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 14
1
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
2
And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
3
For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
4
For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
5
And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6
But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
7
Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
8
And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.
9
And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
10
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
11
And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
12
And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
13
When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
14
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
15
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17
And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18
He said, Bring them hither to me.
19
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21
And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
22
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29
And he said, Come. And when Peter was Come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
34
And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
35
And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
36
And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Arcana Coelestia # 2449
2449. That 'He overthrew those cities' means that all truths were separated from them so that they might possess falsities alone is clear from the meaning of 'cities' as matters of doctrine, and so as truths, for truths make up matters of doctrine, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2428. These are said to be 'overthrown' when falsities stand in place of truths, here when all truths have been separated from them, as well as all goods - goods too being dealt with in this verse, since the subject is the final state of those inside the Church who are governed by falsities and evils.
[2] This also is what their state comes to be, which, so that the nature of it may be known, must be described briefly. All who enter the next life are taken back to a life similar to that which they were leading during their lifetime., Then in the case of the good evils and falsities are separated so that the Lord may raise these people up by means of goods and truths into heaven; but in the case of the evil goods and truths are separated so that those evil ones may be carried away by means of evils and falsities into hell, see 2119, in exact accord with the Lord's words in Matthew,
To him who has, it will be given, so that he may have more abundantly; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 13:12.
And elsewhere in the gospel,
To everyone who has, it will be given, so that he may have in abundance; but from him who has not, it will be taken away. Matthew 25:29; Luke 8:18; 19:24-26; Mark 4:24-25.
The same is meant by the following words which appear in Matthew,
Let both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. The harvest is the close of the age. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. Matthew 13:30, 39-40.
The same point is made in the description of the net thrown into the sea gathering fish of various kinds, and how after that the good were sorted into vessels while the bad were thrown away; and this is how it will be at the close of the age, Matthew 13:47-50. What 'the close' is and that for the Church it entails events like these, see 1857, 2243.
[3] The reason why evils and falsities are separated in the case of people who are good is that the latter may not be left suspended between evils and goods and so that they may be raised up by means of goods into heaven. And the reason why goods and truths are separated in the case of the evil is so that they do not lead the upright astray by means of any goods present with them, and so that by means of their evils they may withdraw to the evil in hell. For in the next life such is the communication of all ideas comprising thought, and of all affections, that goods are communicated with the good, and evils with the evil, 1388-1390. Consequently unless separation took place countless harmful things would result, in addition to the fact that association together would not otherwise be possible. Yet all things are associated together in a very wonderful way, in heaven according to all the variations of love to the Lord and of mutual love, and consequently of faith, 685, 1394, and in hell according to all the variations of evil desires and of delusions resulting from these, 695, 1322. It should be recognized however that separation does not mean complete removal, for nothing anybody has once possessed is totally removed from him.
