14
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:14
Apocalypse Revealed # 256
256. CHAPTER 5
1. And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
2. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to loose its seals?"
3. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book, or to look in it.
4. So I wept much, that no one was found worthy to open and read the book, or to look in it.
5. But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose its seven seals."
6. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as though slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
7. Then He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
8. Now when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a lyre, and a golden bowl full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9. And they sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, because You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10. and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."
11. Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
12. saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and... honor and glory and blessing!"
13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, "Blessing and honor and glory and strength be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
14. Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING
The Contents of the Whole Chapter
The meaning is that the Lord in His Divine humanity will execute a judgment based on the Word and in accordance with it, because He embodies the Word; and that all in the three heavens acknowledge this.
The Contents of the Individual Verses:
| Verse Contents | Spiritual Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, | The Lord in respect to His underlying Divinity from eternity, to whom belongs omnipotence and omniscience, and who embodies the Word, |
| sealed with seven seals. | the Word completely hidden from angel and man. |
| 2. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, | Divine truth flowing in from the Lord deeply in angels and people. |
| "Who is worthy to open the book and to loose its seals?" | Who has the power to know the states of life of all in heaven and on earth and to judge each one according to his state? |
| 3. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able | No one in the higher heavens or in the lower heavens [had the power] |
| to open the book, | to know the states of life of all and to judge each one according to his state. |
| or to look in it. | Not the least power. |
| 4. So I wept much, that no one was found worthy to open and read the book, or to look in it. | Grief of heart, that if no one could do this, all would perish. |
| 5. But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. | Consolation. |
| Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed | The Lord, who by His own power conquered the hells and put everything into order when He was in the world, through the Divine goodness united to the Divine truth in His humanity. |
| to open the book and to loose its seven seals." | The same here as before [verses 2, 3]. |
| 6. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, | From the inmost elements of heaven, the Word, and the church, and so in all their constituents. |
| a Lamb standing as though slain, | The Lord in respect to His humanity not acknowledged in the church as Divine. |
| having seven horns | His omnipotence. |
| and seven eyes, | His omniscience and Divine wisdom, |
| which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. | that from it emanates Divine truth throughout the whole world, wherever religion is found. |
| 7. Then He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. | The Lord in respect to His Divine humanity embodies the Word, and this from His Divinity within Him, and thus He will execute judgment based on His Divine humanity. |
| 8. Now when He had taken the book, | When the Lord prepared to execute judgment, and thereby put back into order everything in heaven and on earth. |
| the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, | A humility and worship of the Lord on the part of the higher heavens. |
| each having a lyre, | A confession of the Lord's Divine humanity springing from spiritual truths. |
| and a golden bowl full of incense, | A confession of the Lord's Divine humanity springing from spiritual goods. |
| which are the prayers of the saints. | Thoughts that are matters of faith springing from affections that are matters of charity in people who worship the Lord in accord with spiritual goods and truths. |
| 9. And they sang a new song, | An acknowledgment and glorification of the Lord as being the only judge, redeemer and savior, thus God of heaven and earth. |
| saying, "You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, | The same here as before [verses 2, 3]. |
| because You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood, | Deliverance from hell and salvation by conjunction with Him. |
| out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, | The Lord has redeemed those in the church or in any other religion who are impelled by truths in respect to their doctrine and by goods in respect to their life. |
| 10. and have made us kings and priests to our God; | They have from the Lord wisdom from Divine truths and love from Divine goods. |
| and we shall reign on the earth." | And they will dwell in His kingdom, He in them and they in Him. |
| 11. Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; | A confession and glorification of the Lord by angels of the lower heavens, |
| and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, | all possessing truths and goods. |
| 12. saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and... honor and glory | A confession from the heart that to the Lord in His Divine humanity belong omnipotence, omniscience, Divine good and Divine truth - |
| and blessing!" | all these being in Him, and from Him in them. |
| 13. And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, | A confession and glorification of the Lord by angels of the lowest heavens, |
| "Blessing and honor and glory and strength be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" | that present in the Lord from eternity and so in His Divine humanity is everything of heaven and the church - Divine good and truth, and Divine power - and that these are present in them from Him. |
| 14. Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" | A Divine confirmation from the Word. |
| And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. | Humility before the Lord on the part of all in the heavens, and out of humility worship of Him, from whom and in whom is eternal life. |
THE EXPOSITION
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back. (5:1) This symbolizes the Lord in respect to His underlying Divinity from eternity, to whom belongs omnipotence and omniscience, and who embodies the Word, who also of Himself knows the states of life of all in heaven and on earth, in every particular and in their entirety.
He who sat on the throne means the Lord in respect to His underlying Divinity from which His humanity originates, for the statement follows that the Lamb took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne (verse 7), and the Lamb means the Lord in respect to His humanity. The book written inside and on the back means the Word in every particular and in its entirety - "inside" meaning in every particular, and "on the back," in its entirety. Inside and on the back also mean the inner meaning of the Word, which is spiritual, and its outer meaning, which is natural. The right hand means the Lord in respect to His omnipotence and omniscience, because the subject is the exploration of all in heaven and on earth on whom the Last Judgment would fall, and their separation.
As the embodiment of the Word, the Lord knows of Himself the states of life of all in heaven and on earth, because He is Divine truth itself, and Divine truth itself, of itself, knows everything. This, however, is a secret which we disclosed in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom.
The fact that the Lord was the Word, that is to say, Divine truth, in respect to His Divinity from eternity is apparent from this statement in John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
And the fact that the Lord came to embody the Word even in respect to His humanity, from this statement also in John:
And the Word became flesh... (John 1:14)
It can be seen from this what is meant by the testimony that the book was in right hand of Him who sat on the throne, and that the Lamb took the book from it (verse 7).
[2] Since the Lord embodies the Word, and the Word is the Divine truth which forms heaven and the church in general, and each angel in particular so as to have heaven in him, and each person so as to have the church in him, and because the Word is here meant by the book on the basis of which and according to which all are to be judged, therefore we find references here and there to being written in the book, to being judged on the basis of the book, and to being blotted out from the book, where the subject is someone's state of eternal life, as in the following places:
(The Ancient of Days) sat in judgment, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:10)
...your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)
My frame was not hidden from You... ...on Your book were written all the days..., and not one of them is missing. (Psalms 139:15-16)
(Moses said,) ."..I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." And Jehovah said..., "He who has sinned against Me, him I will blot out of My book." (Exodus 32:32-33)
Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous. (Psalms 69:28)
I saw (that) books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things which were written in the Book, according to their works..., and if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15)
There shall not enter into (the New Jerusalem) anything... but those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. (Revelation 21:27)
All... will worship (the beast), whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb... (Revelation 13:8, cf. 17:8)
That the Book means the Word may be seen in the book of Psalms:
In the scroll of the book it is written of me. (Psalms 40:7)
And in Ezekiel:
I looked, and lo, there was a hand stretched out to me, and... in it the scroll of a book... written in front and in back... (Ezekiel 2:9-10)
...the book of the words of Isaiah... (Luke 3:4)
...the Book of Psalms... (Luke 20:42)
Habakkuk 2
1
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer as to my reproof.
2
And Jehovah answered me and said, Write the vision, and engrave it upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.
3
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but it hasteth to the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; for it will surely come, it will not delay.
4
Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him: but the just shall live by his faith.
5
And moreover, the wine is treacherous: he is a proud man, and keepeth not at rest, he enlargeth his desire as Sheol, and he is like death and cannot be satisfied; and he assembleth unto him all nations, and gathereth unto him all peoples.
6
Shall not all these take up a proverb about him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? -- and to him that loadeth himself with pledges!
7
Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and they awake up that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?
8
Because thou hast plundered many nations, all the rest of the peoples shall plunder thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence [done] to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein.
9
Woe to him that getteth iniquitous gain to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the grasp of evil!
10
Thou hast devised shame to thy house, by cutting off many peoples, and hast sinned against thine own soul.
11
For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by unrighteousness!
13
Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labour for the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
14
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.
15
Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, -- that pourest out thy flask, and makest [him] drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
16
Thou art filled with shame instead of glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of Jehovah's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and a shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
17
For the violence [done] to Lebanon shall cover thee, and the destruction of beasts which made them afraid; because of men's blood, and for the violence [done] to the land, to the city, and all that dwell therein.
18
What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it? the molten image, and the teacher of falsehood, that the maker of his work dependeth thereon, to make dumb idols?
19
Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake! to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall it teach? Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20
But Jehovah is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him!
