707. 16:16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. This symbolizes a state of combat, of falsities against truths, and, arising from a love of dominion and preeminence, a mind to destroy the New Church.

To gather together to the place, in this case for battle, means, symbolically, to incite people to use falsities to fight against truths. It is a state of combat, because a place symbolizes the state of something. It springs from a mind to destroy the New Church, because the combat meant is between the former church and a new one, and the intent of the combat is to destroy. What Armageddon symbolizes we will say below.

We were told previously that the dragon went off to make war with the rest of the woman's offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17). Also that it was granted the beast from the sea to make war with the saints (Revelation 13:7). Then in this chapter we are told that spirits of demons coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, went away to the kings of the earth to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:13-14). And here now the subject is the battle itself, whose outcome is not described, but only its state, which is symbolized by Armageddon.

[2] Armageddon symbolizes in heaven a love of acclaim, dominion and preeminence, and in Hebrew, too, Aram or Arom symbolizes loftiness, and Megiddo in ancient Hebrew a love in consequence of loftiness, as is apparent from its meaning in Arabic. ¹ Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo has the same symbolic meaning in Zechariah 12:11. The subject of that chapter is also the Lord's advent, the end of the Jewish Church then and the beginning of a new one to be established by the Lord, and a conflict, too, between those churches. That is why we find so many times in that chapter the phrase "in that day," and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent, as in no. 704 above. For this to be seen, I will quote the passages:

...in that day that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples... In that day... I will strike every horse with stupor, and its rider with madness... In that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a fiery furnace in the woodpile... In that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that there may be a force among them... ...in that day... I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:3-4, 6, 8-9)

And finally:

In that day there shall be... mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad-Rimmon in the valley of Megiddo. (Zechariah 12:11)

And in the following chapter:

In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem... It shall be in that day that the prophets will be ashamed... and... not put on a robe of coarse hair, so as to deceive. (Zechariah 13:1, 4)

[3] That day symbolizes the Lord's advent and the end of the former church and the beginning of a new one, as said above. But what the valley of Megiddo in that chapter symbolizes cannot be seen unless the series of symbolic meanings there and in the two following chapters in that prophetic book are revealed by disclosure of the spiritual sense; and because this series of meanings has been revealed to me, I will say what it is, but in brief summation. In the spiritual sense Zechariah 12 describes the following:

The Lord will form a new church (verse 1).

The former church will have no doctrine then left in it, and therefore the people will run from it (verses 2, 3).

There will no longer be any understanding of truth, except in people who hold to the Word and will belong to the new church (verse 4).

They will learn the goodness of doctrine from the Lord (verse 5).

By means of the Word's truths the Lord will destroy all falsities then, lest the doctrine of the new church teach anything other than truth (verses 6, 7).

The church will have then a doctrine regarding the Lord (verse 8). He will destroy everyone and everything that stands in opposition to that doctrine (verse 9), and a new church will exist then from the Lord (verse 10).

Each and every part of the church will be in a state of mourning then (verses 10 to 14).

[4] These are the contents of Chapter 12 in the spiritual sense. The contents of the next chapter, Zechariah 13, are as follows:

For the new church there will be a Word, and it will lie open to them (verse 1).

Falsities in their doctrine and worship will be entirely destroyed (verses 2, 3).

The former prophetic or doctrinal teaching will cease, and there will no longer be any falsities in their doctrine (verses 4, 5).

People in the former church will kill the Lord, with the intention of dispersing those who believe in Him (verses 6, 7).

Those of the devastated church will perish, while those of the new church will be purified and taught by the Lord (verses 8, 9).

[5] These are the contents of chapter 13 in the spiritual sense. The contents of chapter 14 are as follows:

The combats of the Lord against evil people and their dispersion (verses 1 to 5).

The absence of any truth then other than Divine truth from the Lord (verses 6, 7).

Divine truth will emanate from the Lord (verses 8, 9).

Truth in the new church will increase, and there will be in it no falsity that accompanies evil (verses 10, 11).

People who fight against those truths will surrender themselves to falsities of every kind (verse 12).

The destruction then of every facet of the church (verses 13 to 15).

People will then turn to worship of the Lord, even from nations that are external and merely natural (verses 16 to 19).

And their intelligence then, springing from the goodness of charity that produces their worship (verses 20, 21).

These are the contents of the three chapters, Zechariah 12 to Zechariah 14, in the spiritual sense, disclosed because they also have as their subject the last state of a former church and the first state of a new church. Moreover, because [in the present verse] we are told that people were to be gathered together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon, it follows that what is said in Zechariah applies equally to the last state of today's church and to the first state of the New Church.

Armageddon symbolizes, as we said, a love of acclaim, dominion and preeminence, for it is because of that love that a conflict arises, and it is because of that love and on its account that there is the mourning described in Zechariah 12:11-14.

Megiddo also has the same symbolic meaning in 2 Kings 23:29-30 and 2 Chronicles 35:20-24, but in the spiritual sense.

Poznámky pod čarou:

704. That perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This symbolizes assertions that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

To perform signs is to testify and also to assert that something is true, as may be seen in nos. 598, 599 above, here that their falsities are true. Kings of the earth and of the whole world symbolize people who are caught up primarily in falsities springing from evil, here all who are caught up in the same falsities throughout the church. For kings symbolize people impelled by truths that spring from goodness, and in an opposite sense people impelled by falsities springing from evil (no. 483). The earth symbolizes the church (no. 285), and so likewise does the world (no. 551). To go away to gather them to battle means, symbolically, to stir those people to fight or attack; for war symbolizes a spiritual war, which is one of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (nos. 500, 586). It is to attack the truths of the New Church because it is called the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then. That this is the symbolic meaning of the great day there will be seen below.

We are told that the spirits of demons would do this, because the spirits of demons symbolize lusts to falsify truths and to reason on the basis of falsities, as just said in no. 703 above.

It is apparent from this that spirits of demons performing signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, symbolize assertions by the people meant by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, as described in nos. 701, 702 above, that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

[2] That the great day of God Almighty symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then, is clear from many passages in the Word, as from the following:

Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11)

...in that day... Israel... will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

In that day a Root of Jesse... shall the Gentiles seek, and His resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10-11)

In that day... eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 17:7, 9)

They will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, to set us free." (Isaiah 25:9)

...My people shall know My name...(and) in that day, I am He who speaks: "Behold, it is I." (Isaiah 52:6)

Alas! ...great is (the day of Jehovah, and) there is none like it. (Jeremiah 30:7)

Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant... and the city shall be built for Jehovah... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 38)

In those days... I will cause to grow up to David a righteous Branch... (Jeremiah 33:15)

(They will not) stand in battle on the day of Jehovah. (Ezekiel 13:5)

In that day Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the children of your people... In that day... shall be delivered everyone who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)

...in that day... you will call Me "My Husband."... In that day I will make a covenant for them... ...in that day I will hear... (Hosea 2:16, 18, 21).

Behold, I am sending you Elijah... before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Malachi 4:5)

Jehovah... will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. (Zechariah 9:16)

In that day Jehovah will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8)

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming... It shall be one day which is known to Jehovah... In that day Jehovah shall be one and His name one... In that day there shall be a great tumult... In that day "Holiness to the Lord" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 6-9, 13, 20-21)

There are many other passages in addition to these in which "the day of Jehovah" means the Lord's advent and a new church from Him then, as in the following: Isaiah 4:2; 19:16, 18, 21, 24; 22:20; 28:5; 29:18; 30:25-26; 31:7; and elsewhere.

Since the end of an age or final period of a former church is the time when the Lord's advent takes place and a new church begins, therefore the day of Jehovah in many places symbolizes the end of a previous church, and we are told that then there will be rumors, tumult, and wars. ¹ See the passages collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 4, 5.

Poznámky pod čarou: