Apocalypse Explained #258
258. CHAPTER 4.
1. AFTER this I saw, and, behold, a door opened in heaven; and the first voice which I heard, as it were of a trumpet, speaking with me, said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must come to pass hereafter.
2. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and upon the throne one sitting.
3. And he that sat was in aspect like a jasper and a sardius and there was a rainbow round about the throne in aspect like unto an emerald.
4. And round about the throne were four-and-twenty thrones; and upon the thrones I saw four-and-twenty elders sitting, clothed in white garments; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6. And before the throne there was a glassy sea like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four animals full of eyes before and behind.
7. And the first animal was like a lion, and the second animal like a calf, and the third animal had a face like a man, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle.
8. And the four animals had each by itself six wings round about; and they were full of eyes within; and they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.
9. And when the animals gave glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth unto the ages of the ages)
10. The four-and-twenty elders fell down before him that sitteth on the throne, and worshipped him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and by thy will they are, and were created.
THE EXPLANATION.
IT was stated above (n. 5), that the subject treated of in this prophetical book is not the successive states of the Christian church from its beginning to its end, as has been hitherto believed, but the state of the church and of heaven in the last times, when there would be a new heaven and a new earth, that is, when there would be a new church formed in the heavens and on earth, thus when judgment takes place. It is said a new church in the heavens, because there is a church there just as on earth (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 221-227). Because these are the subjects treated of in this book, therefore the first chapter treats of the Lord, who is the Judge; and the second and third of those who belong to the church, and of those who do not belong to the church, thus it treats of those who are in the former heaven, which is to be abolished, and of those who are in the new heaven, which is to be formed. (That by the seven churches which are treated of in the second and third chapters, are meant all those who are in the church, and also everything pertaining to the church, may be seen above, n. 256, 257.) The subject now treated of in this fourth chapter is the arrangement of all things, especially in the heavens, before judgment; therefore a throne was now seen in heaven, and round about it twenty-four thrones, upon which were twenty-four elders; also, near the throne, four animals, which are cherubim. That by those things is described the arrangement of all things before the judgment, and for judgment, will be seen in the explanation of this chapter. It should be known that before any change takes place everything is pre-arranged and prepared for the future event; for all things are foreseen by the Lord, and according to this foresight are disposed and provided for. By the throne, therefore, in the midst of heaven is meant judgment, and by Him who sat upon it, the Lord; by the four-and-twenty thrones upon which were four-and-twenty elders, are meant all truths in their whole extent, from which and according to which judgment is. By the four animals, which are cherubim, is meant the Lord's Divine Providence, lest the former heavens should suffer harm by the remarkable change about to take place, and that afterwards everything might be done according to order; that is to say, that those who are interiorly evil might be separated from those who are interiorly good, and the latter be elevated into heaven, but the former cast down to hell.
Leviticus 23
1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
4
These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
5
In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover.
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And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
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In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
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But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
9
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
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And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
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And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
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And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
14
And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
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Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
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Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
18
And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
19
Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
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And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
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And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
23
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
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Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
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And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
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And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
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For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
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And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
31
Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32
It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
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And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
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On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
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Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
37
These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
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Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
39
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
40
And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
41
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42
Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43
That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
44
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.
