Apocalypse Explained #1037
1037. Verse 3. And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, signifies into a place appearing in vision that corresponded to the state of that religious persuasion. This is evident from the signification of "wilderness," as being a state of the church in which there is no longer any good or truth (See n. 730). But as a church in which there is no longer any good or truth is not a church, it is called a religious persuasion. Also from the signification of "in the spirit," as being in vision, for what John saw in the spirit he saw in vision. To see in vision is to see such things as exist with angels in heaven, which are representative and thus significative of things spiritual. When these appear to man they do not appear before the sight of his body, but before the sight of his spirit. For the spirit of man has eyes as well as his body; but the eyes of his spirit see the things that are in the spiritual world, because all things that appear there are from a spiritual origin, and the spiritual man sees spiritual things with the understanding, and with the eyes he sees the same in a form like the natural. But the eyes of the body see the things that are in the material world, because all things that appear there are from a natural origin; and with his understanding the material man sees natural things, while with his eyes he sees the same in a material form. So when the eyes of the spirit were opened with the prophets they saw such things as represented and thus signified the celestial Divine and spiritual Divine things of the church, and sometimes such things as represented and thus signified things that were to come to pass in the churches in the future; and such were the things that John saw. He now saw a wilderness, because a "wilderness" signifies a state of the church devastated of all good and truth; and this state corresponds to the church that had become Babylon. This is why Babylon is described in many passages of the Word as a wilderness, as in the following:
Art thou he that hath made the world a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof? (Isaiah 14:17).
Babylon shall be as God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited forever; it shall not be dwelt in even from generation to generation; that the Arabian may not abide there. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the satyrs shall dance there (Isaiah 13:19-22; also Jeremiah 50:37-40; 51:2, 25-26, 37, 41-43).
Matthew 9
1
And he entered into a boat, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2
And behold, they brought to him a man sick with the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.
3
And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4
And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Why think ye evil in your hearts?
5
For which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick with the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go to thy house.
7
And he arose, and departed to his house.
8
But when the multitude saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
9
And as Jesus was passing from thence, he saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith to him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
10
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at table in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12
But when Jesus heard that, he said to them, They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
14
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not?
15
And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then they will fast.
16
No man putteth a piece of new cloth to an old garment: for that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
18
While he was speaking these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she will live.
19
And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
20
(And behold, a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.
21
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22
But Jesus turned himself about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.)
23
And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24
He said to them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they derided him.
25
But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
26
And the fame of this went abroad into all that land.
27
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
28
And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith to them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said to him, Yes, Lord.
29
Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it to you.
30
And their eyes were opened; and Jesus strictly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
31
But they, when they had departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
32
As thy went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a demon.
33
And when the demon was cast out, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
34
But the Pharisees said, He casteth out demons, through the prince of the demons.
35
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness, and every disease among the people.
36
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37
Then saith he to his disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.
