Apocalypse Revealed # 493
493. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. (11:4) This symbolizes love and intelligence, or charity and faith, both of which people have in them from the Lord.
An olive tree symbolizes love and charity, as explained below. And a lampstand symbolizes enlightenment in truths (no. 43), thus intelligence and faith, inasmuch as intelligence comes from an enlightenment in truths, and faith in turn from this. To stand before God means, symbolically, to hear and do what He has commanded (no. 366). Here, therefore, it means that these two characteristics in them come from the Lord who is God of the earth, that is, in people who possess the two essential elements of the New Church, as described above. It is apparent from this that the statement that the two witnesses were the two olive trees and two lampstands means, symbolically, that they were love and intelligence, or charity and faith. For these two form the church - love and charity forming its life, and intelligence and faith its doctrine.
[2] An olive tree symbolizes love and charity because the olive tree symbolizes the celestial church, and thus an olive, being its fruit, symbolizes celestial love, which is love toward the Lord. Because of this, that love is symbolized also by olive oil, with which all the holy accouterments of the church were anointed. The oil called holy oil 1 was extracted from olives and mixed with spices (Exodus 30:23-24). Olive oil was also used to light the lamps of the lampstand in the Tabernacle every evening (Exodus 27:20, Leviticus 24:2).
The olive tree and olives have similar symbolic meanings in Zechariah:
Two olive trees were by (the lampstand), one at the right of the bowl, the other at its left..., (and) two olive berries... These are the two offspring of the olive tree, which stand before the Lord of the whole earth. (Zechariah 4:3, 11-12, 14)
In the book of Psalms:
I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. (Psalms 52:8)
And in Jeremiah:
Jehovah called your name, Green Olive Tree, lovely, of beautiful fruit. (Jeremiah 11:16-17)
And so on elsewhere.
[3] Since Jerusalem symbolized the church, therefore many things in it and about it also symbolized such things as are connected with the church. Near it, too, was the Mount of Olives, and it symbolized Divine love, which is why Jesus "was during the days in the temple teaching, and at night He went out and spent the night on the Mount of Olives?" (Luke 21:37, cf. 22:39, John 8:1). It is also why Jesus spoke with His disciples on that mountain regarding the end of the age and His coming then (Matthew 24:3ff., Mark 13:3ff.). It was also from that mountain that He went to Jerusalem and suffered the cross (Matthew 21:1; 26:30, Mark 11:1; 14:26, Luke 19:29, 37). Moreover, this accorded with the prediction in Zechariah:
In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. (Zechariah 14:4)
Because the olive tree symbolized the celestial component of the church, therefore the cherubim inside the Temple at Jerusalem were made of olive wood, and so, too, were the doors to the inner sanctuary, and the doorposts (1 Kings 6:23-33).
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. Exodus 30:25, 31; 37:29
Matthew 11
1
And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2
Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4
Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5
The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6
And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10
For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17
And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
20
Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22
But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24
But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
25
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
26
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
27
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
