Apocalypse Explained # 278
278. Verse 7. And the first animal was like a lion, signifies the appearance, in ultimates, of Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in respect to power and effect. This is evident from the signification of "lion," as being Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in respect to power and effect (of which in what follows). It means appearance in ultimates, because the cherubim were seen as animals, and this first one like a lion. It is said in ultimates, because that appearance was before John when he was in the spirit, and he saw all things in ultimates, in which Divine celestial and Divine spiritual things are variously represented, now by gardens and paradises, now by palaces and temples, now by rivers and waters, now by living creatures of various kinds, such as lions, camels, horses, oxen, bullocks, sheep, lambs, doves, eagles, and many others. Like things were seen by the prophets through whom the Word was written, in order that the Word in its ultimates, which are the things contained in the sense of the letter, might consist of such things as exist in the world, which might be representations and correspondences of celestial and spiritual things, and thus might serve as a basis and foundation to the spiritual sense. For this reason also the cherubim (which signify the guard and providence of the Lord that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity) were seen by John and also by Ezekiel, in respect to their faces, as animals.
Since it is the Lord who guards and provides, and this through Divine truth and Divine good, thus through His Divine wisdom and intelligence, four animals were seen, which were like a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle; for thus by "lion" Divine truth in respect to power was represented, by "calf" Divine good in respect to protection, by "man" the Divine wisdom, and by "eagle" the Divine intelligence; which four things are included in the Lord's Divine Providence in its guarding the higher heavens, that they be not approached except from the good of love and charity.
[2] That a "lion" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in respect to power is evident from the passages in the Word in which "lion" is mentioned; as from the following, in Moses:
Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou are gone up; he couched, he lay down as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? (Genesis 49:9).
"Judah" here signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom, where all are in power from the Lord through Divine truth; this power is meant by a "lion's whelp," and by an "old lion;" "the prey from which he goeth up" signifies the dispersion of falsities and evils; "to couch" signifies to put oneself into power; "lying down" signifies to be in security from every falsity and evil; therefore it is said, "Who shall rouse him up?" (That "Judah" in the Word signifies the celestial kingdom of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 3654, 3881, 5603, 5782, 6363; that "prey," in reference to that kingdom and to the Lord, signifies the dispersion of falsities and evils, and the rescue and deliverance from hell, n. 6368, 6442; that "couching" in reference to a lion, signifies to put oneself into power, n. 6369; and that "lying down" signifies a state of security and tranquillity, n. Arcana Coelestia 3696[1-5])
[3] In the same:
At this time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel, What hath God wrought? Behold the people riseth up as an old lion, and as a young lion doth he lift himself up; he shall not lie down until he eat of what is torn (Numbers 23:23, 24).
In the same:
He coucheth, he lieth down as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee (Numbers 24:9).
This is said of "Jacob and Israel," who signify the Lord's spiritual kingdom; their power is described by an "old lion" and a "young lion" rising, lifting himself up, and couching; the dispersion of falsities and evils is signified by "eating of what is torn," and a state of security and tranquillity by "he lieth down, who shall rouse him up?" (That "Jacob" and "Israel" in the Word signify the Lord's spiritual kingdom, see Arcana Coelestia 4286, 4570, 5973, 6426, 8805, 9340; what the Lord's celestial kingdom is, and what His spiritual kingdom is, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). That "to couch" is to put oneself into power; that "prey" and "spoil" mean the dispersion of falsities and evils; and that "lying down" means a state of security and tranquillity, when these things are said of a lion, see just above.
[4] In Nahum:
Where is the abode of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions? where walked the lion, the old lion, the lion's whelp, and none maketh them afraid? (Nahum 2:11).
Here also "lions" signify those who are in power through Divine truth; "their abode" signifies where there are such in the church; their "feeding place" signifies the knowledges of truth and good; their "walking and none making them afraid" signifies their state of security from evils and falsities.
[5] In Micah:
The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as dew from Jehovah, as the drops upon the herb. As a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who if he go through shall tread down and tear in pieces so that none delivereth, thine hand shall be lifted up above thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off (Micah 5:7-9).
The "remnant of Jacob" signifies the truths and goods of the church; "dew from Jehovah" signifies spiritual truth; "drops upon the herb" natural truth; "a lion among the beasts of the forest," and "a young lion among the flocks of sheep," and "treading down and tearing, and none delivering," signify power over evils and falsities; because of this signification it is said, "thine hand shall be lifted up above thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off;" for "adversaries" signify evils, and "enemies" falsities (See Arcana Coelestia 2851[1-15], 8289, 9314, 10481).
[6] In Isaiah:
The Lord said, Go set a watchman, who may look and announce. And he saw a chariot, a pair of horsemen, an ass chariot, a camel chariot; and he harkened a hearkening; a lion upon a watch-tower called out, O lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set upon my watch all the nights: Babylon is fallen, is fallen (Isaiah 21:6-9).
This treats of the coming of the Lord and a new church at that time. "A lion upon a watch-tower" signifies the Lord's guard and providence; therefore it is said, "I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set upon my watch all the nights." A "chariot" and a "pair of horsemen" signify the doctrine of truth from the Word; "harkening a harkening" signifies a life according to that doctrine. (That "chariot" signifies the doctrine of truth, see Arcana Coelestia 2761, 2762, 5321, 8029, 8215; that "horseman" signifies the Word in respect to the understanding, see n. 2761, 6401, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148.)
[7] In the same:
Like as the lion and the young lion roareth over what he hath torn which 1 a multitude of shepherds meeteth, so shall Jehovah come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4).
Here Jehovah is compared to "a roaring lion," because a "lion" signifies power to lead forth from hell or from evils, and to "roar" signifies defense against evils and falsities; therefore it is said, "so shall Jehovah Zebaoth come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof," "Mount Zion and the hill thereof" meaning the celestial church and the spiritual church; and "that which is torn over which the lion and the young lion roar" signifying deliverance from evils, which are from hell.
[8] To "roar" when attributed to a lion, has the same signification in Hosea:
I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah as a lion roareth (Hosea 11:9-10).
In Amos:
The lion hath roared, who does not fear? The Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy (Amos 3:8).
In Revelation:
The angel cried with a great voice, as a lion roared (Revelation 10:3).
In David:
The lions roaring after their prey and seeking their food from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together and lie down in their abodes (Psalms 104:21-22).
These words in David describe the state of the angels of heaven when they are not in a state of intense love and of wisdom therefrom, and when they return into that state; the former state is described by "lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their food from God;" the latter state by "the sun ariseth, they gather themselves together and lie down in their abodes." By the "lions" the angels of heaven are meant; their "roaring," means desire; "prey" and "food" mean the good which is of love and the truth which is of wisdom; "the sun arising" means the Lord in respect to love and wisdom therefrom; "gathering themselves together" means returning into a celestial state; and "lying down in their abodes," a state of tranquility and peace. (Of these two states of the angels in heaven see in the work on Heaven and Hell 154-161.)
[9] Because Jehovah is compared to a lion from Divine truth in respect to power, therefore the Lord is called a "lion" in Revelation:
Behold the lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath overcome (Revelation 5:5).
And because all power is from the Lord through Divine truth, this also is signified by a "lion," as in Moses:
Of Gad he said, Blessed is he who hath given the breadth to Gad; as a lion he dwelleth, he teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head (Deuteronomy 33:20).
"Gad" in the highest sense signifies omnipotence, and therefore in the representative sense the power that is of truth (See Arcana Coelestia 3934[1-8], 3935); therefore it is said, "Blessed is he who hath given breadth to Gad," for "breadth" signifies truth (Arcana Coelestia 1613, 34 33, 3434, 4482, 9487, 10179; that all power is from Divine truth, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, in the chapter on The Power of the Angels in Heaven, n. 228-233).
[10] Because a "lion" signifies power, therefore in the lamentations of David over Saul and Jonathan it is said:
Saul and Jonathan were lovely, they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions (2 Samuel 1:23). "Saul" here as king, and "Jonathan" as the son of a king, mean truth protecting the church, since the doctrine of truth and good is here treated of, for that lamentation was written "to teach the sons of Judah the bow" (verse 18); and "bow" signifies that doctrine (See Arcana Coelestia, 2686, 2709, 6422).
[11] Because "the kings of Judah and Israel" represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and because a "throne" represented the judgment, which is effected according to Divine truth, and because "lions" represented power, guard, and protection against falsities and evils, therefore near the two stays of the throne built by Solomon there were two lions, and twelve lions on the six steps on the one side and on the other (1 Kings 10:18-20). From this it can be seen what "lions" in the Word signify when the Lord, heaven, and the church are treated of. "Lions" in the Word signify also the power of falsity from evil by which the church is destroyed and devastated. As in Jeremiah:
The young lions roar against her, 2 they give forth their voice, they reduce the land to wasteness (Jeremiah 2:15).
In Isaiah:
A nation whose arrows are sharp, and all his bows bent, the hoofs of his horses are accounted as rock, his roaring like that of a lion, he roareth like a young lion, and he growleth and seizeth the prey (Isaiah 5:28-29).
Besides many other places (as in Isaiah 11:6; 35:9; Jeremiah 4:7; 5:6; 12:8; 50:17; 51:38; Ezekiel 19:3, 5-6; Hosea 13:7, 8; Joel 1:6-7; Psalms 17:12; 22:13; 57:4; 58:6; 91:13).
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. For "which" the Hebrew has "when . . . meeteth him," as found in Arcana Coelestia 1664.
2. For "her" the Hebrew has "him"; cf. Apocalypse Explained 601.
Revelation 16
1
I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth!"
2
The first went, and poured out his bowl into the earth, and it became a harmful and evil sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image.
3
The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died.
4
The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
5
I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things.
6
For they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this."
7
I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments."
8
The fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire.
9
People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They didn't repent and give him glory.
10
The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain,
11
and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. They didn't repent of their works.
12
The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that come from the sunrise.
13
I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs;
14
for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty.
15
"Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame."
16
He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, Megiddo.
17
The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came forth out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
18
There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men on the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty.
19
The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20
Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21
Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague is exceedingly severe.
