Apocalypse Revealed # 51
51. Having in His right hand seven stars. (1:16) This symbolizes all concepts of goodness and truth in the Word, which exist therefore in angels in heaven and in people in the church.
When angels are below the heavens, a great number of what look like little stars appear around them, and likewise around spirits who, when they lived in the world, acquired concepts of goodness and truth for themselves from the Word, or truths of life and doctrine. These little stars appear fixed, however, in the case of those who possess genuine truths from the Word, but wandering in the case of those who possess falsified truths.
(Regarding these little stars, and the stars appearing in the sky there, I could relate marvelous things, but that is not the subject of this work.)
It is apparent from this that stars symbolize concepts of goodness and truth from the Word.
The Son of Man's having them in His right hand means, symbolically, that they come from the Lord alone through the Word. Seven symbolically means all, as may be seen in no. 10 above.
[2] That stars symbolize concepts of goodness and truth from the Word may be seen also from the following passages:
(I will) turn the earth into a wasteland... ...the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. (Isaiah 13:9-10)
The earth that will be turned into a wasteland is the church, in which, having been laid waste, concepts of goodness and truth in the Word are not seen.
When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens... All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, and bring darkness upon your land. (Ezekiel 32:7-8)
Darkness upon the land is the darkness of falsities in the church.
The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. (Joel 2:10; 3:15)
...after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven... (Matthew 24:29, cf. Mark 13:24)
The stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs... (Revelation 6:13)
...a star (fell) from heaven to the earth. (Revelation 9:1)
Stars falling from heaven do not mean stars, but concepts of goodness and truth perishing.
[3] This is still more apparent from the statement that a dragon swept down a third of the stars from heaven, in Revelation 12:4, and the statement that a he-goat cast down some of the stars and trampled them, in Daniel 8:8-11. That is why the next verse in Daniel goes on to say that it cast truth to the ground (Daniel 8:12).
Stars also symbolize concepts of goodness and truth in the following passages:
(Jehovah) counts... the stars; He gives all of them names. (Psalms 147:4)
Praise (Jehovah), all you stars of light! (Psalms 148:3)
The stars from their courses fought... (Judges 5:20)
From this it is apparent what is meant by the following statement in Daniel:
The intelligent shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, ...those turning many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)
The intelligent are people concerned with truths, and those turning many to righteousness are those concerned with goodness.
民数记 23
1
巴兰对巴勒说：你在这里给我筑七座坛，为我豫备七只公牛，七只公羊。
2
巴勒照巴兰的话行了。巴勒和巴兰在每座坛上献一只公牛，一只公羊。
3
巴兰对巴勒说：你站在你的燔祭旁边，我且往前去，或者耶和华来迎见我。他指示我甚麽，我必告诉你。於是巴兰上一净光的高处。
4
神迎见巴兰；巴兰说：我豫备了七座坛，在每座坛上献了一只公牛，一只公羊。
5
耶和华将话传给巴兰，又说：你回到巴勒那里，要如此如此说。
7
巴兰便题起诗歌说：巴勒引我出亚兰，摩押王引我出东山，说：来阿，为我咒诅雅各；来阿，怒骂以色列。
8
神没有咒诅的，我焉能咒诅？耶和华没有怒骂的，我焉能怒骂？
10
谁能数点雅各的尘土？谁能计算以色列的四分之一？我愿如义人之死而死；我愿如义人之终而终。
11
巴勒对巴兰说：你向我做的是甚麽事呢？我领你来咒诅我的仇敌，不料，你竟为他们祝福。
13
巴勒说：求你同我往别处去，在那里可以看见他们；你不能全看见，只能看见他们边界上的人。在那里要为我咒诅他们。
14
于是领巴兰到了琐腓田，上了毗斯迦山顶，筑了七座坛，每座坛上献一只公牛，
15
巴兰对巴勒说：你站在这燔祭旁边，等我往那边去迎见耶和华。
16
耶和华临到巴兰那里，将话传给他；又说：你回到巴勒那里，要如此如此说。
17
他就回到巴勒那里，见他站在燔祭旁边；摩押的使臣也和他在一处。巴勒问他说：耶和华说了甚麽话呢？
18
巴兰就题诗歌说：巴勒，你起来听；西拨的儿子，你听我言。
19
神非人，必不致说谎，也非人子，必不致後悔。他说话岂不照着行呢？他发言岂不要成就呢？
21
他未见雅各中有罪孽，也未见以色列中有奸恶。耶和华─他的神和他同在；有欢呼王的声音在他们中间。
23
断没有法术可以害雅各，也没有占卜可以害以色列。现在必有人论及雅各，就是论及以色列说：神为他行了何等的大事！
24
这民起来，彷佛母狮，挺身，好像公狮，未曾吃野食，未曾喝被伤者之血，决不躺卧。
26
巴兰回答巴勒说：我岂不是告诉你说凡耶和华所说的，我必须遵行麽？
27
巴勒对巴兰说：来罢，我领你往别处去，或者神喜欢你在那里为我咒诅他们。
