704. That perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This symbolizes assertions that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

To perform signs is to testify and also to assert that something is true, as may be seen in nos. 598, 599 above, here that their falsities are true. Kings of the earth and of the whole world symbolize people who are caught up primarily in falsities springing from evil, here all who are caught up in the same falsities throughout the church. For kings symbolize people impelled by truths that spring from goodness, and in an opposite sense people impelled by falsities springing from evil (no. 483). The earth symbolizes the church (no. 285), and so likewise does the world (no. 551). To go away to gather them to battle means, symbolically, to stir those people to fight or attack; for war symbolizes a spiritual war, which is one of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (nos. 500, 586). It is to attack the truths of the New Church because it is called the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then. That this is the symbolic meaning of the great day there will be seen below.

We are told that the spirits of demons would do this, because the spirits of demons symbolize lusts to falsify truths and to reason on the basis of falsities, as just said in no. 703 above.

It is apparent from this that spirits of demons performing signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, symbolize assertions by the people meant by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, as described in nos. 701, 702 above, that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

[2] That the great day of God Almighty symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then, is clear from many passages in the Word, as from the following:

Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11)

...in that day... Israel... will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

In that day a Root of Jesse... shall the Gentiles seek, and His resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10-11)

In that day... eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 17:7, 9)

They will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, to set us free." (Isaiah 25:9)

...My people shall know My name...(and) in that day, I am He who speaks: "Behold, it is I." (Isaiah 52:6)

Alas! ...great is (the day of Jehovah, and) there is none like it. (Jeremiah 30:7)

Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant... and the city shall be built for Jehovah... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 38)

In those days... I will cause to grow up to David a righteous Branch... (Jeremiah 33:15)

(They will not) stand in battle on the day of Jehovah. (Ezekiel 13:5)

In that day Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the children of your people... In that day... shall be delivered everyone who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)

...in that day... you will call Me "My Husband."... In that day I will make a covenant for them... ...in that day I will hear... (Hosea 2:16, 18, 21).

Behold, I am sending you Elijah... before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Malachi 4:5)

Jehovah... will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. (Zechariah 9:16)

In that day Jehovah will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8)

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming... It shall be one day which is known to Jehovah... In that day Jehovah shall be one and His name one... In that day there shall be a great tumult... In that day "Holiness to the Lord" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 6-9, 13, 20-21)

There are many other passages in addition to these in which "the day of Jehovah" means the Lord's advent and a new church from Him then, as in the following: Isaiah 4:2; 19:16, 18, 21, 24; 22:20; 28:5; 29:18; 30:25-26; 31:7; and elsewhere.

Since the end of an age or final period of a former church is the time when the Lord's advent takes place and a new church begins, therefore the day of Jehovah in many places symbolizes the end of a previous church, and we are told that then there will be rumors, tumult, and wars. ¹ See the passages collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 4, 5.

Note a piè di pagina:

830. 19:16 And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written: "King of kings and Lord of lords." This symbolically means that the Lord teaches in the Word who He is, that He is the Divine truth of Divine wisdom and the Divine goodness of Divine love, thus that He is God of the universe.

The Lord's garment symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine truth, as in no. 825 above. The Lord's thigh symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine goodness. Because thighs and loins symbolize married love, and because that love is the fundamental love of all loves, therefore thighs and loins symbolize the goodness of love. That this is due to its correspondence may be seen in no. 213 above. Therefore, when a thigh is mentioned in reference to the Lord, it symbolizes the Lord in respect to the goodness of love, and here the Word as well in that respect. Having a name written symbolizes the character of the Lord, as in no. 824 above. "King of kings" means the Lord in respect to the Divine truth of His Divine wisdom, and "Lord of lords" means the Lord in respect to the Divine goodness of His Divine love. The Lord's kingdom and His dominion have the same symbolic meaning in places where both are mentioned (see no. 664 above).

[2] Because the Lord is called King of kings and Lord of lords, and this means the Lord in respect to both Divine truth and Divine good, therefore the name is said to have been written on His garment and on His thigh; and the name written on His garment symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine truth, while the name written on His thigh symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine goodness, both being contained in the Word. The Word's Divine truth is found in its spiritual sense, which is intended for angels of the intermediate or second heaven, who possess intelligence stemming from Divine truths; and the Word's Divine goodness is found in its celestial sense, which is intended for angels of the highest or third heaven, who possess wisdom stemming from Divine goods. But this latter sense is deeply hidden, being perceptible only to people who possess love toward the Lord from the Lord.

That the one on the white horse here is the Lord is explicitly said above in the book of Revelation:

These will do battle with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 17:14)

[3] That a thigh symbolizes the goodness of love, and in reference to the Lord, the Divine goodness of His Divine love, is clear from the following passages in the Word:

Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His thighs. (Isaiah 11:5)

...over (the cherubim's) heads was... the appearance of a man (on a throne).... From the appearance of His loins and upward..., and from the appearance of His loins and downward..., (there was) the appearance of fire and of brightness all around. (Ezekiel 1:26-28)

The man on the throne means the Lord. The appearance of fire from His loins upward and downward symbolizes His Divine love, and the brightness all around symbolizes the Divine wisdom emanating from it.

(Daniel saw a man) whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz. (Daniel 10:5)

The man was an angel having the Lord in him. Gold of Uphaz symbolizes the goodness of love.

The thighs or loins have the same symbolic meaning in Isaiah 5:27, Psalms 45:3, and elsewhere.

Regarding the correspondence of the thighs or loins with married love, which is the fundamental love of all loves, see Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), nos. 5050-5062.