ほとんどの場合、"before "の意味は簡単です。相対的な時間を評価する方法としても、"誰かの前で "という意味でも、"before "は使われます。しかし，主に関連して使われる場合には，より深い意味を持ちます。主の前に」いるということは、主の前にいるだけでなく、主から善の欲求と真理の理解を受けて、それに従って生きることを意味します。そして、主に関連して時間の評価として使われる場合、「前に」とは「永遠に」という意味であり、私たちが経験する時間ではなく、霊的な状態を指します。

(Odkazy: 啓示による黙示録解説366, 617; 天界の秘義6983, 8439, 9888)

617. 14:3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and before the elders. This symbolizes a celebration and glorification of the Lord in His presence and in the presence of the angels of the higher heavens.

Their singing a new song symbolizes an acknowledgment and glorification of the Lord as being the only Judge, Redeemer, and Savior, thus God of heaven and earth, as may be seen in no. 279 above. Before the throne means in the Lord's presence, because He alone sits upon the throne. Before the four living creatures and before the elders means in the presence of the angels of the higher heavens (no. 369).

As it were a new song symbolizes a celebration and glorification of the Lord in the New Christian Heaven. Here specifically it means that He was acknowledged as God of heaven and earth, as He is acknowledged in the ancient heavens. This is entailed in the phrase "as it were," for "as it were a new song" means that it was seemingly new, when in fact it was not new.

We have already said before that the new heaven spoken of in Revelation 21:1 is a new heaven formed of Christians, that the prior heavens were formed of ancient peoples and most ancient ones, and that in those heavens the Lord is acknowledged as God of heaven and earth.