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η γυνη η μοιχωμενη ομοια σοι παρα του ανδρος αυτης λαμβανουσα μισθωματα
Apocalypse Explained #272
272. And they had on their heads golden crowns, signifies all truths arranged into order by Divine good, thus also all the former heavens. This is evident from the signification of "four and twenty elders sitting upon four and twenty thrones, arrayed in white garments," as being all truths of the heavens, thus all the heavens both higher and lower (of which just above, n. 270, 271); also from the signification of a "golden crown," as being Divine good, from which are truths (of which in what follows). All the truths of heaven and of the church are from Divine good; truths that are not therefrom are not truths. Truths that are not from good are like shells without a kernel, and like a house in which no man dwells, but a wild beast; such are the truths that are called truths of faith apart from the good of charity; the good of charity is good from the Lord, thus Divine good. Now as "the elders upon thrones" signify the truths of the heavens, and "golden crowns" the good from which these are, therefore the elders were seen with crowns. The "crowns of kings" have a like signification; for "kings" in a representative sense signify truths, and "crowns" upon their heads signify the good from which the truths are (that "kings" signify truths may be seen above, n. 31. For this reason the crowns are of gold, for "gold" in like manner signifies good (See above. n. 242).
[2] That "crowns" signify good and wisdom therefrom, and that truths are what are crowned, can be seen from the following passages. In David:
I will make the horn to spring forth for David; I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed; his enemies will I clothe with shame; but upon himself shall his crown blossom (Psalms 132:17-18).
Here "David" and "anointed" mean the Lord (See above, n. 205[1-6]); "horn" His power; "lamp" is the Divine truth from which is Divine intelligence; "Crown" the Divine good from which is Divine wisdom, and from which is the Lord's government; and the "enemies," that shall be clothed with shame, are evils and falsities.
[3] In the same:
Thou showest anger with Thine anointed. Thou hast condemned even to the earth his crown (Psalms 89:38-39).
Here also "anointed" stands for the Lord, and "anger" for a state of temptation, in which He was when in combats with the hells. "Anger" and "condemnation" describe the lamentation at that time, as the Lord's last lamentation on the cross, that He was forsaken; for the cross was the last of His temptations or combats with the hells; and after that last temptation He put on the Divine good of the Divine love, and thus united the Divine Human to the Divine Itself which was in Him.
[4] In Isaiah:
In that day shall Jehovah of Hosts be for a crown of adornment, and for a diadem of splendor, unto the remnant of His people (Isaiah 28:5).
Here "crown of adornment" means wisdom that is of good from the Divine; and "the diadem of splendor" intelligence that is of truth from that good.
[5] In the same:
For Zion's sake will I not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp burneth; and thou shalt be a crown of splendor in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal tiara in the hand of thy God (Isaiah 62:1, 3).
Here "Zion" and "Jerusalem" mean the church, "Zion" the church which is in good, and "Jerusalem" the church which is in truths from that good; therefore it is called "a crown of splendor in the hand of Jehovah," and "a royal tiara in the hand of thy God;" a "crown of splendor" is wisdom that is of good, and a "royal tiara" is intelligence that is of truth; and because "crown" signifies wisdom that is of good it is said to be "in the hand of Jehovah;" and because "tiara" signifies intelligence that is of truth it is said to be "in the hand of God;" for "Jehovah" is used where good is treated of, and "God" where truth is treated of (See Arcana Coelestia 2586, 2769, 6905).
[6] In Jeremiah:
Say to the king and to the mistress, Humble yourselves, sit ye; for your headtire is come down, the crown of your splendor (Jeremiah 13:18);
a "crown of splendor" meaning wisdom that is of good ("splendor" is the Divine truth of the church, Arcana Coelestia 9815).
[7] In the same:
The joy of our heart hath ceased; our dance is turned into mourning; the crown of our head hath fallen (Lamentations 5:15, 16);
"the crown of the head that hath fallen" means the wisdom which those who are of the church have through Divine truth, which wisdom hath ceased, together with internal blessedness.
[8] In Ezekiel:
I put a jewel upon thy nose, and ear-rings on thine ears, and a crown of splendor upon thine head (Ezekiel 16:12).
This refers to Jerusalem, which is the church, here the church at its first establishment; "the jewel upon the nose" signifies the perception of good; and "the ear-rings on the ears" the perception of truth and obedience; and the "crown upon the head" signifies wisdom therefrom.
In Job:
He hath stripped from me the glory, and taken away the crown of my head (Job 19:9);
"glory" meaning intelligence from Divine truth, and a "crown of the head" the wisdom therefrom.
[9] in Revelation:
I saw, and behold a white horse; and He that sat on him had a bow, and there was given unto Him a crown; and He went forth conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:2).
"The white horse and He that sat on him" is the Lord in respect to the Word; "the bow" is the doctrine of truth by which the combat is waged; from which it is clear that "crown," since it is attributed to the Lord, is the Divine good that He put on even in respect to the human, as a reward of victory.
[10] Again:
Afterwards I saw, and behold a white cloud; and on the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle (Revelation 14:14);
a "white cloud" standing for the literal sense of the Word (Arcana Coelestia 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8281, 8781);
"the Son of man" meaning the Lord in respect to Divine truth;
"the golden crown," the Divine good from which is Divine truth;
and "the sharp sickle," the dispersion of evil and falsity.
[11] That a "crown" is Divine good from which is Divine truth was represented by the plats of gold upon the front of the miter that was upon Aaron, which plate was also called a "crown" and a "coronet;" it is thus described in Exodus:
Thou shalt make a plate of gold, and grave upon it with the engraving of a signet, Holiness to Jehovah; and thou shalt put it on a thread of blue, and it shall be on the miter, over against the face of it (Exodus 28:36, 37).
That this plate was called a "crown of holiness" and a "coronet," see Exodus 39:30; Leviticus 8:9. (But what was specially signified thereby, see Arcana Coelestia 9930-9936, where the particulars are explained.)
Ezekiel 16
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Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
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Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations;
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and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem: Your birth and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hittite.
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As for your birth, in the day you were born your navel was not cut, neither were you washed in water to cleanse you; you weren't salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
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No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you, to have compassion on you; but you were cast out in the open field, for that your person was abhorred, in the day that you were born.
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When I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you, [Though you are] in your blood, live; yes, I said to you, [Though you are] in your blood, live.
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I caused you to multiply as that which grows in the field, and you increased and grew great, and you attained to excellent ornament; your breasts were fashioned, and your hair was grown; yet you were naked and bare.
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Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness: yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord Yahweh, and you became mine.
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Then washed I you with water; yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil.
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I clothed you also with embroidered work, and shod you with sealskin, and I dressed you about with fine linen, and covered you with silk.
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I decked you with ornaments, and I put bracelets on your hands, and a chain on your neck.
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I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
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Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and your clothing was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work; you ate fine flour, and honey, and oil; and you were exceeding beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate.
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Your renown went forth among the nations for your beauty; for it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put on you, says the Lord Yahweh.
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But you trusted in your beauty, and played the prostitute because of your renown, and poured out your prostitution on everyone who passed by; his it was.
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You took of your garments, and made for yourselves high places decked with various colors, and played the prostitute on them: [the like things] shall not come, neither shall it be [so].
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You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and played the prostitute with them;
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and you took your embroidered garments, and covered them, and did set my oil and my incense before them.
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My bread also which I gave you, fine flour, and oil, and honey, with which I fed you, you even set it before them for a pleasant aroma; and [thus] it was, says the Lord Yahweh.
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Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and you have sacrificed these to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter,
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that you have slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through [the fire] to them?
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In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were wallowing in your blood.
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It has happened after all your wickedness, (woe, woe to you! says the Lord Yahweh),
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that you have built for yourselves a vaulted place, and have made yourselves a lofty place in every street.
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You have built your lofty place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty an abomination, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your prostitution.
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You have also committed sexual immorality with the Egyptians, your neighbors, great of flesh; and have multiplied your prostitution, to provoke me to anger.
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See therefore, I have stretched out my hand over you, and have diminished your ordinary [food], and delivered you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way.
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You have played the prostitute also with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; yes, you have played the prostitute with them, and yet you weren't satisfied.
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You have moreover multiplied your prostitution to the land of merchants, to Chaldea; and yet you weren't satisfied with this.
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How weak is your heart, says the Lord Yahweh, since you do all these things, the work of an impudent prostitute;
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in that you build your vaulted place at the head of every way, and make your lofty place in every street, and have not been as a prostitute, in that you scorn pay.
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A wife who commits adultery! who takes strangers instead of her husband!
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They give gifts to all prostitutes; but you give your gifts to all your lovers, and bribe them, that they may come to you on every side for your prostitution.
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You are different from [other] women in your prostitution, in that no one follows you to play the prostitute; and whereas you give hire, and no hire is given to you, therefore you are different.
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Therefore, prostitute, hear the word of Yahweh:
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Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Because your filthiness was poured out, and your nakedness uncovered through your prostitution with your lovers; and because of all the idols of your abominations, and for the blood of your children, that you gave to them;
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therefore see, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you have taken pleasure, and all those who you have loved, with all those who you have hated; I will even gather them against you on every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.
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I will judge you, as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
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I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your vaulted place, and break down your lofty places; and they shall strip you of your clothes, and take your beautiful jewels; and they shall leave you naked and bare.
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They shall also bring up a company against you, and they shall stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords.
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They shall burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will cause you to cease from playing the prostitute, and you shall also give no hire any more.
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So will I cause my wrath toward you to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from you, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.
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Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring your way on your head, says the Lord Yahweh: and you shall not commit this lewdness with all your abominations.
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Behold, everyone who uses proverbs shall use [this] proverb against you, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.
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You are the daughter of your mother, who loathes her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children: your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite.
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Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells at your left hand, she and her daughters; and your younger sister, who dwells at your right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
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Yet have you not walked in their ways, nor done after their abominations; but, as [if that were] a very little [thing], you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.
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As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, Sodom your sister has not done, she nor her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters.
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Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
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They were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good].
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Neither has Samaria committed half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all your abominations which you have done.
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You also, bear you your own shame, in that you have given judgment for your sisters; through your sins that you have committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous that you: yes, be also confounded, and bear your shame, in that you have justified your sisters.
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I will turn again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives in the midst of them;
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that you may bear your own shame, and may be ashamed because of all that you have done, in that you are a comfort to them.
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Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate; and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and you and your daughters shall return to your former estate.
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For your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the day of your pride,
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before your wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all who are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, who do despite to you all around.
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You have borne your lewdness and your abominations, says Yahweh.
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For thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will also deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant.
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Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish to you an everlasting covenant.
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Then you shall remember your ways, and be ashamed, when you shall receive your sisters, your elder [sisters] and your younger; and I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant.
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I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall know that I am Yahweh;
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that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done, says the Lord Yahweh.
