Apocalypse Revealed #483
483. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about peoples, nations, tongues, and many kings." (10:11) This symbolically means that such being the case, the character of people caught up in faith alone must be further told.
That this is the symbolic meaning is apparent from what follows, in which the subject is people caught up in faith alone, to the end of chapter 16. After that the subject is the Roman Catholic religion, then the casting out of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet into hell, and afterward the New Church, which will worship the Lord alone.
To prophesy means, symbolically, to teach (nos. 8, 133), and so to prophesy again means to teach further. "Peoples" symbolize people who are impelled by doctrinal truths or doctrinal falsities, and "nations" symbolize people who are impelled by good practices or evil practices. More about these later. "Tongues" symbolize people who are impelled by truths and goods or falsities and evils externally (no. 282), and "kings" people who are impelled by them internally. To be shown that kings symbolize people who are impelled by truths springing from goodness, and in an opposite sense, people who are impelled by falsities springing from evil, and abstractly truths themselves springing from goodness or falsities themselves springing from evil, see nos. 20, 664, 704, 720, 830, 921. And as the subject in what follows is in particular people impelled by interior falsities, the text says, "and many kings," which symbolizes falsities accompanying evil in abundance.
The text says peoples, nations, tongues and kings in order to mean all people in the church who are of this character.
John's being told that he had to prophesy again means, symbolically, to teach further the character of people caught up in faith alone, in order that their falsities may be exposed and thus eradicated, since no falsity is eradicated before it has been exposed.
[2] That "peoples" symbolize people impelled by doctrinal truths or falsities, and "nations" people impelled by good or evil practices, can be seen from many passages in the Word where peoples and nations are mentioned. However, to demonstrate this we will cite here only some passages where peoples and nations are mentioned together, from which this conclusion may be drawn, as each and every particular in the Word contains a marriage of the Lord and the church, and consequently a marriage of goodness and truth; and "peoples" refer to truth, and "nations" to goodness. The presence of such a marriage in each and every particular of the Word may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 80-90.
[3] Here are the passages in the Word:
Woe to a sinful nation, to a people laden with iniquity... (Isaiah 1:4)
I will send him against a hypocritical nation, against the people of My wrath I will command him... (Isaiah 10:6)
(Jehovah) who is striking the peoples... with an incurable plague, who is ruling the nations in anger... (Isaiah 14:6)
At that time a present will be brought to Jehovah..., a people scattered and shaven..., and a nation marked off and downtrodden... (Isaiah 18:7)
...a strong people will honor You, a city of mighty nations will fear You. (Isaiah 25:3)
(Jehovah) will swallow up... the covering... over all peoples, and the veil... over all nations. (Isaiah 25:7)
Come near, you nations..., and pay heed, you peoples! (Isaiah 34:1)
I... have called You... as a covenant to the peoples, and as a light to the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)
Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples assemble. (Isaiah 43:9)
Behold, I will lift My hand... to the nations, and... My standard to the peoples. (Isaiah 49:22)
...I have given him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and lawgiver to the nations. (Isaiah 55:4)
Behold, a people is coming from the north country, and a great nation... from the edges of the earth. (Jeremiah 6:22)
Many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem... (Zechariah 8:22)
Jehovah renders the counsel of the nations of no effect, He overturns the deliberations of the peoples. (Psalms 33:10)
(Jehovah) will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet... (Jehovah) reigned over the nations... The willing of the peoples have gathered together... (Psalms 47:3, 8-9)
The peoples shall confess You... The nations shall be glad... For You shall judge the peoples righteously, and guide the nations on the earth. (Psalms 67:3-4)
Remember me, O Jehovah, with good pleasure toward Your people..., that I may rejoice in the joy of Your nations... (Psalms 106:4-5)
...all peoples, nations, and languages shall worship (the Son of Man). (Daniel 7:14)
And so on elsewhere, as in Psalms 18:43, Isaiah 9:2-3; 11:10, Ezekiel 36:15, Joel 2:17, Zephaniah 2:9, Revelation 5:9, Luke 2:30-32.
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Psalms 68
1
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
2
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3
But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
4
Sing unto God, Sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
5
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
6
God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7
O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
8
The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9
Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
11
The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
12
Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
13
Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
14
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
15
The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
16
Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.
17
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
18
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
20
He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
21
But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
22
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
23
That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
24
They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
25
The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
26
Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27
There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28
Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
29
Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
30
Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
31
Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
32
Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O Sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33
To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34
Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35
O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
