of faith and charity, from the love of dominion over the holy things of the church, and of super- eminence by means of them in politics also. Wherefore, after a shoit consultation among themselves, they sent the paper back to heaven, whence it came. This being done, after some murmuring, most of the laity receded from their former assent ; and then their light in spiritual things, which before shone brightly, was suddenly extinguished ; and they were afterwards admonished again, but in vain. I saw that society sinking down, — but how deeply I did not see, — and thus withdrawn from the sight of the angels, who worship the Lord only, and abhor faith alone. But after some days, I saw as many as a hundred of them ascending from the lower earth, whither that small society sank down ; who came up to me, and a wise man from among them spoke and said, " Hear a wonder : when we sank down, the place at first appeared to us like a lake, but soon like dry land ; and afterwards like a small city, in which every one had his house, but a poor one. After a day we consulted among ourselves what was to be done. Many said that we must go to the two bishops, and mildly censure them, because they sent back the paper into heaven, whence it was let down ; on account of which this had hap- pened to us." They chose certain ones, who went to the bishops : and he that was speaking with me said that he was one of them. " And then a certain one among us who excelled in wisdom, addressed the bishops thus. ' Hear, ye fathers ; we believed that with us above others was the church which deserved to be called the chief in the Chris- tian world, and a religion which deserves to be called the noblest. But there has been given to us enlightenment No. 675.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 747 from heaven, and in the enlightenment a perception that at this day there is no longer any church in the Christian world, nor any religion.' The bishops replied, 1 What are vou saying ? Is there not a church where the Word is, where Christ the Saviour is known, and where are the sacraments ? ' To this our friend made answer, ' Those things are the church, and they make the church ; but they do not make it outside of man, but within him.' And he said farther, ' As to the church : can the church be where three Gods are worshipped ? Can the church be where the whole of its doctrine is founded upon a single saying of Paul falsely understood, and hence not upon the Word? Can the church be where the Saviour of the world is not approached, and where He is divided into two ? As to religion : who can deny that religion is to shun evil and to do good? Is there any religion where it is taught that faith alone saves, and not charity ? Is there religion where it is taught that charity proceeding from a man is nothing but moral and civil charity ? Who does not see that in that charity there is not any thing of religion ? Is there in faith alone any thing of deed or of work ? And yet religion consists in doing. Is there found in the entire world a nation having any religion, which excludes all saving power from the goods of charity, which are good works ? when yet the all of religion consists in good, and the all of the church in doctrine, which must teach truths, and good by truth. See, Fathers, what glory we should have, if the church, which is not, and religion, which is not, should begin and arise with us.' Then those bishops replied, 'You speak too loftily. Is not faith in act, which is faith fully justifying and saving, the church ? and is not faith in state, which is faith proceeding and perfecting, religion ? Apprehend this, my children.' But the wise Englishman then said, 1 Hear, Fathers : does not a man conceive faith in act like a stock? Is the church, according to your idea, in a stock that is then vivified ? Is not faith in state the continuation and pro* 14* 748 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. gression of faith in act ? And since according to your idea every thing saving is in faith, and not any thing in the good of charity from man, where then is religion ? ■ The bishops then said, ' Friend, you speak thus, because you do not know the mysteries of justification by faith alone ; and he who does not know them, does not know the way of salvation interiorly. Your way is an external and plebeian way. Walk on in it, if you will : but know only that all good is from God, and nothing from man : and that thus in spiritual things a man can do absolutely nothing of himself. How then can a man do good, which is spiritual good, of himself ? ' The Englishman that was speaking with them, being indignant at this, said, ' I know your mysteries of justification better than you do yourselves ; and I tell you plainly, that in these deep mysteries of yours I have seen nothing but spectres. Is not religion to acknowledge and love God, and to shun and hate the devil? Is not God good itself, and the devil evil itself ? Who in the whole world, who has any religion, does not know this ? Is not acknowledging and loving God the doing of good because this is of God and from God ? and is not shunning and hating the devil the not doing of evil because it is of the devil and from the devil ? Your faith in act, which you called faith fully justifying and sav- ing, or, what is the same, your act of justification by faith alone, — does it teach the doing, of any good which is of God and from God ? and does it teach the shunning of any evil which is of the devil and from the devil ? Absolutely nothing, because you have decided that there is nothing of saltation in either. What is your faith in state, which you have called faith proceeding and perfecting, but the same with faith in act ? How can this be perfected, when you exclude all good done by man as of himself? saying, "How can a man be saved by any good from himself, when salva- tion is gratuitous ? " Also, " What good is from man but meritorious good ? and yet Christ's merit is all ; and there- fore to do good for the sake of salvation would be to attrib- No. 675.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 749 ute to one's self what is Christ's alone ; and thus it would be also to wish to justify and save one's self." You add, " How can any one operate good, when the Holy Spirit operates all things without any help of man's ? What need is there then of any accessory good from man, when all the good from man is in itself not good ? " — and more besides. Are not these your mysteries ? But in my eyes they are mere subtleties and artifices contrived for the end that you may set aside good works, which are the goods of charity, to establish your faith alone. And because you do this, you regard man — as to these things, and in general as to all spiritual things which are of the church and religion — as a stock, or as a lifeless form, and not as a man created in the image of God, to whom was given, and is continually given, the faculty of understanding and willing, of believing and loving, and of speaking and doing, altogether as of him- self; especially in spiritual things, because from them man is man. If a man did not think and operate as of himself in spiritual things, what then would faith be ? and charity ? unci worship ? yea, what would become of the church and religion ? You know that to do good to the neighbor from love is charity. Yet you do not know what charity is ; when yet charity is the soul, the life, and the essence of faith. And because charity is all that, what then is faith when charity is removed, but dead faith ? and dead faith is nothing but a spectre. I call it a spectre, because the apostle James calls faith without good works not only dead, but also diabolical.' Then one of those two bishops, wl.en he heard his faith called dead, diabolical, and a spectre, grew so furious, that he snatched the mitre from his head, and threw it upon a table, saying, ' I will not resume it until I have taken vengeance upon the enemies of the faith of our church.' And he shook his head, muttering and saying, 1 That James, that James.' Upon the mitre was a plate, on which was engraved Faith Alone. And then there suddenly appeared a monster rising out of the earth, 750 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XV. with seven heads, whose feet were like a bear's, and his mouth like a lion's, altogether like the beast which is described Apoc. xiii. i, 2 ; whose image was made and worshipped (vers. 14, 15 of the same chapter). This spectre took the mitre from the table, and stretched it out beneath, and put it upon his seven heads : after which, the earth opened under his feet, and he sank down into hell. Seeing this, that bishop cried out, ' Violence, violence.' We then left them * and behold, there were steps before our eyes, by which we ascended, and returned upon the earth, and into the view of heaven, where we were before." These things the wise Englishman related to me. Chap. XVI.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 751 CHAPTER SIXTEENTH. i And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the vials of the anger of God upon the earth. 2. And the first went forth, and poured out his vial upon the earth ; and there came an evil and noxious sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that worshipped his image. 3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea : and it became blood as of one dead, and every li\ ing soul died in the sea. 4. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and upon the fountains of waters ; and they became blood. 5. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art just, O Lord, who art, and who wast, and art Holy, because thou hast judged these things. 6. For the blood of saints and prophets have they poured out ; and blood hast thou given them to drink, for they are worthy. 7. And I heard another out of the altar saying, Yea, Lord God Almighty, true and just are thy judgments. 8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun j and it was given him to scorch men with fire. 9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blas- phemed the name of God who hath power over these plagues, and they repented not to give Him glory. 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast ; and his kingdom became dark, and they gnawed their tongues for distress. 11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their pains and for their sores, and repented not of their works. 752 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI. 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. T3. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14. For they are spirits of demons, doing signs, to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15. Behold, I come as a thief : Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, that he may not walk naked, and they see his shame. 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon. 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air : and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done. 18. And there were voices, and lightnings and thunders and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great. 19. And the great city was rent into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell j and great Babylon came into re- membrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fury of His anger. 20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 2\. And a great hail as of a talent- weight came down out of heaven upon men ; and men blasphemed God be- cause of the plague of the hail ; for the plague thereof was exceeding great Chap. XVI.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 753 THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. The Contents of the whole Chapter. In this chapter the evils and falsities in the church of the Re- formed are disclosed by influx out of heaven (vers. 1) : Into the clergy (vers. 2) : Into the laity (vers. 3) : Into their understanding of the Word (vers. 4, 5, 6, 7) : Into their love (vers. 8, 9): Into their faith (vers. 10, 11): Into their interior reasonings (vers. 12, 13, 14, 15): Into all things of them together (vers. 17-21). The Contents of each Verse. " And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go, and pour out the vials of the anger of God upon the earth," signifies influx from the Lord from the inmost of heaven into the church of the Reformed, where are they who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life. " And the first went forth, and poured out his vial upon the earth," signifies into those who are in the in- teriors of the church of the Reformed, and study the doc- trine of justification by faith alone, and are called the clergy. " And there came an evil and noxious sore," signi- fies interior evils and falsities destructive of all good and truth in the church. " Upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that worshipped his image," signifies in those who live faith alone and receive the doctrine of it. " And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea," signifies influx among those there who are in its externals, and in that faith, and are called the laity. " And it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea," sig- nifies infernal falsity with them, by which every truth of the Word and thence of the church and of faith was extin- guished. " And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and upon the fountains of waters," signifies influx into the understanding of the Word with them. " And they became blood," signifies the truths of the Word falsi- 754 THE APCCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVL fied. " And I heard the angel of the waters say," signifies the Divine Truth of the Word. " Thou art just, O Lord, who art, and who wast, and art Holy, because thou hast j ldged these things," signifies that this is from the Divine Providence of the Lord, who is and who was the Word, which otherwise would be profaned. " For the blood of saints and prophets have they poured out," signifies that this is for the reason, that this single point, that faith alone without the works of the law saves, being received, perverts all doctrinal truths from the Word. " And thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy," signifies that it was permitted those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone in doctrine and in life, to falsify the truths of the Word, and to imbue their life with them so falsified. " And I heard another out of the altar, saying, Yea, Lord God Almighty, true and just are thy judgments," signifies the Divine Good of the Word confirming that Divine Truth. " And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun," signifies influx into their love. " And it was given him to scorch men with fire," signifies that love to the Lord tor- tured them, because they were in the lusts of evils from the enjoyment of their love. " And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God who hath power over these plagues," signifies that on account of the enjoyment of the love of self arising from vehement lusts of evils they did not acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord's Human, from which nevertheless flows all good of love and truth of faith. " And they repented not to give Him glory," signifies that on that account they cannot re- ceive with any faith that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth as to His Human also, although the Word teaches it. " And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast," signifies influx into their faith. "And his king- dom became dark," sig?iifies that nothing but falsities ap- peared. " And they gnawed their tongues for distress," signifies that they could not endure truths. " And bias- Chap. XVI.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 755 phemed the God of heaven for their distresses and for theii sores," signifies that they cojld not acknowledge the Lord alone to be God of heaven and earth on account of resist- ance from interior falsities and evils. " And repented not of their works," signifies that though instructed from the Word, they still do not recede from falsities of faith and the evils of life thence. " And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates," signifies influx into their inteiior reasonings, by which they confirm justification by faith alone. " And the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared," signifies that the falsities of their reasonings were removed with those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and are to be introduced into the New Church. " And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet," signifies the perception that from a theology founded upon the doctrine of a trinity of persons in the Divinity, and upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law. "Three unclean spirits like frogs," signifies that there arose mere latiocina tions and lusts of falsifying truths. " For they are spirits of demons," signifies that they were the lusts of falsifying truths and of reasoning from falsities. " Doing signs, to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Al- mighty," signifies asseverations that their falsities are truths, and the stirring up of all in the whole of that church who are in the same falsities, to attack the truths of the New Church. " Behold, I come as a thief : Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments," signifies the Lord's coming, and heaven then for those who look to Him, and remain stead- Cast in a life according to His precepts, which are the truths of the Word. " That he may not walk naked, and they see his shame," signifies lest they should be with those who are vn no truths, and their infernal loves should appear. " And 756 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI. he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon," signifies the state of combat from falsities against truths, and the purpose of destroying the New Church, arising from the love of dominion and superemi- nence. " And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air," signifies influx into all things collectively with them. " And there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done," signifies that it was thus made manifest by the Lord, that all the things of the church were devastated, and that the last judgment was now at hand. " And there were voices, and lightnings and thunders," signifies ratiocinations, falsifications of truth, and argumentations from the falsities of evil. " And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great," signifies as it were shakings, convulsions, overturnings, and the drawing down from heaven of all the things of the church. " And the great city was rent into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell," signifies that that church as to doctrine was altogether destroyed by them, and so too all the heresies which have emanated from it. " And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup ot the wine of the fury of His anger," signifies the destruction also at that time of the dogmas of the Roman Catholic religion. " And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found," signifies that there wras no longer any truth of faith, nor any good of love. " And a great hail as of a talent-weight came down out of heaven upon men," signifies direful and atrocious falsities, by which every truth of the Word and thence of the church was destroyed. " And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great," signifies that because they confirmed such falsities with themselves, they denied truths to such a degree that they could not know them, on account of repugnances arising from their interior falsities md evils. No. 6;6.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 757 THE EXPLANATION. 676. And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the vials of the anger of God upon the earth, signifies influx from the Lord from the inmost of heaven into the church of the Reformed, where are they who are in faith separated from charity as to doctrine and as to life, to take away truths and goods from them, and to open the falsities and evils in which they are, and thus to separate them from those who believe in the Lord, and from Him are in charity and its faith. These in a summary are the things which are contained in this chapter. By the temple is signified the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, spoken of in the preceding chapter, xv. 5 ; by which the inmost of heaven is signified, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the law which is the Decalogue (n. 669). By a great voice thence is signified the Divine command, that they should go and pour out the vials. By the seven angels the Lord is meant, as above (n. 657). By pouring out the vials, in which were the plagues, upon the earth, is signified an influx into the church of the Reformed : by pouring out the vials is signified influx, and by the earth the church is signified (n. 285). The church with the Reformed is still treated of ; but in the following chapter the church among the Roman Catholics, and afterwards the last judgment, and at length the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, are treated of (see the Preface and n. 2.) Chapters viii. and ix., above, treat of the seven angels that had the seven trumpets with which they sounded ; and as many similar things occur there, it shall here be told what is signified by those seven angels, and what by these. By the seven trumpets with which the seven angels sounded, is signified exploration and manifestation of the falsities and evils in which they are who are in faith separated from charity; 758 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI. but by the seven vials full of the seven last plagues is signified their devastation and consummation ; for the last judgment is not executed upon them until they are devas- tated. Devas cation and consummation are effected in the spiritual world in this manner : From those who are in falsities as to doctrine and thence in evils as to life all the goods and truths which they possessed only in the natural man, and from which they simulated Christian men, are taken away ; which being taken away, they are separated from heaven and conjoined to hell : and then according to the varieties of their lusts they are arranged into societies in the world of spirits, which afterwards sink down. The goods and truths are taken away from them by an influx from heaven : the influx is from genuine truths and goods, by which they are tormented and tortured, scarce otherwise than as a serpent brought to the fire, or cast upon an ant hill : wherefore they reject from themselves the goods and truths of heaven, which are also the goods and truths of the church, and at length curse them \ for the reason that they felt as it were an infernal torture from them. When this is done, they enter into their evils and falsities, and are separated from the good. These are the things which are described and signified in^this chapter by the casting forth of the vials in which were the seven last plagues. In the vials there were not those evils and falsities which are signified by the plagues, but there were genuine truths and goods, whose effect was such as is described. For the angels went out of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, by which is meant the inmost of heaven, where there are nothing but truths and goods in Di- vine holiness (chap. xv. 6). This is the devastation and consummation of which the Lord speaks in these words: WJwever hath, to him it shall be given, that he may have more abundantly ; but whoever hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away fro?n him (Matt. xiii. 12 ; Mark iv. 25). Take the talent from him, and give it to him that hath No. 678.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 759 ten talents ; for to every one that hath shall be given, that he may abound; but from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him (Matt. xxv. 28, 29 ; Luke xix. 24-26). 677. And the first went forth, and poured out his vial upon the earth, signifies into those who are in the interiors of the church of the Reformed, and study the doctrine of justification by faith alone, who are called the clergy. The influx is signified by pouring out the vial, as above (n. 676). By the earth the church is signified (n. 285) ; here among those therein who are in its interiors, who are they that study the doctrine of justification by faith alone: these also say that they know the interiors of it. But the interiors are only the confirmations of the one position, that faith alone justifies without the works of the law. They know no other interiors ; and because in these are chiefly the priests, the professors of theology, and the lect- urers, of the seminaries, in a word the teachers and pastors, therefore this first influx was into them, who are called the clergy. That it is they who are meant, is because it is said that the first angel poured out his vial upon the earth, and the second upon the sea ; and by the earth here is meant the church with tho«e who are in its internals, and by the sea is meant the church with those who are in its externals, as above (n. 398, 403, 404, 420, 470). It is manifest also that they are meant, from the fact that it is said that there came a sore upon them. 678. And there came an evil and noxious sore, signifies interior evils and falsities destructive of all good and truth in the church. Nothing else is signified by a sore here but evil arising from a life according to this primary article of doctrine, that faith alone without the works of the law jus- tifies and saves; because it came "upon the men that had the mark of the beast and worshipped his image ; " by which that faith and the life according to it are signified • and therefore by the evil and noxious sore are signified 760 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVL interior evils and falsities destructive of all good and truth in the church. By noxious is signified destructive ; and evil cannot but destroy good, and falsity truth. A sore signifies these things, because the sores of the body arise from a corrupt state of the blood, or some other interior malignity. It is the same with the sores meant in the spiritual sense: these arise from lusts and their enjoy- ments, which are the interior causes. The evil itself, which is signified by a sore, and appears as an enjoyment in the externals, conceals within, in itself the lusts from which it arises and of which it is made up. It should be well known, that the interiors of the human mind with every one are in successive order and in simultaneous order. They are in successive order from the higher or prior to the lower or posterior things of it : they are in simultaneous order in the ultimate or last things ; but they exist in these from the interiors to the exteriors as from the centre to the circumferences. That it is so, has been fully shown in the "Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom" (n. 173-281), where degrees are treated of; from which it is manifest, that the ultimate is the aggregate of all the prior things. Hence it follows, that all the lusts of evil exist in simultaneous order within in that evil which a man perceives in himself. All the evil which a man perceives in himself is in ultimates ; and therefore, when the man rejects the evil from himself, he also rejects the lusts for it at the same time ; but still not of himself, but of the Lord. A man can indeed reject the evil of himself, but not the lusts for it : wherefore, when he wishes to reject evil by fighting against it, he must look to the Lord ; for the Lord operates from inmosts to ulti- mates ; for He enters through the man's soul, and purifies. These things have been said, that it may be known that a sore signifies evil appearing in the ultimates or outmosts, arising from an interior malignity. This takes place with all Who persuade themselves that faith alone saves, and No. 679.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 76l on that account do not reflect upon any evil in themselves, nor look to the Lord. Sores and wounds signify evils in the outmosts arising from more internal evils, which are lusts, in the following passages also : From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness ; a wound and a scar, and a fresh hurt : they have not been pressed, nor bowid up, nor mollified with oil (Isa. i. 6, 7). Mine iniquities have gone over my head ; my wounds have putrefied, they have wasted away, because of my foolishness (Ps. xxxviii. 4, 5). /;/ the day that Jehovah shall bind up the breach of His people, a?id shall heal the wound of their hurt (Isa. xxx. 26). If thou wilt not obey the voice of Jehovah observing to do His coi7i?na7idments, Jehovah will smite thee with the sore of Egypt, with e?nerods and with the scab, and with the itch, and with an evil sore upon the knees and upon the thighs, of which thou canst not be healed, fro?n the sole of the foot even to the crown of thy head (Deut. xxviii. 15, 27, 35). Nor is any thing else signified by the sore with blains breaking out on man and 011 beast in Egypt (Ex. ix. 8-1 1) ; for the miracles clone there signified the evils and falsities in which they were. And because the Jewish nation was in the profanation of the Word, and this is signified by leprosy, therefore they had leprosy not only in their flesh, but also in their gar- ments, houses, and vessels ; and the kinds of profanation are signified by the various evils of leprosy, which were tumors, ulcerous tumors, white and red spots, abscesses, burn- ings, eruptions, scurfs, &c. (Lev. xiii. 1 to the end). For the church with that nation was a representative church, In which internal things were represented by external things which corresponded. 679. Upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and that worshipped his image, signifies in those who live faith alone, and receive the doctrine of it. By having the mark of the beast is signified to acknowledge faith alone, to confirm it in one's self, and to live according to it : and by worshipping his image is signified to receive the doctrine 762 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI. of it; see above (n. 602, also 634, 637). By living faith alone, and receiving the doctrine of it, is meant to make no account of a life for the sake of salvation, nor of any truth, believing that if they only pray to God the Father, to have mercy for the sake of the Son, they are saved. This they do especially, who know and acknowledge the interiors of that doctrine ; for these are here treated of ; see just above (n. 677). 680. And the second angel poured out his vial upo?i the seat signifies the influx of truth and good from the Lord among those in the church of the Reformed, who are in its exter- nals, and in that faith, and are called the laity. By pour- ing out the vial is signified the influx of truth and good from the Lord, as above (n. 676, 677) : by the sea the ex- ternal of the church is signified, and also they who are in its externals ; when by the earth is signified the inter- nal of the church, and thus those who are in its internals (n. 398, 403, 404, 420, 470, 677). These are they who are called the laity, and are in that faith. 681. And it became blood as of one dead, and every living soul died in the sea, signifies infernal falsity among them, by which every truth of the Word, and thence of the church and of faith, was extinguished. By blood as of one dead, or by clotted and corrupt blood, infernal falsity is signi- fied ; for by blood is signified the Divine Truth, and in the opposite sense the same falsified (n. 379) : but by blood as of one dead is signified infernal falsity, for by death the extinction of spiritual life is signified, and hence by dead is signified infernal (n. 321, 525). By every living soul dying, is signified that every truth of the Word, of the church, and of faith, was extinguished : for by the living soul the truth of faith is signified ; hence by the death of the living soul is signified the truth of faith extinguished. By soul in tb^ Word, where man is spoken of, his spiritual life is signified, which is dso the life of his understanding; and as the understanding is the understanding from truths, No. 6S4.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 763 vid truths are of faith, therefore the truth of faith is signi- fied by soul. That this is signified by soul, may be evident from many passages in the Word, and likewise from those where soul and heart occur. It is manifest that by soul and heart man's life is meant : but his life is from the will and the understanding; or, speaking spiritually, it is from love and wisdom, also from charity and faith : and the life of the will from the good of love or charity is meant by the heart, and the life of the understanding from the truths of wisdom or faith is meant by the soul. These are meant by the soul and heart, Matt. xxii. 37 ; Mark xii. 30, 33 j Luke x. 27; Deut. vi. 5; x. 12; xi. 13; xxvi. 16; Jer. xxxii. 41, and elsewhere: also in the passages where the heart is mentioned by itself, and the soul by itself. That the reason of their being named is the correspondence of the heart with the will and the love, and of the animation of the lungs with the understanding and writh wisdom, may be seen in the u Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom," Part V., where that corre- spondence is treated of. 683. And the third a?igel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, signifies influx into the un- derstanding of the Word with them. By the third angel pouring out his vial, similarly as by the former, is signified influx from the Lord from truths and good, here into the understanding of the Word with them : for by rivers are signified truths in abundance serving the rational man, and thus the understanding, for doctrine and life (n. 409) j and by a fountain of waters the Lord as to the Wrord is signified, thus the Word of the Lord ; and hence by the fountains of waters are signified the Divine truths from it (n. 384, 409). 684. And they became Mood, signifies the truths of the Word falsified. That by blood in the good sense the Divine Truth is signified, and in the opposite sense the same falsified, may be seen above (n. 379). That the VOL. II. I 5 764 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Ckap. XVI. Divine Truth falsified and profaned is signified by blood, is because the Jews shed the blood of the Lord, who was the Divine Truth itself or the Word ; and they did this because they falsified and profaned all the truths of the Word. That the Lord suffered as the- Word, or that the Jewish nation offered violence to the Lord as they had to the Word, may be seen in the " Doctrine of the New Jeru- salem concerning the Lord" (n. 15-17). That they who are in faith alone falsify all the truths of the Word, is because the whole Word treats of a life according to the precepts therein, and of the Lord as being Jehovah and the only God ; and they who are in faith alone do not think of a life according to the precepts in the Word, nor do they go to the Lord. 685. And I heard the angel of the waters say, signifies the Divine Truth of the Word. By the angel of the waters nothing else is signified but the Divine Truth of the Word ; because waters signify truths (n. 50) ; and an angel signi- fies something Divine from the Lord (n. 415, 631, 633); and also truth from Him (n. 170). 686. Thou art just, O Lord, who art and who wast, and art Holy, because thou hast judged these things, signifies that this is from the Divine Providence of the Lord, who is and who was the Word, and the Divine Truth itself, which otherwise would be profaned. "Thou art just, O Lord, because thou hast judged these things," signifies that this is from the Lord's Divine Providence, as presently ex- plained " Who art and who wast " signifies the Lord as to the Word, that He is and was the Word, according to John i. 1, 2, 14. That the Lord as the Word is here meant, is because the understanding of the Word with those who are of the church is treated of. What is further signified by Is and Was, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, concerning Se Lord, may be seen above (n. 13, 29-31, 38, 57). By His being Holy is signified that He is the No. 683.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 765 Divine Truth itself (n. 173, 586, 666). It is manifest from these things, that by "Thou art just, O Lord, who art and who wast, and art Holy, because thou hast judged these things," is signified that this is from the Divine Providence of the Lord, who is and was the Word and the Divine Truth itself. That it is of the Lord's Divine Providence, that they who are in faith alone should falsify the truths of the Word, is because if they knew them, so as to think them interiorly, they would profane them ; for they are in evils, because they do not shun evils as sins, nor approach the Lord immediately : on which account, if they were to receive the genuine truths of the Word, they would mix them up with the evils of their life j whence would arise the profanation of what is holy. It is therefore among the laws of permission, which are also laws of the Divine Providence, that they should of themselves falsify the truths, and so far as they are in evils of life. That it is the Divine Providence that they who are in evils of life should be in nothing but falsities of doctrine, to the end that they may not profane the Divine Truths of the Word, may be seen in the "Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence" (n. 221-233, and 257 at the end). 687. For the blood of saints and prophets have they poured o?/f, signifies that this is for the reason that that single point, that faith alone without the works of the law saves, being received, perverts all true doctrinals from the Word. By shedding blood is signified here as above (n. 684), to falsify the truths of the Word, thus to pervert them. By saints are signified those in the church who are in truths, and thus also abstractly the truths of the church (n. 586). By prophets are signified they who are in doctrinals from the Word, thus also abstractly doctrinals from the Word 133). 688. And thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy, signifies that of the Lord's Divine Providence it was permitted those who confirmed themselves in faitb 766 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI- alone both in doctrine and in life, to falsify the truths of the Word, and to imbue their life with them so falsified. By drinking blood is signified not only to falsify the truths of the Word, but also to imbue the life with them so falsi- fied: for he that drinks, appropriates to himself and imbues. It is said, "for they are worthy," for the reason that they tvho receive faith alone, and live according to it, are in evils as to life ; and evil effects this in them : and it is here said of those who are in evils that they are worthy, as is said in the world of those who are punished for crimes. Concerning 'the Divine Providence in this matter, see above (n. 686). 689. And I heard another out of the altar say, Yea, Lord God Almighty, true a?id just are thy judgments, signifies the Divine Good of the Wrord confirming that Divine Truth. By another, that is, another angel, the Divine Good of the Word is signified. By an angel something Divine from the Lord is signified (n. 415, 631, 633): and by an angel out of the altar is signified the Divine Good of love (n. 648) ; here the Divine Good of the Word, because the Word is still treated of, and because the Divine Truth of the Word is signified by the angel of the waters (n. 685). Now as the Divine Good of the Word and the Divine Truth of the Word make one, similar things are therefore signified by the things spoken by the angel of the waters and those by the angel out of the altar : for the angel of the waters said, "Thou art just, O Lord, who art and who wast, and art Holy, because thou hast judged these things ;" the angel from the altar, "Yea, Lord God Almighty, true and just are thy judgments" The latter and the former signify similar things, only with the difference, that the one spoke from truth, and the other from good ; and that the one confirmed what the other spoke, though by different words ; the one by words which belong to the class of truth, and the other by words that belong to the class of good : for there is a marriage of truth and good in every thing of the Word (n. 97) ; and there are words of good and words of truth, which appear different, but still involve similar things. No. 691.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 767 690. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, signifies influx into their love. By pouring out the vial is signified here as before influx from goods and truths, here into their love ; for by the sun the Divine Love of the Lord is signified, and in the opposite sense the love of self (n. 53, 382, 414) ; here the love of self, because it follows that men were afflicted with heat by the fire, and were scorched with a great heat ; by which the lusts of that love are signified. 691. And it was given him to scorch men with fire, signifies that love to the Lord tortured them, because they were in the lusts of evils from the enjoyment of their love. Since by pouring out the vial influx from the Lord from goods and truths is signified, hence by pouring out the vial upon the sun is signified influx from the Lord from the Divine Love, to disclose what kind of love there was with the men of that church : hence by its being given to the angel to scorch men with fire, is signified that the Lord's Divine Love tortured them ; and as the Lord's Divine Love tortures no others but those who are in the lusts of evil from the enjoyment of the love of self, it follows thence that by its being given him to scorch men with fire is signified that love to the Lord tortured them, because they were in the lusts of evils from the enjoyment of the love of self. That heat signifies lusts for evils and thence for falsities, may be seen above (n. 382) ; and that fire signifies the Divine Love, and in the opposite sense infernal love, see above (n. 494). That the love of self is infernal love, and the enjoyment of it is infernal enjoyment, and that the enjoyment of that love arises from and consists of innumerable lusts for evils, has been freely shown in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence," also in the " Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Divine Wisdom." That it is so, is not known in the Christian world, because it is not known what love to the Lord is ; and this love will teach what die love of self is. 768 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI. 692. And men were scorched with great heat, and blas- phemed the name of God who hath power over these plagues, signifies that on account of the enjoyment of the love of self arising from grievous lusts of evils they did not ac- knowledge the Divinity of the Lord's Human, from which nevertheless flows all good of love and truth of faith. By heat the lusts of evils are signified, which are in the love of self and its enjoyment (n. 382, 691) : hence by scorching with a great heat is signified to be in vehement lusts, and so in the enjoyment of the love. By blaspheming the name of God is signified to deny or \ ot to acknowledge the Divinity of the Lord's Human, and vhe holiness of the Word (n. 571, 582): to blaspheme is to deny or not to acknowledge ; and the name of God is the Lord's Divine Human and at the same time the Word (n. 584). By having power over the plagues is signified that from Him flows in all the good of love and trutn of faith, by which evils and falsities are removed (n. 673, 680, 690) : and as the seven angels that had the seven plagues went out of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony (Apoc. xv. 5, 6) ; and by the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony the inmost of heaven is signified, where the Lord is in His sanctity in the Word and in the law which is the Decalogue (n. 669); and thence was the influx which is signified by the pouring out of the plagues (n. 676) ; it is evident that by God who hath power over the plagues is meant the Lord from whom is this influx. It shall be told in few words what the quality of the love of self is. The enjoyment of it exceeds every enjoyment in the world ; for it is made up of mere lusts of evils, and every lust breathes out its enjoyment. Into this enjoyment every man is born ; and as it drives the mind of man to think continually of himself, it draws il away from thinking of God and the neighbor except from himself and concerning himself: on which account, unless God favors his lusts he is angiy with God, as he is angry with his neighbor who does not favor him. That enjoyment, whco No. 694.] THE AFOCALYPSE REVEALED. 769 it increases, causes a man not to be able to think above him- self, but below himself ; for it sinks his mind into the life of his body : hence the man becomes by degrees sensual ; and the sensual man speaks in a high and lofty tone of worldly and civil things, but cannot speak of God and of Divine things except from the memory only. If he is in civil life, he acknowledges nature as creator, and his own prudence as governor, and denies God. If he holds priestly office, he speaks of God and of Divine things from memory, also in a high and lofty tone ; but in heart he has little belief in them. 693. And they repented not to give Him glory, signifies that on that account they cannot receive with any faith, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, as to His Human also, although the Word teaches it. By not repenting is signified not to recede from their evils, but to remain in them ; and by not giving Him glory is signified not to receive with faith that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth : for this is giving Him glory. That the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, He teaches manifestly (Matt xxviii. 18; John xiii. 3; xvii. 2, 3); also that the Father and He are one (John x. 30 ; xii. 45 ; xiv. 6-1 1 ; xvi. 15 ; and elsewhere) : and the doctrine of the church teaches moreover, that His Divine and Human are one person, united as the soul and the body. 694. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast, signifies influx from the Lord into their faith. By the angel's pouring out his vial influx is signified here as before ; and by the throne of the beast is signified where faith alone reigns : by a throne kingdom is signified, and by the beast faith alone (n. 567, 576, 577, 594, 601, 660). That a throne is also mentioned in relation to the govern- ment of evil and falsity, is manifest from these passages The dragon gave to the beast his-po7oer and his throne, and great authority (Apoc. xiii. 2). I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is (Apoc. ii. 13). I beheld 77o THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVL imtil the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit (Dan. vii. 9). I will overturn the throne of kingdoms, and the strength of the kingdoms of the nations (Hag. ii. 22).- Lucifer said, Above the stars will I exalt my throne (Isa. xiv. 13 ; and elsewhere). 695. And his kingdom became dark, signifies that nothing but falsities appeared. Falsities are signified by darki ess, because truth is signified by light. That darkness signifies falsities by which come evils, and thick-darkness falsities from evils, may be seen above (n. 413) ; hence by the king- dom of the beast being made dark, is signified that nothing but falsities appeared. That they who have confirmed faith separated from charity falsify the whole Word, may be seen above (n. 136, 610) : that they have not any truths (n. 489, 501, 653) ; but mere falsities (n. 563, 597, 602). But in their own sight the falsities of their faith do not indeed appear dark, that is, as false, but lucid, that is, as true, after they have confirmed them ; but still, when they are viewed from the light of heaven, which discloses all things, they appear dark. Wherefore when the light of heaven flows in into the chambers of those who are in hell, it becomes so dark that they do not see one another : there- fore, all hell is closed, so that not even a chink is open ; and then they are in their light (lumen). That they do not appear to themselves to be in darkness, but in light (lumen), although they are in falsities, is because their falsities, after they have confirmed them, appear to them as truths ; hence is their light (lumen) ; but it is a fatuous light, as is the light of the confirmation of falsity : this light corresponds to the light of the sight of owls and bats, to which darkness is light, and light darkness ; yea, to which the sun is nothing but thick-darkness. Such eyes do they have after death, who have confirmed themselves in falsities in the world to such a degree that they see falsity as truth, and the truth as falsity. 696. And they gnawed their tongues for distress, signifies No. 697.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 771 that they could not endure truths. By distress is not meant distress from falsities ; these do not cause them any dis- tress : but distress from truths is meant, and thus that they could not endure them. By gnawing their tongues is signi- fied not to be willing to hear truths : for by the tongue the confession of truth is signified ; because the tongue serves the thought for speech, and spiritually for confession. By gnawing the tongue is signified to withhold the thought from hearing truths. That this is signified by gnawing the tongue, cannot be confirmed from the Word, because it is not found there ; but it has been given to know it from experience in the spiritual world. When any one there speaks the truths of faith, the spirits who cannot endure to hear truths, hold their tongues in their teeth, and also bite their lips ; and also induce others to press their tongues and lips with the teeth, and this even to distress. From this it is now manifest, that by their gnawing their tongues through distress, is signified that they could not endure truths. That the tongue, as the organ of speech, signifies thought and confession, and likewise the doctrine of truth, may be seen above (n. 282). 697. And blasphemed the God of heaven for their distresses and for their sores, signifies that they could not acknowledge the Lord alone to be God of heaven and earth, on account of resistance from interior falsities and evils, arising from the acknowledgment and reception of the dogma concern ing faith alone. By blaspheming the God of heaven is signified to deny or not to acknowledge the Lord alone to be the God of heaven and earth (n. 571, 582). By dis- tresses are signified the distresses of acknowledging this, as above (n. 696), and thus resistance from interior falsities ; for, what one resists, that is distressing : distresses are pre- dicated of falsities. • By sores interior evils are signified, as above (n. 678) j and because interior evils and falsities spring from the acknowledgment and reception of the dog- ma concerning faith alone, therefore this also is signified. IS* 772 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI. 698. And repented not of their works, signifies that though instructed from the Word, they still do not recede from falsities of faith and the evils of life thence. By not re- penting is signified not to recede, as above (n. 693) ; and by works are here signified falsities of faith and the evils of life from them, as above (n. 641). It is according to the sense of the letter, that the distresses and sores cannot com- pel them to repent of falsities and evils ; but it is according to the spiritual sense, that instruction from the Word cannot drive them from falsities and evils, because these are in- fernal. It is manifest from this, that by their not repenting of their works is signified that although instructed from the Word, they still do not recede from falsities of faith and thence evils of life. It is said that works here are falsities of faith and evils of life from them. It is so said, because falsity of faith precedes, and evil of life follows ; for it is a falsity of faith, that evil does not condemn him who is in faith : from this a man lives unconcernedly, not thinking of any evil, and so never repents, or does repentance. He does the same if he persuades himself that works con- tribute nothing towards salvation, but faith only without them. 699. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, signifies influx from the Lord into their in- terior reasonings, by which they confirm justification by faith alone. By the sixth angel pouring out his vial is signified influx here as above. By the great river Euphrates interior reasonings are signified, the same as above (n. 444, 445) ; here the interior reasonings of that church, by which they confirm justification by faith alone, because these are treated of in what now follows. 700. And the water Thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might -be prepared, signifies that the falsities of those reasonings were removed with those who are in truths from goods from the Lord, and are to be introduced into the New Church. That the water No. 700.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 773 was dried up signifies that the falsities of those interior reasonings were removed : by being dried up is signified that they were removed ; and by the water is signified truths, and in the opposite sense falsities (n. 50, 614) ; here the falsities of the interior "easonings, because it was the water of the river Euphrates, by which those reasonings are signified (n. 699). By the kings, for whom a way was to be prepared, they are signified who are in truths from good from the Lord (n. 20, 483). By the rising of the sun is signified tie beginning of the New Church from the Lord, the same as by the morning (n. 151). By preparing the way is signified to prepare for introduction. From these things it is manifest, that by the water being dried up that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared, is signified that the falsities of the interior reasonings were removed with those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and are to be introduced into the New Church. This is the series of the things. The consum- mation or end of the present church, and the institution or beginning of a New Church, and their contentions, are here treated of. They of the present church who are in faith alone, are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, treated of in what follows ; and its conten- tions with those who will be of the New Church are meant by the gathering together of the kings of the eardi to the battle : but they who will be of the New Church, with whom they will contend, are meant by those for whom the water of the river Euphrates was dried up, that a way might be prepared for the kings from the rising of the sun. This in- volves the like as the introduction of the children of Israel into the hnd of Cam.an, with the difference that for them the river Jordan was dried up, but for these the river Euphrates. The reason that it was the river Euphrates for these, is that they contend in this case by interior reason- ings, which are to be dried up, that is, removed, before the introduction is effected: which also is the cause that their 774 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI interior reasonings are disclosed in this work ; and unless they were disclosed, a man unacquainted with them, though intelligent, might easily be seduced. 701. And I saiv out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast ', and out of the mouth of the false pro- phet, signifies the perception that from a theology founded upon the doctrine of a trinity of persons in the Divinity, and upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law. By the mouth is signified doctrine, and thence preaching and discourse (n. 453, 574). By the dragon is signified the acknowledgment of three Gods, and of justification by faith alone, and thence the devastation of the church (n. 537). By the beast from the sea, which is here meant, are signified the men of the external church who are in that acknowledgment and faith (n. 567, 576, 577, 601). By the false prophet are signified the men of the internal church, who teach theology from those doctrines. The false prophet has not before been mentioned, but the beast from the earth is now so called, see above (n. 594). Now as all these things are signified by the dragon, the beast out of the sea, and the false prophet, who is here the beast out of the earth, it follows that by " I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet," is signified the perception that from a theology founded upon the doctrine of a trinity of persons in the Divinity, and upon the doctrine of justification by faith alone without the works of the law. 702. Three unclean spirits like frogs, signifies that there arise mere ratiocinations and lusts of falsifying truths. By spirits similar things are here signified as by demons, since it is presently said that they were the spirits of demons • and by demons are signified the lusts of falsify- ing truths (n. 458) : by three is signified all (n. 400, 505) ; here therefore mere : by frogs are signified ratiocinations from lusts, because they croak and are lascivious. It is manifest from this, that by the three unclean spirits like No. 704.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 775 frogs are meant mere ratiocinations and lusts of falsifying truths. The same is signified here by frogs as by the frogs of Egypt, because the devastation of the church among the Egyptians is in like manner described by the miracles performed, concerning which it is thus written in Moses : Aaro?i stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, a?id the frogs cai7ie up, and covered the land; and afterwards the frogs were removed, and remained only in the rimer (Ex. viii. 5-14; Ps. lxxviii. 45 ; cv. 30). The reason that the frogs were produced from the waters of Egypt, and remained in the river, was that the waters in Egypt, and especially the waters of the river there, signified the falsities of doctrine from which they reasoned. 703. For they are the spirits of demons, signifies that they were the lusts of falsifying truths and of reasoning from falsities. That the lusts of falsifying truths are signified by demons may be seen above (n. 458) ; and as they were like to frogs, they were also the lusts of reasoning from falsities, as just above (n. 702). 704. Doing signs, to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, signifies asseverations that their falsities are truths, and the stirring up of all in the whole of that church, who are in the same falsities, to attack the truths of the New Church. That to do signs is to testify and likewise to asseverate that a thing is true, may be seen above (n. 598, 599) ; here that their falsities are truths. By " the kings of the earth and of the whole world " are signified they who are principally in falsities from evil, here all who are in the same falsities in the whole church : for by kings are signified those who are in truths from good, and in the opposite sense those who are in falsities from evil (n. 483). By the earth the church is signified (n. 285) ; in like manner by the world (n. 551). By going away to gather them together to battle, is signi- fied to excite them to fight, or to attack : for by war spirit 776 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVL ual war is signified, which is that of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (n. 500, 586). That it is to fight against the truths of the New Church, is because it is said the great day of God Almighty y and by that day is signi- fied the Lord's coming, and the New Church at that time That this is signified here by the great day will be seen below. It is said that the spirits of demons would do this, because the lusts of falsifying truths and of reasoning from falsities are signified by them, as stated just above (n. 703). From this it is manifest, that by the spirits of demons doing signs, " to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them together unto the battle of that great day of God Almighty," are signified asseverations by those who are meant by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, mentioned above (n. 701, 702), that their falsities are truths, and the stirring up of all in the whole church who are in the same falsities, to fight against the truths of the New Church. It is evident from many passages in the Word, that the Lord's coming and a New Church at that time are signified by "the great day of God Almighty ; " as from these : In that day Jeho- vah alone shall be exalted (Isa. ii. 11). In that day Israel shall stay upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, i?i truth (Isa. x. 20). In that day shall the nations seek the Root of Jes'-e, and His rest shall be glory (Isa. xi. 10). I11 that day shall the eyes have respect unto the Holy One of Israel (Isa. xvii. 7, 9). In that day shall they say, Lo, this is otir God; we have waited for Him, that He should save us (Isa. xxv. 9). My people shall know My name, and in that day they shall know that I am He that doth speak, behold, it is I (Isa. lii. 6). Alas, the great day of Jehovah, and there shall not be like ii (Jer. xxx. 7). Behold, the days come i?t which I will make a new covenant, and in which the city of Jehovah shall be built (Jer. xxxi. 27, 31, 38). In those days I will make a just Branch to grow up unto David (Jer. xxxiii. 15). They shall not stand in the battle of the day of Jehovah (Ez. xiii. 5). No. 70s.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 777 /// that day shall the great prince Michael rise up, who siand- eth for the children of his people. In that day shall every one who is found written in the book be delivered (Dan. xii. 1). In that day thou shall call me, My husband. In that day I will make a covenant with them. In that day I will hear (Hos. ii. 16, 18, 21). Behold, I send Elijah before the great day of Jehovah cotneth (Mai. iv. 5). I?i that day Jehovah shall save his people as a flock (Zech. ix. 16). In that day shall Jehovah protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zech. xiii. 1). Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh. One day which shall be known to Jehovah. In that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name one. In that day shall there be a great tumult. In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses Holiness to Jehovah (Zech. xiv. 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 20, 21). Be- sides these places there are many more, in which the Lord's coming and a New Church from Him at that time are meant by " that day as in these : Isa. iv. 2 ; xix. 16, 18, 21, 24; xx. 6; xxii. 20, 25; xxv. 9; xxviii. 5; xxix. 18; xxx. 25, 26; xxxi. 7; Jer. iii. 16-18; xxiii. 5-7, 12, 20; I. 4, 20, 27; Ez. xxiv. 26, 27; xxix. 21; xxxiv. 11, 12; xxxvi. 33; Hos. iii. 5; vi. 1, 2 ; Joel iii. 1, 18; Ob. vers. 15; Am. ix. 11, 13; Mic. iv. 6; Hab. iii. 2; Zeph. iii. II, 16, 19, 20; Zech. ii. 11; Ps. lxxii. 7, 8. And that day is called the day of Jehovah (Joel i. 15 ; ii. 1, 2, 11 ; Am. v. 13, 18, 20; Zeph. i. 7, 14; ii. 2,3; Zech. xiv. 1; and elsewhere). Since it is the consummation of the age, that is, the end of the old Church, when the Lord's coming and the beginning of a New Church take place, in many places therefore the end of the former church also is signi- fied by the day of Jehovah; and it is said that there shall then be rumors, tumults, and wars ; which passages may be seen collected together in the " Doctrine of the New Jeru- salem concerning the Lord " (n. 4, 5). 705. Behold, J come as a thief; blessed is he that watchcth and keepeth his garments, signifies the Lord's coming, and heaven then for those who look to Him, and remain stead- 778 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVL fast in a life according to His precepts, which are the truths of the Word. That to come as a thief, when speak- ing of the Lord, signifies His Coming, and heaven at that time to those who have lived well, and hell to those who have lived ill, may be seen above, n. 164 : that he is called blessed who receives eternal life, see n. 639 : that to watch signifies to live spiritually, that is, to be in truths and in a life according to them, and to look to the Lord, see n. 158: and that to keep one's garments signifies to remain steadfast in the truths until the end of life ; for garments signify investing truths, see n. 166, 212, 328, and thus the Lord's precepts in the Word, because these are truths. These things now follow in order from those which precede : for what precedes is concerning the Lord's Coming, and concerning a New Church, also concerning the attack upon it by those who are of the old Church ; and as the combat is imminent, they who are in truths from the Word are admonished to remain steadfast in them, lest they should fall in the battle, which is spoken of in the next verse. 706. That he may not walk naked, and they see his shame, signifies lest they should be with those who are in no truths, and their infernal loves should appear. By walking naked is signified to live without truths. By the shame of naked- ness, on the secret parts, filthy loves, which are infernal loves, are signified ; and by " lest they see his shame " is signified lest these should appear. That ignorance of truth is signified by nakedness, and infernal love by the shame of nakedness, maybe seen above (n. 213). This is said to those who will be of the New Church, that they may learn truths, and remain steadfast in them ; since without truths the evils in- nate in them, which are infernal loves, are not removed. A man can indeed live like a Christian without truths ; yet only before men, but not before the angels. The truths which they should learn are concerning the Lord, and concerning the precepts according to which they should live. N0.707.] THE ArOCALYPSE REYEALED. 779 707. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon, signifies the state of combat from falsities against truths, and the purpose of destroying the New Church, arising from the love of dominion and super- eminence. By gathering together into a place, here to the battle, is signified to excite them to fight from falsities against truths. It means the state of combat, because place signifies the state of a thing. That it is for the purpose of destroying the New Church, is because combat between the Old Church and the New is meant, and the purpose of the combat is to destroy. What is signified by Armaged- don will be told below. It has been said before, that the Dragon went away to make war with the rest of the seed of the Woman, that keep the commandments of God, and that have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Apoc. xii. 17) ; also, that it was given to the beast out of the sea to make war with the saints (xiii. 7) ; and in this chapter that the spirits of demons that came out of the ?nouth of the dragon, of the beast, and of the false prophet, went away to the kings of the earth, to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Almighty (vers. 13, 14). Here the battle itself is now treated of, the result of which is not described, but only its state, which is signified by Armageddon. By Armageddon is signified in heaven the love of honor, of dominion, and of superemi- nence : and in the Hebrew language also loftiness is signi- fied by Aram or Arom, and love from loftiness is signified by Megiddo in the ancient Hebrew tongue, as is manifest from its signification in the Arabic language. The same is signified by Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo in Zechariah xii. 11. In that chapter the coming of the Lord is also treated of, and the end of the Jewish Church at that time, and the beginning of a New Church to be estab- lished by the Lord, and also the collision between those Churches ; on which account the expression in that day so often occurs in that chapter ; and by " that day " is signified the Lord's Coming, as above (n. 704) : that it may be seen, 780 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVL I will adduce the passages : In that day I will make Jeru- salem a stone of burden unto all peoples. In that day I will smite every horse with astonishment and his rider with mad- ness. In that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a furnace of fire among the wood. In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that the feeble one among them may be as David. In that day will I seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem : and lastly, in that day shall there be a wailing in Jerusalem, like the wailing in Hadadrimnwn in the valley of Megiddo (vers. 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11). And in the following chapter, In that day shall a fountain be opened to the house of David and to the inhabi- tants of Jerusalem. In that day the prophets shall be ashamed^ and hall put on a garment of haircloth, that they may deceive (xiii. 1, 4). By that day is signified the Lord's Coming, and then the end of the Old Church and the beginning of a New Church, as was said above. But what is signified there by the valley of Megiddo cannot be seen, unless the series of the things in that chapter and the two following in that prophet be disclosed by means of the spiritual sense ; which, as it has been opened to me, shall be explained, but in a brief summary. In the twelfth chapter of Zechariah it is declared in the spiritual sense, " That the Lord is about to form a New Church (vers. 1). That there will then be nothing of doctrine in the Old Church, and that they will therefore desert it (vers. 2, 3). That there will no longer be any understanding of truth, only with those who are in the Word, and who are of the New Church (vers. 4). That these will learn the good of doctrine from the Lord (vers. 5). That the Lord will then destroy all falsities by the truths of the Word, lest the doctrine of the New Church should teach any thing else but the truth (vers. 6, 7). That the Church will then be in doctrine concerning the Lord (vers. 8). That He will destroy all persons and all things that are contrary to that doctrine (vers. 9) ; and that then there will be a New Church from the Lord (vers. 10). And No. 707.] THE APOCALYrSE REVEALED. 78 1 that then each and every thing of the Church will be in grief" (vers. 10-14). These are the contents of chapter xii. in the spiritual sense. The contents of the following chapter, xiii., are these : " That the Word will be for the New Church, and will be opened to them (vers. 1). That falsities of doctrine and worship will be altogether de- stroyed (vers. 2, 3). That the old prophetic or doctrinal teaching is to cease, and that there will no longer be falsi- ties of doctrine ( ers. 4, 5). That the Lord will be slain by those who are in he Old Church, from their effort to dis- perse them that believe in Him (vers. 6, 7). That they who are of the vastated Church will perish, and that those who are of the New Church are to be purified and taught by the Lord " (vers. 8, 9). These are the contents of chap- ter xiii. in the spiritual sense. The contents of chapter xiv. are these : " The Lord's combats against the evil, and their dispersion (vers. 1-5). That there will be no truth then, but there will be Divine Truth from the Lord (vers. 6, 7). That the Divine Truth will proceed from the Lord (vers. 8, 9). That truth will be multiplied in the Newr Church, nor will there be any falsity of evil there (vers. 10, ti). That he who combats against those truths, will give. himself up to falsities of every kind (vers. 12). That then will be the destruction of all things of the Church (vers. 13-15). That they will then come to the worship of the Lord, even from the Gentiles who are external natural (vers. 16-19). And that there will then be intelligence from the good of charity, from which will be their worship ' (vers. 20, 21). These are the contents of the three chap- ters, xii., xiii., xiv., of Zechariah, in the spiritual sense, un- folded because in them also the last state of the Old Church and the first state of the New Church are treated of. And as it is said that they are to be gathered together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon, it is evident that the same things were said in this prophet concerning the last state of the Church of this day and the first state of the 782 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. XVI. New Church. By Armageddon is signified, as was said, the love of honor, of dominion, and of supereminence ; for from that is the combat, and from that and on account of it is the lamentation which is described there (vers. 11-14, chap. xii.). The like is also signified by Megiddo (2 Kings xxiii. 29, 30 ; 2 Chron. xxxv. 20-24) ; but in the spiritual sense. 708. And the seventh angel poured out his