Apocalypse Revealed # 336
336. And every mountain and island was moved out of its place. This symbolically means that all goodness of love and truth of faith vanished.
No one can see that this is the symbolic meaning except by recourse to the spiritual sense. It is the symbolic meaning because mountains mean people who possess the goodness of love, inasmuch as angels dwell upon mountains - those motivated by love toward the Lord on loftier mountains, and those motivated by love for the neighbor on less lofty ones. Consequently "every mountain" symbolizes all goodness of love. Islands mean people relatively removed from the worship of God, as may be seen in no. 34 above - here people who are impelled by faith, and not so much by the goodness of love. Therefore in an abstract sense "every island" means, symbolically, all truth of faith. To be moved out of their places means, symbolically, to go away.
It derives from the abodes of angels on mountains and hills, therefore, that mountains and hills in the Word symbolize heaven and the church where love toward the Lord and love for the neighbor are found, and in an opposite sense, hell where self-love and love of the world are found.
[2] It is apparent from the following passages that mountains and hills symbolize heaven and the church where love toward the Lord and love for the neighbor are found, thus where the Lord is present:
Lift up your eyes to the mountains, whence comes your help. (Psalms 121:1)
Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who proclaims... peace! (Nahum 1:15, cf. Isaiah 52:7)
Praise Jehovah..., you mountains and... hills...! (Psalms 148:7, 9)
A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you leap, you mountains, you hills of the mountain? Jehovah has desired to inhabit them; (Jehovah) also will inhabit them forever. (Psalms 68:15-16)
The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like the young of the flock... You travail, O earth, at the presence of the Lord... (Psalms 114:4-7)
I will bring forth a seed from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains, that My elect may inherit them, and My servants dwell there. (Isaiah 65:9)
(In the consummation of the age:) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:16)
(O Jehovah,) Your righteousness is as the mountains of God. (Psalms 36:6)
Jehovah will go forth and fight... In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, opposite Jerusalem on the east. (Zechariah 14:3-4)
[3] Since the Mount of Olives symbolized Divine love, therefore during the days the Lord preached in the Temple, but during the nights He went out and spent the night on the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39, John 8:1). And therefore the Lord spoke upon that mountain with His disciples regarding His coming and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:3-4).
Since a mountain symbolized heaven and love, therefore Jehovah came down upon the top of Mount Sinai and proclaimed the Law (Exodus 19:20; 24:17). And therefore the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James and John on a high mountain (Matthew 17:1). Therefore Zion also was located on a mountain, and so, too, Jerusalem, and the two were called the mountain of Jehovah and the mountain of holiness in many places in the Word.
Mountains and hills have similar symbolic meanings elsewhere, as in Isaiah 7:25; 30:25; 40:9; 44:23; 49:11, 13; 55:12; Jeremiah 16:15-16; Psalms 65:6; 80:10; 104:5-10, 13.
[4] That mountains and hills symbolize these loves can be seen still more clearly from their opposite meaning, in which they symbolize hellish loves, namely, self-love and a love of the world, as is apparent from the following passages:
...the day of Jehovah... shall come... upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up... (Isaiah 2:12, 14)
Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low. (Isaiah 40:4)
The mountains shall be overthrown, and its ascents shall fall... (Ezekiel 38:20-21)
Behold, I am against you, O... mountain, that destroys all the earth... ...I will make you a burnt mountain. (Jeremiah 51:25)
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they are shaken, and all the hills are overthrown. (Jeremiah 4:23-25)
...a fire is kindled in my anger..., and it will set on fire the foundations of the mountains. (Deuteronomy 32:22)
I will lay waste the mountains and hills... (Isaiah 42:15)
Behold, (O Jacob,) I will make you like a threshing sledge... that you may thresh the mountains and crush them, and make the hills like chaff..., that the wind may carry them away. (Isaiah 41:15-16)
Give glory to Jehovah... before your feet stumble on the dark mountains... (Jeremiah 13:16)
Nor is anything else meant by the seven mountains on which the woman - namely Babylon - sat (Revelation 17:9). And so also elsewhere, as in Isaiah 14:13; Jeremiah 50:6; 9:10; Ezekiel 6:2-3; 34:6.
It can now be seen from this what is meant by the statement that "every mountain and island was moved out of its place," and later by the statement that "every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" (Revelation 16:20, no. 714).
John 8
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but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
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Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them.
3
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the midst,
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they told him, "Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act.
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Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such. What then do you say about her?"
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They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.
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But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her."
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Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.
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They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.
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Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, "Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?"
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She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more."
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Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life."
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The Pharisees therefore said to him, "You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid."
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Jesus answered them, "Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don't know where I came from, or where I am going.
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You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.
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Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.
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It's also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid.
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I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me."
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They said therefore to him, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
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Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
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Jesus said therefore again to them, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can't come."
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The Jews therefore said, "Will he kill himself, that he says, 'Where I am going, you can't come?'"
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He said to them, "You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.
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I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins."
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They said therefore to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
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I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world."
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They didn't understand that he spoke to them about the Father.
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Jesus therefore said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.
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He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn't left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."
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As he spoke these things, many believed in him.
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Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
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You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
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They answered him, "We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, 'You will be made free?'"
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Jesus answered them, "Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.
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A bondservant doesn't live in the house forever. A son remains forever.
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If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
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I know that you are Abraham's seed, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.
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I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father."
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They answered him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.
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But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn't do this.
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You do the works of your father." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God."
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Therefore Jesus said to them, "If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven't come of myself, but he sent me.
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Why don't you understand my speech? Because you can't hear my word.
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You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn't stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.
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But because I tell the truth, you don't believe me.
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Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
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He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don't hear, because you are not of God."
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Then the Jews answered him, "Don't we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?"
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Jesus answered, "I don't have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
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But I don't seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.
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Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death."
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Then the Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you say, 'If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.'
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Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?"
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Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God.
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You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, 'I don't know him,' I would be like you, a liar. But I know him, and keep his word.
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Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad."
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The Jews therefore said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?"
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Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."
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Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the midst of them, and so passed by.
