Apocalypse Explained # 423
423. Having the seal of the living God, signifies the Divine will. This is evident from the signification of "having the seal" of anyone, as meaning to have command, for a command is confirmed by a seal; therefore "to have the seal of the living God" means to have Divine command. Here Divine command means the Divine will, because "the angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal," signifies Divine love proceeding from the Lord; and whatever goes forth from Divine love is the Divine will. There are also Divine commands that are not from the Divine will, but from sufferance and permission, many of which were given to the sons of Israel, as that it was permitted them to take several wives, and to give bills of divorcement, with other like things. These commands were from permission, given because of the hardness of their hearts (as is evident from the Lord's words in Matthew 19:8; and Mark 10:4, 5); but the commands that are immediately from the Divine love are all of the Divine will; therefore it is said, "the seal of the living God;" for the Lord is called "the living God" from the Divine love, for love is man's very life, and the Divine love is the source of the life of all.
Heaven and Hell # 122
122. To the angels the sun of the world appears like a dense darkness opposite to the sun of heaven, and the moon like a darkness opposite to the moon of heaven, and this constantly; and for the reason that the world's fieriness corresponds to the love of self, and the light from it corresponds to what is false from that love; and the love of self is the direct opposite of the Divine love; and what is false from that love is the direct opposite of the Divine truth; and the opposite of the Divine love and the Divine truth is to the angels thick darkness. Therefore, in the Word, to worship the sun and moon of this world and bow down to them, signifies to love self and the falsities that spring from the love of self, and it is said that such would be cut off. (Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 16:3-5; Jeremiah 8:1, 2; Ezekiel 8:15, 16, 18; Revelation 16:8; Matthew 13:6). 1
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. [Swedenborg's footnote] The sun of the world is not seen by the angels, but in its place something dark behind, opposite to the sun of heaven or the Lord (Arcana Coelestia 7078, 9755).
In the opposite sense the sun signifies the love of self (2441); and in this sense "to worship the sun" signifies to worship what is contrary to heavenly love or to the Lord (2441, 10584).
To those in the hells the sun of heaven is thick darkness (2441).
