Apocalypse Explained #610
610.That there shall be time no longer.- That this signifies that there would be no longer any understanding of Divine Truth, nor any state of the church from it, is evident from the signification of time, as here denoting the state of man as to the understanding of the Word, and therefore the state of the church, because these are the subjects treated of in this chapter. The reason why time signifies state, is, that times in the spiritual world are determined and distinguished only by particular and general states of life. The cause of this is, that the Sun in that world, which is the Lord, is fixed and stationary in the same part of heaven, which is the east, nor is it carried round as the sun in the natural world appears to be. Times are determined by the apparent revolution of this sun, and so exist in general and in particular; in general, the year and its four seasons, which are called spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These four seasons of the year also are the four natural states thereof corresponding to as many states in the spiritual world, which are its general spiritual states. In particular, within those general states in the natural world, there are fixed and stated times, called months and weeks, but especially days, which are distinguished into four natural states, called morning, noon, evening, and night, to which also correspond four states in the spiritual world. Since the Sun, in the spiritual world, as was said above, is not carried round but remains fixed and stationary in the east, therefore there are neither years, months, weeks, days, nor hours, consequently neither are there any determinations by times, but only determinations by states of life, general and particular. For this reason it is not known in the spiritual world what time is, but only what state is; for the determination of a thing gives the idea of it, and the thing is named according to the notion. This then is the reason why it is not known, in the spiritual world, what times are, although they succeed each other there, as in the natural world, but instead of times there are states and their changes; times, therefore, when mentioned in the Word, signify states. Concerning time, and times, in the spiritual world, more, may be seen in Heaven and Hell 162-169); and concerning the changes of state with the angels (n. 154-161). 1
[2] Since by time are meant those things that pertain to time in the natural world, as those of the year, and of the day, those of the year being seed time and harvest, and those of the day being morning and evening, the states of the church also are described in the Word by those things which belong to time. By seed time is described and signified the establishment of the church; by harvest, its fructification; by morning, the first time of the church; and by noon to evening, its progression. These natural states also correspond to spiritual states, which are states of heaven and the church. In regard to the church, it passes through those states in general, and so does every man of the church in particular. Every man of the church is also inaugurated into those states from his earliest days, but when the church is at its end, he can then no longer be inaugurated, for he does not receive Divine Truth, but either rejects or perverts it, consequently there can be to him neither seed time nor harvest, that is, neither establishment nor fructification, nor has he morning or evening, that is, neither beginning nor progression. These are the states meant and signified by times in the Word; and because in the end of the church those states cease with the men of the church, it is therefore said here that there shall be time no longer, by which therefore is signified, that there shall be no longer any understanding of Divine Truth or the Word, consequently not any state of the church.
[3] The same is signified by time in Ezekiel:
"The evil, one evil, behold, cometh. The end is come, the end is come; it hath watched over thee. Behold the morning cometh upon thee, O thou that dwellest in the land; the time is come" (7:5-7).
These things also are said concerning the state of the church. The end of the former church is first described, and afterwards the establishment of the new church. The end of the former church is described by these words, "The evil, one evil, behold, cometh, the end is come, the end is come;" the establishment of the new church by these words, "The morning cometh upon thee, O thou that dwellest in the land; the time is come." The morning signifies the state of a new church, or the commencement of a church, and time, its progressive state, consequently the same as seed time and harvest, and noon and evening, mentioned above, consequently the state of the church as to the understanding of truth and the will of good.
[4] So in Daniel:
The fourth beast "shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the highest ones, because he shall think to change times and the right (jus); and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times, and part of a time" (7:25).
By the fourth beast is meant the evil which was about fully to vastate the church. The falsities destroying the truths of the church are meant by the words which he shall speak against the Most High, and by the saints of the highest ones, whom he will wear out; the saints of the highest ones, in the abstract sense, signifying Divine truths. That the truths of the Word and the goods thereof, will then be changed into falsities and evils, is signified by his changing the times and the right; times denoting states of the church as to the understanding of truth. The duration of that state in regard to the end of the church is signified by, until a time, and times, and part of a time, which means a full state of vastation.
[5] The same is signified by the following words in Daniel:
"I heard the man clothed in linen when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, that [it shall be] for a fixed time of fixed times and a half, and when they were about to make an end to disperse the people of holiness, all these things shall be consummated" (12:7).
Time here signifies state and by time, times, and a half, is signified a full state of vastation; it is therefore said, "when they were about to make an end to disperse the people of holiness," the people of holiness denoting those of the church who are in Divine truths, and, in the abstract, Divine truths. Similarly it is said in the Apocalypse that the woman should be nourished in the wilderness" for a time and times and half a time" (12:14).
[6] Because time signifies those things which pertain to time, as spring, summer, autumn, and winter, by which are signified the states of one who is being regenerated, and of one who is regenerated; also such things as pertain to those times, namely, seed time and harvest, which signify the state of the church in regard to the implantation of truth, and the fructification of good thence; therefore similar things are also signified by the times of the day, morning, noon, evening and night, as in the following passages.
Thus in Genesis:
"During all the days of the earth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (8:22).
These words are explained in the Arcana Coelestia 930-937).
So in David:
"The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter" (Psalm 74:16, 17).
And in Jeremiah:
"Jehovah, giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, If those ordinances depart from before me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me all the days" (31:35, 36).
And again, in the same prophet:
"Jehovah said, if I have not appointed my covenant of day and night, the ordinances of heaven and earth, I will also refuse the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant" (33:25, 26).
Here the ordinances of the sun, of the moon, and of the stars, also the covenant of the day and of the night, and the ordinances of heaven and of the earth, have a signification similar to times, since times have their existence from those ordinances. That seed time and harvest, summer and winter, also day and night, have a similar signification to times, was shown above.
[7] It follows therefore that the same things are signified by times in these words in Genesis:
"God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and they shall be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and for years" (Genesis 1:14).
The two luminaries, the sun and the moon, signify love and faith; for in the spiritual sense of that chapter the new creation or regeneration of the man of the church is treated of, and those things that chiefly regenerate man, and make the church are signified by what is said of the sun and moon. The above and following words therefore describe the process by which regeneration is accomplished and afterwards the states of regeneration are described. The signification of there being time no longer is therefore now evident from these things.
Bilješke:
1. A note in the margin of the photolithograph copy says, See where it is said that "it shall be when there shall be neither day nor night" (Jeremiah 33:20; Zechariah 14:7).-TR.
1 Corinthians 15
1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
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By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
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For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
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And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
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And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
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After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
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After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
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And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
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For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
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But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
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Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
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Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
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But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
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And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
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Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
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For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
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And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
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Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
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If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
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But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
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For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
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For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
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But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
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Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
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For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
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The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
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For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
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And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
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Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
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And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
31
I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
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If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
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Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
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Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
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But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
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Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
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And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
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But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
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All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
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There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
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There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
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So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
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It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
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It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
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And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
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Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
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The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
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As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
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And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
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Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
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Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
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In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
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For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
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So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
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O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
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The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
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But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
