592. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 10.

1. And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven encompassed with a cloud, and the rainbow above his head, and his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.

2. And he had in his hand a little book opened; and he set his right foot upon the sea, and the left upon the earth.

3. And he cried out with a great voice, as a lion roareth; and when he cried out seven thunders spake their voices.

4. And when the seven thunders had spoken their voices I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up the things which the seven thunders spake, and write them not.

5. And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven.

6. And he sware by Him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, who created heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that time shall be no more.

7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God shall also be finished, as He hath declared the good tidings to His servants the prophets.

8. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake again with me, and said, Go take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

9. And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take and eat it up; and it shall make bitter thy belly, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey.

10. And I took the little book out of the hand of the angel and ate it up; and it was in my mouth like honey, sweet. And when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter.

11. And he said to me, Thou must again prophesy upon peoples and nations and tongues and many kings.

EXPOSITION.

Verse 1. And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven encompassed with a cloud, and the rainbow above his head, and his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.

1. "And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven," signifies the Lord as to the Word, here in relation to its ultimate sense, which is called the sense of the letter n. 593; "encompassed with a cloud," signifies the ultimate of the Word n. 594; "and the rainbow above his head," signifies the interior things of the Word (n. 595); "and his face as the sun," signifies the Lord's Divine love, from which is all Divine truth, which in heaven and in the church is the Word (n. 596); "and his feet as pillars of fire," signifies Divine truth, or the Word in ultimates, sustaining interior things therein, and also full of the good of love (n. 597).

7178. EXODUS CHAPTER 6.

TEACHINGS ABOUT CHARITY

No one can know what good is, good understood in a spiritual sense, unless he knows what love towards the neighbour and love to God are; and no one can know what evil is unless he knows what self-love and love of the world are. Neither can anyone within himself acknowledge and therefore know what truth composing faith is unless he knows what good is and is governed by it; nor can anyone know what falsity is unless he knows what evil is. No one therefore can engage in self-examination unless from the two kinds of love that go with good he knows what good is, and from good what truth is, and unless from the two kinds of love that go with evil he knows what evil is, and from evil what falsity is.