Apocalypse Revealed # 945
945. 22:8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. This means that John supposed that the angel sent to him by the Lord to keep him in a state of the spirit was the God who revealed these things, when in fact that was not the case, as the angel only showed him what the Lord presented.
Clearly John supposed that the angel sent to him was the Lord Himself, for we are told that he fell down to worship before the angel's feet. But that it was not as he supposed is apparent from the next verse, in which the angel tells him that he is his fellow servant: "Worship God." That the angel was sent to John by the Lord is apparent from verse 16, which says, "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches."
But behind this lies the following secret: The Lord sent the angel to John in order to keep him in a state of the spirit and to show him in that state the visions he saw. For whatever John saw, he saw not with the eyes of his body, but with the eyes of his spirit, as can be seen from the passages in which he says that he was in the spirit and seeing a vision (Revelation 1:10; 9:17; 17:3; 21:10), thus everywhere that he says "he saw." And a person can enter that state and be kept in it only by angels who are closely attached to the person, who induce their own spiritual state on the interiors of his mind. For this raises the person into the light of heaven, and in that light he sees sights in heaven and not in the world.
[2] Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel, and other prophets were at times in the same state, but not when they spoke the Word. When they spoke the Word they were not in the spirit, but conscious in the body, and the words they wrote they heard from Jehovah Himself, that is, from the Lord.
These two states experienced by the prophets must be properly distinguished. The prophets themselves also properly distinguished them, for they everywhere say when they wrote the Word from Jehovah that Jehovah spoke with them and to them, and most often, "Thus says Jehovah," or "the word of Jehovah." However, when they were in the other state, they say that they were in the spirit or seeing in a vision, as can be seen from the following: (Ezekiel said,) "The spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision... of God into Chaldea, to those in captivity. So the vision that I saw went up upon me." (Ezekiel 11:1, 24)
Ezekiel says that the spirit lifted him up and that he heard behind him an earthquake, among other things (Ezekiel 3:12, 14). Also that the spirit lifted him up between earth and heaven, and brought him in visions of God to Jerusalem, where he saw abominations (Ezekiel 8:3ff.). Therefore he was also seeing in a vision of God or in the spirit when he saw four living creatures, which were cherubim (Ezekiel 1 and 10). And when he saw a new temple and a new land, and an angel measuring them (Ezekiel 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48). He says that he was then seeing in the visions of God (Ezekiel 40:2), and that the spirit lifted him up (Ezekiel 43:5).
[3] It was the same with Zechariah, who had an angel with him at the time when he saw a man riding among the myrtle trees (Zechariah 1:8ff.). When he saw the four horns, and then the man with a measuring line in his hand (Zechariah 1:18; 2:1ff.). When he saw Joshua, the high priest (Zechariah 3:1ff.). When he saw the lampstand and two olive trees (Zechariah 4:1ff.). When he saw the flying scroll and the ephah (Zechariah 5:1, 6). And when he saw the four chariots and their horses coming from between two mountains (Zechariah 6:1ff.).
Daniel was in the same state when he saw four beasts coming up from the sea (Daniel 7:1ff.), and when he saw the combat of the ram and the male goat (Daniel 8:1ff.). That he saw these sights in visions is said in Daniel 7:1-2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7-8. Moreover, that he saw the angel Gabriel and spoke with him in a vision (Daniel 9:21).
It was the same with John when he saw the sights he described, as when he saw the Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands; when he saw the tabernacle, 1 the temple, 2 the ark, 3 and the altar 4 in heaven; the dragon and its combat with Michael; 5 the beasts; 6 the woman sitting on the scarlet beast; 7 the new heaven and new earth, and the holy Jerusalem with its wall, gates, and foundations; 8 and more.
These sights were revealed by the Lord, but shown by an angel.
Poznámky pod čarou:
2. Revelation 11:1-2, 19; 14:15, 17; 15:5-6, 8; 16:1, 17.
Luke 19
1
He entered and was passing through Jericho.
2
There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
3
He was trying to see who Jesus was, and couldn't because of the crowd, because he was short.
4
He ran on ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
5
When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
6
He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.
7
When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, "He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner."
8
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much."
9
Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost."
11
As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the Kingdom of God would be revealed immediately.
12
He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13
He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, 'Conduct business until I come.'
14
But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, 'We don't want this man to reign over us.'
15
"It happened when he had come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.
16
The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.'
17
"He said to him, 'Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.'
18
"The second came, saying, 'Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.'
19
"So he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.'
20
Another came, saying, 'Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,
21
for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn't lay down, and reap that which you didn't sow.'
22
"He said to him, 'Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn't lay down, and reaping that which I didn't sow.
23
Then why didn't you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?'
24
He said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina away from him, and give it to him who has the ten minas.'
25
"They said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!'
26
'For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.
27
But bring those enemies of mine who didn't want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.'"
28
Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29
It happened, when he drew near to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the mountain that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples,
30
saying, "Go your way into the village on the other side, in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat. Untie it, and bring it.
31
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say to him: 'The Lord needs it.'"
32
Those who were sent went away, and found things just as he had told them.
33
As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34
They said, "The Lord needs it."
35
They brought it to Jesus. They threw their cloaks on the colt, and set Jesus on them.
36
As he went, they spread their cloaks in the way.
37
As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,
38
saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!"
39
Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
40
He answered them, "I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out."
41
When he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it,
42
saying, "If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.
43
For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side,
44
and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn't know the time of your visitation."
45
He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,
46
saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of robbers'!"
47
He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him.
48
They couldn't find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.
