27
But the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heavens, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high [places]. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Daniel 7:27
Apocalypse Revealed # 799
799. "For your great men were the merchants of the earth." This symbolically means that those higher in the Roman Catholic hierarchy are of such a character because they use their various prerogatives, including ones left to their discretion in the regulations of their order, to buy and sell and make material gains.
The great men mean those higher in the Roman Catholic hierarchy, those called cardinals, bishops and primates. They are called merchants because they use the sanctities of the church as merchandise by which to make material gains (nos. 771, 783) - here those who use their various prerogatives, including ones left to their discretion in the regulations of their order, to buy and sell and make material gains.
The reason we say this is apparent from the foregoing declarations, for this follows as a consequence of them. In the foregoing declarations we are told that the sound of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, shall not be heard in Babylon anymore, that no craftsman of any craft shall be found there, that the sound of a mill shall not be heard there, that the light of a lamp shall not shine there, and that the sound of a bridegroom and bride shall not be heard there; and these symbolically mean, as may be seen above, that in Babylon there will be no affection for spiritual truth (no. 792), no understanding of spiritual truth and so no thought of spiritual truth (no. 793), neither any inquiry or investigation into it (no. 794), nor any enlightenment or perception of it, and so no conjunction of goodness and truth, which is what forms the church (no. 797). The Roman Catholics described lack these things because those higher in rank also buy and sell and make material gains, and thus furnish those lower in rank with their examples. This then is why we are told, "For your great men were the merchants of the earth."
[2] But perhaps someone will say, "What are those additional discretionary prerogatives which can be used as merchandise?"
They are not their annual incomes and stipends, but the dispensations they make by the power the keys give them, namely, their forgiving of sins, even heinous ones, and using this to liberate from temporal punishments; their interceding with the Pope to be able to marry people within degrees of relationship prohibited by law, and to put an end to marriages within degrees of relationship not prohibited, and allowing these themselves without interceding by acts of toleration; their granting special privileges that lie within their power to grant; their use of the power to ordain ministers and confirm them; their use of the gifts they receive in general and in particular from monasteries; their appropriation of revenues from other sources which belong by right to others; and many other things.
These, and not their annual incomes, if they are content with them, cause them not to have any affection for or thought of spiritual truth, any investigation into or perception of spiritual truth, or any conjunction of truth and goodness, because they are the quests of unrighteous mammon, and an unrighteous person continually lusts for natural riches and turns away from spiritual riches, which are Divine truths drawn from the Word.
[3] It can now be seen from this that the declaration, "For your great men were the merchants of the earth," symbolically means that those higher in the Roman Catholic hierarchy are of such a character because they use their various prerogatives, including ones left to their discretion in the regulations of their order, to buy and sell and make material gains.
To this we will add here something more about using the power of the keys to grant dispensations over the commission of crimes, even heinous ones, by which to liberate the guilty not only from eternal punishment, but also from temporal ones, and if they are not liberated, still to protect them by giving them asylum.
Who does not see that this does not fall within ecclesiastical authority, but rather civil authority? That it is to extend ecclesiastical government over everything secular? That it serves to destroy public trust? And that by this power still reserved for them they have the power to bring back their earlier despotic dominion over all the law courts established by kings, thus over the judges, even the highest of them - something they would also do, if they did not fear people's leaving the church.
This is what is meant in Daniel by the fourth beast that came up from the sea and its thinking to change the times and the law (Daniel 7:25).
Matthew 19
1
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, he withdrew from Galilee, and came to the coasts of Judaea beyond the Jordan;
2
and great crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3
And the Pharisees came to him tempting him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4
But he answering said [to them], Have ye not read that he who made [them], from the beginning made them male and female,
5
and said, On account of this a man shall leave father and mother, and shall be united to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh?
6
so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.
7
They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and to send [her] away?
8
He says to them, Moses, in view of your hardheartedness, allowed you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not thus.
9
But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, not for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and he who marries one put away commits adultery.
10
His disciples say to him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11
And he said to them, All cannot receive this word, but those to whom it has been given;
12
for there are eunuchs which have been born thus from [their] mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs of men; and there are eunuchs who have made eunuchs of themselves for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it].
13
Then there were brought to him little children that he might lay his hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them.
14
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and do not hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom of the heavens is of such:
15
and having laid his hands upon them, he departed thence.
16
And lo, one coming up said to him, Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have life eternal?
17
And he said to him, What askest thou me concerning goodness? one is good. But if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments.
18
He says to him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19
Honour thy father and thy mother, and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20
The young man says to him, All these have I kept; what lack I yet?
21
Jesus said to him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to [the] poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
22
But the young man, having heard the word, went away grieved, for he had large possessions.
23
And Jesus said to his disciples, Verily I say unto you, A rich man shall with difficulty enter into the kingdom of the heavens;
24
and again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to enter a needle's eye than a rich man into the kingdom of God.
25
And when the disciples heard [it] they were exceedingly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved?
26
But Jesus, looking on [them], said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27
Then Peter answering said to him, Behold, *we* have left all things and have followed thee; what then shall happen to us?
28
And Jesus said to them, Verily I say unto you, That *ye* who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit down upon his throne of glory, *ye* also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29
And every one who has left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit life eternal.
