Apocalypse Revealed #343
343. Holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. This symbolizes the Lord's holding back and restraining a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions where good people were attached to evil ones.
It must be known that a last judgment takes place when evil people multiply below the heavens in the world of spirits, and this to such a degree that angels in the heavens cannot continue in the state of their love and wisdom, as they are then without a support and foundation. Since this results from a multiplication of evil people below, therefore in order to preserve the angels' state, the Lord flows in more and more strongly with His Divinity, and this continually until no influx can preserve them unless the evil people below are separated from the good. This is accomplished by a subsidence and closing in of the heavens, with a consequently stronger influx, until the evil cannot bear it. And at that point the evil flee away and cast themselves into hell.
This, too, is what is symbolized in the preceding chapter by the statement, "They said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" (Revelation 6:16-17)
[2] Now for the exposition:
The four winds symbolize an influx of the heavens. The earth, the sea, and every tree symbolize all the lower regions and all that they contain - the earth and sea symbolizing all the lower regions, and every tree all that they contain.
That a wind symbolizes influx - properly speaking, the influx of truth into the intellect - can be seen from the following passages:
Thus says the Lord Jehovih, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." (Ezekiel 37:9-10)
(There appeared four chariots to which were harnessed four horses.) These are the four winds of the heavens... (Zechariah 6:1-5)
You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and... cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. (John 3:7-8)
The Maker of the earth... prepares the world by His wisdom... He brings the wind out of His treasuries. (Jeremiah 10:12-13; 51:15-16, cf. Psalms 135:7)
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. He declares His Word..., His statutes and His judgments... (Psalms 147:18-19)
It praises Jehovah..., the stormy wind, doing His Word... (Psalms 148:7-8)
(Jehovah) makes His angels winds... (Psalms 104:4)
(Jehovah) rode... upon the wings of the wind. (Psalms 18:10, cf. 104:3)
The wings of the wind are Divine truths that flow in. The Lord is therefore called "the breath of our nostrils" (Lamentations 4:20), and we are told that He "breathed into (Adam's) nostrils the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7); moreover, that "He breathed on (the Disciples) and said..., "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21-22). The Holy Spirit is the Divine truth emanating from the Lord, the influx of which into the Disciples was represented and thus symbolized by the Lord's breathing on them.
[3] A wind and breathing symbolize the influx of Divine truth into the intellect, owing to the correspondence of the lungs with the intellect, a treatment of which may be seen in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, nos. 371-429.
Since a closer and stronger Divine influx through the heavens dispels truths in the case of evil people, therefore a wind symbolizes the dispersion of truth in them, and thus their conjunction with hell and perishing - as may be seen from the following passages:
I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven and scatter him. (Jeremiah 49:36)
You shall scatter them, that the wind may carry them away and the storm disperse them. (Isaiah 41:16)
The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, sets them on fire. (Isaiah 30:33)
The workers of iniquity... perish by the breathing of God, and by the breath of His nostrils they are consumed. (Job 4:8-9)
...the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke (of Jehovah), at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. (Psalms 18:15)
I saw in my vision..., and behold, the four winds... were rushing upon the Great Sea. And four beasts came up... (Daniel 7:2-3ff.)
...from a storm of Jehovah has gone forth fury... It will rush upon the head of the wicked. (Jeremiah 23:19; 30:23)
O my God..., ...pursue them with Your storm, ...frighten them with Your tempest. (Psalms 83:13, 15)
(Jehovah's) way in the storm and in the tempest... (Nahum 1:3)
And so also elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 25:32, Ezekiel 13:13, Hosea 8:7, Amos 1:14, Zechariah 9:14, Psalms 11:6; 50:3; 55:8, and Psalms 107, where we read:
...He commands the stormy wind to blow... (God) causes the storm to subside, so that its waves are still. (Psalms 107:25, 29)
[4] It is apparent from this what is symbolically meant in the spiritual sense by the following:
(Jesus in the boat) rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ."..be still!" And... there was a... calm. (Mark 4:39, cf. Luke 8:23-24)
The sea here symbolizes hell, and the wind an influx from it.
A strong influx, too, is symbolically meant by the east wind in Ezekiel 17:10, Jeremiah 18:17, Ezekiel 19:12, Hosea 13:15, Psalms 48:7. And by that same wind which dried up the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), regarding which Moses said:
At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were heaped up... You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them. (Exodus 15:8, 10)
It can now be seen from this that holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, symbolizes the holding back and restraining of a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions.
Luke 9
1
He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
2
He sent them forth to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3
He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey--neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece.
4
Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.
5
As many as don't receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."
6
They departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News, and healing everywhere.
7
Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,
8
and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.
9
Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?" He sought to see him.
10
The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a deserted place of a city called Bethsaida.
11
But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.
12
The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place."
13
But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people."
14
For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each."
15
They did so, and made them all sit down.
16
He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17
They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
18
It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"
19
They answered, "'John the Baptizer,' but others say, 'Elijah,' and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again."
20
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."
21
But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one,
22
saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up."
23
He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
24
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.
25
For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?
26
For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
27
But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Kingdom of God."
28
It happened about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.
29
As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.
30
Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah,
31
who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32
Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.
33
It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let's make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah," not knowing what he said.
34
While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.
35
A voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!"
36
When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
37
It happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met him.
38
Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39
Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.
40
I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn't."
41
Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here."
42
While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43
They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44
"Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men."
45
But they didn't understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46
There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.
47
Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,
48
and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great."
49
John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn't follow with us."
50
Jesus said to him, "Don't forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us."
51
It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52
and sent messengers before his face. They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him.
53
They didn't receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem.
54
When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?"
55
But he turned and rebuked them, "You don't know of what kind of spirit you are.
56
For the Son of Man didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." They went to another village.
57
As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, "I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord."
58
Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59
He said to another, "Follow me!" But he said, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."
60
But Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God."
61
Another also said, "I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house."
62
But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God."
