Apocalypse Revealed # 336
336. And every mountain and island was moved out of its place. This symbolically means that all goodness of love and truth of faith vanished.
No one can see that this is the symbolic meaning except by recourse to the spiritual sense. It is the symbolic meaning because mountains mean people who possess the goodness of love, inasmuch as angels dwell upon mountains - those motivated by love toward the Lord on loftier mountains, and those motivated by love for the neighbor on less lofty ones. Consequently "every mountain" symbolizes all goodness of love. Islands mean people relatively removed from the worship of God, as may be seen in no. 34 above - here people who are impelled by faith, and not so much by the goodness of love. Therefore in an abstract sense "every island" means, symbolically, all truth of faith. To be moved out of their places means, symbolically, to go away.
It derives from the abodes of angels on mountains and hills, therefore, that mountains and hills in the Word symbolize heaven and the church where love toward the Lord and love for the neighbor are found, and in an opposite sense, hell where self-love and love of the world are found.
[2] It is apparent from the following passages that mountains and hills symbolize heaven and the church where love toward the Lord and love for the neighbor are found, thus where the Lord is present:
Lift up your eyes to the mountains, whence comes your help. (Psalms 121:1)
Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who proclaims... peace! (Nahum 1:15, cf. Isaiah 52:7)
Praise Jehovah..., you mountains and... hills...! (Psalms 148:7, 9)
A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you leap, you mountains, you hills of the mountain? Jehovah has desired to inhabit them; (Jehovah) also will inhabit them forever. (Psalms 68:15-16)
The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like the young of the flock... You travail, O earth, at the presence of the Lord... (Psalms 114:4-7)
I will bring forth a seed from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains, that My elect may inherit them, and My servants dwell there. (Isaiah 65:9)
(In the consummation of the age:) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:16)
(O Jehovah,) Your righteousness is as the mountains of God. (Psalms 36:6)
Jehovah will go forth and fight... In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, opposite Jerusalem on the east. (Zechariah 14:3-4)
[3] Since the Mount of Olives symbolized Divine love, therefore during the days the Lord preached in the Temple, but during the nights He went out and spent the night on the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39, John 8:1). And therefore the Lord spoke upon that mountain with His disciples regarding His coming and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:3-4).
Since a mountain symbolized heaven and love, therefore Jehovah came down upon the top of Mount Sinai and proclaimed the Law (Exodus 19:20; 24:17). And therefore the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James and John on a high mountain (Matthew 17:1). Therefore Zion also was located on a mountain, and so, too, Jerusalem, and the two were called the mountain of Jehovah and the mountain of holiness in many places in the Word.
Mountains and hills have similar symbolic meanings elsewhere, as in Isaiah 7:25; 30:25; 40:9; 44:23; 49:11, 13; 55:12; Jeremiah 16:15-16; Psalms 65:6; 80:10; 104:5-10, 13.
[4] That mountains and hills symbolize these loves can be seen still more clearly from their opposite meaning, in which they symbolize hellish loves, namely, self-love and a love of the world, as is apparent from the following passages:
...the day of Jehovah... shall come... upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up... (Isaiah 2:12, 14)
Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low. (Isaiah 40:4)
The mountains shall be overthrown, and its ascents shall fall... (Ezekiel 38:20-21)
Behold, I am against you, O... mountain, that destroys all the earth... ...I will make you a burnt mountain. (Jeremiah 51:25)
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they are shaken, and all the hills are overthrown. (Jeremiah 4:23-25)
...a fire is kindled in my anger..., and it will set on fire the foundations of the mountains. (Deuteronomy 32:22)
I will lay waste the mountains and hills... (Isaiah 42:15)
Behold, (O Jacob,) I will make you like a threshing sledge... that you may thresh the mountains and crush them, and make the hills like chaff..., that the wind may carry them away. (Isaiah 41:15-16)
Give glory to Jehovah... before your feet stumble on the dark mountains... (Jeremiah 13:16)
Nor is anything else meant by the seven mountains on which the woman - namely Babylon - sat (Revelation 17:9). And so also elsewhere, as in Isaiah 14:13; Jeremiah 50:6; 9:10; Ezekiel 6:2-3; 34:6.
It can now be seen from this what is meant by the statement that "every mountain and island was moved out of its place," and later by the statement that "every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" (Revelation 16:20, no. 714).
Mark 12
1
He began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.
2
When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
3
They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.
4
Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.
5
Again he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some.
6
Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
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But those farmers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
8
They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
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What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.
10
Haven't you even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner.
11
This was from the Lord, it is marvelous in our eyes'?"
12
They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away.
13
They sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words.
14
When they had come, they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don't defer to anyone; for you aren't partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
15
Shall we give, or shall we not give?" But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it."
16
They brought it. He said to them, "Whose is this image and inscription?" They said to him, "Caesar's."
17
Jesus answered them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." They marveled greatly at him.
18
There came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. They asked him, saying,
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"Teacher, Moses wrote to us, 'If a man's brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.'
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There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.
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The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise;
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and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died.
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In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife."
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Jesus answered them, "Isn't this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God?
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For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
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But about the dead, that they are raised; haven't you read in the book of Moses, about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
27
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken."
28
One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the greatest of all?"
29
Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one:
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you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
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The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
32
The scribe said to him, "Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he,
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and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34
When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." No one dared ask him any question after that.
35
Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
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For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'
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Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?" The common people heard him gladly.
38
In his teaching he said to them, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,
39
and the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts:
40
those who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
41
Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.
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A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin.
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He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,
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for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on."
