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Matthew 16

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1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees having come, tempting, did question him, to shew to them a sign from the heaven,

2 and he answering said to them, `Evening having come, ye say, Fair weather, for the heaven is red,

3 and at morning, Foul weather to-day, for the heaven is red -- gloomy; hypocrites, the face of the heavens indeed ye do know to discern, but the signs of the times ye are not able!

4 `A generation evil and adulterous doth seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet;' and having left them he went away.

5 And his disciples having come to the other side, forgot to take loaves,

6 and Jesus said to them, `Beware, and take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;'

7 and they were reasoning in themselves, saying, `Because we took no loaves.'

8 And Jesus having known, said to them, `Why reason ye in yourselves, ye of little faith, because ye took no loaves?

9 do ye not yet understand, nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many hand-baskets ye took up?

10 nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

11 how do ye not understand that I did not speak to you of bread -- to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?'

12 Then they understood that he did not say to take heed of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching, of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13 And Jesus, having come to the parts of Cesarea Philippi, was asking his disciples, saying, `Who do men say me to be -- the Son of Man?'

14 and they said, `Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.'

15 He saith to them, `And ye -- who do ye say me to be?'

16 and Simon Peter answering said, `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

17 And Jesus answering said to him, `Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal [it] to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens.

18 `And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;

19 and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.'

20 Then did he charge his disciples that they may say to no one that he is Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time began Jesus to shew to his disciples that it is necessary for him to go away to Jerusalem, and to suffer many things from the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and to be put to death, and the third day to rise.

22 And having taken him aside, Peter began to rebuke him, saying, `Be kind to thyself, sir; this shall not be to thee;'

23 and he having turned, said to Peter, `Get thee behind me, adversary! thou art a stumbling-block to me, for thou dost not mind the things of God, but the things of men.'

24 Then said Jesus to his disciples, `If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,

25 for whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake shall find it,

26 for what is a man profited if he may gain the whole world, but of his life suffer loss? or what shall a man give as an exchange for his life?

27 `For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work.

28 Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.'

   

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Apocalypse Revealed # 598

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598. 13:13 "It also performs great signs." This symbolizes certifications that their teachings are true, even though they are false.

Signs symbolize certifications that things are true, because signs once occurred to attest to a truth. But after signs and miracles ceased, their symbolism still remained, which is the certification of a truth. Here, however, signs symbolize certifications by the beast or false prophet that its falsities were true, because that is how falsities appear after they are defended.

That signs symbolize certifications that something is true can be seen from the following passages:

(At the end of the age) false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22).

There will also be fearful... signs from heaven... There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars..., the sea and the waves roaring. (Luke 21:11, 25)

(Jehovah) frustrates the signs of liars, drives diviners mad, turning back wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish. (Isaiah 44:25)

Do not learn the way of the gentiles, and do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven. (Jeremiah 10:2)

...they are spirits of demons, performing signs..., to gather them to the battle of that great day... (Revelation 16:14)

Then the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who worked signs in its presence, (and) led astray... (Revelation 19:20)

[2] That signs were certifications that something was a truth is further apparent from the following:

(The disciples said to Jesus,) "What sign do You perform then, that we may... believe You? What work do You do?" (John 6:30-33)

The Jews, scribes and Pharisees sought a sign from the Lord, that they might know He was the Christ (Matthew 12:38-40; 16:1-4, Mark 8:11-12.

(The disciples said to Jesus,) "What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3, cf. Mark 13:4)

...if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, still they will believe the message of the latter sign. (Exodus 4:8-9)

The message of a sign is a certification.

They have set among them the messages of His signs... (Psalms 105:27)

(Jehovah said to Ahaz,) "Ask a sign for yourself from Jehovah...." (Isaiah 7:11, 14)

This is the sign to you from Jehovah...: "Behold, I will turn back the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz...." (Isaiah 38:7-8)

Hezekiah said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?" (Isaiah 38:22)

This shall be a sign to you..., that I will visit you in this place, that you may know that My words will... stand... (Jeremiah 44:29-30)

Show me a sign (O Jehovah) for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed. (Psalms 86:17)

They will... announce to us what will happen..., that we may set our heart... Show the sign that is to come..., that we may know that you are gods. (Isaiah 41:22-23)

Your enemies roar in the midst of your festival; they set up their banners as signs. (Psalms 74:3-4, 9)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 45:11; 55:13; Jeremiah 32:20-21; Ezekiel 4:3; Psalms 65:6-8; 78:42, 43; Exodus 7:3; Numbers 14:11, 22; Deuteronomy 4:34; 13:1-3; Judges 6:17, 21; 1 Samuel 2:34; 14:10; Mark 16:17, 18, 20; Luke 2:11, 12, 16).

Signs of the covenant have a similar symbolic meaning in Genesis 9:13; 17:11, Ezekiel 20:12, 20.

[3] It can be clearly seen from this that the great signs that this beast of the dragon performed do not mean signs, but certifications by the clergy that their teachings are true. For every heretic who confirms himself in falsities, afterward certifies that his falsities are true. Indeed, he does not see truths any longer, since the certification of a falsity is a denial of the truth, and truth denied loses its light. Moreover, in the measure that the light of their certification causes falsities to shine with an illusory light, in the same measure the light of truth becomes darkness (as may be seen in no. 566 above).

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.