Apocalypse Explained # 194
194. And thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon thee, signifies ignorance of that time and of the state then. This is evident from the signification of "hour," as being the time when man is to die, and also his state then; and from the signification of "not knowing" it, as being ignorance. It is said "In what hour I will come upon thee," namely, "as a thief," and this means, in the sense of the letter, that the Lord will so come; but in the spiritual sense, it means that evils and falsities will steal away the knowledges that they have from the Word. For in the sense of the letter of the Word doing evil is attributed to Jehovah, or to the Lord, but in the spiritual sense the meaning is that He does evil to no one, but that man does evil to himself (See Arcana Coelestia 2447, 5798, 6071, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7877, 7926, 8227, 8228, 8284, 8483, 8632, 9010, 9128, 9306, 10431).
[2] "Hour," moreover signifies state, because all times in the Word, as a day, a week, a month, a year, an age, signify states of life, so likewise "an hour" (the reason of this may be seen in the work onHeaven and Hell 162-169, where Time in Heaven is treated of). But as "hour" means both time and state, where "hour" occurs in the Word it can scarcely be known that it signifies anything except time. As in Matthew:
A householder hired laborers into his vineyard, who labored from the third hour, the sixth, the ninth, and the eleventh, and received equal reward (Matthew 20:1-16).
These "hours" mean, in the world, times, but in heaven, states of life, since in heaven there are no hours, because times there are not measurable and divided into days and these into hours, as in the world; consequently instead of these times the angels perceive the states of life of those who die, as old men, men, youths, or children, and who have equally acquired for themselves spiritual life; "laboring in the vineyard" is acquiring for oneself spiritual life by the knowledges of truth and good from the Word applied to the uses of life; the "third," the "sixth," and the "ninth hours" signify a like state of life, for all numbers in the Word are significative, and these numbers have a similar signification. (That "vineyard" in the Word signifies the spiritual church, and with man spiritual life, see Arcana Coelestia 9139, 3220. That "three" signifies a full state, or what is complete even to the end, n. 2788, 4495, 7715, 8347, 9825; likewise "six" and "nine." But "eleven" signifies a state not yet full, and yet a receptive state such as there is with well-disposed children and infants. The "twelfth hour," to which all labored, signifies truths and goods in their fullness, n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. That all numbers in the Word are significative, n. 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253; and that composite numbers have a signification like that of the simple numbers from which they arise by multiplication, thus "three," "six," and "nine," have a similar signification, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)
[3] Since "twelve" signifies truths and goods in their fullness, thus man's state of light or intelligence from these, the Lord says:
Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day he stumbleth not (John 11:9).
Elsewhere, also, "hours" signify states of life, as in Revelation:
Those four angels were loosed, which were prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men (Revelation 9:15).
The times here mentioned mean the states of evil with man, as will be seen in the explanation of these words hereafter. From this it is now evident that "Thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon thee," means not only that one is ignorant of the time of death but also of the state of life at that time which will continue to eternity; for such as the state of man's past life is, even to the end, such he remains to eternity.
[4] Like things are said by the Lord here and there in the Evangelists. In Matthew:
Ye know not in what hour your Lord will come; be ye ready; for in an hour that ye think not, the Son of man cometh (Matthew 24:42, 44).
The lord of the servant shall come in the day when he expecteth not, and in an hour that he knoweth not (Matthew 24:50).
Be wakeful, therefore, for ye know not the day, neither the hour, wherein the Son of man shall come (Matthew 25:13).
It should be known that man remains to eternity such as his whole life is, even to the end, and by no means such as he is at the hour of death: repentance at that time with the evil is of no avail, but with the good it strengthens.
Genesis 18
1
Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
3
and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant.
4
Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5
I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."
6
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."
7
Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.
8
He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9
They asked him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" He said, "See, in the tent."
10
He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
12
Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
13
Yahweh said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'
14
Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."
15
Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
16
The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17
Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do,
18
since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
19
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."
20
Yahweh said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
21
I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."
22
The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.
23
Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
24
What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
25
Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"
26
Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
27
Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
28
What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
29
He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."
30
He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
31
He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."
32
He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."
33
Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
