Apocalypse Explained # 749
749. And by the word of their testimony.- That this signifies, and, by the confession and acknowledgment of the Divine in His Human, is clear from the signification of the word of testimony, as denoting the confession of the Lord, and the acknowledgment of the Divine in His Human (concerning which see above, n. 392, 635, 649). That this is the word of testimony is plain from the following passages in the Apocalypse:
The angel said unto John, "I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (19:10).
And after the angel had thus spoken, a white horse appeared, and one sitting thereon, who was called "the Word of God," also "King of kings and Lord of lords" (verses 13, 16). From this it is evident that the word of their testimony signifies the confession and acknowledgment of the Divine in the Human of the Lord. Those who are in this acknowledgment are also in the acknowledgment that the Human of the Lord is Divine, for the Divine itself cannot dwell elsewhere than in what is Divine from itself. But because the learned among us cannot easily comprehend this, therefore in their thought they separate the Divine from the Human of the Lord, and place the Divine without or above it, nevertheless this is contrary to the Christian doctrine of the trinity, called the Athanasian or Nicene confession, which teaches that the Divine took to itself a Human, and that they are not two but a united Person, just as are soul and body.
Micah 7
1
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
2
The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
3
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
4
The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
5
Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
6
For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
7
Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
8
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
9
I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
10
Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
11
In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.
12
In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.
13
Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
14
Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them Feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15
According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.
16
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
17
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.
18
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
