Apocalypse Explained # 517
517. And there fell from heaven a great star burning as a lamp, signifies the truth of the Word falsified by self-love. This is evident from the signification of "stars," as being the knowledges of truth and good, likewise the truths and goods of knowledges from the Word (See above, n. 72, 402); also from the signification of "burning as a lamp," as being to be falsified by self-love; "to burn" is predicated of self-love because this love is signified by "fire" (See above, n. 504, and a "lamp" signifies the truth of the Word, of doctrine, and of faith (See also above, n. 274. From this it can be seen that "there fell from heaven a great star burning as a lamp" signifies the truth of the Word falsified by self-love.
[2] It is to be noted that all those who are in the love of self, if they study the Word, falsify its truths, for the reason that all truth is out of heaven from the Lord, and nothing of it from what is man's own [proprium], and those who are in the love of self are immersed in what is their own [proprium], and from that they obtain every idea of thought respecting the truths of the Word. In consequence of this they falsify these truths, not in respect to the sense of the letter of the Word, but in respect to the understanding of the truth that is in it; for to understand words otherwise than according to their true sense is to falsify them.
[3] There are two states of man's thoughts, one when from the Lord he is in thought respecting truths, the other when from himself. When from the Lord he is in thought respecting truths his mind is elevated even into the light of heaven, from which he has illustration and right perception of truth; but when from himself he is in thought respecting truths, his mind falls into the light of the world; and that light, in respect to things spiritual, or the things of heaven and the church, is thick darkness, in which man sees only such things as shine from the fire or the love of self and of the world, and these in themselves are falsities that are opposites of truths.
Isaiah 7
1
It happened in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2
It was told the house of David, saying, "Syria is allied with Ephraim." His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.
3
Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller's field.
4
Tell him, 'Be careful, and keep calm. Don't be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
5
Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying,
6
"Let's go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let's divide it among ourselves, and set up a king in its midst, even the son of Tabeel."
7
This is what the Lord Yahweh says: "It shall not stand, neither shall it happen."
8
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people;
9
and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.'"
10
Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
11
"Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above."
12
But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh."
13
He said, "Listen now, house of David. Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God also?
14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15
He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16
For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.
17
Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
18
It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19
They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.
20
In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
21
It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;
22
and it shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left in the midst of the land.
23
It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silver shekels, shall be for briers and thorns.
24
People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.
25
All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep."
