Title: Final Gathering, Attack, and Collapse (Rev. 19-20)
Topic: Second Coming
Summary: Final Gathering, Attack, and Collapse (Rev. 19-20)
Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.
References:
Revelation 19; 20:1-14; 6:9
Hebrews 9:27
Exodus 15:6, 8-10
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Ezekiel 38:8-13, 20-23; 39:1, 4-7, 17-29
034 - Final Gathering, Attack, and Collapse (Rev. 19-20)
By Jonathan S. Rose
Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 3/30/2011. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com
Matthew 13:36-43
36
Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Apocalypse Revealed # 87
87. "'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" (2:7) This symbolically means that anyone who understands these things, let him obey what the Divine truth of the Word teaches those who will be members of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem.
To hear means, symbolically, both to perceive and to obey, because a person pays attention in order to perceive and obey. That both are symbolically meant by hearing is apparent from common speech, in which people speak of hearing someone or something, and of listening to someone or something, the first signifying to perceive, the latter to obey.
To hear has both symbolic meanings owing to correspondence, for the province of the ears in heaven is occupied by people who possess perception and at the same time are obedient.
Since hearing has both symbolic meanings, therefore the Lord says so many times, "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear!" (Matthew 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; 7:16; Luke 8:8; 14:35) And the same command is also addressed to all the churches here, as is apparent from verses 11, 17, and 29 in this chapter, and from verses 6, 13, and 22 in the following chapter.
The spirit that speaks to the churches, moreover, symbolizes the Divine truth of the Word, and the churches symbolize the entire church throughout the Christian world. To be shown that the Divine truth emanating from the Lord is meant by the spirit of God, which is the same as the Holy Spirit, see The Doctrine of the New Church Regarding the Lord51. And because the entire church is meant, we are told not what the spirit says to the church (singular), but what the spirit says to the churches (plural).
