13
Un ja šī māja būs tā cienīga, jūsu miers nāks pār to; bet ja tā nebūs cienīga, jūsu miers atgriezīsies jūsos.
Metjū 10:13
Apocalypse Revealed # 639
639. 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'" This symbolizes a prediction by the Lord concerning the state of people after death who will belong to His New Church, namely that those who undergo temptations or trials because of their faith in the Lord and a life in accordance with His commandments will have eternal life and happiness.
To hear a voice speaking from heaven symbolizes a prediction by the Lord. It is a prediction about the state of people after death who will belong to His New Church, because that state is the subject in this verse. Those who die from now on symbolize their state after death. The injunction to write means symbolically that it be something to be remembered by people later (nos. 39, 63). The blessed symbolize people who have eternal life and happiness, since they are the people who are blessed. The dead symbolize people who have afflicted their soul, crucified their flesh, and undergone temptations or trials. That these are the people meant here by the dead will be seen below.
[2] Regarding those who have undergone temptations or trials because of their faith in the Lord and a life in accordance with His commandments, that they will have eternal life and happiness is apparent from the verse just preceding, which says, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus," which symbolically means that a New Church person will be examined through temptations or trials to discover his character as regards a life in accordance with the commandments and as regards faith in the Lord (see just above, no. 638). It is apparent also from the words following, that they will have rest from their labors, which means symbolically that those who undergo temptations or trials will have peace in the Lord, as explained just below in no. 640. Temptations or trials here mean spiritual temptations or trials, which occur in the case of people who have faith in the Lord and live in accordance with His commandments when they are driving away the evil spirits in them who ally themselves with their lusts. These temptations or trials are symbolically meant by a cross in the following passages:
Whoever does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (Matthew 10:38)
...Jesus said..., "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24, cf. Luke 9:23-25; 14:26-27)
And by crucifying the flesh in Galatians:
Those who are Christ's crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)
[3] The dead symbolize people who have afflicted their soul, crucified their flesh, and undergone temptations or trials, because by so doing they have ended their previous life and so become as though dead in the eyes of the world. For the Lord said,
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12:24)
Nor are any others meant by the dead in John:
(Jesus said,) "as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will." (John 5:21)
Also in John:
(Jesus said,) "the hour is coming..., when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and... live." (John 5:25)
And also by the resurrection of the dead (Luke 14:14, Revelation 20:5, 12-13, and elsewhere). See no. 106 above.
And in the book of Psalms:
Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of His saints. (Psalms 116:15)
Moreover Jesus said,
Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39; 16:25, cf. Luke 9:24-25; 17:33, John 12:25)
Revelation 14
1
I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads.
2
I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps.
3
They sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth.
4
These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
5
In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.
6
I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
7
He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!"
8
Another, a second angel, followed, saying, "Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality."
9
Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or on his hand,
10
he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
11
The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.
12
Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
13
I heard the voice from heaven saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them."
14
I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15
Another angel came out from the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Send forth your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!"
16
He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17
Another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle.
18
Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth's grapes are fully ripe!"
19
The angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20
The winepress was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out from the winepress, even to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.
