A Brief Exposition of New Church Doctrine #78
78. BRIEF ANALYSIS
In the prophetic parts of the Word, statements similar to the one in Matthew 24:29, occur concerning the sun, moon and stars. Thus it is written in Isaiah:
Behold the cruel day of Jehovah cometh . . . the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened at his rising and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. Isaiah 13:9-10.
In Ezekiel:
When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens and darken the stars thereof; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light; . . . and I will set darkness upon thy land.Ezekiel 32:7-8.
In Joel:
The day of Jehovah cometh, ... a day of darkness, . . . the sun and moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.Joel 2:1-2, 10.
The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of Jehovah cometh. Joel 2:31.
The day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision, the sun and moon shall be darkened. Joel 3:14-15.
In the Revelation:
The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, . . . and the day shone not for a third part of it. Revelation 8:12.
The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. Revelation 6:12.
All these passages treat of the last time of the Jewish Church, when the Lord came into the world. The meaning here is similar in Matthew and the Revelation, but they refer to the last time of the Christian Church, when the Lord would come again in the Word which is Himself, and in which He is. Wherefore, immediately after those words in Matthew 24:29, it is said:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man . . . coming in the clouds of the heavens.Matthew 24:30.
By the sun in the above passages is meant love, by the moon faith, and by the stars the cognitions of good and truth. By the powers of the heavens are meant those three essentials as the supports and foundations of the heavens where the angels are, and of the Churches where men are. Therefore, by the foregoing passages collected into one idea is meant that neither love nor faith, nor any cognitions of good and truth remain in the Christian Church, in the last time thereof when it draws to its end. That the sun signifies love has been shown in THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 53-54, 413, 796, 831, 961; that the moon signifies faith, THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 53, 332, 413, 423, 533; and that stars signify cognitions of good and truth, THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 51, 74, 333, 408, 419, 954.
Salmernes 147
1
Halleluja! Ja, det er godt at lovsynge vor Gud, ja, det er lifligt, lovsang sømmer sig.
2
Herren bygger Jerusalem, han samler de spredte af Israel,
3
han læger dem, hvis Hjerte er sønderknust, og forbinder deres Sår;
4
han fastsætter Stjemernes Tal og giver dem alle Navn.
5
Vor Herre er stor og vældig, hans Indsigt er uden Mål;
6
HE
EN holder de ydmyge oppe, til Jorden bøjer han gudløse.
7
Syng for HE
EN med Tak, leg for vor Gud på Citer!
8
Han dækker Himlen med Skyer, sørger for
egn til Jorden, lader Græs spire frem på Bjergene og Urter til Menneskers Brug;
9
Føde giver han Kvæget og
avneunger, som skriger;
10
hans Hu står ikke til stærke Heste, han har ikke Behag i rapfodet Mand;
11
HE
EN har Behag i dem, der frygter ham, dem, der bier på hans Miskundhed.
12
Lovpris HE
EN, Jerusalem, pris, o Zion, din Gud!
13
Thi han gør dine Portstænger stærke, velsigner dine Børn i din Midte;
14
dine Landemærker giver han Fred, mætter dig med Hvedens Fedme;
15
han sender sit Bud til Jorden, hastigt løber hans Ord,
16
han lader Sne falde ned som Uld, som Aske spreder han
im,
17
som Brødsmuler sender han Hagl, Vandene stivner af Kulde fra ham;
18
han sender sit Ord og smelter dem, de strømmer, når han rejser sit Vejr.
19
Han kundgør sit Ord for Jakob, sine Vedtægter og Lovbud for Israel.
20
Så gjorde han ikke mod andre Folk, dem kundgør han ingen Lovbud. Halleluja!
The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University
