3796. 'And so it was, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' means an acknowledgement of the affection for that truth as to its origin. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing' here as acknowledging, as is evident from the train of thought, and from the representation of 'Rachel' as the affection for interior truth, dealt with above in 3793. The expression 'the daughter of Laban his mother's brother' embodies the origin of that affection; that is to say, it came from a parallel good which had been joined in a brotherly relationship to rational truth represented by 'Rebekah, Jacob's mother'.

[2] As regards affections for truth and good, genuine affections for truth and good which are perceived by a person all have a Divine origin since they come from the Lord. But as they come down they branch off into various and different streams where they form new origins for themselves. For as they flow into affections which are not genuine but spurious, and into affections for evil and falsity present with a person, so they become varied. Affections which often have a similar outward appearance to genuine ones present themselves, but these are nevertheless not genuine inwardly. The only way to establish their true identity is to discover the end they have in view. If that end is selfish or worldly those affections are not genuine. But if the end is the good of the neighbour, the good of the community, the good of the country, and more still if it is the good of the Church and the good of the Lord's kingdom, they are genuine, for in that case the Lord is their end, since the Lord is within those varieties of good.

[3] But it is the mark of someone wise to be aware of which ends are present in himself. Sometimes it does seem as though his ends are selfish when in fact they are not, for the human being is such that in everything he considers how it affects himself. This he does regularly and habitually. But if anyone wishes to know the ends he himself has in view he has merely to take note of his feeling of delight - whether it is on account of his receiving praise and glory, or whether it is on account of his performing some unselfish service. If it is the latter delight which he feels, genuine affection is present in him. He ought also to take note of the varying states he passes through, for those states cause his feelings to vary considerably. A person is able to find these things out in himself, but not in others, for the ends in view to anyone's affection are known to the Lord alone. This is why the Lord said,

Do not judge, lest you are judged; do not condemn, lest you are condemned. Luke 6:37.

For a thousand people may apparently share the same affection for truth and goodness, and yet the affection in each of them may have a different origin, that is, each may have a different end in view.

[4] The reason the end makes the affection what it is - that is to say, genuine, spurious, or false - is that the end is the person's actual life. Indeed a person has as his end in view that which constitutes his life, or what amounts to the same, his love. When the good of the neighbour, the common good, the good of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom is the end in view, a person's soul is in the Lord's kingdom and so abides with the Lord. For the Lord's kingdom is nothing else than a kingdom of ends and purposes directed towards the good of the human race, 3645. Angels themselves present with a person are nowhere else than within his ends in view. To the extent that someone's end in view is such as that which exists in the Lord's kingdom, angels take delight in him and join themselves to him as a brother. But to the extent a person's end is himself, angels depart and evil spirits from hell draw near, for in hell no other end in view reigns. From these considerations one may see how important it is to find out and to know where one's affections originate; these can be known from nothing else than one's end in view.

4060. Therefore the words quoted above [in 4056] mean the state of the Church at that time as regards good, that is, as regards charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord. This is clear from the internal sense of these words, which is as follows:

But immediately after the affliction of those days means the state of the Church as regards the truth of faith, which is dealt with in the verses immediately before this. In the Word desolation of truth is called 'affliction' in various places - 'days' being states, see 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785. From this it is evident that these words mean that once faith no longer exists neither will any charity exist. For faith leads to charity because it teaches what charity is, and charity acquires its particular character from the truths of faith. The truths of faith however receive their essence and life from charity, as has been shown many times in previous volumes.

[2] The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light means love to the Lord, which is 'the sun', and charity towards the neighbour, which is 'the moon'. 'Being darkened' and 'not giving light' mean that that love and charity will not be in evidence and so will disappear. For 'the sun' means the celestial kind of love and 'the moon' the spiritual kind; that is, 'the sun' means love to the Lord, and 'the moon' charity towards the neighbour which comes through faith, see 1053, 1529, 1530, 2120, 2441, 2495. The reason why the sun and the moon have these meanings is that the Lord is seen in the next life as a sun by those in heaven who are governed by love to Him and are called celestial, and as a moon by those who are governed by charity towards the neighbour and are referred to as spiritual, see 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643.

[3] The sun and the moon in heaven, or the Lord, are never darkened, nor do they lose their light but are shining unceasingly. Thus in heaven there is no darkening or loss of light in the love which celestial angels have for the Lord or in the charity which spiritual angels show towards the neighbour. Nor on earth is there any in people with whom angels are present, that is, in people who are governed by love and charity. But those who are not governed by any love or charity, only by self-love and love of the world, and consequently by feelings of hatred and revenge, bring that kind of obscurity to themselves. It is like the sun of this world which is shining constantly; yet when clouds intervene the sun is not visible, see 2441.

[4] And the stars will fall from heaven means that cognitions of good and truth will perish. When mentioned in the Word 'stars' have no other meaning than those cognitions, 1808, 2849.

And the powers of the heavens will be shaken means the foundations of the Church which are said to be shaken and jolted when those cognitions perish. This is because the Church on earth is heaven's foundation; for the influx of good and truth from the Lord through the heavens culminates ultimately in the goods and truths present with the member of the Church. Consequently when the state of the member of the Church is so perverse that he no longer allows good or truth to flow into him 'the powers of the heavens' are in that case said 'to be shaken'. That being so, the Lord always provides for some vestige of the Church to be left. And when the old Church perishes a new one is established.

[5] And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven means the manifestation of Divine truth - 'sign' meaning a manifestation, 'the Son of Man' the Lord as regards Divine truth, see 2803, 2813, 3704. This manifestation, or this 'sign', is what the disciples asked for when they said to the Lord,

Tell us, when will those things take place; what especially will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? Matthew 24:3.

For they knew from the Word that when the age drew to a close the Lord would come, and they knew from the Lord that He would be coming again, by which they understood the Lord's coming a second time into the world since they were not yet aware of the fact that the Lord had come as often as the Church had been brought to ruin. Not that any of these comings had been a coming in person, as was the case when, through birth in the world, He took on the Human and made this Divine. Rather, those comings had been made through appearances or manifestations of Himself, such as when He appeared in Mamre to Abraham, in the bush to Moses, on Mount Sinai to the Israelites, and to Joshua when he entered the land of Canaan. There were other comings of a less visible nature, such as those at times when inspiration was received and the Word was given by means of it, and later on through the Word itself. For the Word has the Lord present within it; every detail there comes from Him and has reference to Him, as may be recognized from what has been shown many times up to now. This is the kind of appearance that is meant here by 'the sign of the Son of Man' and is the subject in the present verse under consideration.

[6] And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn means that all in whom the good of love and the truth of faith dwell will experience grief. This is what is meant by 'mourning', see Zechariah 12:10-14; and 'the tribes' means all aspects of good and truth, that is, of love and faith, 3858, 3926, and so consequently those in whom these things dwell. The phrase 'the tribes of the earth' is used because those inside the Church are meant - 'the earth' being the Church, see 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2928,

[7] And they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory means that at that time a revelation of the internal sense of the Word - the sense in which the Lord is present - will take place. 'The Son of Man' means Divine truth within the Word, 2803, 2813, 3704, 'the clouds' the literal sense. 'Power' has reference to the good and 'glory' to the truth present there. For this meaning of 'seeing the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven', see Preface to Genesis 18. This is the kind of coming of the Lord that is meant here, not a literal manifestation of Him in clouds. Next follows a reference to the establishment of a new Church, which takes place once the old has been brought to ruin and cast aside.

[8] He will send out His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice means election - not by visible angels, still less by trumpets and by loud voices, but by an influx of holy good and of holy truth from the Lord through angels, so that the expression 'angels' in the Word means something essentially the Lord's, 1925, 2821, 3039. In this instance it means things which come from the Lord and have reference to the Lord. 'A trumpet and a loud voice' means the proclamation of the Gospel, as in other places in the Word.

[9] And they will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end of them means the establishment of a new Church, 'the elect' being people in whom the good of love and faith dwell, 3755 (end), 3900, 'the four winds' from which they will be gathered being all states of good and truth, 3708, and 'one end of the heavens to the other' the internal and the external features of the Church. These are the considerations that are meant by these words spoken by the Lord.

253. Verse 21. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit with Me in My throne, signifies that he who is steadfast to the end of life shall be conjoined with heaven where the Lord is. This is evident from the signification of "overcoming," as being to be steadfast in the spiritual affection of truth even to the end of life (See above, n. 128); but here it means to be steadfast in a state of faith from charity, since charity is here treated of. This is what "overcoming" means; because so long as man lives in the world he is in combat against the evils and the falsities therefrom that are with him; and he who is in combat, and is steadfast in the faith of charity even to the end of life, overcomes; and he who overcomes in the world overcomes to eternity, since man after death is such as his life had been in the world. This is evident also from the signification of "to sit with Me in My throne," as being to be conjoined with heaven where the Lord is; for "throne" signifies heaven, and to "sit with Me" signifies to be together with the Lord, thus conjoined to Him.

[2] In the Word the word "throne" is many times used, and in reference to the Lord it signifies in general, heaven, in particular the spiritual heaven, and in the abstract, Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, since this is what makes heaven. For this reason "throne" is also predicated of judgment, since all judgment is effected from truths. That such is the signification of "throne" in the Word can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Jehovah said, The heavens are My throne (Isaiah 66:1).

In David:

Jehovah hath established His throne in the heavens (Psalms 103:19).

And in Matthew:

He that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by Him that sitteth thereon (Matthew 23:22).

It is clear that "throne" in these passages signifies heaven; for it is said that "the heavens are His throne," that "He hath established His throne in the heavens," and that "he who sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God;" not because Jehovah or the Lord there sits upon a throne, but because His Divine in the heavens is called "throne:" and also appears at times as a throne to those to whom it is given to look into heaven. That the Lord was thus seen is evident in Isaiah:

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filling the temple (Isaiah 6:1).

"His train filling the temple" signifies that Divine truth proceeding filled the ultimate of heaven and the church, for the "Lord's train" signifies in general Divine truth proceeding, and in particular Divine truth in the extremities of heaven and in the church (See above, n. 220).

[3] In Ezekiel:

Above the expanse that was over the head [of the cherubim] there was as the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne, and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above (Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1).

The "throne" had an appearance like a sapphire stone, because "sapphire" signified Divine truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine good, and therefore spiritual truth pellucid from celestial good (See Arcana Coelestia 9407, 9873); thus "throne" here signifies the whole heaven, for heaven is heaven from Divine truth. (What "cherub" signifies, see Arcana Coelestia 9277, 9509, 9673.)

[4] In Revelation:

Behold, a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne One sitting. A rainbow round about the throne, in aspect like an emerald. And out of the throne went forth lightnings and thunders and voices. Before the throne a glassy sea like unto crystal; and round about the throne four animals, full of eyes before and behind (Revelation 4:2-6, 9-10).

That heaven in respect to Divine truths is here described will be seen in the explanation of these words in the following chapter. There is a like meaning in the following from Revelation:

A pure river and bright as crystal went forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).

"A pure river and bright as crystal" was seen "going forth out of the throne," because a "river" as well as "crystal" signifies Divine truth.

[5] "The throne of David" in the Word has a like meaning; since by "David" in the prophetic Word is meant, not David, but the Lord in respect to royalty, which is Divine truth in the spiritual heaven, which is the second heaven. So in Luke:

The angel said to Mary, He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord shall give unto Him the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32).

And in Isaiah:

Unto us a child is born, unto as a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Of the multiplication of His government and peace there shall be no end; upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it in judgment and in righteousness, from henceforth and even to eternity (Isaiah 9:6-7).

It is clear that here is not meant David, and his throne, on which the Lord was to sit; for the Lord's kingdom was not on earth but in heaven; by "the throne of David," therefore, heaven in respect to Divine truth is meant (See above, n. 205). The meaning is similar in the Psalm of David, where the Lord speaks of His throne and His kingdom; as in the whole of Psalms 89, in which are also these words:

I have sworn unto David My servant: Thy seed will I establish for ever; and thy throne to generation and generation. Judgment and righteousness are the foundation of thy throne; I will establish his throne as the days of the heavens (Psalms 89:3-4, 14, 29).

That the Lord is here meant by David, see above n. 205). The like is signified by "the throne of glory" where the Lord is spoken of, for "glory" signifies Divine truth.

As in Matthew:

When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit on the throne of His glory (Matthew 25:31).

(That "glory" signifies Divine truth in heaven, see Arcana Coelestia 4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429; and above, n. 33.)

This shows what is signified by "the throne of glory" in Jeremiah:

Do not disgrace the throne of thy glory (Jeremiah 14:21; 17:12);

which signifies that Divine truth should not be disgraced. The like is signified by Jerusalem being called "the throne of Jehovah;" for "Jerusalem" signifies the church in respect to doctrine; and doctrine is Divine truth.

From this it is clear how these words are to be understood in Jeremiah:

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it (Jeremiah 3:17).

In David:

Jerusalem is builded; thither the tribes go up; and there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David (Psalms 122:3-5).

In Ezekiel:

The glory of Jehovah came into the house by the way of the gate whose face was toward the east. And He said unto me, Son of man, behold the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel for ever (Ezekiel 43:4, 7).

(That "Jerusalem" signifies the church in respect to doctrine, thus Divine truth in the heavens and on the earth, for this makes the church, see Arcana Coelestia 3654, 9166; and above, n. 223) As all judgment is effected by truths, and judgment in the heavens by Divine truth, "throne" is also mentioned where the Lord in respect to judgment is treated of, as above (Matthew 25:31; and in David, Psalms 122:3-5).

Again, in David:

Jehovah, Thou hast executed my judgment; thou sattest on the throne a judge of justice; thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked; Jehovah shall sit for ever; He will prepare His throne for judgment (Psalms 9:4-5, 7).

[6] It is also said in many places in the Word, not only that the Lord is to sit on a throne, but that others also shall sit upon thrones, but still these "thrones" do not mean thrones, but Divine truths. Thus in the first book of Samuel:

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth on high the needy from the dunghill, to make them sit with princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory (1 Samuel 2:8).

In Revelation:

The four and twenty elders who are before the throne of God, sitting upon their thrones (Revelation 11:16).

Again:

I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them (Revelation 20:4).

In Matthew:

Ye who have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30).

Here "thrones" mean Divine truths, according to which and from which all are to be judged; "twelve" and "twenty-four" signify all things and are predicated of truths; "elders," and "disciples" also, likewise "tribes," signify Divine truths. When this is known, what is meant by "thrones" in the above passages can be seen; as also what is meant by "throne" in these words now treated of. "He that overcometh will I give to him to sit with Me in My throne."

(That "twelve" signifies all, and that it is predicated of truths, see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913; likewise "twenty-four" because that number is the double of the number twelve, and arises from it by multiplication, n. 5921, 5335, 5708, 7973.

That "the elders of Israel" signify all in the church who are in truths from good, n. 6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404;

likewise "the Lord's twelve disciples," n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397;

likewise "the twelve tribes," n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335, 7836, 7891)

[7] From this it can be seen what was represented by the throne built by Solomon, thus described in the first book of Kings:

Solomon made a great ebony ¹ throne, and overlaid it with pure gold. There were six steps to the throne; the head of the throne was round; and behind it were hands on either side near the place of the seat, and two lions standing near the hands; and there were twelve lions standing upon the six steps on the one side and on the other; there was not the like made in any kingdom (1 Kings 10:18-20).

Here "ebony" ¹ signifies Divine truth in ultimates; "the head being round," the corresponding good; "the gold with which it was overlaid" Divine good from which is Divine truth. "The six steps" signify all things from first to last; "the two hands" all power; "lions," the truths of the church in their power; "twelve," all things. As "throne," in reference to the Lord, signifies heaven in respect to all Divine truth, so in a contrary sense it signifies hell in respect to all falsity. (In this contrary sense "throne" is mentioned Revelation 2:13; Isaiah 14:9, 13; 47:1; Haggai 2:22; Daniel 7:9; Luke 1:52)

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