Apocalypse Revealed # 216
216. "'Be zealous, therefore, and repent.'" This symbolically means, in order for this goal to come about from an affection for truth and an aversion to falsity.
The text here says, "Be zealous," because it said in verse 15 above, "Would that you were cold or hot," and the meaning here is for the angel to be hot; for zeal is a spiritual heat, and spiritual heat is an affection of love, here the affection of a love of truth. Moreover, someone who acts from an affection of the love of truth acts also from an aversion to falsity. Consequently this is the symbolic meaning of the command to repent.
In the Word, when zeal or jealousness is applied to the Lord, it symbolizes both love and anger - love in John 2:17, Psalms 69:9, Isaiah 37:32; 63:15, Ezekiel 39:25, Zechariah 1:14; 8:2, anger in Deuteronomy 32:16, 21, Psalms 79:5-6, Ezekiel 8:3, 5; 16:42; 23:25, Zephaniah 1:18; 3:8.
In the Lord's case, however, zeal or jealousness is not anger. It only seems as though it were in outward appearances. Inwardly it is love. It seems in outward appearances as though it were anger because the Lord appears to be angry when He admonishes a person, especially when the person is being punished by his evil, which love permits in order that his evil may be removed. The case is entirely like that of a parent. If he loves his children, he allows them to be chastised in order to remove their evils.
It is apparent from this why Jehovah declares Himself to be a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9-10; 6:14-15).
詩篇 106
1
你們要讚美耶和華!要稱謝耶和華,因他本為善;他的慈愛永遠長存!
4
耶和華啊,你用恩惠待你的百姓;求你也用這恩惠記念我,開你的救恩眷顧我,
5
使我見你選民的福,樂你國民的樂,與你的產業一同誇耀。
6
我們與我們的祖宗一同犯罪;我們作了孽,行了惡。
7
我們的祖宗在埃及不明白你的奇事,不記念你豐盛的慈愛,反倒在紅海行了悖逆。
9
並且斥責紅海,海便乾了;他帶領他們經過深處,如同經過曠野。
14
反倒在曠野大起慾心,在荒地試探神。
23
所以,他說要滅絕他們;若非有他所揀選的摩西站在當中(原文是破口),使他的忿怒轉消,恐怕他就滅絕他們。
26
所以,他對他們起誓:必叫他們倒在曠野,
27
叫他們的後裔倒在列國之中,分散在各地。
28
他們又與巴力•毗珥連合,且吃了祭死神(或譯:人)的物。
29
他們這樣行,惹耶和華發怒,便有瘟疫流行在他們中間。
30
那時,非尼哈站起,刑罰惡人,瘟疫這才止息。
33
是因他們惹動他的靈,摩西(原文是他)用嘴說了急躁的話。
35
反與他們混雜相合,學習他們的行為,
36
事奉他們的偶像,這就成了自己的網羅,
37
把自己的兒女祭祀鬼魔,
38
流無辜人的血,就是自己兒女的血,把他們祭祀迦南的偶像,那地就被血污穢了。
39
這樣,他們被自己所做的污穢了,在行為上犯了邪淫。
43
他屢次搭救他們,他們卻設謀背逆,因自己的罪孽降為卑下。
45
為他們記念他的約,照他豐盛的慈愛後悔。
46
他也使他們在凡擄掠他們的人面前蒙憐恤。