Apocalypse Explained #220
220. But it shall be told also what "temple" signifies in the Word. In the highest sense, "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, heaven; and as it signifies heaven, it also signifies the church, for the church is the Lord's heaven on earth; and as "temple" signifies heaven and the church it also signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, for the reason that this makes heaven and the church; for those who receive Divine truth in soul and heart, that is, in faith and love, are they who constitute heaven and the church. As such is the signification of "temple," it is said, "the temple of My God;" "My God," when said by the Lord, meaning heaven and Divine truth there, which also is the Lord in heaven. The Lord is above the heavens, and to those who are in the heavens He appears as a sun. From the Lord as a sun light and heat go forth. Light in heaven is in its essence Divine truth, and heat in heaven is in its essence Divine good; these two make heaven in general and in particular. Divine truth is what is meant by "My God;" therefore in the Word of the Old Testament the Lord is called both "Jehovah" and "God;" "Jehovah" where Divine good is treated of, and "God" where Divine truth is treated of; for the same reason also angels are called "gods," and the word God in the Hebrew is used in the plural, Elohim. This shows why it is said, "the temple of My God." (That the Lord is called "Jehovah" where Divine good is treated of, but "God" where Divine truth is treated of, see Arcana Coelestia 709, 732, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4283, 4402, 7010, 9167; that He is called Jehovah" from Esse, thus from Essence, but "God" from Existere, thus from Existence, n. 300, 3910, 6905; that the Divine Esse moreover is Divine good, and the Divine Existere is Divine truth, n. 3061, 6280, 6880, 6905, 10579; and in general that good is the esse, and truth the existere therefrom, n. 5002; that the angels are called "gods" from their reception of Divine truth from the Lord, n. 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8192, 8301, 8192. That the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth united to Divine good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell (13, 133, 139-140. That light in the heavens is in its essence Divine truth, and heat there is Divine good, both from the Lord, see in the same work n. 126-140, 275.)
[2] That "temple" in the Word signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, heaven and the church, consequently also Divine truth, can be seen from the following passages.
In John:
The Jews asking, What sign showest Thou unto us, that Thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, In forty and six years was this temple built, and wilt Thou raise it up in three days? But He was speaking of the Temple of His body (John 2:18-23).
That "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human is here openly declared; for "destroying the temple and raising it up after three days" means the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection.
[3] In Malachi:
Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, and the Angel of the covenant whom ye seek (Malachi 3:1).
Here also "temple" means the Lord's Divine Human; for the Lord's coming is here treated of, therefore "coming to His temple" signifies to His Human.
[4] In Revelation:
I saw no temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb (Revelation 21:22).
The New Heaven and the New Earth, when they will be in internals, and not in externals, are here treated of, therefore it is said, that "there will be no temple," but "the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb." "The Lord God Almighty," is the Divine Itself of the Lord, and "the Lamb" is His Divine Human; from which also it is clear, that His Divine in the heavens is meant by "temple."
[5] In Isaiah:
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His skirts filled the temple (Isaiah 6:1).
"The throne high and lifted up," upon which the Lord was seen to sit, signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth in the higher heavens; but "His skirts" signify His Divine truth in the church. (That "skirts" signify, in reference to the Lord, His Divine truth in ultimates, see Arcana Coelestia 9917.)
That:
The veil of the temple was rent into two parts from the top to the bottom, after the Lord suffered (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:34, 38; Luke 23:45);
signified the union of the Lord's Divine Human with the Divine itself (See Arcana Coelestia 9670).
[6] In the passages that follow "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and at the same time heaven and the church.
In David :
I will bow myself down toward the temple of Thy holiness, and will confess unto Thy name (Psalms 138:2).
In Jonah:
I said, I am cast out from before Thine eyes, but yet will I add to look to the temple of Thy holiness, and my prayer came to Thee to the temple of Thy holiness (2:4, 7).
In Habakkuk:
Jehovah in the temple of Thy 1 holiness (Habakkuk 2:20).
In Matthew:
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? (Matthew 23:16, 17).
In John :
Jesus said to them that sold in the temple, Take these hence; make not My Father's house a house of merchandise. Then the disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of Thine house hath consumed me (John 2:16, 17).
[7] Beside these, there are many other passages in the Word where "temple" is mentioned. That it may be known that "temple" means heaven and the church, as also Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, I will cite these passages here, lest the mind should cling to the idea that a mere temple is meant, and not something more holy; for the temple in Jerusalem was holy because it represented and thus signified what is holy. That "temple" signified heaven is evident from these passages. In David:
I called upon Jehovah, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice from His temple (Psalms 18:6).
In the same:
A day in Thy courts is better than thousands. I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalms 84:10).
In the same:
The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall flourish in the courts of our God (Psalms 92:12-13).
In the same :
One thing have I asked of Jehovah; that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah, and to early visit His temple (Psalms 27:4).
I shall be at rest in the house of Jehovah for length of days (Psalms 23:6).
In John:
Jesus said, In My Father's house are many mansions (John 14:2).
It is clear that in these passages, by "house of Jehovah" and "Father's house" heaven is meant.
[8] In the following passages the church also is meant. In Isaiah:
The house of our holiness and our splendor, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with fire (Isaiah 64:11).
In Jeremiah:
I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned Mine heritage (Jeremiah 12:7).
In Haggai:
I will shake all nations, that the choice of all nations may come; and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former (Haggai 2:7-9).
In Isaiah:
He shall say to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thou shalt be founded (Isaiah 44:28).
Here the coming of the Lord and a new church at that time are treated of. In Zechariah the meaning is similar:
The house of Jehovah was founded that the temple may be built (Zechariah 8:9).
In Daniel:
Belshazzar commanded to bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, that they might drink from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, and then came the writing on the wall (Daniel 5:2-4.).
The "gold and silver vessels that were brought from the temple of Jerusalem" signified the goods and truths of the church; that they "drank wine from them and praised the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone," signifies the profanation of those goods and truths; and on account of this the writing appeared on the wall, and the king 2 was changed from a man into a wild beast.
[9] In Matthew:
And the disciples came to show Jesus the building of the temple. Jesus said unto them, See ye all these things? There shall not be left here stone upon stone that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:1, 2; Mark 13:1-5; Luke 21:5-7).
That "there should not be left of the temple stone upon stone that should not be thrown down" signifies the total destruction and vastation of the church ("stone" signifying the truth of the church); and because this is what is meant, the successive vastation of the church is what is treated of in these chapters in the Evangelists.
In Revelation:
And the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and them that worship therein (Revelation 11:1).
The "temple" here also signifies the church, and "measuring" signifies to explore its quality:
The new temple and its measurements (Ezekiel 40-Ezekiel 47); have a like signification.
[10] That "temple" signifies Divine truth which is from the Lord, is evident from the following passages.
In Ezekiel:
The glory of Jehovah mounted up from above the cherub over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud; but the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 10:4).
"House" here means heaven and the church, and "cloud" and "glory" Divine truth. (That "cloud" is Divine truth, see above, n. 36; and "glory" the like, n. 33.)
[11] In Micah:
Many nations shall go, and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of our God; that He may instruct us of His ways, and that we may go in His paths; for from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word out of Jerusalem (Micah 4:2).
"Mountain of Jehovah, and house of God," signify the church, likewise "Zion" and "Jerusalem;" "to be instructed of His ways, and to go in His paths," is to be instructed in Divine truths; it is therefore said, "From Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word out of Jerusalem."
[12] In Isaiah:
A voice of a tumult of Jehovah 3 from the city, the voice of Jehovah out of the temple (Isaiah 66:6).
"City" means the doctrine of truth; "temple" the church; and "the voice of Jehovah out of the temple" Divine truth. In Revelation:
There came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying (Revelation 16:17).
Here, likewise, "voice" means Divine truth.
Again:
And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and there was seen in the temple the ark of His covenant; and there were lightnings, voices, thunderings (Revelation 11:19).
"Lightnings, voices, thunderings," signify in the Word Divine truths out of heaven (See Arcana Coelestia 7573, 8914).
The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened; and there came out from the temple seven angels, having the seven plagues. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power (Revelation 15:5-6, 8).
Here seven angels are said to have come out from the temple in heaven, because "angels" signify Divine truths (See above, n. 130, 200). What is signified by "smoke from the glory of God" will be seen in the explanation of these words further on. It should be known, moreover, that the temple built by Solomon, and also the house of the forest of Lebanon, and each particular thing pertaining to them (as described in 1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 7), signified spiritual and celestial things pertaining to the church and to heaven.
Fußnoten:
1. The Hebrew has "His," as found in Apocalypse Explained 587; Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4].
2. It was not Belshazzar but Nebuchadnezzar who was changed into a beast.
3. "Of Jehovah" is not found in the Hebrew.
John 1
1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2
The same was in the beginning with God.
3
All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.
4
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.
6
There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.
7
The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.
8
He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.
9
The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
10
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn't recognize him.
11
He came to his own, and those who were his own didn't receive him.
12
But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name:
13
who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14
The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15
John testified about him. He cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.'"
16
From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
17
For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
18
No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
19
This is John's testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
20
He declared, and didn't deny, but he declared, "I am not the Christ."
21
They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No."
22
They said therefore to him, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23
He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."
24
The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees.
25
They asked him, "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"
26
John answered them, "I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don't know.
27
He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to loosen."
28
These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29
The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30
This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.'
31
I didn't know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel."
32
John testified, saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
33
I didn't recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, 'On whomever you will see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'
34
I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God."
35
Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,
36
and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"
37
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38
Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39
He said to them, "Come, and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
40
One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41
He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which is, being interpreted, Christ).
42
He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is by interpretation, Peter).
43
On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
44
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.
45
Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
46
Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "come and see."
47
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"
48
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
49
Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!"
50
Jesus answered him, "Because I told you, 'I saw you underneath the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these!"
51
He said to him, "Most certainly, I tell you, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
